The Ultimate 10-Day Morocco Itinerary: From Ancient Medinas to Sahara Dunes

10 Day Morocco Itinerary Quick Note

This Morocco itinerary 10 days provides an immersive experience of North Africa’s most bewitching kingdom, Morocco, and its various cultures. Designed specifically to showcase Morocco’s imperial splendor, unique landscapes, and rich culinary offerings, the itinerary combines the best elements of photography, culture, and adventurous spirit.

During your 10 days Morocco itinerary, you will travel through many climate zones, discover a variety of cultural traditions, taste some of the most amazing cuisine, create lasting memories, and experience an exceptional opportunity to take in the amazing beauty of this incredible country. From the stunning beaches along the Atlantic Coast to the arid sands of the Sahara Desert, from the historical ruins of the Roman Empire to the ancient medinas of Marrakech, this ten-day itinerary is sure to uncover the very best that Morocco has to offer.

The 10 day trip to Morocco is not only an enjoyable experience; it is also a sensory exploration which includes many different parts of the country’s history, from antiquity to modern times. The itinerary will provide you with a greater understanding and appreciation of Morocco’s diverse landscapes, its rich history, and its wonderful culture than any rushed tours or long and arduous treks. The best aspect of the itinerary is that it allows for both thoroughness and leisurely enjoyment.

10 Days Morocco Itinerary Highlights

Morocco’s Grand Mosque in Casablanca, the only mosque in Morocco to permit access to non-Muslims, offers visitors an incredible view of the Atlantic Ocean, in addition to its magnificent minaret, which stands 210 meters (690 feet) high. In addition, the mosque also demonstrates the cutting-edge design of its retractable roof, heated floors, and extensive use of water, both below and above the ocean.
Chefchaouen, or “Chefs of the Mountains,” is set high in the Rif Mountains and is a picturesque town with its blue alleys that have recently become famous on social media. Although blue was not the original color of this town (the blue alleys were introduced by Jewish refugees in the 1930s), it is believed there was a religious significance for using blue paint, or to scare away mosquitoes. Today, locals continue to paint their homes blue in many shades, providing a constantly evolving visual experience.
Volubilis is a UNESCO World Heritage site with elaborate mosaics and columns dating from approximately 40 CE. Volubilis represents a remarkably preserved archaeological site, where you can view such sites as the House of Orpheus, which features an exquisite dolphin-shaped mosaic, the Triumphal Arch of Caracalla, and dozens of other ancient Roman structures that represent everyday life in North Africa.
Visiting the Erg Chebbi sand dunes at sunset from the back of a camel and staying overnight in a luxury tented camp beneath the starry skies of the Sahara Desert has long been part of the Sahara Desert experience. However, visiting the Sahara Desert is not just about the natural beauty of the vast expanse of sand but also about the experience of visiting and interacting with the nomadic Berber families of the region, seeing traditional forms of music, and experiencing the deep sense of silence that can only be found in one of the largest deserts in the world.
As a fortified village, Aït Ben Haddou has been a host for many Hollywood movies including “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Gladiator,” “Game of Thrones,” and “The Mummy.” The architecture of this ancient town is made entirely out of earthen clay and reflects the same construction that has been used since the 11th century for pre-Saharan habitats.
Marrakech has its own unique character, as visitors can witness the swirling activity of Jemaa el-Fnaa, which is a UNESCO Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage. For a different perspective of the city, visit the iconic Jardin Majorelle, with its decadent cobalt blue buildings and a stunningly diverse collection of plant species from all over the world.

Includes

Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver
Pick-up from Casablanca airport/hotel & drop-off in Marrakech (or Casablanca if preferred)
9 nights’ accommodation in carefully selected hotels/riads (Comfort, Premium, or Deluxe option)
1 night in a luxury desert camp in Merzouga
Daily breakfast throughout the tour
3 dinners in the Sahara Desert and Dades Valley
Camel trek in the Erg Chebbi dunes (sunset & sunrise experience)
Local guided tours in Fes and Marrakech

Excludes

Lunches and drinks during the trip
Personal expenses (souvenirs, tips, etc.)
Optional extra activities (quad biking, hammam, etc.)

The Complete Morocco Travel Itinerary 10 Days

Day 1: Casablanca to Rabat – Where Modernity Meets Tradition

As soon as you arrive at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, your Morocco 10 day itinerary will start. The first thing you should see is the magnificent structure known as the Hassan II Mosque; as you enter the prayer hall, the sound of crashing ocean waves will be heard below your feet on the glass floor, and all around you, the beautiful tilework (known as zellige), tells the story of the rich craftsmanship of Morocco.

Starting from the Hassan II Mosque, travel by car to the cosmopolitan city of Rabat (the capital city of Morocco). The Hassan Tower is a partial monument to the lofty aspirations of its builders in the 12th century. Next to it is the Kasbah of the Oudayas, providing a serene contrast, with its narrow pedestrian pathways and bright blue-and-white colored buildings, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. In the evening, you will check in to your riad, located in an old part of town (medina). You will be welcomed into your riad by the sound of water flowing from fountains and by the scent of orange blossoms, both characteristic of Moroccan hospitality.

Overnight: Traditional Riad, Rabat Medina

Day 2: Journey to Chefchaouen / The Blue Pearl of the Rif

You will wake up before dawn to take a beautiful drive of a minimum of four to five hours into the Rif Mountains. Finding yourself climbing higher in elevation, what was once the countryside of the ocean is now replaced by steep mountains surrounded in fog and clouds. Once at the top of the mountains, you will find your destination is Chefchaouen, the mythical “Blue City” where nearly every building is painted with shades of blue and cobalt.

As soon as you arrive, you will spend the afternoon exploring the charming medina, where every time you turn, there will be a new photo opportunity waiting for you. There will be local crafters who are displaying hand-woven blankets, leather products, and unique pottery pieces that are covered in complementary colors to the colors of their surrounding walls. This relaxing mountain environment is an excellent place for you to relax and slow down compared to the hustle and bustle of the larger imperial cities in Morocco.

Overnight: Boutique Hotel, Chefchaouen

Day 3: Chefchaouen - Volubilis & Meknes (Ancient Rome Meets Imperial Morocco) - Fes

On this day of your 10 days in Morocco itinerary, you will experience the convergence of thousands of years of history. You will travel from Chefchaouen to Volubilis, where you will see some amazing Roman mosaics that are still remarkably well preserved and show vivid representations from mythology. Walk down the Decumanus Maximus, which is the main road, and take a moment to stand under the Arch of Caracalla and to imagine what life was like in this prosperous point in the Roman Empire.

Afterwards, you’ll continue your journey to Meknes, which is one of the four imperial cities in Morocco. You will see the monumental Bab Mansour gate, which is considered the most beautiful in all of North Africa and has some amazing geometric designs as well as Arabic calligraphy. You will also take a tour of the Royal Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. Moulay Ismail was the sultan of Morocco during the 17th century and made Meknes its capital.

In the evening, you will arrive in Fès. When you arrive in Fès, you will start to notice the smells of grilled meats, cedar wood and spices as you enter one of the spiritual and intellectual capitals of Morocco.
Overnight stay in a riad inside the Fès Medina.

Overnight: Riad, Fès Medina

Day 4: Fes / A Living Medieval Masterpiece

Essential footwear is required if you plan on walking comfortably while exploring the exciting locations that exist within Fes el-Bali, an area of over ten square miles (26.43 km) with no cars. This area contains many narrow alleyways leading to the location of the famous Chouara Tannery, where people have been dyeing leather using traditional methods since the Middle Ages.

Visit Al-Qarawiyyin University and Mosque, founded in 859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, a wealthy merchant’s daughter. The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes it as the world’s oldest continuously operating educational institution, predating Bologna, Oxford, and Cambridge universities. While non-Muslims cannot enter the mosque, you can glimpse its stunning interior courtyard through carefully positioned doorways. The mosque accommodates 20,000 worshippers and features a forest of columns, intricate tile work, and one of the oldest functioning water clocks in the world.

The Bou Inania Madrasa, built between 1350-1357, represents Marinid architecture at its zenith and is one of the few religious buildings in Morocco that non-Muslims can fully enter. Every surface is decorated: walls with geometric zellige tilework and carved plaster, ceilings with carved cedar, floors with marble and onyx. The central courtyard features a marble fountain surrounded by columns. Climb the stairs to the upper level student cells, tiny rooms where scholars once studied and slept, with views over the courtyard below. The madrasa’s green-tiled minaret is one of the few with both a clock and a call to prayer function.

Visit the Nejjarine Museum of Wood Arts & Crafts, housed in a beautifully restored 18th-century funduq (caravanserai). The three-story building features an intricately decorated fountain on the ground floor and galleries displaying Morocco’s woodworking traditions, from architectural elements to furniture and musical instruments.

Visit the pottery cooperative in Fès Jdid (the “New Fès,” actually built in the 13th century) to see how the city’s distinctive blue and white ceramics are made. Watch artisans hand-paint intricate patterns and fire pieces in traditional kilns.

Return to your riad for some rest before dinner. Many riads offer rooftop dining with views over the medina’s sea of rooftops and satellite dishes. Alternatively, venture out for dinner at one of Fès’s palace restaurants, where you can enjoy traditional Moroccan music while dining in beautifully restored riad settings.

Overnight: Riad, Fès Medina

Day 5: Fes to Sahara Desert Through the Middle Atlas and the Hight Atlas

The long drive will take about 7-8 hours, but with all the changing scenery, it goes quickly. First, you’ll stop in Ifrane, known as “Little Switzerland”, because of its beautiful architecture and clean streets, which will look very different from the medinas you’ve visited.

Next, you will drive through the cedar forests in Azrou. These forests are home to Barbary monkeys, which might come close to the vehicle to beg for food. As you continue down from the Middle Atlas Mountains, you’ll notice that the landscape changes from lush green forests to dry plains, then to the first view of the golden dunes.

When you arrive in Merzouga, you can either ride a 4×4 or a camel to get to Erg Chebbi. You’ll have the opportunity to watch as the sun colours the large dunes in amber, copper and rose shades. At your luxury desert camp, you will stay in comfortable Berber-style tents with private bathrooms, and you will be able to see the stars like never before. In the evening, you can gather around a fire and enjoy traditional music, mint tea, and tagines, while gazing at the Milky Way.

Overnight: Luxury Desert Camp, Erg Chebbi

Day 6: Desert Immersion & Berber Culture

Awakening before sunrise, you can take delight in watching as the sun rises above the Sahara Desert. Following breakfast, you will continue your cultural immersion with today’s experience visiting nomads who live in traditional tents and learning how they have adapted to their incredibly harsh environment.

Beginning this tour will be a visit to a Berber family of nomadic people who still practice the same traditions as generations ago. This family will be living in a series of low black tents that were made from goat hair, and they travel with their herds of both goats and camels. You can expect that, despite living in a very challenging environment, the nomadic families will provide their guests and visitors with legendary hospitality.

You will be invited into the nomads’ tent and served mint tea. Serving of this mint tea is one of Morocco’s sacred hospitality traditions. While you are drinking the tea, you will be listening to your guide. Give you information about the nomadic people and their way of life. Information includes how they find water. How do they navigate through the vast, flat, pinpoint-accurate desert? What do they eat, and what has changed due to modernization?

Tension exists among nomadic families and their cultural traditions versus modern life, as most of these nomadic families are now semi-settled with children going to school in the nearby towns of Merzouga or Erfoud. The reality of this interaction gives an authentic view of a lifestyle that has existed for thousands of years but which will have an uncertain future.

In the day’s activities, you have the opportunity to choose what type of activity you want to participate in based on your interest level and your energy level.

Adventure Option: The Erg Chebbi dunes are excellent for sandboarding, which is similar to snowboarding but involves sliding down steep dune faces on specially-designed boards rather than down slick, icy runways. Although sand is more difficult to slide on than ice, sandboarding is very exciting!

Quad bikes or all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) allow you to cover greater distances through the desert than you would typically be able to do on foot; as a result, they allow you to visit hidden oasis areas of the desert or circle dune formations.

Relaxation Option: Simply relax in your camp, reading a book in a shaded area, practicing desert photography, or taking leisurely walks on the dunes. The calmness and solitude of the desert will provide you with an environment conducive to contemplating life away from the hectic pace of everyday living.

When the second night of sunset arrives, maybe see a different location to view it from. All around Erg Chebbi’s large dunes, all areas have distinguishing views of those impressive dunes. Again, come back to the camp for dining on original food, and enjoying the music and stars, while you have now spent two nights in the desert, and you’ll be able to begin through the ordinary tourist experience and into an appreciation of the purest form of beauty in the Sahara Desert and all its ageless rhythms.

Overnight: 2nd in a Luxury Desert Camp, or Traditional Riad

Day 7: Sahara Desert to the Road of 1000 Kasbahs Through Todra Gorge

After leaving the Sahara Desert, head west towards the city of Ouarzazate, located along the famous “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs.” The Kasbahs are fortified structures built from rammed earth (pisé) that are integrated into the surrounding desert landscape.

Make a stop at Todra Gorge, where the vertical walls of limestone rock reach as high as 300 meters on each side of the narrow canyon. Many international rock climbing enthusiasts visit the gorge to climb the beautiful rock walls. Take a walk through the gorge and be amazed by the magnitude of what was created by nature over millions of years.

Next, continue to the Dades Valley, where numerous Kasbahs sit atop hills overlooking the palm tree plantation and river valley below. The additional surreal beauty of this landscape is attributed to the unique rock formations known as “monkey fingers.”

Overnight: Kasbah Hotel, Dades Valley

Day 8: Dades Valley to the Red City of Marrakech

Your journey will begin in the UNESCO World Heritage ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, which has featured in more films than probably any actor. This striking fortified village has been used as a backdrop for Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Game of Thrones…to name just a few! You will climb to the highest point, where you will find the granary, to take in your breathtaking surroundings and views all around you.

After visiting Aït Ben Haddou, you will continue south to Ouarzazate, where you will have the opportunity to tour the famous Atlas Studios, an impressive place that was the foundation for many top Hollywood movies’ desert and ancient scenes. From there, you will begin your amazing journey over the enormous High Atlas Mountains using the breathtaking Tizi-n’Tichka pass (at 2260m). The many switchbacks on the drive up the mountain will provide you with stunning views of the landscape as you go around each curve.

After the drive, you will descend into the lush valleys and arrive in Marrakech later that day. Upon your arrival, you will check into your riad before heading up to your rooftop terrace, where you can see all of the action happening at Jemaa el-Fnaa. As the sun sets and the sky transitions from day to night, you will have the opportunity to witness first-hand the transformation of Jemaa el-Fnaa from daytime market to a delightful evening spectacle of vendors, storytellers, musicians, and snake-charmers.

Overnight: Luxury Riad, Marrakech Medina

Day 9: Marrakech Soghtseeing / A Feast for the Senses

Day before last – to experience Marrakech’s wonders. Visit the Bahia Palace, where you will find magnificent rooms and peaceful gardens that reflect the artistry of the 19th Century. Discover the Saadian Tombs, which were lost for centuries after they were rediscovered in 1917; their intricate tile designs and carved cedar are breathtaking. See the Ben Youssef Madrasa, which once held the title of the largest Islamic school in North Africa. The geometric shapes of the structure are perfect, and the tiles are lined with quotations from the Qur’an in Arabic letters.

Take time for the traditional hammam; the Moroccan bathing ritual of steam, soap, and intense scrubbing will leave your skin feeling smooth and refreshed.
Take a break from the fast pace of the medina at Majorelle Gardens. Originally created by French painter Jacques Majorelle and later restored by Yves Saint Laurent, the gardens contain stunningly vibrant cobalt blue architecture, rare plants from around the world, and exotic fountains. Sit back, relax, and sip mint tea at the garden café while reflecting on your journey so far.

For your last night, explore the souks of Marrakech. Each section of the market specializes in a different product—spices, leather goods, metalwork, and textiles. The vibrant colors and organized chaos make it difficult to believe what treasures lie hidden among all of the stalls, but with a little searching and bargaining, you can discover something truly unique to take home.

Overnight: Luxury Riad, Marrakech Medina

Day 10: Departure

For those flying home early, you may wish to have breakfast at the riad and then take a walk around the medina to photograph it in the early morning. The streets will be peaceful with few people about when the locals are busy preparing for their day, without the noise of the tourists.

Your driver will take you to the airport in Marrakech so you can board your flight and return home, or if you have started your journey in Casablanca, you will have an additional 3-hour drive to the airport in Casablanca to complete your Morocco travel itinerary 10 days.

Morocco tends to linger in a traveler’s heart long after they leave. Therefore, many travelers plan to go back to see other parts of Morocco or relive some of their experiences.