12 Day Morocco Tour from Marrakech: Coast, Sahara, Mountains and Imperial Cities

Our 12 day Morocco tour is the trip we suggest to travellers who want to see the whole country without living out of a suitcase. It starts and ends in Marrakech, adds the Atlantic at Essaouira, gives the Sahara two full nights instead of one, and lets you settle into Fes and Chefchaouen rather than just pass through. You travel privately with your own driver and vehicle, so the pace bends to you.

Tour overview

If you are short on time, our 9-day Morocco tour from Marrakech covers the classic loop briskly. This longer version is built differently: three extra days, more nights in fewer places and no stage that feels like a marathon. You get four landscapes in one trip – ocean, mountains, desert and the old imperial cities of Morocco – with time to enjoy each.

Nights are spent in hand-picked riads and kasbah hotels (standard or luxury), plus one night in a desert camp.

Highlights

• A guided day in Marrakech, then two days of fresh sea air and fish lunches in Essaouira
• Women’s Argan oil cooperatives on the Essaouira road
• The Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260 m) and the ksar of Aït Benhaddou
• Skoura’s palm grove, the Dades Gorges and the sheer walls of Todra Gorge
• Two nights at Merzouga: a camel ride into Erg Chebbi, whose dunes rise to around 150 m, and a slow free day
• Ziz Valley, the cedar forests near Ifrane and two nights in the Fes medina
• Chefchaouen’s blue lanes, Roman Volubilis, Meknes, Rabat and the Hassan II Mosque

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech

Airport pick-up and transfer to your riad. Evening stroll to Jemaa el-Fnaa.

Day 2: Marrakech with a local guide

Half a day with a licensed guide through Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, Ben Youssef Madrasa and the souks. Afternoon free.

Day 3: Marrakech to Essaouira (about 3 h)

West across the plains, watching for goats in argan trees. Check in, then walk the ramparts and the blue fishing boats in the port. Night in Essaouira.

Day 4: Essaouira and back to Marrakech via Argan cooperatives (about 3 h)

A lazy morning by the sea. On the return we stop at a women’s cooperative to see argan oil pressed by hand. Night in Marrakech.

Day 5: High Atlas, Aït Benhaddou, Ouarzazate, Skoura and Dades (about 6.5 h)

Over Tizi n’Tichka to UNESCO-listed Aït Benhaddou for a walk to the granary at the top. Lunch in Ouarzazate, a short look at Skoura’s palm grove and kasbahs, then on to the Dades Gorges. Night in a gorge-side hotel.

Day 6: Dades to Todra Gorge and Merzouga (about 5 h)

Morning above Dades, then Todra Gorge, where the walls close to a few metres apart. On through Tinejdad and Erfoud to Merzouga. In the late afternoon you ride camels into the dunes for sunset. Dinner, drums and stars at the desert camp.

Day 7: A free day in Merzouga

Sunrise from the dunes, camel back to the edge of the erg and breakfast. The day is yours: Gnawa music in Khamlia, a sandboarding session, a 4×4 loop round Erg Chebbi or simply the pool. Night at a kasbah hotel facing the dunes.

Day 8: Ziz Valley, Midelt and Ifrane to Fes (about 8 h)

The longest drive, broken with stops: the Ziz Valley palm gorges, lunch in Midelt below the Middle Atlas, Barbary macaques in the cedar forest and a coffee in tidy Ifrane. Arrive in Fes in the evening.

Day 9: Fes el-Bali

A local guide leads you through the Fes medina: Bou Inania Madrasa, the Chouara tannery and the craft quarters. Afternoon at leisure.

Day 10: Fes to Chefchaouen (about 4 h)

North through the Rif foothills. Afternoon in the blue town – our guide to things to do in Chefchaouen has ideas – and sunset from the Spanish Mosque. Ask for a second night here if you like it slow.

Day 11: Volubilis, Meknes and Rabat (about 5.5 h)

South to the Roman mosaics of Volubilis, then Meknes for Bab Mansour and Place el-Hedim. Continue to Rabat for the Kasbah of the Udayas and the Hassan Tower. Night in Rabat.

Day 12: Casablanca and return to Marrakech (about 4.5 h)

An hour down the coast to Casablanca for a guided visit inside the Hassan II Mosque, then south to Marrakech by late afternoon. We can drop you at Casablanca airport instead.

Options and prices

The price depends on how many of you are travelling and on your choice of standard accommodation (comfortable riads, kasbah hotels and a classic desert camp) or luxury (boutique riads, upmarket hotels and a luxury tent with private bathroom). The live price for your group, date and option is shown in the booking form below. You secure the booking with a 10% deposit, and the balance is paid on the day.

What’s included

Included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle and English/French-speaking driver for 12 days
• 11 nights’ accommodation with breakfast; dinner in Dades and Merzouga
• Camel ride and one night in a Merzouga desert camp
• Local guides in Marrakech and Fes
• Fuel, tolls and airport transfers

Not included

• Flights and travel insurance
• Lunches, drinks and dinners not listed
• Entrance fees (Hassan II Mosque, Volubilis, palaces)
• Optional activities and tips

Good to know

Bring comfortable shoes, sun protection, a warm layer for the Atlas and desert nights and a scarf for the mosque. Our page on the best time to visit Morocco explains the seasons: spring and autumn are ideal, winter desert nights drop near freezing, and July–August is very hot in the south. No special fitness is needed beyond medina walking. All ages are welcome; we fit child seats on request. The route is safe and well travelled.

Frequently asked questions