If it's your first time visiting Morocco, feeling a bit lost is completely normal. This vibrant and colourful country offers an overwhelming variety of landscapes like the coast, mountains, desert, ancient cities, and a rich, fascinating history and culture.
In this post, I'll help you draft a 10-day itinerary in Morocco that covers some of the country's most beautiful spots, a good starting point to enjoy what this stunning North African nation has to offer.
If you want to visit Morocco in 10 days, this itinerary might suit you. We'll cover the country's highlights like Chefchaouen, the blue pearl of Morocco, the ancient medinas of Fès and Marrakech, drive through the High and Middle Atlas mountains, and of course, spend a night in the Sahara Desert.
Let's get started!
First things first: you need to plan your holidays, so the obvious question is "How many days to visit Morocco?" The answer is: it depends! It depends on how much you want to see, your travel style, how many days you have, and maybe even your budget.
For example, a week might be enough to explore the desert and the imperial cities at a moderate pace. In two weeks, you could add stops in the Atlas Mountains and relax on the Atlantic coast. If you have less than five days, it's better to focus on specific areas, like Chefchaouen and Fes in the north, or Marrakech and Essaouira in the south.
Ten days might be the right duration if you want to do a more complete itinerary of Morocco, get a sense of the culture, and immerse yourself in the country's atmosphere without rushing.
In my experience, considering travel style and availability of time and budget, ten days is the minimum. In hindsight, I would have added two more nights to better visit the Ouarzazate and Fès areas, so let's say just under two weeks would be ideal.
From my initial itinerary, we cut some areas like the Dades Gorges, Meknes, and Volubilis because, although on the way, they would have extended the trip, and we didn't want to rush or drive at night.
We also didn't visit Tangier, we went straight to the airport. Since it's the most European city in Morocco (after all, it's on the Strait of Gibraltar, a few kilometres from Spain), I wanted to focus on more Moroccan cities.
In the next paragraphs, I'll describe in detail where we stayed and what we did, but briefly, this was my 10-day itinerary in Morocco:
You can easily do this itinerary in reverse, landing in Tangier and departing from Marrakech: check flight availability and play around with the itinerary.
Now, let's see in detail what to do day by day.
As soon as you land at Marrakech airport, if you don't want to waste precious time in the city, you can exchange cash into Moroccan Dirhams and buy a local SIM card right in the arrivals hall, near the exit doors.
I'll talk more about this in a dedicated post, but in short, the SIM card offers at the airport as of November 2023 are €20 for 20 GB. I bought one, and it was essential for the whole trip, allowing me to video call my daughter even from the desert!
Depending on your arrival time, you can relax in a Riad with some excellent mint tea or dive straight into the lively and chaotic atmosphere of the souks, the typical Moroccan markets.
We stayed at Riad Petite Rose, a charming and cozy Riad in the heart of the Medina, with a typical central pool and a small terrace for sunbathing. Thanks to the Riad's central location, we could easily reach all the points of interest by walk, and despite being close to the souks, it was quite peaceful.
After breakfast, our local guide was waiting for us at the Riad.
It's been a while now, whenever I visit a new place, I join a guided tour to better understand the history, culture, and traditions of the area. In Marrakech, as well as in Fès, a tour with a local guide is absolutely essential, not only for personal knowledge but also to navigate the labyrinthine markets and see the city from a different perspective.
Since there were six of us, we booked a private tour of Marrakech as it was cheaper: we paid €80 in total for a private tour of about four hours. Youssef took us in and out of the Medina, taught us how to navigate the souks safely, explained who we could photograph and who to avoid, advised us on where to eat and where not, told us fascinating stories, and answered all our questions and curiosities. His company was absolutely invaluable!
Book here your private Marrakech guided tour
Or, if you're a smaller group, there are other cheaper group tours:
Marrakech: Medina Souks Guided Walking Tour - from £16
Marrakech: Ben Youssef, Secret Garden, & Souks Walking Tour - from £19
Marrakech: Bahia Palace, Mederssa Ben Youssef & Medina Tour - from £21
Marrakech: Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Souk and Medina Tour - from £20
In the afternoon, you can go back to the Riad and relax or visit one of the monuments you missed, like the splendid Madrasa Ben Youssef, the largest Arab-Andalusian architecture Quranic school in Morocco, the Saadian Tombs, or the El Bahia Palace.
If you can, book a rooftop bar at sunset - you'll thank me later!
For the third day, spend at least the entire morning at the famous Majorelle Gardens. It takes about 30 minutes to walk there from the Medina, then you'll need to queue a bit to get in (even if you've already bought your ticket online), and you'll spend at least an hour inside. It's the most expensive attraction in Marrakech, but the beauty, uniqueness, and peace of the gardens are worth it!
The last afternoon can be dedicated to another trip to the souks and some good shopping: spices, bags and straw hats, jewellery, argan oil, or sweets, tea, and more! Leaving empty-handed is impossible!
You can't leave Marrakech without an evening visit to Jemaa El-Fna, the main square that during the day is lively with snake charmers, monkey trainers (not a pleasant sight, those poor monkeys with pink tutus and chains around their necks), henna artists, and a few stalls selling orange and pomegranate juice. After sunset, it becomes the world's busiest open-air restaurant with hundreds of street food stalls - not necessarily super fresh.
Even if you don't want to risk dinner here, a walk to enjoy the atmosphere is a must.
It's time to say goodbye to Marrakech and start an unforgettable road trip in Morocco!
Head back to the airport to pick up the car you rented earlier.
You might be interested in this post: Driving in Morocco: my experience and useful tips to avoid fines: it's full of information about Moroccan road conditions, speed limits, checkpoints, and car rental tips.
Check here car rental prices in Morocco
Get comfortable because the first stretch is quite long: from Marrakech to Ouarzazate is about 195 km, which, although not a great distance, is full of checkpoints and very low speed limits. It might take about 4 hours, but I assure you the landscapes will leave you in awe the whole time!
Today's route will take you along the so-called "road of a thousand Kasbahs," fortified citadels that look like they're made of sand!
In the Ouarzazate area, visit the beautiful Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage site and film set for famous Hollywood movies like Game of Thrones, Gladiator, and Lawrence of Arabia.
A bit further on is another beautiful UNESCO Kasbah, Taourirt: you can choose to visit it on your own or rely on one of the friendly Berber guides who will surely offer their services at the entrance.
If you still have time, the Amridil Kasbah is also worth a visit - but keep an eye at the clock: it takes 3 more hours to reach your next stop, where you'll spend the night!
Despite our best intentions not to drive in the dark, we arrived in Tinghir well after sunset, so we had dinner and went straight to bed.
In Tinghir, we stayed at Riad Sephora, and we only realized the superb location the next morning! A small family-run Riad overlooking a date palm plantation and a beautiful rust-coloured canyon! It was one of the best views from a Riad during the whole trip!
After a delicious homemade breakfast prepared by the women of the Riad, enjoyed on the terrace with a view of the canyon and palm grove, head out to explore the Todra Gorges (they're so close to the Riad you can even walk there!).
This series of canyons, reaching heights of up to 400 meters, were formed over centuries by the nearby Dades and Todra rivers. The spot I've marked on the map is the most spectacular: here, the canyon narrows to a flat, rocky path, in some places just 10 meters wide, with sheer rock walls up to 160 meters high on each side.
After admiring these beautiful canyons, it's time to get back in the car and head to the desert! It's about 200 km of road where you'll go from high rocky canyons to increasingly flat and desert landscapes until you reach Merzouga, the last inhabited place before the majestic Sahara Desert!
Leave the car at the spot indicated by the tent managers, who will contact you with details before your arrival. Here, you can choose to reach the tent camp by camel, quad, or 4x4! We chose the 4x4, and I must say, thanks to the bold but safe driving of the Berbers, it was a lot of fun - almost like a kiddie roller coaster!
There are many tent camps in the Merzouga desert, all at a distance from each other, and choosing one can be quite a challenge because they all seem the same!
We stayed at Africa Luxury Camps.
We had a tent for six, perfect for our group. The experience was perfect from start to finish, in every detail. We had fun trying sandboarding, rolling down the dunes clumsily; we ate one of the best chicken tagines of the trip; we listened to Berber music, played the bongos, and danced around the fire with the Berbers; we saw shooting stars in a sky that, oh my god, when you live in the city, you simply forget how many stars there can be up there!; we took an embarrassing number of photos, walked barefoot in the sand, and woke up before dawn to see one of the most beautiful shows, the sun rising from behind the dunes!
We've reached the highlight of the trip, and I bet you'll leave a piece of your heart and maybe a few tears in the Merzouga desert, just like I did.
It's time to get back on the road, leave those beautiful golden dunes behind, and drive north.
The road from Merzouga to Fès is really long, about 465 km, taking around 8 hours to drive. We chose to break the journey with an overnight stop halfway. Unfortunately, between Merzouga and Fès, there's not much to see except more large canyons and vast date palm valleys.
We spent a night in Midelt, a small town that many travellers choose as a stopover on the way to/from the desert. Midelt, known throughout Morocco for its apple production, doesn't offer much in terms of things to do or see. We took it easy, rested, and had a quick evening stroll in the centre to find a place to eat (spoiler: Midelt is the cheapest place of the whole trip in Morocco!).
We stayed at Villa Pomme d'Or where we found the most caring, hospitable, and lovely hosts ever! They welcomed us with mint tea, plates overflowing with apples, dates, hazelnuts, and dried fruit, carried our luggage to the room (everyone does this in Morocco), and - believe it or not - the next morning, we found the car washed!
Leave Midelt and get back in the car, still heading north. There are still several kilometres to go to reach Fès, but here the road gets more interesting: you'll see the mountains change colour, leaving the yellow and rust typical of the south to become lush green forests.
Take a break to stretch your legs at Maison de la Cédraie, in the cedar forest of Azrou, where you'll find playful monkeys roaming freely in their natural habitat.
Continue to Ifrane, known as the "little Switzerland" because of its architecture, and stop for lunch.
There's only 65 km from Ifrane to Fès, so you'll be there in just over an hour's drive.
In Fès we stayed at the gorgeous Riad Zamane & Spa: huge rooms, very comfortable beds, richly decorated, a mouth-watering breakfast, and yes, we also took advantage of the Spa with a nice massage! Oh, and an important detail: they serve beer!
In Fès, we also started exploring the city with a local guide: we got an idea of the medina, very different from Marrakech; they took us to places we would never have dared to enter alone, like very narrow alleys, university rooftops, and dark home ovens; they accompanied us to the Jewish and Andalusian quarters; they advised us on where to eat and shop (of course, it's up to you whether to follow their advice or not).
The highlight of the day was the visit to the famous tanneries, where leather is processed and dyed using the same technique for over 1000 years, before becoming jackets, bags, shoes, belts, skirts, wallets, even poufs.
Here are the links to book Fès guided tours:
Fes: Museum, Al Attarine Madrasa & Tannery and Medina Tour - from £12
Fes: Guided Walking Tour of the Medina of Fes - from £12
Despite the guided tour taking us all over, a day and a half to visit Fès is absolutely not enough, and we had to leave with a strong sense of incompleteness. As I said at the beginning, if I went back, I would add another night to dedicate more time and attention to this city, which truly deserves it!
The last stop of this unforgettable trip will take you to the so-called Blue Pearl of Morocco, Chefchaouen.
The road from Fès to Chefchaouen is 240 km long, so it's no joke! Despite this, many tourists visiting Fès choose to do a day tour to Chefchaouen, spending about 7-8 hours traveling back and forth just to see this unique city. I thought it better to stay there for a night, so I could enjoy it calmly, without too many tourists and without spending too many hours in the car.
Chefchaouen is simply beautiful, with very few things to see but a thousand corners to photograph. The Grand Mosque, the Bab El Ain gates, Mohammed V Square, and El Hauta Square are some of the spots you can visit on your own or by joining a guided tour like this one:
Chefchaouen: Hidden Gems Guided Tour with Mint Tea - from £19
If you're lucky enough to find a room at Résidence Hoteliére Chez Aziz, you've hit the jackpot! Besides the all-blue, super unique rooms, this residence has a covered terrace with a view of the blue medina that rivals the best lookouts in the area! We watched the sunset from the terrace, sipping timeless mint tea and reminiscing about the best moments of the trip.
The road from Chefchaouen to Tangier is 112 km long, so it will take you about 2.5 hours.
Depending on your return flight time, you can spend the last day in Chefchaouen, taking a morning walk in the Medina and doing some shopping before the tourists arrive, or head straight to Tangier airport, where you'll return the car and catch your flight home.
This 10-day itinerary in Morocco from Marrakech has come to an end.
I hope it has given you some good ideas for your trip and for visiting this beautiful country!
Here are other articles about Morocco that might interest you:
If you have any doubts or questions, feel free to email me at: flavia.iarlori@outlook.com.
See you soon!
Note:
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Hi! I'm Flavia, I live in London and have been traveling on and on since 2010. Travel blogger, mom, wife, full-time employee: none of this stops me from wandering every month. I'm here to inspire you and help you organize your DIY trip, making the most out of your budget and time. If you're a curious and dynamic person who loves exploring new destinations independently, this is the place for you.
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Driving in Morocco: my experience and useful tips to avoid fines
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