13 Days Morocco Private Tour: Casablanca to Marrakech

Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel in Casablanca. The rest of the day is free to settle in, change money and rest after the flight.

If you have energy, ask your driver about a short evening drive along the Corniche or a look at the outside of the Hassan II Mosque. Entrance to the mosque interior is not included.

Moment to remember: the first mint tea at the hotel, and knowing that the driver who collected you will be with you until the last day.

After breakfast you drive to Rabat, the capital. Stops include the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V from outside, and the Kasbah of the Udayas with its blue-and-white lanes above the river.

After lunch on your own account you continue north through green hills to Chefchaouen. You arrive in the late afternoon, in time to walk up into the blue medina before sunset.

Moment to remember: your first view of the Rif mountains as the road climbs toward the blue town.

A full day with no driving. Wander the blue lanes of the medina, visit the Kasbah Museum, and walk to Plaza Uta el-Hammam. Ras El-Ma, at the edge of town, has a stream, small cafes and a wash-place used by local women.

For a wider view, walk up to the Spanish Mosque above town. The path takes about 30–45 minutes each way and is best in the late afternoon.

Moment to remember: the light on the blue walls in the early morning, before the day trippers arrive.

You leave the Rif and drive to Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco, with mosaics still in place among the columns. Then on to Meknes, the imperial city of Moulay Ismail, for a short visit to its gates and old center.

You reach Fes in the afternoon and check in to your riad in the old medina. The evening is free.

Moment to remember: standing among the mosaics at Volubilis with the olive groves spreading out below.

With a local guide you start above the city at the Merenid Tombs for the view over the medina, then pass the gates of the Royal Palace. Inside the walls you walk through the souks, past Al-Qarawiyyin (viewed from outside) and its madrasas, and see the Chouara tannery from a terrace.

Ceramics and weaving workshops can be added on request. Afternoon is free for the souks or to rest at the riad.

Moment to remember: the first view of the Chouara tannery from above, with its rows of dye pits.

A long but scenic day. You climb into the Middle Atlas through the cedar forests around Ifrane and Azrou, where Barbary macaques live along the road. Please do not feed them. Then you cross the high plateau to Midelt and follow the green Ziz Valley south toward the dunes.

In Merzouga you meet your camel guides and ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset. The camp is a few dunes in. After dinner there is Amazigh music around the fire and a very clear night sky.

Moment to remember: the first sight of the dunes turning orange as the camel caravan crosses the sand.

Prefer a shorter day? Add a night in Midelt or Ifrane and split the drive over two days.

After a sunrise over the dunes and breakfast, the day is yours to shape. Khamlia is a village known for its Gnawa music, a good place for a short concert. A visit to a nomad family, arranged on request, gives a glimpse of life on the edge of the desert.

You can then drive to Rissani, the old market town, to see the weekly souk and, if wanted, taste medfouna, a stuffed Berber bread. Return to Merzouga for rest and a second evening in the dunes.

Moment to remember: the silence of the dunes at first light, before the wind has covered the night's footprints.

You leave the dunes and head west across the stony plain to the Todra Gorges, where limestone walls rise over 200 meters on both sides of a narrow road. You continue through the Dades Valley, with its red kasbahs and the rock formations known as monkey fingers, and on through the Rose Valley.

You arrive in Ouarzazate in the late afternoon. If time allows, drive past the Taourirt Kasbah and the film studios that have hosted many international productions.

Moment to remember: the walls of the Todra Gorges closing in above the car.

Prefer a shorter day? Skip the Rose Valley detour and take the main road to Ouarzazate directly.

Your morning starts at Aït Ben Haddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar where many films have been shot. Walk up through the old houses to the top for a view over the valley. Then you cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass at more than 2,200 meters through hairpin bends.

In the late afternoon you reach Imlil, the village at the foot of Mount Toubkal. Your stay is in a simple mountain guesthouse or lodge. A family dinner can be arranged on request.

Moment to remember: the cool mountain air and the smell of woodsmoke when you step out of the car in Imlil.

Prefer a shorter day? Ask about a night in Aït Ben Haddou or Ouarzazate first, so the day is split.

After breakfast and an optional morning walk in the Imlil valley, you drive west through the argan tree country to the Atlantic coast. On the way you can stop at a women's argan cooperative to see the oil being pressed, on request.

In Essaouira you have the afternoon to explore the medina, walk the ramparts and watch the fishing boats in the port. Dinner of fresh fish is a good option and is not included.

Moment to remember: the ramparts above the ocean at sunset, with gulls over the blue fishing boats.

A shorter drive, so you can spend the morning in Essaouira first. You reach Marrakech in the early afternoon and settle in at your riad or hotel.

In the evening walk to Jemaa el-Fna, where storytellers, musicians and food stalls set up as the light fades.

Moment to remember: the first sight of Jemaa el-Fna at dusk from a rooftop terrace.

With a local guide you visit the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Koutoubia Mosque (from outside) and Bab Agnaou, and then walk through the souks. The afternoon is free for Majorelle Garden, a hammam or more shopping.

Your driver and vehicle are available if you prefer a slower day.

Moment to remember: the carved cedar ceilings of the Bahia Palace, then getting pleasantly lost in the souks.

After breakfast your driver takes you to the airport. If your flight is later, you can leave your luggage at the hotel and have a last walk in the medina.

Moment to remember: the last mint tea and the small gift of a ceramic dish or a spice blend to take home.