9-Day Morocco Grand Tour: Imperial Cities & Sahara Desert
- from Marrakech
Durations
9 Days/ 8 Nights
Overview
Tour Highlights
The Complete Experience: Visit 4 historic Imperial Capitals and the deep desert without feeling rushed.
Sahara Night: Ride camels into the Merzouga dunes for sunset and sleep at a cozy desert camp.
Two Walking Tours: Explore the massive, ancient medieval puzzle-streets of Fes and Marrakech with expert local guides.
Ancient Ruins & Castles: Tour the clay fortress of Ait Ben Haddou and the ancient Roman ruins near Meknes.
Seamless Coast-to-Coast Travel: Avoid the confusion of trains and buses with a private, climate-controlled vehicle handling all ground logistics.
Detailed Itinerary
Your private driver will track your flight and meet you directly outside the arrivals terminal at the Marrakech airport. We will drive you straight to your Riad (a traditional Moroccan house with a peaceful indoor garden courtyard). Spend the afternoon resting or exploring the lively streets near the main square.
Driving Time: About 20 minutes.
Accommodations: Charming Riad in the Marrakech Medina.
Meals: Welcome mint tea included.
No highway driving today. After breakfast, a local history guide will meet you at your Riad for a private walking tour. You will explore the beautiful tile mosaics inside the Bahia Palace, see the historic Koutoubia Mosque, and walk through the old Jewish quarter. In the afternoon, your guide will help you navigate the famous, colorful souks (open-air markets) to see local artisans making leather bags, spices, and lamps.
Driving Time: None (Walking Tour).
Accommodations: Charming Riad in the Marrakech Medina.
Meals: Breakfast included.
We leave Marrakech at 08:00 AM and drive up into the High Atlas Mountains. We cross the famous Tizi n’Tichka mountain pass, offering incredible views of old Berber villages built into the hillsides. We stop to explore Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, a breathtaking clay fortress used in movies like Gladiator. We then drive past the cinematic town of Ouarzazate and through the fragrant Rose Valley, spending the night deep inside the red rock canyon of the Dades Gorges.
Driving Time: About 6 hours total with scenic stops.
Accommodations: Traditional Riad or hotel inside the Dades Gorges.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner included.
After breakfast, we drive to the nearby Todra Gorge, a massive limestone canyon with vertical walls over 300 meters high. After a short walk along the shallow riverbed, we continue east toward the desert. We pass through Erfoud (famous for fossil carvings) and stop in Rissani, the historic Alaouite capital, to see its authentic local market. By late afternoon, we reach the edge of the Sahara at Merzouga. Here, you will mount a camel and ride into the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi for a stunning sunset before sleeping at a desert camp.
Driving Time: About 4.5 hours.
Accommodations: Private desert tent (Standard or Luxury options available).
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner included.
We recommend waking up early to watch an unforgettable desert sunrise over the sand peaks. After breakfast at camp, we rejoin our private vehicle and begin our journey north. We cross the high plains and stop for lunch in the mountain town of Midelt. Next, we wind through the beautiful cedar forests of Azrou, where you can see wild Barbary Macaque monkeys playing in the trees. We pass through Ifrane—a clean mountain town often called “The Switzerland of Morocco”—and arrive at the imperial city of Fes by evening.
Driving Time: About 7 hours (This is our longest driving day, but we make regular stops for coffee, views, and wildlife).
Accommodations: Authentic Riad inside the Fes Medina.
Meals: Breakfast included.
Today is dedicated entirely to exploring Fes, the cultural and spiritual heart of Morocco. A licensed city guide will show you through Fes El Bali, the largest car-free medieval city in the world. You will see the beautiful blue-tiled Bab Boujloud gate, the historic Al-Qarawiyyin University, and the famous Chouara Tannery, where workers still dye leather using traditional stone vats. You will have a free afternoon to relax or shop for ceramics and textiles.
Driving Time: None (Walking Tour).
Accommodations: Authentic Riad inside the Fes Medina.
Meals: Breakfast included.
After breakfast, we take a short drive to the nearby Imperial City of Meknes. We stop to view the massive Bab Mansour gate and the royal granaries. From there, we drive toward the Atlantic coast to arrive in Rabat, Morocco’s modern capital city. We will take a relaxed walk around the historic Hassan Tower and explore the white-and-blue cliffside alleyways of the Kasbah of the Udayas overlooking the ocean.
Driving Time: About 3.5 hours total.
Accommodations: Boutique Riad or hotel in Rabat.
Meals: Breakfast included.
Enjoy a quiet morning on the coast in Rabat before heading to Casablanca for a visit to the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. After lunch, your private driver will take you along the fast, smooth toll highway south back to Marrakech. You will check into your Riad for your final night, leaving you with plenty of time for any last-minute souvenir shopping or a final traditional Moroccan dinner.
Driving Time: About 3.5 to 4 hours.
Accommodations: Traditional Riad in Marrakech.
Meals: Breakfast included.
Enjoy breakfast on your Riad’s rooftop terrace. Depending on your flight departure window, your private driver will meet you at your accommodation door, carry your luggage, and provide a direct, stress-free transfer back to the Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) for your journey home.
Driving Time: About 20 minutes.
Meals: Breakfast included.
What’s Included / Excluded
Included:
- Private transport in a comfortable, modern car or minivan with air conditioning.
- A professional, private driver who handles all roads and navigation.
- All airport transfers and daily door-to-door Riad pick-ups.
- 7 Nights in top-rated Medina Riads and hotels, plus 1 night in a Saharan desert camp.
- Official local step-guides for private walking tours in Marrakech and Fes.
- All breakfasts, plus traditional multi-course dinners in the Dades Gorges and Desert camp.
- Sunset camel trek across the dunes of Merzouga.
- All vehicle fuel, road tolls, and parking fees.
Excluded:
- Midday lunches and daily drinks.
- Monument entrance fees (approx. $2 - $7 USD per site)
- Tips for drivers and guides (completely up to you).
Tour Map
From 606 € / adult
Gallery
Each image tells a unique story, inviting us into a world of emotion, beauty, and complexity. Get ready to be moved, inspired, and challenged as we journey through this captivating collection of images.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a lot of driving on this tour?
Because this itinerary covers the entire geographic core of Morocco, there are a few long stretches on the road. Day 5 (Desert to Fes) is the longest driving segment at roughly 7 hours. However, traveling in a private vehicle means you are in total control—you can ask your driver to pull over for photos, restroom breaks, or coffee whenever you like.
What are the desert camp tents like?
We offer both standard and luxury options. Our luxury tents feel like boutique hotel rooms placed on the sand—they feature real king-sized beds, wooden floors, private flushing toilets, and hot indoor showers built right into your private tent.
Can we start this tour in Casablanca instead of Marrakech?
Yes! Because we operate a large local network across Morocco, we can easily modify the route to pick you up at the Casablanca Airport (CMN) on Day 1 and adjust the sequence perfectly to fit your flight needs.