9 Days Morocco Private Tour: Casablanca to Marrakech

Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you into Casablanca. You see the Hassan II Mosque, which stands on the Atlantic, and drive along the Corniche seafront.

You then continue to Rabat, the capital. You see the Hassan Tower and the Kasbah of the Udayas from the outside before checking in to your riad or hotel in the medina.

Moment to remember: the huge minaret of the Hassan II Mosque over the ocean.

After breakfast you visit Rabat: the Chellah necropolis with its Roman and Islamic ruins, the Andalusian gardens of the Udayas, and the Hassan Tower, an unfinished 12th-century minaret.

You then drive north into the green Rif mountains and arrive in Chefchaouen in the evening, with time for a first walk through the blue lanes.

Moment to remember: your first view of the blue town on its hillside.

You cross the Rif to Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco, with mosaic floors, a basilica and a triumphal arch. You then stop at Moulay Idriss, a hillside pilgrimage town, before Meknes, where you see the Bab Mansour gate and the old center.

You reach Fes in the late afternoon and check in to your riad in the medina.

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

With a local guide you pass the gates of the Royal Palace, walk through the Mellah and into Fes el-Bali. Highlights include Al-Qarawiyyin, viewed from outside, the medersas, the Attarine area and the Chouara tannery seen from a terrace.

A tile or ceramics cooperative can be added on request. Before returning to your riad, take in the whole city from a viewpoint above the medina.

Moment to remember: the first view of the Chouara tannery from above.

A long but scenic day. You climb into the Middle Atlas through Ifrane, sometimes called the Switzerland of Morocco, and the cedar forest of Azrou, where Barbary macaques live along the road. Please do not feed them. After Midelt you follow the palm-lined Ziz Valley south toward the dunes.

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

Moment to remember: the dunes turning orange as your camel caravan crosses the sand.

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

You wake before sunrise and watch the light change over the dunes. After breakfast you ride your camel back to the edge of Merzouga and set off by road.

You stop at the Todra Gorges, where limestone walls rise well over 200 meters above a narrow road, and continue to the Dades Valley, with its red kasbahs and the rock formations known as monkey fingers. You spend the night in a hotel overlooking the valley.

Moment to remember: the first light on the dunes as your camel rocks you back toward the village.

Prefer a shorter day? Skip lunch in the gorges and add a night in Merzouga.

You drive through the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs and stop at Kelaa M'Gouna, known for its roses, and Skoura, with its mud-brick kasbahs. You then reach Ouarzazate, home to film studios that have hosted many international productions.

Then you visit Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed ksar, where you can climb to the old granary for the view. Later you cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass at more than 2,200 meters and arrive in Marrakech in the evening. Jemaa el-Fna is a short walk from most riads.

Moment to remember: the ksar of Aït Ben Haddou in late afternoon light.

Prefer a shorter day? Add a night in Aït Ben Haddou or Ouarzazate, and reach Marrakech the next morning.

With a local guide you start at Jemaa el-Fna, then visit the Koutoubia Mosque from outside, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and El Badi Palace, before walking through the souks of Souk el Attarin and Souk Smata.

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 take a last walk in the medina.

If you have questions before or after the trip, write to us on WhatsApp or email.

Moment to remember: the last mint tea and a small souvenir to take home.