Tour overview
The first two days are Marrakech itself, which most itineraries treat as an airport. You have a night to arrive and then a morning in the old city — the Saadian Tombs, the Bahia Palace, the Koutoubia and the souks that run north from Jemaa el-Fna.
On day three the tour turns north to Casablanca and the Hassan II Mosque, then follows the Atlantic to Rabat and climbs into the Rif to Chefchaouen, where the lanes are painted blue. Day five crosses to Volubilis, the Roman city in the wheat fields, and on to Fes, where you stay two nights and spend a full day in the medina.
Day seven is the long southward run: Ifrane, the cedar forest above Azrou where Barbary macaques come down to the road, Midelt, the Ziz Valley with its palm groves, Erfoud and its fossil workshops, then the dunes. The last two days return west along the caravan road — Todra Gorge, the Dades Valley, the Rose Valley, Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou — and over the Tizi n'Tichka into Marrakech.
If you want one tour that covers the imperial cities, the blue town and the Sahara without rushing any of them, a 9 day Morocco tour from Marrakech is the length at which it works.
Route
Marrakech (two nights) → Casablanca → Rabat → Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Fes (two nights) → Ifrane → Azrou → Midelt → Ziz Valley → Erfoud → Merzouga → Todra Gorge → Boumalne Dades → Rose Valley → Ouarzazate → Ait Benhaddou → Marrakech.
What to expect
Eight nights in six places, two of them with two nights each, which is what keeps this from feeling rushed. Day seven is long.
The temperature range across the tour is wide — the Rif can be cool and wet, the dunes are very hot by day and cold at night — so pack across it rather than for an average.
Practical information
The lines above without a note are confirmed: the tour is private, the driver is yours for all nine days, and the road transport and both transfers are ours. Everything marked subject to confirmation — the eight nights, the meals, the camel ride at Merzouga and the local guides — is the package we propose for this tour. We price it for your dates when you enquire and confirm it in writing before you book. We do not publish fixed properties, fixed prices or fixed departure times on this page, because they depend on when you travel and how many of you there are.
The tour is private throughout: your party travels alone with its own driver, and the pace and the stops can be adjusted while you are on the road.
Tour highlights
- Two nights in Marrakech at the start, not a single night before departure
- The Saadian Tombs, the Bahia Palace and the Koutoubia
- The Hassan II Mosque at Casablanca and the Kasbah des Oudayas at Rabat
- The blue medina of Chefchaouen
- Volubilis, the Roman city in open farmland
- Two nights in Fes and a full day in the medina
- The cedar forest above Azrou and its Barbary macaques
- The Ziz Valley and the fossil workshops at Erfoud
- The Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga and sunrise over them
- Todra Gorge, the Dades Valley and the Rose Valley
- The Atlas Film Studios at Ouarzazate and the kasbah at Ait Benhaddou
Day by day
Day 1
Arrival in Marrakech
We collect you from the airport or your accommodation. The rest of the day is free. If you have the energy, Jemaa el-Fna fills up after dark and the streets behind it are where the souks begin.
Night: Marrakech.
Day 2
Marrakech
A half day in the old city: the Saadian Tombs, sealed for two centuries and reopened in 1917; the Bahia Palace and its painted ceilings; the Koutoubia, whose minaret sets the height limit for the rest of Marrakech; then the souks and Jemaa el-Fna. The afternoon is yours.
Night: Marrakech.
Day 3
Marrakech to Casablanca
North to the Atlantic. Casablanca is a port and a business city before it is anything else, and the Hassan II Mosque — built partly over the water, with a minaret 210 metres high — is the reason to stop.
Night: Casablanca.
Day 4
Casablanca – Rabat – Chefchaouen
Up the coast to Rabat, the capital, for the Kasbah des Oudayas above the river mouth and the Hassan Tower. Then inland and up into the Rif, arriving in Chefchaouen in the late afternoon, which is the best hour to be in the blue lanes.
Night: Chefchaouen.
Day 5
Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Fes
A morning in the medina before leaving, then south to Volubilis, where a Roman provincial capital stands in open farmland with its arch, its columns and its mosaics. On to Fes for the evening.
Night: Fes.
Day 6
Fes
A full day in Fes el-Bali. The Mellah and its synagogue, Al Quaraouiyine — founded in 859 and still a working university — the Bou Inania madrasa, the Nejjarine fountain and the mausoleum of Moulay Idriss. The souks sell dates, spices, copper and instruments, and are worth an hour on their own.
Night: Fes.
Day 7
Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Midelt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga
The long day. Ifrane, built in the 1930s and still looking Alpine; the cedar forest above Azrou, where macaques come to the roadside; Midelt for a break; then the Ziz Valley, a river of palms between red cliffs. We pass Erfoud, where the black fossil-bearing marble is cut and polished, and reach Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes in the afternoon.
Night: Merzouga.
Day 8
Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley
Sunrise over the dunes, then west through Tinghir to Todra Gorge, where the canyon closes to a few metres between walls three hundred metres high. The afternoon follows the valley to Boumalne Dades.
Night: Dades Valley.
Day 9
Dades – Rose Valley – Ouarzazate – Ait Benhaddou – Marrakech
Out through the Rose Valley, where damask roses are grown for their oil, to Ouarzazate and the Atlas Film Studios. Then Ait Benhaddou, the fortified village on the far bank of the river, and the climb over the Tizi n'Tichka pass into Marrakech in the early evening. We take you to your accommodation or the airport.
Want a different pace or an extra night? Tell us and we'll adapt the itinerary.
What's included
Included in this package
- Private tour: your party travels alone, never combined with other travellers.
- A dedicated driver for all nine days.
- Road transport over the whole nine-day loop from Marrakech and back.
- Pick-up and drop-off in Marrakech — airport or accommodation.
- Two days with no long drive: the old city of Marrakech on day two and a full day in Fes on day six.
- Eight nights' accommodation: riads and hotels, and a desert camp at Merzouga — subject to confirmation
- Breakfast every morning — subject to confirmation
- Dinner at Merzouga and in the Dades Valley — subject to confirmation
- A camel ride at the Erg Chebbi dunes — subject to confirmation
- A local guide for the medinas of Marrakech and Fes — subject to confirmation
Not included
- Plane ticket.
- Travel insurance.
- Lunches and drinks.
- Monument entrance fees — Volubilis, the Fes madrasas, the Atlas Film Studios and Ait Benhaddou.
- Personal expenses and tips.
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Frequently asked questions
Does this tour start and finish in Marrakech?
Yes, it is a loop. You are collected and returned in Marrakech.
How is it different from the Tangier tour?
The six-day tour is one-way, Tangier to Marrakech. This is a nine-day loop from Marrakech that adds two nights in Marrakech and a second night in Fes.
Which desert does it visit?
Merzouga, the Erg Chebbi dunes. See Merzouga or Zagora? if you are weighing them up.
How long is the drive from Fes to the desert?
A full day, day seven, with stops at Ifrane, the cedar forest, Midelt and the Ziz Valley.
Is a camel ride included at the dunes?
Yes — a camel ride at Erg Chebbi is part of the package we propose for this tour. It is subject to confirmation, like the rest of the package, and we confirm it in writing with your quote.
Can we add Essaouira or the Atlas at the end?
Ask when you enquire. The tour is private and the length can change.
What time does the tour finish?
Early evening on day nine, in Marrakech.
