9-Day Morocco Itinerary from Casablanca with Two Desert Nights

Most Moroccan itineraries move to a new hotel every night. This private nine-day tour slows down in the places that deserve it: two nights in Chefchaouen with a free day in the Rif Mountains, two nights in Fes with a full guided day in the medina, and two nights around the Erg Chebbi dunes, first at our luxury camp and then at a riad on the edge of the sand. In between, you see the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, the capital, Rabat, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the imperial city of Meknes, the Todra Gorge, the Dades Valley and Ait Ben Haddou, before ending in Marrakech.

It’s designed for families, couples and slow travellers who want to feel at home in each place before moving on.

The route at a glance

• Day 1: Arrival in Casablanca: Hassan II Mosque, Habous quarter and the Corniche
• Day 2: Casablanca → Rabat → Rif Mountains → Chefchaouen (about 340 km)
• Day 3: Free day in Chefchaouen, with an optional hike to the Akchour waterfalls
• Day 4: Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fes (about 260 km)
• Day 5: Full day in Fes with a licensed guide
• Day 6: Fes → Ifrane → Middle Atlas → Ziz Valley → Merzouga, then by camel to camp (about 470 km)
• Day 7: Erg Chebbi by 4x4: nomads, Mfis and Khamlia, then a riad by the dunes
• Day 8: Merzouga → Rissani → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley (about 310 km)
• Day 9: Dades Valley → Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou → Tizi n’Tichka → Marrakech (about 350 km)

Casablanca at an easy pace

Day one is kept light, so it works whether you land early in the morning or late in the evening. We pick you up at Mohammed V Airport, and depending on your arrival time, you can take a guided tour inside the Hassan II Mosque, whose prayer hall and 210-metre minaret stand over the Atlantic. Afterwards, stroll through the Habous quarter, a “new medina” built in the 1930s with neat arcades, bookshops and pastry stalls selling Moroccan sweets. As evening falls, the Corniche along the ocean fills with families, joggers and cafés, and it’s the perfect place to watch the sunset after your flight. You spend the night at a hotel in Casablanca.

Rabat and two nights in Chefchaouen

On day two you drive to Rabat to explore the Kasbah of the Udayas above the river mouth, the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, before heading into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen.

Day three is entirely yours. You might wander the blue lanes at your own pace, visit the kasbah museum and its shady garden, or sit in a café on Outa el-Hammam square and watch the town go by. For something more active, a local guide can take you on a hike to the Akchour waterfalls, about 45 minutes’ drive away, where a trail follows a river gorge to a series of pools and falls. A longer walk leads to God’s Bridge, a natural rock arch high above the river. In spring, the falls are at their fullest and the hills are green.

Volubilis, Meknes and Fes

On day four you drive south to Volubilis, the Roman city whose columns and mosaics stand in a landscape of olive groves, and then to Meknes, the imperial capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail, with its monumental Bab Mansour gate and the sultan’s mausoleum. You reach Fes in the late afternoon.

Day five is a full day in the medina with a licensed guide. You explore Fes el-Bali, the thousand-year-old walled city, from the gates of the Royal Palace and the Mellah to the madrasas, the tanneries and the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university, finishing with the view from the Merenid Tombs at sunset.

Two nights around Erg Chebbi

Day six is the longest drive of the trip, crossing the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and the cedar forests and following the Ziz Valley south to Merzouga. At the edge of the dunes, you ride a camel into Erg Chebbi for the sunset and spend the night at our luxury camp.

On day seven, there’s no long drive. After the sunrise, you explore the desert by 4x4: tea with a nomad family, the abandoned mining village of Mfis, and the Gnawa musicians of Khamlia. In the afternoon, you relax at a riad on the edge of the dunes, or head out onto the sand for one more sunset.

Gorges, kasbahs and Marrakech

On day eight you head west through Rissani, with its souk on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, to the Todra Gorge, where you walk between towering walls, and on to the Dades Valley for the night. On the final day, you follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou, then cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka pass to Marrakech, arriving in the late afternoon.

Where you’ll sleep

• Casablanca (1 night): a hotel in the city.
• Chefchaouen (2 nights): a riad in the medina.
• Fes (2 nights): a riad in the medina.
• Erg Chebbi (1 night): our luxury desert camp, with a private tent for your booking, en-suite hot shower and flushing toilet, comfortable beds and electricity for charging. Heavy blankets are provided in winter, and family tents are available on request.
• Merzouga (1 night): a riad at the foot of the dunes.
• Dades Valley (1 night): a kasbah hotel.

Breakfast is included every day, and dinner at the desert camp, the Merzouga riad and the Dades Valley hotel.

Best time to go

Spring (March to May) is the best season for this itinerary, with green hills around Chefchaouen and full waterfalls at Akchour, and pleasant temperatures in the desert. Autumn (September to November) is also excellent. In winter, the north can be cold and rainy, and the desert nights are cold. In summer, Fes and the desert are hot, so the guided tour and the desert activities are planned for the cooler hours.

Who this tour is for

Families, couples and slow travellers who’d rather stay two nights in their favourite places than change hotels every day. The free day in Chefchaouen and the relaxed day in the desert make it particularly good for families with children.

Good to know

• Arrival day is flexible. Whether you land early or late, day one is kept light so you can rest after your flight.
• Best months: March to May and September to November. Spring brings green hills around Chefchaouen and full waterfalls at Akchour.
• The Akchour hike is optional, with a local guide paid separately. Wear good shoes, as the trail crosses the river and can be slippery.
• Want to loop back to Casablanca? See the 12-day grand tour, which adds Marrakech and Essaouira.