10-Day Morocco Tour from Casablanca

Day by day

The complete 10-day Morocco itinerary

This is a carefully designed starting route. Dates, pace, accommodations and experiences are tailored personally before you travel.

1. Day 1

   Arrive Casablanca — Casablanca & Rabat

   Meet your private English-speaking driver at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport and begin your journey in Morocco. Depending on your arrival time, explore Casablanca with a visit to the Hassan II Mosque, dramatically positioned beside the Atlantic Ocean, before travelling north along the coast to Rabat. Morocco's capital provides a much gentler introduction to the country than trying to cover too much immediately after an international flight. If time allows, explore the Kasbah of the Udayas, Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, or simply settle into your riad and recover from the journey. Overnight in Rabat.

2. Day 2

   Rabat & Salé → Chefchaouen

   After breakfast, continue exploring Rabat and neighbouring Salé. Where arranged, Morocco Shiny Days can introduce guests to Salé with our specialist local university professor, whose work and knowledge of the city's historic monuments offers an unusually personal perspective on a place overlooked by most Morocco itineraries. Leave the Atlantic behind and travel north through the changing agricultural landscapes toward the Rif Mountains. The road gradually climbs into greener country before reaching Chefchaouen, Morocco's famous blue mountain town. Arrive with time to settle into your riad and begin exploring the blue-painted lanes around the old medina. Overnight in Chefchaouen.

3. Day 3

   Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fes

   Enjoy the quieter morning atmosphere of Chefchaouen before travelling south from the Rif. Continue to Volubilis, Morocco's best-preserved Roman archaeological site. Explore the ruins with a local guide and see mosaics, arches and the remains of Roman houses surrounded by rolling agricultural countryside. Continue toward Meknes, one of Morocco's four imperial cities. Depending on timing and current monument access, pause to see its monumental gates and historic walls before continuing to Fes. Arrive in Fes in the late afternoon and settle into a traditional riad within or close to the ancient medina. Overnight in Fes.

4. Day 4

   Private guided tour of Fes

   Spend the day exploring Fes with a knowledgeable licensed local guide. Fes el-Bali is not a medina that should simply be walked through with a checklist. Its maze of lanes contains centuries of Moroccan history, scholarship, craftsmanship and everyday life. Explore historic madrasas, artisan quarters, traditional fondouks, the tanneries, coppersmiths and food markets while learning how the medina's neighbourhoods developed around mosques, fountains, hammams and communal bakeries. Where appropriate, the day can also include a food component, craft workshops or other experiences depending on your interests. Return to your riad after the tour with the evening free. Overnight in Fes.

5. Day 5

   Fes → Ifrane → Cedar Forests → Ziz Valley → Merzouga / Erg Chebbi

   Today is the longest driving day of this 10-day Morocco itinerary, but also one of its most dramatic transitions. Leave Fes and climb into the Middle Atlas Mountains. Stop briefly in Ifrane, known for its alpine-style architecture and cooler climate, before continuing into cedar country near Azrou. Continue south through the changing mountain landscape and across the high plateau toward the pre-Sahara. The road eventually reaches the Ziz Valley, where one of the journey's great panoramic viewpoints reveals an enormous ribbon of date palms running through the otherwise arid landscape. Continue through Erfoud and the Tafilalt toward Merzouga, where the dunes of Erg Chebbi rise from the desert. In the late afternoon, leave the road behind. Travel toward your desert camp by camel across the dunes, timing the experience around sunset whenever possible. Guests who prefer not to ride camels can always reach the camp privately by 4x4. Dinner is served at camp, followed by traditional music around the fire when conditions allow and a night beneath the Sahara sky. Overnight in a private en-suite desert camp at Erg Chebbi.

6. Day 6

   Merzouga → Rissani → Todra Gorge → Skoura Oasis

   Wake early if you would like to watch the changing morning light over the dunes before breakfast. Leave Erg Chebbi and travel west through the desert towns and palm country of southern Morocco. Pass Rissani, historically an important trading centre of the Tafilalt, before continuing toward Tinghir. Explore the spectacular Todra Gorge, where sheer limestone walls narrow around the river and palm oasis. Take time for a walk before continuing west through the southern valleys. The journey ends in Skoura, one of Morocco's great palm oases. Hidden among thousands of date palms are earthen villages, gardens and historic kasbahs connected by small tracks. Settle into a character kasbah or lodge surrounded by the oasis. Dinner and overnight in Skoura.

7. Day 7

   Skoura → Kasbah Amridil → Aït Ben Haddou → Ounila Valley → Telouet → Marrakech

   Begin the morning inside Skoura's palm grove. Visit Kasbah Amridil with a local guide and learn about traditional kasbah architecture, oasis agriculture and the way families once lived within these fortified houses. Continue through Ouarzazate toward Aït Ben Haddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar that once stood along the trans-Saharan caravan routes between Marrakech and southern Morocco. Explore the earthen village before taking one of the most beautiful alternatives to the main Marrakech road. Instead of simply returning over the highway, follow the Ounila Valley toward Telouet. The road passes extraordinary rock formations, isolated villages and cultivated valleys. Visit Telouet Kasbah and, where possible within the day's timing, discover the historic salt-producing landscape associated with the valley. Cross the High Atlas Mountains over the Tizi n'Tichka route and descend toward Marrakech. Arrive in the evening and settle into your riad. Overnight in Marrakech.

8. Day 8

   Private guided Marrakech

   Discover Marrakech privately with a licensed local guide. The day can include the Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Koutoubia area and the labyrinth of souks where artisans continue working in leather, metal, wood, textiles and traditional crafts. Rather than treating Marrakech as a collection of monuments, the guided day should explain how the old city functions — its neighbourhoods, trades, architecture, food and social life. Depending on interests and opening hours, the itinerary can be adapted to include gardens, museums or more time exploring the souks. Finish near Jemaa el-Fna as the square begins its transformation toward evening. Overnight in Marrakech.

9. Day 9

   Marrakech — Experiences & time at your own pace

   Keep the final full day deliberately flexible. After travelling the length of Morocco, this is a day to experience Marrakech rather than rush toward another destination. Options can include a Moroccan cooking class, food experience, traditional hammam, Majorelle Garden and museums, artisan workshops, shopping with guidance, or simply enjoying your riad and returning to favourite parts of the medina. For travellers who still want another landscape, a private excursion into the nearby High Atlas can also be arranged. The day is designed around your interests and energy rather than a compulsory programme. Overnight in Marrakech.

10. Day 10

    Marrakech — Departure

    Enjoy breakfast at your riad and any remaining free time according to your flight schedule. Your private driver transfers you to Marrakech Menara Airport for departure. If your international flight departs from Casablanca instead, the itinerary can be adapted accordingly, or additional nights can be added in Marrakech, Essaouira or elsewhere in Morocco.

Frequently asked questions

Is 10 days enough for Morocco?

Yes. Ten days is enough to combine Morocco's imperial cities, Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara and Marrakech in one continuous private journey. It is a more active itinerary than a two-week tour, but avoids unnecessary backtracking and includes two full sightseeing days in Fes and Marrakech.

What is the best 10-day Morocco itinerary?

For a first visit, a Casablanca-to-Marrakech route works particularly well: Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Fes, the Middle Atlas, Erg Chebbi, Todra, Skoura, Aït Ben Haddou and Marrakech. It crosses the country continuously rather than returning along the same roads.

Is this a private Morocco tour?

Yes. The journey is entirely private for your travelling party. There are no fixed departure dates and no unrelated travellers join your vehicle.

Where does the 10-day Morocco tour start and finish?

The suggested itinerary begins at Casablanca Airport and finishes in Marrakech. It can also be adapted to finish in Casablanca or begin in Tangier, Marrakech or another city depending on flights.

Does the tour include the Sahara Desert?

Yes. The route reaches Erg Chebbi at Merzouga, with an overnight stay in a private en-suite desert camp, sunset among the dunes and a camel transfer or private 4x4 alternative.

Is the camel ride compulsory?

No. Camel riding is completely optional. Guests who do not wish to ride can travel between Merzouga and the desert camp by 4x4.

How long is the drive from Fes to Merzouga?

It is the longest driving stage of the itinerary, but it is broken by meaningful stops through the Middle Atlas, Ifrane, cedar country and the Ziz Valley. The changing landscapes make this one of the most memorable road-trip days in Morocco.

Can we spend two nights in the Sahara?

Absolutely. Adding a second night is one of the first modifications we recommend when travellers have an additional day. It allows time for a private 4x4 exploration of the Erg Chebbi region and a much slower desert experience.

What kind of accommodation is used?

We favour character-driven accommodation: boutique riads in the historic cities, a kasbah-style property in Skoura and a private en-suite camp in the Sahara. Exact properties depend on dates, availability and preferred comfort level.

Can this Morocco itinerary be customized?

Yes. Every Morocco Shiny Days journey is tailor-made. Nights, activities, accommodation, driving stages and experiences can all be changed around your dates and interests.

What is the best time for this 10-day Morocco tour?

Spring and autumn generally offer the most comfortable conditions across the entire route. Winter can also be excellent, with clear days but colder nights in the mountains and Sahara. Summer is considerably hotter inland, so daily timing and activities should be adjusted accordingly.

Can families and older travellers do this tour?

Yes. Because the journey is private, walking distances, departure times, accommodation and desert activities can be adjusted. Guests should tell us about mobility considerations or young children while planning so we can design the journey appropriately.

Explore more private Morocco travel

Everything you have just read can be woven into a private journey, planned personally around your dates, pace and interests.

• Compare the 14-day Grand Morocco TourA slower north-to-south crossing with two Sahara nights and more time between driving days.
• Morocco desert toursPrivate Sahara routes from Marrakech and Fes, with your own driver-guide.
• Private experiencesCooking, artisan workshops, heritage walks and half-day city discoveries.
• Planning Morocco with childrenPractical advice for adapting private travel around children, pace and family rooms.