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.
from $1,405
12 daysPrivate tourFrom $1,760 per person
12 Day Morocco Itinerary
Twelve days is the full country at a human pace: every imperial city, the blue north, the Sahara and the Atlantic, with guided days rather than drive-by stops.
This is the ten-day route with the pressure taken out of it. The two extra days go where they are most missed: a guided day in Marrakech instead of an arrival at dusk, and a second night on the coast at Essaouira.
We are the Sahara Viajes team, from Rissani beside the dunes. On a twelve-day trip we can slow down enough to include the things that get cut first — the argan cooperatives, the Chellah storks, a whole morning in the blue lanes of Chefchaouen before anyone else is up.
Nothing here is a coach tour. Private vehicle, your own driver-guide, licensed city guides in Fez and Marrakech where the medinas require them.
12 Day Morocco Itinerary highlights
- All four imperial cities: Rabat, Meknes, Fez and Marrakech
- Chefchaouen with a full morning before the day visitors arrive
- Roman Volubilis with its floor mosaics intact
- Two nights and a 4x4 day in the Sahara at Merzouga
- Todra Gorge, Dades valley, Ait Ben Haddou and the Tizi n'Tichka
- Two nights in Essaouira on the Atlantic
Day by day
Daily schedule: 12 day morocco itinerary
1Day 1
Casablanca – Rabat
Pickup at the airport, the Hassan II Mosque out over the ocean, then north to Rabat for the Hassan Tower, the Chellah and the Udayas kasbah.
🛏️ Hotel or riad in Rabat🍽️ Dinner2Day 2
Rabat – Chefchaouen
Into the Rif mountains to the blue city, arriving with the afternoon free. Sunset from the Spanish Mosque above the town.
🛏️ Riad in Chefchaouen🍽️ Breakfast3Day 3
Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fez
A slow morning in the blue lanes while they are still quiet, then Volubilis, Meknes and Bab Mansour, arriving in Fez for the evening.
🛏️ Riad in the Fez medina🍽️ Breakfast4Day 4
Fez — guided city day
The full medina with a licensed Fez guide: tanneries, madrasas, souks and workshops, with the afternoon free to return to what interested you.
🛏️ Riad in the Fez medina🍽️ Breakfast5Day 5
Fez – Ifrane – Midelt – Merzouga
Middle Atlas, cedar forest and macaques, then the Ziz valley south to the sand. Camels at sunset, camp for the night.
🛏️ Desert camp in Erg Chebbi🍽️ Breakfast🍽️ Dinner6Day 6
Full day in Merzouga — 4x4
Sunrise on the dunes, then Khamlia's gnawa musicians, nomad wells, the old mines and the dry lake bed.
🛏️ Hotel or camp in Merzouga🍽️ Breakfast🍽️ Dinner7Day 7
Merzouga – Todra – Dades
Rissani, Tinghir and the Todra Gorge, then the kasbah road into the Dades valley.
🛏️ Hotel in the Dades Valley🍽️ Breakfast🍽️ Dinner8Day 8
Dades – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech
Valley of Roses, Skoura, Ouarzazate and its studios, Ait Ben Haddou on foot, then the High Atlas pass into Marrakech.
🛏️ Riad in Marrakech🍽️ Breakfast9Day 9
Marrakech — guided city day
Koutoubia, Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace, the souks and the tanners' quarter with a local guide, then Jemaa el-Fna after dark when the food stalls appear.
🛏️ Riad in Marrakech🍽️ Breakfast10Day 10
Marrakech – Essaouira
West through the argan groves with a stop at a women's cooperative, then the Atlantic. Afternoon on the ramparts and the port.
🛏️ Riad in Essaouira🍽️ Breakfast11Day 11
Essaouira
A free day by the sea — surf, ride on the beach, or do nothing at all in the calmest town on the route.
🛏️ Riad in Essaouira🍽️ Breakfast12Day 12
Essaouira – Marrakech – departure
Back to Marrakech for your flight, with the timing built around it.
🍽️ Breakfast
In pictures
What the road looks like
Where you sleep
Choose your level
Comfort
Family riads and simple hotels, standard Berber camp with shared facilities.
Superior
Character riads with pools and en-suite desert tents.
Luxury
Boutique riads throughout, luxury desert camp, sea-view riad in Essaouira.
Cost
12 Day Morocco Itinerary price
From $1,760 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 twelve 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.
This is the route where group size matters most — four or six travellers share the same vehicle cost across more people.
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
What does 12 days add over 10?
A guided day in Marrakech rather than arriving at dusk and leaving in the morning, and a second night in Essaouira. Both are days without a long transfer, which is what makes the trip feel unhurried.
Can we add Erg Chigaga or the Atlas valleys?
Yes. With twelve days there is room to swap Essaouira for the M'hamid desert and Erg Chigaga, which is wilder and much less visited, or to add the Imlil valley and a walk below Toubkal.
Is this too much driving?
It is the most comfortable of our long routes: five days involve two hours or less, and only day five exceeds five hours. The vehicle is private, so we stop when you want to.
How many people can travel together?
Anything from a couple to a group of sixteen across multiple vehicles. Families and groups of friends get the best value per person on this length.
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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