7 Day Morocco Itinerary
One week is enough to cross Morocco properly — two imperial cities, the Middle Atlas, a night in the Sahara and Marrakech — as long as the driving is planned around the light rather than the map.
from $1,170
10 daysPrivate tourFrom $1,405 per person
10 Day Morocco Itinerary
Ten days is the point where Morocco stops being a highlights reel — the blue city and the Atlantic fit in without anything else being cut short.
Seven days crosses the country. Ten lets you go north to Chefchaouen first and finish on the coast at Essaouira, which are the two places people most often regret missing.
We are the Sahara Viajes team, based in Rissani — old Sijilmasa. This is the route we recommend when someone has the time and wants to see the range of the country rather than a single line through it: Atlantic coast, Rif mountains, imperial cities, Sahara and High Atlas.
It is a relaxed ten days. Only one drive exceeds five hours, and there are two full days without a transfer: Fez, and the desert.
10 Day Morocco Itinerary highlights
- Chefchaouen, the blue city in the Rif mountains, with a night to see it empty at dawn
- Roman Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes
- A guided day in the Fez medina
- Two nights and a full 4x4 day in the Sahara at Merzouga
- Todra Gorge, the Dades valley and Ait Ben Haddou
- Essaouira on the Atlantic — ramparts, gulls, and grilled fish off the boats
Day by day
Daily schedule: 10 day morocco itinerary
1Day 1
Casablanca – Rabat
Airport pickup and up the coast to Rabat. The Hassan Tower, the Chellah necropolis where storks nest on Roman columns, and the blue-and-white Kasbah of the Udayas above the river mouth. If time allows we begin with the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, built out over the water.
🛏️ Hotel or riad in Rabat🍽️ Dinner2Day 2
Rabat – Chefchaouen
North into the Rif to the blue city. We arrive with the afternoon still ahead so you can walk up to the Spanish Mosque for the view over the painted lanes at sunset. Chefchaouen is at its best early and late, when the day visitors are not there — which is exactly why we stay the night.
🛏️ Riad in Chefchaouen🍽️ Breakfast3Day 3
Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fez
Morning free in the blue lanes, then south to Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman city in Morocco, with mosaics still in place on the floors of the villas. On to Meknes and the monumental Bab Mansour gate, then Fez for the night.
🛏️ Riad in the Fez medina🍽️ Breakfast4Day 4
Fez city tour
A full guided day in the medina: the Chouara tanneries, the Bou Inania and Attarine madrasas, the Nejjarine woodwork museum, the copper and spice souks. Afternoon at your own pace.
🛏️ Riad in the Fez medina🍽️ Breakfast5Day 5
Fez – Ifrane – Midelt – Merzouga
Across the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and the cedar forest at Azrou, down through Midelt and the Ziz gorges to the Tafilalet. Camels at Merzouga in the late afternoon, sunset from the dunes, dinner and music at the camp.
🛏️ Desert camp in Erg Chebbi🍽️ Breakfast🍽️ Dinner6Day 6
Full day in Merzouga — 4x4
Sunrise over Erg Chebbi, then a day in the 4x4: Khamlia and its gnawa musicians, nomad families at their wells, the old mines and the dry lake. Second night at the edge of the sand.
🛏️ Hotel or camp in Merzouga🍽️ Breakfast🍽️ Dinner7Day 7
Merzouga – Todra – Dades
West through Rissani and Tinghir to the Todra Gorge, then the road of a thousand kasbahs into the Dades valley, with its switchback road and rock formations.
🛏️ Hotel in the Dades Valley🍽️ Breakfast🍽️ Dinner8Day 8
Dades – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech
The Valley of Roses and Skoura, then Ouarzazate and the film studios, then Ait Ben Haddou on foot. Over the Tizi n'Tichka in the afternoon and into Marrakech at dusk.
🛏️ Riad in Marrakech🍽️ Breakfast9Day 9
Marrakech – Essaouira
Three hours west to the Atlantic through the argan groves, where the cooperatives are run by women and you can watch the oil being pressed by hand. Essaouira is walled, windy and low-key: blue boats, gulls, ramparts and grilled fish straight off the morning catch.
🛏️ Riad in Essaouira🍽️ Breakfast10Day 10
Essaouira – Marrakech / departure
Morning by the sea, then back to Marrakech for your flight — or we leave you in Essaouira if you are staying on.
🍽️ Breakfast
In pictures
What the road looks like
Where you sleep
Choose your level
Comfort
Family riads and simple hotels throughout, standard Berber camp with shared facilities.
Superior
Character riads with courtyards and pools, en-suite desert tents.
Luxury
Boutique riads, a luxury desert camp, and a sea-view riad inside the Essaouira ramparts.
Cost
10 Day Morocco Itinerary price
From $1,405 per person
The figure above is per person for a group of six sharing double rooms, in low season, with a private vehicle and driver-guide for all ten days. It is not half of what a couple pays: the vehicle and the driver cost the same for two people as for six, so two travellers pay noticeably more each.
Ten days in a group of four costs meaningfully less per head than the same route for two — the vehicle and driver are the fixed cost.
One closed quote before you commit. Most routes are settled on arrival; some accommodation needs a 50% deposit to hold the rooms, and we say so up front.
✓ Included
- Pickup and drop-off at your hotel, riad or airport
- Private air-conditioned 4x4 or minivan
- English-speaking driver-guide
- Fuel and tolls
- Accommodation as listed each night
- Camel trek at sunset in Merzouga
- Night(s) in a desert camp
- Dinner and breakfast as marked in the itinerary
- Berber music around the fire
✕ Not included
- International flights and airport taxes
- Lunches and drinks
- Monument and kasbah entrance tickets
- Licensed city guides where not stated
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
Packing
What to bring
- Layers. Desert days reach 30 °C and the same night can drop to 5 °C in winter.
- A scarf or shesh — we tie one for you in Merzouga, but it helps on windy stretches before that.
- Closed shoes for the gorges and trainers or sandals for the dunes.
- Sunglasses, high-factor sun cream and a refillable bottle. We carry water in the vehicle.
- A power bank. Desert camps run on solar and the sockets get busy after dinner.
- Modest clothing for medinas and mosques — shoulders and knees covered is enough.
- Cash in dirhams for tips, entrance tickets and the little cooperative shops.
The route
Tour map
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 days too long for Morocco?
No — it is the length most people wish they had booked. Ten days adds Chefchaouen and Essaouira to the standard crossing without shortening anything else, and it includes two days with no transfer at all.
Can we skip Chefchaouen and add more desert?
Yes. Swapping the two northern days for a second desert region — Erg Chigaga out of M'hamid, which is wilder and far less visited than Erg Chebbi — is a common change. Tell us which appeals and we rebuild the week around it.
Is Essaouira worth two nights?
One night is enough to see it; two is right if you want to surf, ride, or simply stop moving. It is the calmest place on this route and a good landing after the desert.
What is the longest drive?
Day five, Fez to Merzouga, at roughly seven hours including stops. Every other day is under five, and several are under three.
Do you run this in reverse?
Yes — Marrakech start and Casablanca or Fez finish. Send us your flights and we set the direction to match them, at the same price.
Do I have to pay anything up front?
On most routes, no — you settle when you arrive, in cash (USD, EUR or MAD) or by transfer beforehand if you prefer. Some accommodation does need a 50% deposit to hold the rooms: luxury camps, higher-category riads, and peak dates. The deposit goes by bank transfer through Remitly, and we always tell you the exact amount before you commit to anything.
What happens if I need to cancel?
More than 31 days before departure, your deposit is refunded in full. Between 31 and 25 days, 20% of what you paid is refunded. Inside 25 days there is no refund, because by then we have already paid for your rooms and your camp in advance. Not showing up on the day is treated the same way — no refund. Luxury packages are non-refundable at any point, governed by the hotel, riad or camp's own policy, which we put in writing before you book.
Can I change my dates after booking?
Free of charge if you tell us more than 60 days before departure and the new dates are available — you would only pay a difference if the new dates fall in a higher season or we have to book a higher category of room. Between 30 and 60 days it depends on your accommodation: many riads, boutique hotels and luxury camps require full payment 30 to 60 days ahead, and once we have paid them that money follows their rules rather than ours. We move whatever can still be moved and tell you in writing what cannot, before you decide. Inside 30 days a change is treated as a cancellation and a new booking. Whichever accommodation your trip uses, we give you its exact rule in writing before you confirm.
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