10 Days in Morocco: Imperial Cities, Sahara and the Blue City

Ten days in Morocco is enough for the full circuit: Marrakech, the High Atlas and Aït Benhaddou, a night in the Sahara at Merzouga, two nights in Fes, the blue town of Chefchaouen, then Rabat and Casablanca on the way back to Marrakech. The loop covers roughly 2,300 km, and the extra three days compared with a one-week trip go mainly to Chefchaouen, the Atlantic capitals and a slower pace.

Why 10 days works better than 7

A one-week trip, like the classic 7-day itinerary from Marrakech, ends in Fes. With ten days you close the loop back to Marrakech, which usually makes flights cheaper, and you add three things the shorter trip leaves out: Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains, the royal capital Rabat, and the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca — one of the few mosques in Morocco non-Muslims can enter.

The 10-day route at a glance

All times are approximate and assume a private vehicle with short stops.

Days 1–4: Marrakech to the Sahara and Fes

The first half mirrors the classic desert route. Day 2 crosses the High Atlas at 2,260 m and stops at Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar. Day 3 takes in the Todra Gorge, where the walls rise roughly 300 m, before an afternoon camel trek into Erg Chebbi. Day 4 is the longest drive of the trip, around 470 km through the Ziz Valley, Midelt and the Middle Atlas cedar forest near Azrou, ending in Fes.

If you want more detail on the desert section itself, our Marrakech to Merzouga day-by-day guide breaks down each stop.

Day 5: Fes

Spend the day in Fes el-Bali with a licensed guide: the Chouara tannery (viewed from leather-shop terraces, tip 10–20 MAD if you don't buy), the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas (around 20 MAD each), the Nejjarine fountain and woodwork museum, and the exterior of al-Qarawiyyin. Read our practical guide to exploring the Fes medina before you go.

Days 6–7: Chefchaouen

The road north from Fes (about 200 km) climbs into the Rif. Chefchaouen, founded in 1471 and set at around 600 m, is compact enough to explore without a guide. Two nights let you see it at dawn, when the blue lanes are empty, and fit in either the 30-minute walk to the Spanish Mosque for sunset or a half-day trip to the Akchour waterfalls in Talassemtane National Park. Full details are in our Chefchaouen travel guide.

Days 8–9: Rabat and Casablanca

Rabat

Rabat is calm, clean and underrated. The key sights are the Hassan Tower — an unfinished 12th-century Almohad minaret about 44 m tall — and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V beside it (free entry, dress modestly), the whitewashed Kasbah of the Udayas above the Bou Regreg estuary, and the Chellah ruins (entry roughly 70 MAD).

Casablanca

The Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, has a minaret of about 210 m and a prayer hall partly built over the Atlantic. Guided tours for non-Muslims run several times a day except during Friday prayers; tickets cost roughly 140 MAD. After the visit, the drive to Marrakech on the A7 motorway takes around 3 hours.

Day 10: Back in Marrakech

Keep the final morning for the Jardin Majorelle, a last walk through the souks or a hammam, then transfer to Marrakech Menara airport, about 15–20 minutes from the medina.

Best season for a 10-day loop

• March–May: best overall; green Rif, wildflowers in the Atlas, 20–28 °C in the cities.
• September–November: warm desert, clear light, date harvest around Erfoud in October.
• June–August: Chefchaouen and Rabat are pleasant, but Merzouga and Fes can exceed 40 °C.
• December–February: fewer visitors and lower prices; cold desert nights, rain in the Rif, possible snow on the Atlas passes.

Budget and logistics

• Allow roughly €1,100–1,800 per person for a mid-range 10 days including accommodation, transport, one camp night, guides and meals, excluding flights. Amounts vary with season and room category.
• Book the Fes and Chefchaouen riads early for April, May and October.
• Carry dirhams for tips, entrance fees and small purchases; card acceptance outside cities is limited.
• Pack layers: from 35 °C in the desert afternoon to single digits at night.

Alternative versions of the 10-day route

Swap the capitals for the coast

If you have already seen Rabat and Casablanca, or prefer beaches to monuments, return from Fes to Marrakech by train and spend the last two days in Essaouira, 190 km west of Marrakech (about 2.5–3 hours by road). The walled medina, the Skala ramparts and the fishing port make a relaxed contrast after the desert, and summer highs stay around 22–25 °C thanks to the trade wind.

Add the High Atlas

Hikers can replace Casablanca with a night in Imlil, 65 km from Marrakech at about 1,740 m, for a day walk through Amazigh villages or the first stage towards Toubkal. This works best from April to October.

Reverse the loop

If you fly into Tangier or Fes, the same circuit works in reverse: Chefchaouen first, then Fes, the Sahara and Marrakech. The long Merzouga–Fes stage simply becomes Fes–Merzouga.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do this itinerary by train and bus?

Partly. Trains link Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat and Fes, and CTM buses reach Chefchaouen and Merzouga, but bus timings to the desert are long (12 hours or more from Marrakech) and skip the stops at Aït Benhaddou, the Dades and Todra. Most travellers combine a driver for the desert section with trains in the north, or use a driver throughout.

Is 10 days too rushed?

It is full but balanced: three long drive days are offset by two nights each in Fes and Chefchaouen. If you want more rest, drop Casablanca and spend the extra time in Marrakech.

Do I need to book riads in advance?

For April, May, October and the Christmas holidays, yes — especially in Chefchaouen, where the medina has a limited number of good guesthouses.

Doing the full circuit with us

Our 10-day Grand Morocco tour follows this loop from Marrakech with free riad pickup, a licensed driver, a desert camp night in Erg Chebbi and local guides in Fes, from €1,190 per person. It runs as a private or small-group trip and can be adjusted, for example by adding a night in Chefchaouen or swapping Casablanca for Essaouira. Compare it with shorter options among our multi-day tours of Morocco, or send us your dates on WhatsApp.