Casablanca to Marrakech TEMPLATE- 12 days and 11 nights

Day 1: Airport pick up and transfer to accommodation 

Day 2: Casablanca – Rabat – Chefchaouen

We’ll pick you up from your accommodation or preferred meeting point in the morning, and start your tour with a visit to the spectacular Hassan II Mosque, one of the only mosques open to foreigners in Morocco, built by King Hassan II between 1987 and 1993. At full capacity, the mosque can hold over twenty-five thousand worshippers inside, and eighty thousand worshippers outside in the square.

We’ll then leave Casablanca and travel to the nation’s capital of Rabat, where you’ll visit the Roman ruins and scenic gardens of Chellah, the ancient Mosque Tower of Hassan, which dates back to the 12th century but remains unfinished, and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V.

After the tour of Rabat, we’ll travel to Chefchaouen, the famous picturesque Blue City of Morocco. where we’ll arrive in the afternoon.

You will stay overnight in Chefchaouen.

(Approximate travel time from Casablanca to Chefchaouen, excluding stops: 4 hours)

Day 3: EXTRA DAY/NIGHT in Chefchaouen as set out above

Day 4: Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fez

After breakfast in the riad, we’ll drive north to the ancient Roman city of Volubilis, arguably Morocco’s most important archaeological site, which dates back to the 3rd century BC. Enjoy a tour of the ancient ruins, admiring the astonishingly well-preserved mosaics and artefacts. We’ll then travel to Meknes. This lesser-known city was founded in the 11th century, and was the capital of Morocco under Sultan Moulay Ismael in the 17th century, boasting beautiful examples of traditional architecture, which we will glimpse, but explore in full the next day.  Our tour of Meknes will start with the granary of Sahrij Swani, which was used to store supplies for Sultan Moulay Ismael’s army. We’ll then visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, admiring the stunning Arab-Andalusian style architecture, followed by a visit to the imposing gateway of Bab Mansour Laleuj, with its lavish ornamentation.

Our day will finish in Fez, at your riad.

(Approximate travel time from Chefchaouen to Fez, excluding stops: 4 hours)

Day 5: Full day Fez

You’ll start the day with breakfast in the riad, before setting off on a walking tour of the famous ancient medina, exploring the many hidden treasures it has to offer. Fez served as the capital of Morocco for more than 350 years and is home to the University of Al Karaouine, the oldest operating university in the world.

Your guided tour will take you to Moulay Idriss mausoleum, the Nejjarine Fountains and the famous tanneries, to name a few spots. After lunch you’ll admire the exterior of the Royal Palace, before wandering through the famous Jewish quarter or ‘mellah’, with the opportunity to visit one of the few synagogues still running in Morocco.

The tour will conclude with a visit to an artisanal ceramic factory located outside the medina, followed by a stop at a lookout, boasting panoramic views over the Fez medina, before returning to your riad where you can have dinner.

Day 6: EXTRA DAY/NIGHT travelling from Fez – Ifrane – Azrou – Midelt, as set out above.

After breakfast, we’ll bid farewell to Fez and head south through the Atlas Mountains, stopping first for a short break in the mountain town of Ifrane, situated on the north-western slope of the Middle Atlas, at 1630 meters above sea level. With its broad, clean avenues, lush green forest and European-style architecture, it’s no wonder that this quaint town and ski resort has been dubbed the ‘Switzerland of Morocco’.

Our next and final stop will be for this day will be at Midelt, known for producing Morocco’s apples, and boasting stunning views of the eastern High Atlas. 

Day 7: Midelt – Erfoud

We leave Midelt and continue our journey, enjoying the scenic journey through the Ziz valley to the oasis town of Erfoud. In the afternoon explore the area including the giant art installations by a German artist located off-road or the famous Rissani markets 20 km away, if it is a market day.

(Approximate travel time from Fez to Erfoud, excluding stops: 7 hours)

Day 8: EXTRA DAY/NIGHT exploring the desert and staying in a camp at Merzouga Desert

Options today include visiting the fossil museum of Erfoud, exploring Rissani markets, old Ksars (or dilapidated mini-palaces) at Rissani as well as the famous mosaic-embellished Mausoleum there, perhaps an abandoned Arab village on the road between Rissani and Merzouga, before arriving at the Dunes, 60km from Erfoud. There you will enjoy either a camel ride or 4WD experience in the dunes, to see the sunset, followed by a night at a luxury desert camp.  

Day 9: Merzouga – Todra Gorges – Dadès Gorges – Roses Valley – Ouarzazate

Today we leave the desert to head northwest, with a short break in the Oasis town of Tinejdad, known as one of the gates of the ‘road of 1000 kasbahs’, before reaching the breathtaking Todra Gorges. Here, the Todra and Dadès rivers have carved out steep canyons with sides up to 400 metres high. Before or after lunch here, you’ll be able walk through the gorges and enjoy their incredible beauty.

In the afternoon, you’ll continue towards the Dadès Valley or Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs, where small kasbahs are scattered across the river plain. In the upper reaches on the way to nearby Boumalne Dadès (alt. 1,500m), you’ll see curious vertical rock formations called the Monkey Fingers or Toes.

Our next short stop will be Kalaat M’Gouna in the heart of the fragrant Roses Valley, the only place in Morocco to grow the Damascus rose, and the perfect spot to pick up some rose beauty products, such as rose water, perfumes, creams and body products. We’ll then make continue west towards our final destination for the day, Ouarzazate, where you’ll spend the night.

(Approximate travel time from Merzouga to Ouarzazate, excluding stops: 5 hours)

Day 10: Ouarzazate – Aït Ben Haddou – Telouet – Marrakech

You’ll wake up in Ouarzazate, and after breakfast we will pass the impressive film studio gates, on our way to the ksar or fortified village of Aït Ben Haddou, where the Kasbah is UNESCO World Heritage-listed and famous for many films such as The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Babel (2006) and Prince of Persia (2010).

Next, we’ll head to the Kasbah of Taourirt – one of the most spectacular in Morocco and the old residence of the powerful and fabulously wealthy Thami El Glaoui (1879-1956), Pasha of Marrakech.

We’ll then set off towards our final destination of Marrakech, crossing the Tiki n’Tichka Pass, at 2,260 metres one of the highest in North Africa. During this leg of the journey, you’ll be able to stop and take in the panoramic views and photograph the Berber villages that merge harmoniously with the warm ochres of the landscape.

We’ll reach Marrakech in the early evening, where you’ll check into your riad.

(Approximate travel time from Ouarzazate to Marrakech, excluding stops: 4 hours)

Day 11: Full Day Marrakech

Your local guide will meet you after breakfast in your riad. The tour will start at the iconic Koutoubia Mosque, descending down into the Saadian Tombs, followed by a visit to the Bahia Palace. You’ll visit the fabulous Majorelle Gardens and recently-opened Yves Saint Laurent Museum (for the fashion buffs amongst you).

The evening will be yours to explore all that Marrakech has to offer. Practise your bargaining skills or enjoy the views from a rooftop café overlooking the bustling place Jemaa el-Fnaa, before enjoying dinner and a final night’s stay at the riad.

We hope you will have made the most of the opportunities on this tour to meet local people and learn about their traditions and customs.

Day 12: Check-out and airport drop off if appropriate. We can discuss.

Customise Your Tour

We can easily customise this tour for you. You may wish us to:

• Arrange the tour in the opposite direction
• Arrange airport pickup and an extra day and night for the day of arrival in Morocco, to settle in
• Add an extra day at Rabat to break up the long drive between Casablanca and Chefchaouen
• Add an extra day and night in the Sahara, to spend more time exploring and to take a break from travelling
• Add an extra day on the journey between the desert and Marrakech, to reduce the proportion of each day, driving
• Add an extra day and night in your final Moroccan city to do any last minute shopping and to ready yourself for your flight.

We can offer these, and other optional extras to create the perfect Morocco trip for you and your travel companions. Simply send a booking enquiry, call or email us to find out more.