7-Day Morocco Tour: Imperial Cities, the Blue City & the Sahara

Fes to Chefchaouen via Meknes and Volubilis

The trip begins with a morning pickup from your riad or the airport in Fes. The first stop is Meknes, one of Morocco's four imperial cities, where a walking visit takes in the monumental Bab Mansour gate, the Sahrij Souani reservoir, the old royal stables and granary, and the mausoleum of Sultan Moulay Ismail. There's free time to grab lunch in the city before moving on.

A short drive outside Meknes brings the group to Volubilis, a UNESCO-listed Roman archaeological site with some of the best-preserved mosaic floors in North Africa, along with standing columns and triumphal arches dating back nearly two thousand years.

From Volubilis, the route heads north through Ouazzane and into the Rif Mountains, arriving by late afternoon in Chefchaouen — the Blue City — known for its indigo-washed medina walls and stairways. The night is spent in a hotel in town.

Chefchaouen to Rabat over the Rif Mountains

The morning is free to wander Chefchaouen's blue medina at leisure before departure. The drive south crosses back over the Rif Mountains toward Rabat, Morocco's political capital and another of the country's imperial cities, set on the Atlantic coast in the northwest.

In Rabat, the afternoon covers the city's landmark sites: the unfinished Hassan Tower and its forest of sandstone columns, the mausoleum of King Mohammed V, and the Kasbah of the Oudayas, a fortified quarter of whitewashed and blue-painted houses overlooking the river mouth. The night is spent in a riad in the capital.

Rabat to Marrakech via Casablanca

Leaving Rabat, the route follows the Atlantic coastline south to Casablanca, Morocco's largest city and its economic center. The main stop is the Hassan II Mosque, the second-largest mosque on the African continent, built partly over the ocean. From there, a short tour takes in the Corniche waterfront, Mohammed V Square, and a stop at the café made famous by the film Casablanca.

By afternoon, the drive turns inland toward Marrakech, the Red City and one of Morocco's four imperial capitals. On arrival there's time to wander Jemaa el-Fna square as it comes to life in the evening, with its food stalls, storytellers and street performers. Overnight stay in a riad.

Guided Sightseeing Day in Marrakech

A full day is set aside to explore Marrakech with a local guide. The morning covers the ornate 19th-century Bahia Palace, followed by the Ben Youssef Madrasa, once one of the largest Islamic colleges in North Africa and still striking for its carved plaster and zellige tilework. From there, the tour moves into the medina's souks, where artisans work in narrow lanes given over to leather, metalwork, textiles and spices, before passing back through Jemaa el-Fna and pausing outside the Koutoubia Mosque, the city's largest.

The afternoon is free for lunch, after which the group meets the driver again to visit the Majorelle Garden — a striking cobalt-blue and botanical garden that requires advance online booking — followed by a drive through Gueliz, Marrakech's modern district, before returning to the riad for the evening.

Marrakech to the Dades Valley via Ait Ben Haddou and the Rose Valley

The route climbs out of Marrakech into the High Atlas, crossing the Tizi n'Tichka pass with stops along the way for views over Berber villages and terraced valleys.

The main stop of the day is Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified UNESCO World Heritage ksar that has served as a filming location for productions including Gladiator, Alexander, The Mummy, and Game of Thrones. A roughly 40-minute walk up through the kasbah leads to panoramic views from the top.

From there the road continues to Ouarzazate, known as the gateway to the desert, with free time for lunch, before passing through the wide palm groves of Skoura on the way to the Valley of Roses. The day ends in Boumalne Dades, overlooking the Dades Valley, with dinner included.

Dades Valley to Merzouga via Todra Gorges and a Camel Trek into the Sahara

The morning follows the Dades Valley to a panoramic viewpoint before continuing to the Todra Gorges, where the Todra River has cut a narrow canyon between towering red rock walls. Free time is set aside to walk into the gorge on foot.

The drive continues through the palm groves of Touroug and Tinjdad, with a stop for lunch along the way, before reaching the golden dunes of Merzouga in the afternoon. From there, camels carry the group into the Erg Chebbi dunes, pausing atop a high dune to watch the sunset over the Sahara.

The night is spent in a luxury desert camp, with Berber hospitality, dinner, and drumming and dancing around the campfire.

Merzouga to Fes via Erfoud, the Ziz Valley and the Middle Atlas

Leaving the desert after breakfast, the route passes through Rissani, once the ancient capital of the Tafilalet region and still home to a lively souk on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. A short stop follows in Erfoud, where fossilized marble is quarried and worked, with the option to visit a workshop.

From Erfoud, the drive follows the Ziz River north, with a stop for panoramic views over the Ziz Valley's palm groves, and free time for lunch around Midelt. The road then climbs into the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, home to wild Barbary macaques often seen along the roadside, before passing through Ifrane — known for its alpine houses and cool climate, sometimes called the Switzerland of Morocco.

The tour concludes with drop-off at any location in Fes, bringing the seven-day loop to a close.