9-Day Casablanca to Marrakech Desert Tour

Overview

Nine days gives this Casablanca-to-Marrakech crossing something most versions of the route don't have: a proper full day for Chefchaouen and a second full day dedicated entirely to the desert around Merzouga, rather than just a single overnight stop. The bones of the trip are familiar — Atlantic coast, Rif Mountains, Roman ruins, the medina of Fez, the Sahara, canyon country, and the High Atlas into Marrakech — but the extra time changes how it feels to travel through it.

Instead of arriving in the blue city and leaving the next morning, you get an entire day to actually wander Chefchaouen without a schedule. Instead of one desert night, you get two — a tented camp beneath the dunes and a riad the next evening — bracketing a full day exploring Erg Chebbi's surroundings by 4x4, visiting a Gnawa music village, an abandoned mining settlement, and a nomadic family living off the grid.

By the time you reach Marrakech on day nine, you'll have moved through nearly every major landscape Morocco has to offer, at a pace that leaves room to actually notice them.

Tour Highlights

• Tour the iconic Hassan II Mosque and the streets of Casablanca
• Visit Rabat's Hassan Tower and the fortified Kasbah of the Udayas
• Spend a full day exploring Chefchaouen's blue-washed lanes and markets
• Walk among the Roman ruins of Volubilis
• Explore the UNESCO-listed Fez medina with a local guide
• Cross the Middle Atlas cedar forests, home to wild Barbary macaques
• Ride a camel into the dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset
• Spend a full day exploring the desert beyond Merzouga
• Meet a nomadic family and hear Gnawa music in Khamlia
• Walk beneath the towering cliffs of the Todra Gorge
• Explore the fortified kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou
• Cross the High Atlas Mountains into Marrakech

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Casablanca - Arrival and city introduction

Your nine-day journey begins on arrival in Casablanca, where the Maroccodeserttours team will welcome you. We start with a tour of the city, including the iconic Hassan II Mosque, whose 210-meter minaret is the tallest of any religious building outside Mecca.

Afterward, you'll have time to soak up Casablanca's distinctly modern atmosphere — a city that looks more toward the Atlantic and the future than toward the medinas further inland. Overnight in comfortable accommodation.

Driving distance: Approximately 36 km Driving time: Approximately 1 hour Meals: None included

Day 2: Casablanca - Rabat - Chefchaouen

We head to Rabat, Morocco's capital, to see the unfinished 12th-century Hassan Tower and the whitewashed Kasbah of the Udayas. From there, the road climbs into the Rif Mountains toward Chefchaouen, the blue city founded in 1471, where you'll settle in for two nights.

Driving distance: Approximately 342 km Driving time: Approximately 5 hours 21 minutes Meals: Breakfast

Day 3: Full day in Chefchaouen

A full day to explore Chefchaouen at your own pace — no early departure, no packed schedule. Wander the cobalt-blue alleyways, browse the wool and leather souks, climb toward the old kasbah for views over the rooftops, or simply settle into a rooftop café with mint tea and watch the town's unhurried rhythm unfold.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 4: Chefchaouen - Volubilis - Meknes - Fez

Leaving the Rif behind, we cross rural farmland toward Volubilis, once the westernmost outpost of the Roman Empire, with mosaic floors still visible after nearly two thousand years in the open air.

We continue to Meknes, the least visited of Morocco's four imperial cities, to see the ornately decorated Bab el Mansour gate and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. After lunch, we finish the day in Fez, checking into a riad in the heart of the old medina.

Driving distance: Approximately 260 km Driving time: Approximately 4 hours 30 minutes Meals: Breakfast

Day 5: Fez (full guided day)

A full day exploring Morocco's spiritual and intellectual capital with a local guide. We begin at the golden gates of the Royal Palace, then enter the medina — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest car-free urban space on Earth — to see the Al-Qarawiyyin University, founded in 859 and recognized as the world's oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning, the finely carved Al-Attarine Madrasa, the Nejjarine Fountain, and the open-air Chouara Tannery.

We continue into the Mellah, the historic Jewish quarter, before climbing to an old fortress for sweeping views over the entire medina.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 6: Fez - Ifrane - Middle Atlas - Ziz Valley - Merzouga Desert

We head south toward the Sahara, stopping first in Ifrane, a tidy alpine-style town often nicknamed Morocco's "Little Switzerland." From there we climb into the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, where wild Barbary macaques are frequently spotted, before a lunch stop en route to the palm-fringed Ziz Valley.

Arriving in Merzouga by afternoon, camels are waiting to carry you into the dunes of Erg Chebbi, stopping on a high ridge to watch the sunset. Dinner and Berber drumming around the campfire follow at a luxury desert camp beneath a genuinely dark sky.

Driving distance: Approximately 500 km Driving time: Approximately 7 hours 30 minutes Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 7: Full day exploring the Merzouga Desert

Sunrise over the dunes is worth setting an early alarm for. After a hearty breakfast, a 4x4 collects you for a full day dedicated to the desert beyond Erg Chebbi. The first stop is Khamlia, home to musicians of sub-Saharan heritage who perform hypnotic Gnawa rhythms, followed by an off-road stretch to M'Fis, an abandoned settlement once known for its galena mines.

Later, you'll visit a nomadic family living near the dunes, sharing mint tea in their tent and learning about a way of life that has changed little in generations. After lunch, we head to your riad for the afternoon, with time to relax by the pool before an optional quad or buggy excursion — or simply a quiet walk to the dunes — to watch the sunset. Dinner and overnight at the riad.

Driving distance: Approximately 57 km Driving time: Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 8: Merzouga Desert - Rissani - Todra Gorge - Dades Gorges

After breakfast, we set off for the Dades Gorges, passing through Rissani, ancestral home of Morocco's royal family, where a lively traditional souk operates on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

The road climbs toward the Todra Gorge, where limestone walls rise up to 300 meters above a narrow river — a short walk along the canyon floor is enough to feel its scale. Continuing toward Dades, the strange, wind-carved "monkey finger" rock formations line the valley on the approach to your hotel for the night.

Driving distance: Approximately 310 km Driving time: Approximately 5 hours Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 9: Dades Gorges - Ouarzazate - Ait Ben Haddou - High Atlas - Marrakech

On the final day of this nine-day journey, we drive to Ouarzazate, nicknamed the "Hollywood of Africa," where you can optionally visit Atlas Studios to see behind-the-scenes film sets. We continue to Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified ksar of red-earth kasbahs and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, used as a backdrop in films including Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia.

After lunch, the road climbs over the High Atlas Mountains with sweeping views along the way, descending into Marrakech by late afternoon, bringing this journey from Casablanca to a close.

Driving distance: Approximately 353 km Driving time: Approximately 6 hours 30 minutes Meals: Breakfast

What's Included

Included Services

• Pickup at the airport or your Casablanca hotel on day one
• Private transport in an air-conditioned vehicle: 4x4, van, or minibus depending on group size
• Spanish-speaking driver or driver with Spanish-speaking guide (other languages available on request)
• Local guide for the full-day visit to Fez
• 8 nights of accommodation with breakfast
• Dinner at the desert camp, your riad in Merzouga, and the Dades Gorges hotel
• Camel ride in Erg Chebbi
• Sandboarding

What's Not Included

Excluded Services

• Lunches
• Dinner in Casablanca, Chefchaouen, and Fez
• Drinks
• Entrance fees where required
• Optional tips

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this itinerary start in Casablanca and end in Marrakech?

Yes, it's designed as a grand route entering through Casablanca and finishing in Marrakech, covering many of the country's most iconic places.

Do we spend one night in a camp and another in a riad near Merzouga?

Yes, this itinerary dedicates extra time to the Merzouga area, with one night in a desert camp and another in a riad, plus a full day of exploration in between.

Do we visit a nomadic family in the desert?

Yes, one of the most memorable moments of the trip is the visit to a nomadic family near Erg Chebbi during day seven.

Is the camel ride included?

Yes, along with the sandboarding activity on day six.

Which main cities and regions are covered?

Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Meknes, Fez, Merzouga, Dades, and Marrakech, along with several historical and natural sites in between.

Is this a good itinerary for a very complete view of Morocco?

Yes, it's one of the most thorough options for combining cities, history, nature, the desert, and local culture in a single trip.

What should I pack?

Comfortable clothing, sturdy walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, a warm layer for cold desert nights, and a small backpack for daily essentials.

What's the best time of year to travel this route?

Spring and autumn generally offer the most pleasant weather across the cities, the desert, and the mountains.

Important Notes

• Optional visits and activities, such as Atlas Studios or quad and buggy excursions, may involve an additional cost.
• The Rissani market can only be visited if the day matches a market day.
• The itinerary can be adjusted according to flight schedules or travel preferences.

Ready to explore Morocco in depth over nine days, from Casablanca to Marrakech? Contact Maroccodeserttours and we'll tailor this route to your ideal trip.