12 Days Grand Tour of Morocco from Marrakech

Arrive at Marrakech Menara Airport and transfer to your riad in the medina.

Rest and refresh after your journey.

Time permitting, take a sunset stroll to Jemaa el-Fnaa square and watch it transform from market to an open-air theater of storytellers, musicians, and food stalls.

Evening at leisure to begin absorbing the atmosphere of the red city. Dinner recommendations provided by your host.

Overnight in traditional riad in Marrakech medina.

Meet your expert local guide after breakfast for a full day exploring Marrakech's treasures.

Visit the Koutoubia Mosque - iconic 12th-century minaret dominating the skyline, showcasing Almohad architecture and Islamic design.

Explore the Bahia Palace:

• 19th-century masterpiece with stunning courtyards and painted ceilings
• Intricate zellige tilework and carved cedar throughout

Walk through the Jewish Quarter (Mellah) with its unique architecture and history.

Lunch break at a traditional restaurant.

Afternoon in the souks:

• Labyrinthine alleys specializing in different crafts
• Spices, carpets, leather goods, metalwork, and textiles
• Your guide helps you navigate and negotiate

Late afternoon at Jardin Majorelle:

• Cobalt blue botanical garden created by French painter Jacques Majorelle
• Now owned by the Yves Saint Laurent foundation

Overnight in Marrakech.

Early departure from Marrakech heading south toward the High Atlas Mountains, ascending the spectacular Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260m) - Morocco's highest mountain pass:

• Winding roads with panoramic views and Berber villages clinging to mountainsides
• Stop at scenic viewpoints for photos
• Optional visit to an argan oil cooperative

• Time to explore the earthen architecture
• Climb to the top for sweeping views and photo opportunities at every turn

Continue to Ouarzazate - 'Gateway to the Desert' - with an optional visit to Atlas Film Studios or Taourirt Kasbah.

Drive through the Valley of Roses - famous for its annual rose harvest festival in May.

Arrive in Dades Valley - 'Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs'. Check into your guesthouse with valley views.

Dinner featuring traditional Berber cuisine.

Overnight in Dades Valley.

Breakfast with spectacular valley views.

Morning drive through Dades Valley:

• Stop at viewpoints to photograph incredible rock formations including the 'Monkey Fingers'
• Drive the winding road with dramatic curves

• Massive limestone canyon with 300-meter cliffs
• Walk through the narrow gorge - a popular rock climbing destination
• Feel dwarfed by the towering cliffs

Afternoon journey through the Tafilalet oasis region:

• Stop in Erfoud - 'Fossil Capital of Morocco' and visit fossil workshops showcasing 350-million-year-old trilobites
• Landscape becomes increasingly desert-like as the first views of massive Erg Chebbi dunes appear - some reaching 150 meters high

Arrive at your traditional Berber desert camp:

• Welcome with mint tea and free time to climb dunes or relax
• Traditional Moroccan dinner under the stars
• Berber music and stories around the campfire under the Milky Way
• Sleep in your private tent in the profound silence of the Sahara

Wake before dawn for the magical Sahara sunrise as the dunes transition through a palette of colors - purple to pink to brilliant gold.

Breakfast at camp, then camel ride back to Merzouga village.

After a shower and refreshment, spend the day exploring the Merzouga region:

• Visit a nomadic Berber family - share tea and learn about their traditional desert lifestyle
• Stop in Khamlia village to experience traditional Gnawa spiritual music performance with hypnotic rhythms
• Visit old kohl mines used for traditional eyeliner throughout history
• Explore the seasonal Lake Dayet Srij, which attracts flamingos and migratory birds when filled

Afternoon options:

• Quad biking or dune buggies across the sand
• Sandboarding down the dunes
• Relaxing at your desert hotel

Another night under the stars with dinner, music, and the vastness of the Sahara.

Overnight in desert camp.

Final Sahara sunrise. Have breakfast at camp and camel trek back to Merzouga before departing for Fes - a long but spectacular day through constantly changing landscapes.

Drive through the dramatic Ziz Valley:

• Deep gorge lined with thousands of date palms creating a lush green ribbon through arid mountains
• Stop at panoramic viewpoints

Continue through cedar forests near Azrou:

• Stop to observe wild Barbary macaque monkeys in their natural habitat
• Photo opportunities as they approach the roadside

• Alpine-style architecture completely different from typical Moroccan cities
• Clean streets with a European feel
• See the famous stone lion sculpture

Evening free to rest after the journey.

Overnight in Fes.

Meet your expert local guide after breakfast for a full day exploring Fes el-Bali - the world's largest car-free urban area.

Begin at the Royal Palace gates with magnificent bronze doors and elaborate tilework, then enter the medina through Bab Boujloud - the Blue Gate - and step back in time to medieval Morocco.

Visit the University of Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859 CE - the world's oldest continually operating university, also containing one of the oldest libraries.

Explore the Attarine Madrasa - a 14th-century Koranic school and masterpiece of Marinid architecture.

Walk through the souks:

• More authentic and less touristy than Marrakech
• Spice markets with pyramids of cumin, saffron, and ras el hanout
• Metalworkers hammering brass and copper, woodworkers carving cedar

• Medieval leather-dyeing vats still in operation
• View from the terraces above - a sprig of mint offered to help with the smell
• Learn about traditional leather production unchanged for centuries

Afternoon at the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts - a beautifully restored foundouk (merchants' inn) with displays of traditional woodworking.

Explore the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) with its Jewish cemetery, synagogues, and architecture distinct from the Muslim medina.

Time permitting, visit Bab Makina and the newer Ville Nouvelle.

Evening free to wander the medina independently. Dinner recommendations from your guide.

Overnight in Fes.

Depart Fes after breakfast, driving through rolling farmland.

Arrive at Volubilis - Morocco's best-preserved Roman ruins and UNESCO World Heritage site:

• Explore the ancient city with impressive mosaics including the Orpheus Mosaic and House of Ephesus
• Walk past the Triumphal Arch, capitol, basilica, and forum
• Panoramic views over the Zerhoun Plain

• Visit the massive Bab Mansour gate - the most impressive in Morocco with beautiful tilework
• Explore Place el-Hedim - Meknes's version of Jemaa el-Fnaa
• Visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail - one of the few mosques non-Muslims can enter (partially)
• See the Heri es-Souani granaries and stables that could hold provisions for 12,000 horses

Afternoon drive through the Rif Mountains as the landscape becomes greener and more mountainous.

Arrive in Chefchaouen late afternoon - the blue pearl of Morocco. Check into your hotel.

Evening stroll through the magical blue-washed medina photographing the blue doors, walls, and staircases in beautiful sunset light.

Dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the blue city.

Overnight in Chefchaouen.

Full day at leisure in Chefchaouen - an opportunity to explore at your own pace.

Morning suggestions:

• Wake early for photos before crowds arrive - every corner is atmospheric with blue streets, painted doors, and flower pots
• Visit the Kasbah Museum in the main square with its garden, small museum, and tower with views
• Explore Plaza Uta el-Hammam - the main square with its red-walled kasbah and Grand Mosque
• Wander the souks known for wool garments, blankets, and woven crafts - more relaxed than larger cities

Afternoon options:

• Hike to the Spanish Mosque - 30 minutes uphill with panoramic views over the blue city and mountains, beautiful at sunset
• Visit Ras el-Maa waterfall, the source of the river, where locals traditionally wash clothes
• Relax at a rooftop café with mint tea and stunning views
• Simply wander the atmospheric streets and get lost in the blue labyrinth

Overnight in Chefchaouen.

Morning at leisure in Chefchaouen - last chance for photos in perfect morning light.

Late morning departure for the coast, driving through the Rif Mountains as the landscape transitions from mountains to plains.

Arrive in Rabat - Morocco's capital city and fourth imperial city, seat of government.

Visit the Hassan Tower - the minaret of an incomplete 12th-century mosque that would have been the world's largest, built from beautiful red sandstone.

Explore the Mausoleum of Mohammed V:

• Final resting place of the Moroccan royal family
• Stunning modern Moroccan architecture with ornate tilework, marble, and carved wood
• Non-Muslims can enter to view the tombs

• Blue and white medina overlooking the Atlantic
• Andalusian Gardens with beautiful viewpoints over the ocean and Bouregreg River

Afternoon drive to Casablanca - Morocco's largest city and economic capital.

Visit the magnificent Hassan II Mosque:

• One of the largest mosques in the world with the tallest minaret at 210 meters
• Partially built over the Atlantic Ocean
• Stunning craftsmanship in marble, cedar, and plaster carving
• One of the few mosques non-Muslims can enter on a guided tour

Check into your hotel.

Evening free. Optional: dinner at Rick's Café (reservation required), recreated from the famous Casablanca film.

Overnight in Casablanca.

Breakfast at hotel, then drive south along the Atlantic coast.

Stop in El Jadida - a Portuguese fortified city and UNESCO World Heritage site:

• Visit the Portuguese cistern - an underground water tank with a beautiful vaulted ceiling
• Reflections in the shallow water create a stunning effect
• Featured in Orson Welles's film Othello

Walk the ramparts with Atlantic views and cannons pointing out to sea.

Explore the medina:

• More relaxed atmosphere than Marrakech or Fes
• Blue fishing boats in the harbor
• Woodworking shops specializing in thuya wood

Free afternoon in Essaouira:

• Browse art galleries and shop for local crafts
• Walk along the beach
• Watch windsurfers and kitesurfers

Evening arrival in Marrakech. Return to your riad.

Final night in Morocco - perhaps a celebratory dinner and a last visit to Jemaa el-Fnaa square.

Overnight in Marrakech.

Breakfast at your riad.

Morning free depending on your flight schedule.

Optional activities if time permits:

• Last-minute shopping for souvenirs, spices, and argan oil
• Visit sites you may have missed
• Relax at a hammam spa
• One final mint tea at a rooftop café overlooking Jemaa el-Fnaa

End of your incredible 12-day journey through Morocco - with memories of imperial cities, blue streets, desert stars, and warm hospitality.

Safe travels home!