12-Day Morocco Grand Tour from Marrakech

You're met at Marrakech Menara Airport and driven straight to your riad or hotel in the medina. The rest of the day is free — a good moment for a first unhurried walk through the nearby streets before the guided city tour tomorrow. Overnight in a riad, Marrakech.

A local guide leads the way through the Red City's landmarks: the Saadian Tombs, the ruined grandeur of El Badi Palace, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, and the exterior of the Koutoubia Mosque, before diving into the constant motion of Jemaa el-Fna square. The afternoon is left free for the Majorelle Garden, best visited at your own pace. Overnight in a riad, Marrakech.

The road climbs over the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass, with a stop at the Telouet Kasbah — once the seat of the powerful El Glaoui family — before continuing to the ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Morocco's most filmed locations. The day ends in Ouarzazate, gateway to the desert, for dinner and the night.

The morning takes in Ouarzazate's Atlas Film Studios and the Taourirt Kasbah, before continuing to the Skoura oasis to see the Amridil Kasbah, one of the region's best-known mud-brick buildings. The route then passes through Kalaat M'Gouna, at the heart of the Valley of Roses, before reaching the Dades Valley, with a stop at the "monkey fingers" rock formations along the way. Overnight in the Dades Valley, dinner included.

A morning walk through the Todra Gorge, where towering canyon walls narrow around the road, precedes the drive to Merzouga and the Sahara. By afternoon, a camel trek carries you into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset, followed by dinner, Berber music and a first night at a luxury desert camp under a genuinely dark sky.

A full day dedicated to the desert. The village of Khamlia hosts a performance of Gnawa music, a spiritual tradition with roots in West Africa, followed by an off-road stop to share tea with a nomadic family in their tent. Late in the afternoon, a second camel ride returns you to the dunes for another night at the desert camp, with dinner and stars overhead.

Leaving the desert, the route passes through Rissani's lively market and a fossil workshop in Erfoud, then opens onto a panoramic view of the Ziz Valley oasis. After Midelt, the road climbs into the cedar forest, home to Barbary macaques often seen along the roadside, and continues through Ifrane — known for its alpine-style architecture — before reaching Fes for the night.

A full guided day through Fes el-Bali, the UNESCO-listed medina at the heart of Morocco's cultural capital. Highlights include the Royal Palace gate, the Bouanania Madrasa, the Nejjarine Fountain, the famous Chouara Tanneries, and the ancient Al Quaraouiyine University — recognised as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. The tour also takes in the Mellah, the historic Jewish quarter, and a panoramic viewpoint over the city.

Meknes, another of Morocco's imperial cities, brings a stop at the monumental Bab El Mansour gate and the old royal stables, before continuing to the Roman ruins of Volubilis — a UNESCO World Heritage Site with well-preserved mosaics and archways. The day closes in Chefchaouen, the blue city tucked into the Rif Mountains, for an overnight stay.

A morning left free to wander Chefchaouen's blue alleyways one last time, before the drive to Rabat, Morocco's capital: the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Hassan Tower, and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. From there it's on to Casablanca for the night.

The morning is dedicated to the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest in the world and one of the few in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors. Afterwards, the drive returns to Marrakech via the highway, arriving in the evening for your final overnight stay.

After breakfast, a private transfer takes you to Marrakech Menara Airport in time for your flight, bringing your 12-day journey through Morocco to a close.