15-Day Morocco Tour From Marrakech

Your Moroccan adventure begins with pickup at Marrakech Menara Airport and transfer to a traditional riad in the Marrakech Medina (UNESCO site). After check-in, relax or explore the neighborhood depending on arrival time. In the evening, visit Jemaa el-Fnaa square for food stalls, performers, and dinner either at a local restaurant or in your riad.

• Driving Time: 15–30 minutes (airport transfer)
• Where You’ll Stay: Traditional Riad/hotel in Marrakech Medina
• Meals: None included (restaurant recommendations available)
• Highlights: Arrival in Marrakech, Jemaa el-Fnaa square

Meet your local guide for a full-day ( or Half-day) tour of Marrakech, the “Red City” and former imperial capital. Visit the Koutoubia Mosque, known for its 77-meter 12th-century minaret that inspired Seville’s Giralda.

Continue to Bahia Palace, a late 19th-century Grand Vizier residence featuring intricate woodwork, painted ceilings, and courtyards. Then visit the Saadian Tombs, discovered in 1917, burial site of Saadian dynasty rulers.

Visit Majorelle Garden, created by Jacques Majorelle and later owned by Yves Saint Laurent. Features include a blue villa, plants from five continents, and the Berber Museum.

After lunch at a local restaurant, explore the souks, observing traditional crafts: leatherwork, metalsmithing, carpet weaving, herbalism. Your guide will assist with navigation and context. End at Jemaa el-Fnaa square to witness its daily transformation.

In the evening, have dinner at a traditional Moroccan restaurant, with optional music and dance entertainment. Return to your riad for the night.

• Driving Time: Minimal within city
  
• Where You’ll Stay: Traditional Riad/hotel in Marrakech
  
• Meals: Breakfast included
  
• Highlights: Koutoubia Mosque, Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Majorelle Garden, souks, Jemaa el-Fnaa
  
• Optional Activities: Traditional hammam, cooking class

Depart Marrakech for Essaouira (190 km, ~2.5 hours). Drive through Moroccan countryside with views of argan tree groves. Possible sightings of goats climbing trees for fruit.

Stop at a women’s argan oil cooperative to learn about traditional production and its role in local women’s economic empowerment. Arrive in Essaouira (formerly Mogador), a coastal city with Moroccan-European architecture from its Portuguese past.

Explore the UNESCO-listed medina: blue and white buildings, Atlantic-facing ramparts, and fishing port with blue boats. Visit artisan quarters, especially for thuya wood crafts. Enjoy the relaxed, artistic coastal environment.

Free time for lunch at seaside seafood restaurants. Afternoon at leisure: explore medina, shop in souks, walk beach, or relax at a café. Overnight in traditional riad or hotel.

• Driving Time: About 2.5 hours, 190 km
• Where You’ll Stay: Riad/hotel in Essaouira
• Meals: Breakfast included
• Highlights: Argan tree groves, Essaouira medina, fishing port, coastal ramparts
• Optional Activities: Art galleries, local seafood, beach activities

Continue exploring Essaouira. Options include walking along the beach popular with windsurfers due to strong trade winds and revisiting favorite spots.

Visit Skala de la Ville, a sea bastion with Atlantic and medina views. Explore artisan workshops producing thuya wood, leather, and silver crafts. View local and international art in galleries across town.

For lunch, try grilled seafood at port stalls or dine at a local restaurant. Early afternoon, depart for Marrakech (190 km, ~2.5 hours), with photo stops en route if passing notable sights like goats in argan trees.

Upon arrival, check into your riad/hotel. Evening at leisure: revisit Jemaa el-Fnaa, explore medina, or relax.

• Driving Time: About 2.5 hours, 190 km
• Where You’ll Stay: Traditional Riad/hotel in Marrakech
• Meals: Breakfast included
• Highlights: Essaouira beach, Skala viewpoint, artisan workshops, art galleries

Take a day trip from Marrakech to explore natural sites near the city. Choose one of two options:

Option 1: Ourika Valley – 30 km from Marrakech (~1.5 hours). Located in the Atlas Mountains with scenic landscapes, Berber villages, and the Ourika River.

• Stop at Berber villages; optional visit to a traditional home with mint tea.
• Optional moderate 1–2 hour round-trip hike to Setti Fatma waterfalls (7 cascades; most see 1–2).

Option 2: Ouzoud Waterfalls – 150 km from Marrakech (~2.5 hours). North Africa’s highest waterfalls (110 m), surrounded by olive groves and villages.

• Walk to base of multi-tiered falls; optional boat ride near the water.
• Spot Barbary macaques in the area.

Return to Marrakech late afternoon. Evening free.

• Driving Time: ~1.5 hours to Ourika Valley or ~2.5 hours to Ouzoud Waterfalls (each way)
• Where You’ll Stay: Traditional Riad/hotel in Marrakech
• Meals: Breakfast included
• Highlights: Atlas Mountain scenery, Berber villages, waterfalls
• Optional Activities: Hiking, boat ride, local market visits

Depart eastward through the High Atlas Mountains via Tizi-n-Tichka Pass (2,260 m / 7,415 ft), the highest major mountain pass in North Africa. Scenic route with multiple photo stops.

First major stop: Ait Ben Haddou (UNESCO World Heritage Site), a preserved mud-brick ksar used in films like Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, and Game of Thrones. Explore narrow alleys and climb for panoramic views.

After lunch near Ait Ben Haddou, continue to Ouarzazate (“Hollywood of Morocco”) with a brief stop at Taourirt Kasbah. Proceed along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Dades Valley, known for “monkey fingers” rock formations and hillside Berber villages.

Check into a hotel in Dades Valley for dinner and overnight.

• Driving Time: About 7–8 hours with stops, 350 km
• Where You’ll Stay: Hotel in Dades Valley
• Meals: Breakfast and dinner included
• Highlights: High Atlas Mountains, Tizi-n-Tichka Pass, Ait Ben Haddou, Road of a Thousand Kasbahs

Explore Dades Valley: mountain formations, fig groves, and Berber villages. Take a short walk to experience local scenery and culture.

Drive to Todra Gorges, featuring 300-meter limestone cliffs carved by the Todra River. Walk through the canyon, a noted rock climbing location, and enjoy its shaded rock walls.

After lunch, continue through eastern Morocco via Erfoud (fossil workshops) and Rissani (historic caravan town). Arrive in Merzouga at the Sahara’s edge by late afternoon.

Switch to camels for a trek across Erg Chebbi dunes. Watch sunset from a high dune. Continue to desert camp for traditional dinner, Berber music, and campfire under Saharan stars. Overnight in a nomadic tent with beds.

• Driving Time: About 4–5 hours, 270 km
• Where You’ll Stay: Desert camp in Merzouga
• Meals: Breakfast and dinner included
• Highlights: Dades Valley, Todra Gorges, camel trek, Sahara sunset

Wake early for Sahara sunrise over dunes. After camp breakfast, spend the day exploring Merzouga region’s landscapes and cultures.

Begin with off-road visit to nomadic Berber families in handwoven tents. Share mint tea and learn about their traditional lifestyle.

Continue to Khamlia Village to experience Gnaoua music and dance, rooted in sub-Saharan African, Berber, and Arabic traditions.

After lunch in Merzouga village, enjoy free time: visit palm grove or seasonal Merzouga Lake (known for flamingos and migratory birds). Return in late afternoon to hotel or camp for dinner and overnight.

• Driving Time: Minimal within the region
• Where You’ll Stay: Hotel/Camp in Merzouga
• Meals: Breakfast and dinner included
• Highlights: Desert sunrise, nomadic families, Gnaoua music, Merzouga village
• Optional Activities: Quad biking, sandboarding, stargazing

Depart the desert heading northwest toward Fes. Drive through Ziz Valley, a palm-filled oasis; stop at viewpoints for photos.

Continue through the Middle Atlas Mountains. Stop in Midelt (known for apples, between Middle and High Atlas) for lunch.

Visit Cedar Forests near Azrou to observe and feed endangered Barbary macaques the last wild population in Africa.

Next stop: Ifrane, the “Switzerland of Morocco,” known for European-style architecture, cool climate, and winter snow. Built by the French in the 1930s.

Arrive in Fes by late afternoon. Check into a traditional riad/Hotel in the medina.

• Driving Time: About 7–8 hours with stops, 420 km.
• Where You’ll Stay: Traditional Riad/Hotel in Fes.
• Meals: Breakfast included.
• Highlights: Ziz Valley, Cedar Forests with Barbary macaques, Ifrane.

Explore Fes, Morocco’s cultural and spiritual capital founded in the 9th century. Begin at the Royal Palace gate (brass doors, tile work), then enter the old Medina (Fes el-Bali), a UNESCO World Heritage site and the world’s largest car-free urban area.

With your guide, enter via the Blue Gate (Bab Boujloud) into over 9,000 narrow streets. Visit Medrasa Attarine and Bou Inania (14th-century religious schools), and the Nejjarine Fountain in the carpenter’s quarter.

Tour the ancient tanneries (unchanged medieval leather-making). In the afternoon, see El Karaouyine Mosque and University (founded 859 CE, world’s oldest operating university).
Visit the historic Jewish Quarter (Mellah), then climb to a fortress for panoramic medina views. Return to your riad for leisure; optional dinner with traditional Fassi cuisine.

• Driving Time: Minimal within the city
• Where You’ll Stay: Traditional Riad/hotel in Fes
• Meals: Breakfast included
• Highlights: Old Medina, ancient tanneries, world’s oldest university
• Optional Activities: Traditional Hammam, cooking class, dinner show

After breakfast, we depart Fes and drive to the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis, a remarkably well-preserved archaeological site dating back to the 3rd century BC. Marvel at the beautiful mosaics that have withstood the test of time, the impressive pillars, and grand archways that offer a glimpse into Morocco’s Roman past. Your guide will bring history to life as you walk in the footsteps of ancient Romans through this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Next, we visit Meknes, one of Morocco’s four imperial cities and once the capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century. Explore the city’s impressive monuments, including the grand Bab Mansour gate, considered one of North Africa’s most beautiful gates; the lively Place El-Hedim; the historic Royal Stables that once housed 12,000 horses; and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail.

In the afternoon, we continue our journey to the enchanting Blue City of Chefchaouen, nestled in the Rif Mountains. Upon arrival, you’ll be immediately struck by the town’s distinctive blue-washed buildings that create a magical atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Morocco. We’ll check into our riad and then have some free time to begin exploring the charming narrow streets, bustling souks, and local restaurants. Overnight in a traditional riad in Chefchaouen.

• Driving Time: About 5-6 hours total, 250 km
• Where You’ll Stay: Traditional Riad/hotel in Chefchaouen
• Meals: Breakfast included
• Highlights: Volubilis Roman ruins, Meknes imperial city, first views of the Blue City

Explore Chefchaouen’s blue alleyways and old town. Visit the Kasbah Museum and Grand Mosque.

Around midday, drive to Tangier (at the Europe-Africa crossroads, Mediterranean-Atlantic meeting point). Upon arrival, have lunch and visit Kasbah Museum (former Sultan’s palace), Grand Socco, and the medina.

Visit Cape Spartel (view of Strait of Gibraltar; Spain visible on clear days) and the Caves of Hercules (linked to myth).

Late afternoon, continue to Asilah. Check in, then explore the medina, view wall murals (from annual arts festival), and optionally dine at a seafood restaurant. Overnight in Asilah.

• Driving Time: About 4.5 hours total with stops, 195 km
• Where You’ll Stay: Riad/hotel in Asilah
• Meals: Breakfast included
• Highlights: Chefchaouen blue city, Tangier cultural sites, Asilah medina
• Optional Activities: Explore Tangier’s cultural sites, visit Asilah’s art galleries, relax on the beach

Explore Asilah. Walk along medina ramparts with Atlantic views; visit art galleries, craft shops, cafés. If weather permits, relax on the beach.

Around midday, drive south to Rabat (approx. 2.5 hours via coast and farmland).

On arrival, check in and tour Rabat: visit Hassan Tower (12th-century incomplete minaret), Mausoleum of Mohammed V (modern Alaouite architecture), and Oudayas Kasbah (Almohad-era fortress, Andalusian gardens, Atlantic/Bou Regreg views).

Stroll Rabat’s relaxed medina for souvenirs or coffee. Dinner at a local restaurant; overnight in Rabat.

• Driving Time: About 2.5 hours, 220 km
• Where You’ll Stay: Riad/hotel in Rabat
• Meals: Breakfast included
• Highlights: Asilah ramparts and beach, Rabat’s Hassan Tower, Mausoleum of Mohammed V, Oudayas Kasbah
• Optional Activities: Visit the Royal Palace, stroll through the Andalusian Gardens, explore Rabat’s museums

Visit remaining Rabat sites such as the Archaeological Museum or Chellah (Roman city turned medieval necropolis).

Around midday, depart for Casablanca (1.5-hour coastal drive). On arrival, check in and begin touring.

Main visit: Hassan II Mosque (oceanfront, one of the world’s largest mosques, 210m minaret, open to non-Muslims with guided tours).

Also visit the Corniche (seafront boulevard), Habous Quarter (French-built New Medina), and Mohammed V Square (Moorish-Art Deco architecture).

Evening: farewell dinner at a local restaurant (seafood or international cuisine). Overnight in Casablanca.

• Driving Time: About 1.5 hours, 90 km
• Where You’ll Stay: Hotel/Riad in Casablanca
• Meals: Breakfast included
• Highlights: Hassan II Mosque, Corniche, Habous Quarter, Mohammed V Square
• Optional Activities: Visit the Morocco Mall, explore the city’s markets, enjoy a relaxing evening by the Corniche

On your final day, enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Depending on flight time, optional last-minute shopping at Morocco Mall or stroll along the Corniche.

Transfer to Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport.

Optional: Tour can end in Marrakech or Tangier with transfer to respective airports.

• Driving Time: Airport transfer only (30–45 minutes)
• Meals: Breakfast included
• Highlights: Last-minute shopping or city stroll before your flight