Morocco 12-day tour: Sahara, Atlas & medinas adventure

Twelve days crosses the whole country, from the blue city to the Sahara to the Atlantic, with nights in riads and a Berber tent.

A 12-day private tour departing from Casablanca that moves through Morocco's major regions: the Rif Mountains, the medinas of Fes and Marrakech, the Sahara Desert, the Atlas Mountains, and the Atlantic coast. Your guide speaks English and French. Private transport with air conditioning and hotel pickup in Casablanca are included. The itinerary spans Chefchaouen, Volubilis, the Fes tanneries, a camel ride at sunrise in Merzouga, the Todra Gorges, Ait Ben Haddou, Essaouira, and the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech, ending with your return to Casablanca.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Casablanca to Chefchaouen

• Pick up from Casablanca hotel
• Drive to Chefchaouen
• Free time to explore Chefchaouen
• Overnight at hotel in Chefchaouen

Day 2: Chefchaouen to Fes via Volubilis

• Drive to Volubilis
• Visit Volubilis ruins
• Visit Meknes sites and have lunch
• Drive to Fes
• Overnight at accommodation in Fes

Day 3: Full day sightseeing in Fes

• Visit Medersa Bou Anania
• Visit Tanneries in Fes Medina
• Visit La Madrassa Attarine and Nejjarine fountain
• Visit El Karaouyine mosque and Bab Bojloud
• Overnight at accommodation in Fes

Day 4: Fes to Midelt via Ifran and Azro

• Drive through Ifran and take photos
• Visit monkeys in Azro
• Arrive in Midelt for dinner
• Overnight at hotel in Midelt

Day 5: Midelt to Merzouga

• Drive through Ziz Valley, Rachidia, and Rissani
• Lunch on the road
• Arrive in Merzouga
• Ride camels across sand dunes
• Watch sunset in desert
• Dinner and overnight in Berber tent

Day 6: Merzouga to Dades Valley

• Climb sand dunes at sunrise
• Ride camels back to hotel
• Shower and breakfast
• Drive to Dades Valley via Erfoud, Jorf, Tinjdad, Tinghir
• Visit Todra Gorges
• Lunch on the road or in Tinghir
• Dinner and overnight at hotel in Dades Valley

Day 7: Dades Valley to Ait Ben Haddou

• Rest in morning
• Visit Dades Gorges
• Drive through Roses Valley and Ouarzazate
• Photo stop at Kasbah Taourirt
• Walk in Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah
• Dinner and overnight at hotel in Ait Ben Haddou

Day 8: Ait Ben Haddou to Imlil Atlas Mountains

• Drive through Atlas Mountains
• Enjoy mountain landscapes
• Dinner and overnight at Auberge in Imlil

Day 9: Imlil to Essaouira

• Morning mule ride and hiking
• Drive to Essaouira via argan tree landscapes
• Free time in Essaouira
• Overnight at accommodation in Essaouira

Day 10: Essaouira to Marrakech

• Half day free at Essaouira beach
• Drive to Marrakech after lunch
• Arrive and drop off at accommodation

Day 11: Full day sightseeing in Marrakech

• Visit Koutoubia mosque
• Visit El Bahia Palace
• Visit Saadian Tombs
• Visit Menara Gardens
• Visit Djemaa el Fna
• Return to accommodation

Day 12: Marrakech to Casablanca

• Drive from Marrakech to Casablanca
• Drop off at accommodation in Casablanca

The experience

The route starts with a morning pickup from your Casablanca hotel and heads north to Chefchaouen, the blue-washed city in the Rif Mountains, where you have free time to wander the narrow streets. The next day moves through Volubilis (the partly excavated Roman and Berber site), and stops in Meknes to see the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and Bab al-Mansour before arriving in Fes. A full day in the Fes medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, takes you through the 14th-century Medersa Bou Anania, the tanneries on the Oued Fes riverbank, and the mosques and fountains that fill the walled old city.

The journey then turns south and inland. You pass through Ifran (known as the Switzerland of Morocco for its mountain setting), and stop to see the cedar forests and Barbary macaques before reaching Midelt. From there, the route descends into the Sahara: you drive through the Ziz Valley to Merzouga, where you ride camels across the dunes, watch the sunset, and sleep in a Berber tent under the stars. The next morning brings a sunrise camel ride before the road continues west through the Todra Gorges and Dades Valley, with its dramatic canyon walls and river landscape. Ait Ben Haddou, the fortified kasbah that has stood for centuries, comes next: a UNESCO site where you walk through earthen buildings and narrow passageways. The route then climbs into the Atlas Mountains, where you spend a night in a traditional auberge with dinner prepared by a Berber woman, and the option to hike or ride mules in the morning.

The final stretch moves toward the coast. You pass through argan tree forests, where goats climb the branches, and reach Essaouira on the Atlantic, with a half day free to explore the beach and port town. Marrakech follows, with a full day visiting the Koutoubia Mosque, the El Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Menara Gardens, and the Djemaa el Fna square. The tour ends with a drive back to Casablanca and drop-off at your hotel. Throughout, your driver speaks English and French. The vehicle is a private 4x4 or minivan with air conditioning and fuel included.

What’s included

• Private transport in a 4x4 or minivan with air conditioning and fuel.
• certified driver speaking English and French.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Casablanca.
• accommodations in riads and hotels for eleven nights, including one night in a Berber tent in Merzouga.
• guide services in Volubilis, Meknes, Fes, and Marrakech.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (19 to 65 years) · Senior (66 and older) · Youth (11 to 18 years) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Starry Morocco Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want twelve days to linger in Fes and Marrakech, sleep in the Atlas Mountains and Sahara, and move at your own pace rather than hit highlights in a week.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 18 years); Child (5 to 10 years); Infant (under 5).

What is the Fes medina like, and how much time do you spend there?

The Fes medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site enclosed by unbroken ramparts and gates. You spend a full day exploring it, visiting the 14th-century Medersa Bou Anania, the tanneries on the riverbank, the Nejjarine fountain, and the mosques of El Karaouyine and Bab Bojloud.

Do you ride camels in the Sahara, and where do you sleep?

Yes. In Merzouga, you ride camels across the golden dunes to watch the sunset, then spend the night in a Berber tent with dinner included, sleeping under the stars.

What are the Atlas Mountains nights like?

You stay in a traditional auberge in the heart of the mountains with dinner cooked by a Berber woman. In the morning, you can hike or ride mules if you choose, at your own pace.

Is hotel pickup included in Casablanca?

Yes. The driver picks you up from your hotel in Casablanca on the morning of day one and drops you back there at the end of day twelve.

Does the price include meals?

Hotel accommodations and transport are included. Lunches, drinks, and gratuities are not covered by the tour price.