Tour overview
The circuit runs anticlockwise. Day one takes you up to the Atlantic at Casablanca, a working port city rather than a tourist one, where the Hassan II Mosque stands on a platform built out over the sea.
Day two is the imperial day proper. Rabat in the morning for the Kasbah des Oudayas above the mouth of the Bou Regreg, the unfinished Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V mausoleum opposite it; then Meknes in the afternoon for the Bab Mansour gate and El Hedim square, and on to Fes for the evening.
The whole of day three is Fes. The medina is the largest car-free urban area in the world, and Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859 and still a working university, stands inside it. The Chouara tanneries are seen from the leather terraces above them, and the workshops around the medina still turn wood, clay and thread by hand.
Day four returns a different way, through Ifrane and over the Middle Atlas past Khenifra and Beni Mellal, reaching Marrakech in the evening. Four days is tight for four cities, and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise — but it is the shortest honest way to see the imperial north if your flights are into Marrakech.
Route
Marrakech → Casablanca → Rabat → Meknes → Fes (two nights) → Ifrane → Middle Atlas → Khenifra → Beni Mellal → Marrakech.
What to expect
This is a city tour, not a desert tour: three driving days and one full day on foot in Fes. The Fes day is several hours of walking on uneven ground, so comfortable shoes matter more than anything else you pack.
If you want the Sahara as well as the imperial cities, the nine-day tour from Marrakech covers both without hurrying either.
Practical information
The lines above without a note are confirmed: the tour is private, the driver is yours for all four days, and the road transport and both transfers are ours. Everything marked subject to confirmation — the three nights, the meals, the guide for the Fes medina and the drive around Casablanca — 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 We do not publish fixed properties, fixed prices or fixed departure times on this page, because they depend on when you travel and how many of you there are.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
- The Hassan II Mosque at Casablanca, built out over the Atlantic
- Rabat: the Kasbah des Oudayas, the Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V mausoleum
- Meknes: the Bab Mansour gate and El Hedim square
- Two nights in Fes rather than one
- Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859 and still a university
- The Chouara tanneries, seen from the terraces above them
- Wood, pottery and textile workshops still working in the old city
- The return over the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and the cedar country
Day by day
Day 1
Marrakech to Casablanca
We collect you in Marrakech in the morning and drive north to the coast. Casablanca is Morocco's commercial capital and feels like it: wide boulevards, art-deco facades from the French period, and the Corniche at Ain Diab running along the Atlantic. The Hassan II Mosque sits at the end of it, partly over the water, with a minaret 210 metres high. Whether the interior can be visited depends on the prayer schedule on the day.
Night: Casablanca.
Day 2
Casablanca – Rabat – Meknes – Fes
North along the coast to Rabat, the capital. The Kasbah des Oudayas looks over the mouth of the Bou Regreg and holds the Andalusian Gardens inside its walls; the Hassan Tower stands unfinished beside the Mohammed V mausoleum. In the afternoon we turn inland to Meknes for the Bab Mansour gate and El Hedim square, and continue to Fes for the evening.
Night: Fes.
Day 3
Fes
A full day in the old city. Fes el-Bali is the oldest and largest of Morocco's medinas and none of it is drivable — it is walked. Al Quaraouiyine and the madrasas around it, the Chouara tanneries from the terraces above, and the workshops where wood, pottery and cloth are still worked by hand. Fes rewards an unhurried day more than a checklist.
Night: Fes.
Day 4
Fes – Ifrane – Middle Atlas – Beni Mellal – Marrakech
The road south climbs quickly to Ifrane, an improbably tidy town of pitched roofs and gardens, and then runs through the Middle Atlas by way of Khenifra and Beni Mellal. It is a long drive with good country on either side. We reach Marrakech in the evening and 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 four days.
- Road transport over the whole loop — Marrakech to Fes by the coast, and back over the Middle Atlas.
- Pick-up and drop-off in Marrakech — airport or accommodation.
- A full day in Fes on foot with no driving, rather than a half-day stop.
- Three nights' accommodation — one in Casablanca, two in Fes — subject to confirmation
- Breakfast on each of the three mornings — subject to confirmation
- Dinner on each of the three evenings — subject to confirmation
- A local guide for the medina of Fes — subject to confirmation
- A drive around Casablanca — the Corniche, the port and the Hassan II Mosque from the outside — subject to confirmation
Not included
- Plane ticket.
- Travel insurance.
- Lunches and drinks.
- Monument entrance fees — the Hassan II Mosque, Rabat, Meknes and the Fes madrasas.
- Personal expenses and tips.
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Frequently asked questions
Which are the four imperial cities?
Fes, Marrakech, Meknes and Rabat. This tour visits Rabat, Meknes and Fes; Marrakech is where it starts and finishes, so you see all four if you spend any time there yourself.
Why does it go to Casablanca, which was never an imperial capital?
Because it is on the way north and the Hassan II Mosque is worth the stop. If you would rather drive straight to Rabat, tell us and we will change it.
Can we go inside the Hassan II Mosque?
It is one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims, on a timed-visit basis. It depends on the day and the prayer schedule, so we do not promise it in advance. Ask us to arrange the entrance when you enquire.
Is two nights enough in Fes?
It gives you one full day in the medina. Most people who stay longer are glad they did — tell us if you would like a fifth day.
Is there any desert on this tour?
No. This is the imperial cities route. For dunes see our Morocco desert tours.
Is a local guide included in Fes?
A local guide for the medina 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.
