10 Days Morocco Imperial Tour And Desert From Casablanca
Available options
Four imperial cities — Rabat, Meknes, Fes and Marrakech — with two nights in the Sahara at Merzouga, the Dades Gorge, Ait Benhaddou and a last night in Essaouira, starting and ending in Casablanca.
City & Culture
Immerse yourself in rich history and local traditions
Group Tour
Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
Fully Guided
An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Low Intensity
Travelers can expect some light physical activities
Guided in English
Other languages on request: German, French, Spanish
Group Size 1 – 15
All Ages Welcome
Highlights
- Rabat: the Chellah, the Hassan Tower, the Mohammed V Mausoleum and the Kasbah of the Oudayas
- Chefchaouen, Volubilis and Meknes
- A guided day in the Fes medina with a local expert
- Private camel ride, sandboarding and two nights at a desert camp in Merzouga
- The Rose Valley, Ouarzazate and the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou
- Marrakech and Essaouira
Full description
This ten-day route links Morocco’s four imperial cities, Rabat, Meknes, Fes and Marrakech, with the Sahara in the middle. It starts in Casablanca and is the itinerary we most often suggest for a first trip that combines history and desert.
After the capitals of the north you cross the Middle Atlas to Merzouga for a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes, then return west through the Todra and Dades gorges and the kasbah of Aït Benhaddou before arriving in Marrakech. A private vehicle and driver-guide are with you for the whole journey, with local guides in each medina.
Route map
Use “Show on map” on a day to centre the map on its stops.
Itinerary
Day 1Casablanca – Rabat – Chefchaouen
Your private transport meets you at 9:00 at Casablanca airport or your accommodation. The Hassan II Mosque, then Rabat: the Chellah necropolis, the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and a guided walk in the Kasbah of the Oudayas. Lunch at a local restaurant on the way to Chefchaouen.
Lunch
Accommodation
Day 1
Riad El Palacio & SPA or Similar
Chefchaouen
5-star upgrade available
Day 2Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes
Chefchaouen’s water source, Pigeon Square and old mosque, then the Roman site of Volubilis (UNESCO) and Meknes, arriving in Fes for dinner at your riad.
Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Day 2–3
Riad Dare Jeanne Or Similar
Fes
5-star upgrade available
Day 3Fes
A guided tour of Fes El Bali with a local expert: the Blue Gate (Bab Boujloud), the medieval alleys and souks, the Mellah, the Royal Palace gate, the hill fortress viewpoint, a ceramics workshop, Souk Seffarine, the Bou Inania Madrasa and the Al Quaraouiyine mosque.
Dinner
Accommodation
Day 2–3
Riad Dare Jeanne Or Similar
Fes
5-star upgrade available
Day 4Fes – Ifrane – Midelt – Ziz valley – Merzouga
Ifrane and the cedar forest of the Middle Atlas with its Barbary macaques, lunch in Midelt, the Ziz valley, then a private camel ride and sandboarding in the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Day 4–5
Nomad Comfort Camp or Similar
Merzouga
5-star upgrade available
Day 5Merzouga
A desert safari through the dunes to the fossil sites, mint tea with Berber nomad families and a picnic lunch in the Sahara. Optional: quad biking.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Day 4–5
Nomad Comfort Camp or Similar
Merzouga
5-star upgrade available
Day 6Merzouga – Todras Gorge – Tinghir – Dades Gorge
The old underground irrigation channels, the Todra Gorge and Tinghir, a walk in the Dades Gorge and the “Monkey Toes” rock formations.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Day 6
Dar Rihana Dades or Similar
Boumalne Dades
5-star upgrade available
Day 7Boumalne Dades – Rose Valley – Ouarzazate – Ait Benhaddou – High Atlas Mountains – Marrakech
The Rose Valley and a women’s cooperative making natural perfumes, the Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate, lunch at the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou (UNESCO), the Ounila valley and over the High Atlas to Marrakech.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Day 7–8
Riad Losra Marrakech or Similar
Marrakech
5-star upgrade available
Day 8Marrakech
A guided tour of the medina with a local expert: Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Koutoubia Mosque, the old souks and Jemaa el-Fna, with dinner at the food stalls on the square. Optional: hammam, food tour or cooking class.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Day 7–8
Riad Losra Marrakech or Similar
Marrakech
5-star upgrade available
Day 9Marrakech – Essaouira
The UNESCO-listed medina of Essaouira, its markets, the fishing port and the ramparts over the Atlantic. Optional: time on the beach or a seafood lunch.
Breakfast
Accommodation
Day 9
Hotel-Restaurant Lalla Mira or Similar
Essaouira
5-star upgrade available
Day 10Essaouira – El Jadida – Casablanca
North along the coast by El Jadida to Casablanca, where your driver drops you at the airport or your accommodation.
Breakfast
What’s included
Accommodation
9 nights in hotels, riads and a desert camp
Chefchaouen
Riad El Palacio & SPA or Similar
Fes
Riad Dare Jeanne Or Similar
Merzouga
Nomad Comfort Camp or Similar
Boumalne Dades
Dar Rihana Dades or Similar
Marrakech
Riad Losra Marrakech or Similar
Essaouira
Hotel-Restaurant Lalla Mira or Similar
Guide
Fully guided, in English.
Other languages on request: German, French, Spanish.
Meals
- Day 1: lunch at a local restaurant
- Day 2: lunch on the way, dinner at your riad
- Day 3: traditional dinner at your riad
- Day 4: traditional breakfast, lunch in Midelt, dinner at camp
- Day 5: breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner and tea at camp
- Day 6: breakfast, lunch at a traditional restaurant, dinner at your riad
- Day 7: breakfast, lunch at Ait Benhaddou, dinner at your riad
- Day 8: breakfast, lunch, dinner at the Jemaa el-Fna food stalls
- Day 9: breakfast
- Day 10: breakfast
Optional extras
Not included in the tour price; can be added when you book.
What’s not included
Flights
Insurance
Where you’ll stay
All accommodations are subject to change.
Day 1
Riad El Palacio & SPA or Similar
Chefchaouen
5-star upgrade available
Day 2–3
Riad Dare Jeanne Or Similar
Fes
5-star upgrade available
Day 4–5
Nomad Comfort Camp or Similar
Merzouga
5-star upgrade available
Day 6
Dar Rihana Dades or Similar
Boumalne Dades
5-star upgrade available
Day 7–8
Riad Losra Marrakech or Similar
Marrakech
5-star upgrade available
Day 9
Hotel-Restaurant Lalla Mira or Similar
Essaouira
5-star upgrade available
Customer reviews
Our travellers post their reviews on Tripadvisor and on our site.
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