Imperial Cities and the Sahara: 8-Day Private Tour from Marrakech

Trip overview

Eight private days from Marrakech to Casablanca: the Atlas, the Dades, a night in Erg Chebbi, Fez with a local guide, Volubilis, Meknes, Chefchaouen and Rabat.

• Duration8 days / 7 nights
• Starts inMarrakech
• GroupPrivate · 1–16 people
• DifficultyEasy
• LanguageEspañol
• DeparturesDaily departures all year round

Highlights

• Official local guide in Marrakech and Fez
• Jemaa el-Fna square, the souks and the Bahia Palace
• Aït Ben Haddou and the Dades and Todra gorges
• Camel ride and a night in camp in Erg Chebbi
• Fez el-Bali medina and the Chouara tanneries
• Roman ruins of Volubilis and Meknes
• A night in Chefchaouen, in the Rif
• Rabat and the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech and a first look at the medina

   We pick you up at Marrakech-Menara airport and take you to your riad or hotel. What you do that day depends on your flight time: some people just rest in the courtyard and others go out for a first walk around the medina.

   If you have the energy, head to Jemaa el-Fna square at sunset, when the food stalls go up and the musicians and storytellers arrive. From the surrounding terraces you can see the Koutoubia minaret lit up. Watch out for the henna women, who take your hand before you can say anything. Your driver explains how to get around the medina, how to bargain and where to change money. Night in Marrakech.

   Riad or hotel in MarrakechNo meals included

2. 2

   Day 2: Guided tour of Marrakech: palaces, souks and gardens

   After breakfast the official local guide arrives for a half-day in Marrakech. We start at the Koutoubia, whose minaret is a landmark across the city, and continue to the Bahia Palace, with its courtyards, painted cedar ceilings and tiles. Depending on that day's opening times we also see the Saadian Tombs or the Ben Youssef Madrasa.

   Then we go into the souks, organised by trade: dyers, blacksmiths, leatherworkers and spices. The afternoon is free. The Majorelle Garden is the most crowded place in the city, so if you want to go, ask at your riad what time is best. You can also go to a hammam or back to Jemaa el-Fna. Night in Marrakech.

   Riad or hotel in MarrakechBreakfast

3. 3

   Day 3: Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Aït Ben Haddou – Dades Valley

   We leave early for the High Atlas and climb to the Tizi n'Tichka pass, stopping at viewpoints over mud-brick Berber villages. The road has lots of bends; if you get carsick, tell us and we will stop. On the way down we reach Aït Ben Haddou, the fortified ksar that appears in many films, and walk up to the top of the hill.

   Afterwards we pass through Ouarzazate and the Skoura palm grove with its earthen kasbahs, and through the Valley of Roses at Kalaat M'Gouna. We reach the Dades Valley in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at a hotel with views. About 7 hours on the road with stops.

   Hotel in the Dades ValleyBreakfast and dinner

4. 4

   Day 4: Dades Valley – Todra Gorge – Merzouga: camel ride and camp

   In the morning we drive the upper Dades and come down to Tinghir to enter the Todra Gorge, a sheer-walled canyon you walk through beside the river. After lunch we continue through Tinejdad and Erfoud to Merzouga, at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes. About 5 or 6 hours of driving.

   At sunset you get on a camel and cross the dunes to the camp. There is mint tea, dinner and Berber music by the fire. Desert nights are cold for much of the year, so keep a jacket handy in your bag. Night in a tent.

   Desert camp in Erg ChebbiBreakfast and dinner

5. 5

   Day 5: Sunrise in the dunes – Ziz Valley – Midelt – Ifrane – Fez

   We wake you to climb a dune for the sunrise and ride back to Merzouga by camel or 4x4 for breakfast. Then we head north through Erfoud and Errachidia, following the Ziz Valley, with viewpoints over the canyon and the palm grove.

   We cross the Middle Atlas to Midelt, surrounded by apple orchards, where we stop for lunch. In the afternoon we pass through the cedar forests near Azrou, home to Barbary macaques, and Ifrane, which looks like an Alpine village. We reach Fez in the early evening and drop you at your riad. It is the longest day of the trip, about 8 hours with stops.

   Riad or hotel in FezBreakfast

6. 6

   Day 6: Guided tour of Fez: the medieval medina of Fez el-Bali

   No driving today. The official local guide picks you up at your riad to explore Fez el-Bali, one of the best-preserved medieval medinas in the world. You go in through Bab Boujloud, and from there it is all narrow alleys where donkeys still carry goods.

   We visit a madrasa, Bou Inania or Attarine, see the Al Qarawiyyin university from outside and climb to a terrace above the Chouara tanneries, where hides are dyed in coloured vats. The smell is strong, especially in the heat. We also stop at pottery workshops, weavers and coppersmiths. The afternoon is free. Night in Fez.

   Riad or hotel in FezBreakfast

7. 7

   Day 7: Fez – Meknes – Volubilis – Chefchaouen

   We set off for Meknes, the imperial city of Moulay Ismail, and stop at the Bab Mansour gate and El Hedim square. About 30 kilometres away is Volubilis, the most important Roman site in Morocco, with mosaics still in place, columns and a triumphal arch among olive trees. There is little shade, so bring a cap and water.

   In the afternoon we cross the Rif hills to Chefchaouen, the village of blue houses. We arrive with time to walk around Outa el-Hammam square and the streets nearby. If you are up for it, climb to the Spanish Mosque to watch the sunset over the town. About 5 hours of driving. Night in Chefchaouen.

   Riad or hotel in ChefchaouenBreakfast

8. 8

   Day 8: Chefchaouen – Rabat – Casablanca

   First thing in the morning Chefchaouen is almost empty, and it is the best time for a walk. Then we head for the Atlantic coast. In Rabat, the capital, we see the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and walk through the Kasbah of the Udayas, with white and blue streets above the ocean.

   We continue to Casablanca to see the Hassan II Mosque, built partly over the sea. If the timing works, you can go inside on the guided tour, paid separately. We finish at your hotel in Casablanca or at Mohammed V airport. It is about 6 hours of driving, so don't book a departing flight before the evening.

   Tour ends in CasablancaBreakfast

What's included

Prices per person

The vehicle and driver are paid per day and shared between the travellers, so the price per person goes down the more of you there are. Accommodation is charged per person per night (7 nights).

• Standard: Comfortable hotels and riads, standard desert camp
• Superior: More characterful accommodation and a superior desert camp
• Children aged 3 to 11: 3% less than an adult.
• Groups of more than 7 people travel in two vehicles. The booking calculator takes this into account.

Payment and cancellation

You pay a 15% deposit when you book. The rest is paid on the first day of the trip, in cash or by bank transfer. You can also pay it by PayPal or card, with a 5% surcharge.

Private: free up to 48 hours before the start. If you cancel in time, we refund the full deposit.

Extras you can add

Chosen when you book and added to the total. You can also ask for them later, subject to availability.

Frequently asked questions

Destinations on this trip