15 Day Morocco Tour from Casablanca: Tangier, Fes, Sahara, Marrakech and Essaouira

Overview

Highlights

• Starts and ends in Casablanca, Morocco's main gateway from the US
• The north: Asilah's murals, Tangier's kasbah and Tetouan's medina
• Two nights in Chefchaouen and a guided day in Fes
• Camel trek, desert camp and a free day around Merzouga
• Todra and Dades gorges, Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate
• Guided day in Marrakech and a night by the sea in Essaouira

Itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 Arrival in Casablanca, Hassan II Mosque

   Welcome to Morocco. Most overnight flights from the US land in Casablanca in the morning; make your own way to the hotel or ask us to book an airport transfer. After resting, visit the Hassan II Mosque, built partly over the Atlantic and crowned by one of the tallest minarets in the world. Interior visits run at set times (ticket not included) and require covered shoulders and knees. Walk along the Corniche of Aïn Diab as the sun goes down, then meet your driver and fellow travelers over dinner.

   Overnight: Hotel in Casablanca Meals: Dinner

2. 2

   Day 2 Casablanca – Rabat

   After a slow breakfast, drive an hour up the coast to Rabat, Morocco's capital and a calm, green city that is easy to enjoy. Visit the Hassan Tower, the unfinished 12th-century minaret, and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V with its guards in ceremonial dress. In the afternoon, explore the Kasbah of the Udayas, a quarter of white and blue lanes with an Andalusian garden and views over the Bou Regreg river mouth, then wander the compact medina or the ruins of the Chellah (entrance not included). Dinner and overnight in Rabat.

   Overnight: Hotel in Rabat Meals: Breakfast, dinner

3. 3

   Day 3 Rabat – Asilah – Tangier

   Follow the Atlantic north to Asilah, a whitewashed seaside town inside Portuguese ramparts, famous for the murals painted by artists each summer. Stroll through its quiet medina and along the sea walls before lunch (not included). Continue to Tangier, the city at the meeting point of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, with Spain visible across the strait on a clear day. On the way in, stop at Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules (entrance not included). Spend the evening in the kasbah or at a café overlooking the port.

   Overnight: Hotel in Tangier Meals: Breakfast, dinner

4. 4

   Day 4 Tangier – Tetouan – Chefchaouen

   After breakfast, drive about an hour to Tetouan, whose white medina, strongly influenced by Andalusian refugees, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and still feels refreshingly local. Walk through its markets and artisan quarters and past the royal palace on Hassan II square. After lunch (not included), continue into the Rif mountains to Chefchaouen, arriving in the afternoon. Check in for two nights and take a first stroll through the blue alleys to Outa el-Hammam square and the red walls of the kasbah.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Chefchaouen Meals: Breakfast, dinner

5. 5

   Day 5 Chefchaouen at leisure

   A free day in the blue town. Get out early to photograph the alleys in soft light before the day visitors arrive, then visit the kasbah and its garden. Follow the stream to the Ras El Ma spring, where locals still wash wool, and hike up to the Spanish Mosque for the best view over the medina. Nature lovers can arrange an optional guided walk in the hills of Talassemtane National Park. Shopping is relaxed here: woven blankets, wool clothing and local goat cheese. Sunset over the rooftops, then dinner at your hotel.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Chefchaouen Meals: Breakfast, dinner

6. 6

   Day 6 Chefchaouen – Meknes – Volubilis – Fes

   Drive south through olive-covered hills to Meknes, the imperial city of Sultan Moulay Ismail, with its monumental Bab Mansour gate, El Hedim square and vast royal granaries. After lunch (not included), continue to Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman city in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk among its arch, basilica and floor mosaics, with Moulay Idriss on the hillside opposite (entrance and site guide not included). Arrive in Fes in the late afternoon and check in for two nights.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Fes Meals: Breakfast, dinner

7. 7

   Day 7 Fes guided visit

   A licensed local guide leads the group through Fes el-Bali, the great medieval medina, where donkeys and handcarts still carry goods through thousands of lanes. Visit a madrasa such as Bou Inania or Al-Attarine, the Nejjarine fountain, the exterior of the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university, and the Chouara tannery from a terrace above the dye pits. You also stop at workshops of weavers, coppersmiths and potters. The afternoon is free to shop, rest, try a traditional hammam or visit the gates of the Royal Palace and the Mellah in Fes el-Jdid.

   Overnight: Hotel or riad in Fes Meals: Breakfast, dinner

8. 8

   Day 8 Fes – Merzouga, desert camp

   An early start for the long drive south, around 8 hours with stops. Cross the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the cedar forest near Azrou, where Barbary macaques live, and the high plateau to Midelt for lunch (not included). Descend through the palm canyon of the Ziz Valley and continue via Errachidia and Erfoud to Merzouga. At the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes, mount your camel and ride about an hour into the sand to watch the sunset. Dinner, drums and a night under the stars at a Berber camp.

   Overnight: Desert camp in Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) Meals: Breakfast, dinner

9. 9

   Day 9 Merzouga full day

   Wake for sunrise, then ride back to Merzouga for breakfast. Today stays in the desert. Visit Khamlia, a village of Gnawa musicians whose rhythms came north with the caravans, and listen over mint tea. Then explore Rissani, the historic heart of the Tafilalet, with its gate, souk and stalls of dates. The afternoon is free: swim at the hotel, try sandboarding or book an optional quad or 4x4 ride around Erg Chebbi. Climb a dune for a second sunset before dinner.

   Overnight: Hotel or camp in Merzouga Meals: Breakfast, dinner

10. 10

    Day 10 Merzouga – Todra – Dades

    After breakfast, drive west through Erfoud and Tinejdad, past the khettara, ancient underground canals that water the oases. In Tinghir, follow the palm grove into the Todra Gorge and walk the narrowest section, where cliffs up to 300 m high almost close overhead. After lunch (not included), continue to Boumalne and into the Dades Gorge, passing the rock formations known as Monkey Fingers. If there is light left, walk down to the river and the Berber villages below the cliffs. Dinner and overnight in the gorge.

    Overnight: Hotel in the Dades Gorge Meals: Breakfast, dinner

11. 11

    Day 11 Dades – Aït Benhaddou – Ouarzazate

    Follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs west through Kelaat M'Gouna, center of the rose harvest, and the palm oasis of Skoura. Continue past Ouarzazate to Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar of earthen houses that has starred in films from Lawrence of Arabia to Gladiator. Explore its lanes and climb to the hilltop granary. In the afternoon, return to Ouarzazate, Morocco's movie capital, where you can visit the Taourirt kasbah or a film studio (entrance not included) before dinner at your hotel.

    Overnight: Hotel in Ouarzazate Meals: Breakfast, dinner

12. 12

    Day 12 Ouarzazate – Tizi n'Tichka – Marrakech

    After breakfast, cross the High Atlas on the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m, one of the highest road passes in Morocco. Stop at viewpoints over terraced valleys and Berber villages, with time for a mint tea on the way down. Arrive in Marrakech in the early afternoon and check in for two nights. In the evening, head to Jemaa el-Fna, the great square that fills at dusk with grills, musicians, storytellers and orange-juice stalls, and wander into the souks around it.

    Overnight: Hotel or riad in Marrakech Meals: Breakfast, dinner

13. 13

    Day 13 Marrakech guided visit

    A licensed local guide shows you the Red City. Typical stops include the Bahia Palace and its painted ceilings, the Saadian Tombs, the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, and the souks around the Ben Youssef area, where your guide shares tips on haggling. Entrance fees are not included. The afternoon is free: visit the Jardin Majorelle, enjoy a hammam and massage, take a cooking class or sip mint tea on a rooftop terrace as the call to prayer drifts over the medina. Dinner and overnight in Marrakech.

    Overnight: Hotel or riad in Marrakech Meals: Breakfast, dinner

14. 14

    Day 14 Marrakech – Essaouira

    Drive west to the Atlantic, about three hours with stops. On the way, pass through argan forests, where goats famously climb the trees, and visit a women's cooperative to see argan oil made by hand. Arrive in Essaouira for lunch (not included); try the grilled fish at the stalls by the port. Then walk the Skala ramparts with their bronze cannons, explore the white and blue medina, listed by UNESCO, and browse the thuya-wood workshops and art galleries. Sunset over the ocean and a final dinner with your group.

    Overnight: Hotel or riad in Essaouira Meals: Breakfast, dinner

15. 15

    Day 15 Essaouira – Casablanca, end of tour

    Enjoy a last breakfast and a final walk on the beach or through the medina. In the late morning, the minibus heads north to Casablanca, about five hours with a lunch stop (not included), following the inland highway. The tour ends in the late afternoon at Mohammed V airport or your Casablanca hotel. If you are flying out the same day, choose an evening or later flight and allow time for traffic and check-in; otherwise we can book a final night for you in Casablanca.

    Overnight: — (tour ends in Casablanca) Meals: Breakfast

Prices

US$ 1,517 (€1,350) per person

Fixed price per person in a small group (max 17 people).

Prices in euros per person. The amount in your currency is an estimate; payment is processed in USD. Some peak-season dates carry a supplement; you will see it when you pick a date.

Included

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