10-day Morocco tour from Casablanca: Imperial cities and Sahara

Ten days crossing Morocco's imperial cities, mountain passes, and desert camps.

A 10-day private guided tour from Casablanca that moves through five imperial cities—Rabat, Chefchaouen, Meknes, Fes, and Marrakech—then south through the Atlas Mountains and cedar forests to the Sahara Desert near Merzouga, where you ride camels and sleep in a nomad camp. The itinerary includes airport or hotel pickup, 9 nights in hotels or traditional riads, a local guide in Fes and Marrakech medinas, camel rides, and one night in a luxury Berber tent with dinner. Entrance fees to monuments and some meals are optional add-ons; the tour is customizable for length, accommodation type, and activities.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival and transfer to hotel

• Meet at Casablanca airport
• Drive to hotel in Casablanca

Day 2 — Casablanca to Chefchaouen via Rabat

• Visit Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca
• Tour Kasbah of Oudayas and Hassan Tower in Rabat
• Travel to Chefchaouen via Ouazzan
• Overnight in Chefchaouen hotel or riad

Day 3 — Chefchaouen to Fes via Volubilis and Meknes

• Explore Chefchaouen Medina and local souks
• Visit Roman ruins of Volubilis and Moulay Driss
• Tour Meknes: Mansour gate, Granary, Swani basin, medina
• Travel to Fes and overnight in traditional riad

Day 4 — Fes city sightseeing

• Visit Royal Palace Gate and Jewish Quarter Mellah
• See ceramics cooperative and Bou Inania Medersa
• Tour Karaouiyine Mosque, Chouara Tanneries, Medersa Seffarin
• Visit Attarin Medersa and Neijarin Fountain
• Panoramic view from Merenids tombs
• Overnight in Fes riad

Day 5 — Fes to Sahara Desert via Middle Atlas

• Travel to Ifran, the Switzerland of Morocco
• Visit cedar forest and feed Barbary monkeys
• Lunch in Midelt
• Stop at Ziz Valley panoramic viewpoint
• Arrive Sahara Desert and rest
• Camel ride over Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset
• Reach desert camp and dinner with Berber music

Day 6 — Sahara desert excursion and local visits

• Watch sunrise over dunes
• Visit Merzouga lake and bird watching
• Meet nomad families and have tea
• Drive rally Paris Dakar route and visit Mifis mines
• Visit Khamlia village and enjoy music and dance
• Lunch in village (Berber pizza)
• Visit oasis on sand dunes edge
• Overnight in desert hotel or riad

Day 7 — Desert to Dades Valley via Rissani and Todra

• Visit Rissani souk if market day
• Explore Erfoud fossil town and marble workshop
• Travel through villages to Todra Gorge
• Lunch in Todra valley town
• See Dades Valley rock formations and mud kasbahs
• Overnight in hotel overlooking Dades Valley

Day 8 — Dades Valley to Marrakech via Rose Town

• Visit Rose Town and learn about rose harvesting
• Drive through Skoura palm groves and kasbahs
• Visit Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou kasbah
• Lunch in Ait Benhaddou village
• Travel over High Atlas Mountains to Marrakech
• Overnight in Marrakech hotel

Day 9 — Marrakech city tour

• Visit Bahia Palace and Saadien tombs
• Tour Ben Youssef Koranic school and souk
• Lunch near main square
• Visit Koutobia tower and Majorelle gardens
• Overnight in Marrakech hotel

Day 10 — Departure and airport transfer

• Breakfast at riad
• Transfer to Marrakech or Casablanca airport
• End of tour

The Experience

The route starts at Casablanca's Mohammed V airport or your hotel and moves north to Rabat, where you visit the Hassan II Mosque—the second-largest religious building in the world and open to non-Muslims—and the Hassan Tower with its unfinished minaret. From there, the drive crosses the Rif Mountains foothills to Chefchaouen, the blue city, where steep cobbled streets and whitewashed walls with blue doors fill the medina. You'll wander the souks and see the natural spring water of Ras before moving on.

The next leg takes you east through Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Roman site with mosaic floors and a triumphal arch, then to Meknes and Fes. In Fes, a local guide leads you through the medina's outer quarters—the Royal Palace Gate and the Jewish Quarter dating to the 14th century—and into the interior to see the Bou Inania Medersa, the Karaouiyine Mosque, the Chouara Tanneries, and the Neijarin Fountain. You'll also visit the tombs of the Merenids for a panoramic view over the city. The route then climbs south through the Middle Atlas Mountains, passing Ifran (known as the Switzerland of Morocco) and the largest cedar forest in North Africa, home to Barbary monkeys.

By late afternoon you reach the Sahara Desert near Merzouga. Your camels are waiting. You ride across the high dunes of Erg Chebbi, watch the sunset from a dune top, and trek to your camp—a luxury nomad tent with a private toilet and shower—where you sleep under the stars after Berber music and dinner around a fire. The next morning, you wake early for sunrise, then explore the desert's different zones: the lake of Merzouga (home to exotic birds), nomad families still living traditionally, the route used by the Paris-Dakar Rally, abandoned Mifis mines, and Khamlia village, inhabited by Black Berber people from Mali and Niger, where you hear their music and eat Berber pizza.

The return journey west passes through Rissani (once a major caravan stop; visit the souk if it falls on Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday), Erfoud (a fossil town with crystal and precious stone stalls), and the Todra Gorges—a narrow vertical passage with 300-meter cliffs on each side, popular with climbers. You continue to Dades Valley, where you see the rock formation known as "monkey's fingers" and mud kasbahs. The route then moves through the Rose Town of El Kalaa Mgou'na (where 400 tonnes of rose petals are picked each spring) and Skoura (surrounded by palm groves and southern Morocco's most beautiful kasbahs) to Ouarzazate, the "Hollywood of Africa," and finally to Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage kasbah filmed in countless movies. You have free time to explore it before crossing the High Atlas Mountains at 2,260 meters and arriving in Marrakech in the evening. Your final day in Marrakech includes a city tour of the Bahia Palace, the Saadien tombs, the Ben Youssef Koranic school, and the largest traditional souk in Morocco, with time to visit the Koutoubia tower and Majorelle gardens. On the last morning, the driver picks you up from your riad and takes you to the airport.

What’s included

• Private transportation and a driver for all 10 days.
• 9 nights in hotels or traditional riads (your choice).
• airport or hotel pickup and drop-off.
• one night in a luxury Berber tent in the Sahara with a private toilet, shower, and dinner.
• a camel ride across the Erg Chebbi dunes.
• a local guide in Fes and Marrakech medinas.
• bottled water while traveling.
• and fuel for the vehicle.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by DesertTrips

Is this one for you?Choose this private tour if you want to customize your route through Morocco's imperial cities and Sahara based on your interests, rather than follow a fixed itinerary.

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Top questions

What's included in the 10-day tour and what costs extra?

The tour includes 9 nights in hotels or traditional riads, airport or hotel pickup and drop-off, private transportation with a driver, a local guide in Fes and Marrakech medinas, one night in a luxury Berber tent in the Sahara with dinner, a camel ride across Erg Chebbi dunes, bottled water while traveling, and fuel. Entrance fees to monuments and some meals (drinks, lunches, and certain dinners) are optional; tips to the driver, guides, and staff are separate.

How many nights do I spend in the Sahara Desert?

You spend one night in the Sahara, in a luxury nomad Berber tent with a private toilet and shower. The tent includes dinner and Berber music around a fire; you wake early the next morning to explore different parts of the desert before moving on toward Dades Valley.

Can I customize the itinerary or change the accommodation type?

Yes. The tour is private, so the itinerary can be adjusted for more or fewer days, different accommodation types (3-star or 4-star hotels instead of riads), extra activities, excursions, or a different arrival or departure location anywhere in Morocco. Contact the operator with your preferences before booking.

What languages does the guide speak?

The guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, and one additional language. A local guide joins you in Fes and Marrakech medinas for those city tours.

What is Chefchaouen like, and how much time do I spend there?

Chefchaouen is a small, charming town in the Rif Mountains known as the blue city because of its whitewashed walls, blue doors, and windows. The medina has steep, narrow cobbled streets, a restored kasbah, and Plaza Utta Hammas at its heart. You spend one full day exploring the old medina, wandering the souks, and visiting the natural spring water of Ras before moving on to Volubilis and Meknes.

What happens on the day I arrive in Casablanca?

The driver meets you at Mohammed V airport or your hotel and takes you to your hotel in Casablanca for the night. The itinerary can shift slightly depending on your arrival time, but the overall activities remain the same; contact the operator with your flight details so they can plan the timing.