Complete Morocco in 15 days: from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic

Trip overview

Fifteen private days around Morocco from Casablanca: Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fez, two nights in the Sahara, the kasbah route, Marrakech and Essaouira.

• Duration15 days / 14 nights
• Starts inCasablanca
• GroupPrivate · 1–16 people
• DifficultyEasy
• LanguageEspañol
• DeparturesDaily departures all year round

Highlights

• A complete loop of Morocco in 15 days
• Asilah, Tangier and Tetouan in the north
• Two nights in the blue medina of Chefchaouen
• Fez, Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis
• Two nights in the Erg Chebbi desert
• The kasbah route: Todra, Dades, Skoura and Aït Ben Haddou
• Two nights in Marrakech
• Essaouira and the Atlantic coast on the way back

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1: Arrival in Casablanca

   We pick you up at Mohammed V airport and take you to your hotel in Casablanca, about 40 minutes away. If you arrive early, we go to the Hassan II Mosque, with a minaret over 200 metres tall and a prayer hall partly over the Atlantic. Non-Muslims can only go inside on guided tours at fixed times, so depending on your flight this may be left for the last day.

   In the late afternoon you can walk along the Ain Diab corniche, where Casablanca locals go for a stroll by the sea, or around the Habous quarter, built in neo-Moorish style. Dinner at your own choice.

   Hotel in CasablancaNo meals included

2. 2

   Day 2: Casablanca – Rabat – Asilah – Tangier

   We set off for Rabat, just over an hour away, to see the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Kasbah of the Udayas, above the mouth of the Bou Regreg.

   We continue by motorway to Asilah, a town of white houses and Portuguese walls, with murals painted by artists from its cultural festival. It's a good place for a fish lunch by the sea. We reach Tangier in the late afternoon, after about 4 hours on the road in total. We drop you at your accommodation, near the medina or Boulevard Pasteur.

   Hotel or riad in TangierBreakfast

3. 3

   Day 3: Tangier – Tetouan – Chefchaouen

   In the morning you see Tangier with a local guide: the kasbah, the museum in the former sultan's residence, the Petit Socco and the cafés where 20th-century writers and artists used to sit. On a clear day you can see the Spanish coast from the viewpoints. If you like, we also go to Cape Spartel and the Caves of Hercules.

   At midday we leave for Tetouan, an hour away, with a white medina of Andalusian heritage. We walk around Hassan II square and the artisans' quarter. Another hour of mountain road through the Rif and we reach Chefchaouen in the late afternoon.

   Riad in the Chefchaouen medinaBreakfast

4. 4

   Day 4: Chefchaouen and the Akchour waterfalls

   No long drive today. Go out early, while the streets of the blue medina are still empty, and pass by the kasbah and the Ras el Ma spring.

   If you enjoy walking, we suggest an optional trip to Akchour, about 45 minutes by car, in Talassemtane National Park. A riverside path leads to some small waterfalls and, with more effort, to God's Bridge, a natural rock arch. It's 2 to 4 hours of moderate walking; wear light hiking shoes, not sandals. In the afternoon you return to Chefchaouen and walk up to the Spanish Mosque for sunset.

   Riad in the Chefchaouen medinaBreakfast

5. 5

   Day 5: Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fez

   We head south through hills covered in olive trees. After about 3 hours we reach Volubilis, the ancient Roman city, with mosaics of mythological scenes, the Arch of Caracalla and the columns of the basilica. There's little shade among the ruins, so bring a cap and water. From there you can see Moulay Idriss, the holy town spread over two hills.

   In the afternoon we go to Meknes, the imperial city of Moulay Ismail: the Bab Mansour gate, El Hedim square and the old royal stables, built for thousands of horses. Fez is less than an hour away and you reach your riad in the late afternoon.

   Riad or hotel in FezBreakfast

6. 6

   Day 6: Guided tour of Fez

   With a Spanish-speaking local guide you explore Fez el Bali, the largest medieval medina in the country, for about 5 hours. You enter through Bab Bou Jeloud and walk down Talaa Kebira street to the Bou Inania madrasa, the outside of Al Qarawiyyin University and the shrine of Moulay Idriss II.

   You see the Chouara tanneries from a terrace, Seffarine square, where copper is hammered by hand, and textile and ceramics workshops. In those workshops they'll offer to sell you things; saying no is fine. In the afternoon you can go up to the Marinid Tombs or visit the Mellah, the Jewish quarter, beside the walls of the royal palace.

   Riad or hotel in FezBreakfast

7. 7

   Day 7: Fez – Middle Atlas – Merzouga

   This is the longest day of the trip, 7 to 8 hours with stops. We climb into the Middle Atlas via Ifrane, a mountain town that looks almost European, and through the Azrou cedar forest, home to Barbary macaques. We cross Midelt, with the High Atlas in the background, and come down through the gorges and palm grove of the Ziz Valley.

   In the late afternoon we reach Merzouga. From there you ride by camel for about an hour and a half across the Erg Chebbi dunes to the camp, as the sun sets. Berber dinner, drums by the fire and a night in a tent. Bring only a small backpack; your suitcase stays in the car.

   Desert camp in Erg ChebbiBreakfast and dinner

8. 8

   Day 8: Full day in the Merzouga desert

   You watch the sunrise from a dune, have breakfast at the camp and we set off by 4x4 around Erg Chebbi. We stop in Khamlia, where Gnawa musicians play their traditional music, and at the seasonal lake of Dayet Srji, which attracts migrating birds at certain times of year.

   We pass old mines and the Rissani souk, where local people do their shopping, and have lunch of medfouna, the so-called Berber pizza. The afternoon is for resting at the camp, trying sandboarding on the dunes or climbing a dune to watch the colour of the sand change. Second night in the desert.

   Desert camp in Erg ChebbiBreakfast and dinner

9. 9

   Day 9: Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley

   We leave the desert heading west through Erfoud, known for its fossil workshops, and past a line of khettaras, old underground irrigation channels that you can see from the road.

   In Tinghir we stop to see the palm grove and continue to the Todra Gorge, where we walk between rock walls hundreds of metres high. In the afternoon we reach the Dades Valley, with reddish rocks and mud-brick villages. The valley road has quite a few bends. It's about 5 hours in the car with stops. Dinner at your kasbah hotel, with views over the valley.

   Kasbah hotel in the Dades ValleyBreakfast and dinner

10. 10

    Day 10: Dades – Valley of Roses – Skoura – Aït Ben Haddou

    In the morning we go up to the viewpoint over the Tisdrine bends, in the upper Dades. Then we come down through Kalaat M'Gouna, in the Valley of Roses, where rose water is distilled and there's a festival dedicated to the flower every May.

    We continue to the Skoura oasis, with the Amridil kasbah among the palms, and pass through Ouarzazate, the film city. In the afternoon we reach Aït Ben Haddou. We prefer to sleep here rather than in Ouarzazate because you can climb to the granary at the top at sunset, once the day-trip groups have left.

    Hotel or kasbah in Aït Ben HaddouBreakfast and dinner

11. 11

    Day 11: Aït Ben Haddou – Telouet – Tizi n'Tichka – Marrakech

    We take the old caravan route along the Ounila Valley to Telouet, home of the kasbah of Pasha Glaoui. From the outside it's in ruins; inside it still has tiled halls and carved cedar ceilings.

    From there we climb to the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at about 2,260 metres, the main road between Marrakech and the south across the High Atlas. The descent is bend after bend between Berber villages and walnut trees; if you get car sick, sit in the front. We reach Marrakech mid-afternoon, after about 4½ hours. The afternoon is free for a first walk around Jemaa el Fna square.

    Riad in the Marrakech medinaBreakfast

12. 12

    Day 12: Marrakech

    In the morning a local guide takes you to the Koutoubia, the Saadian Tombs, the Bahia Palace and the Ben Youssef madrasa. Then you go into the souks, where dyers, blacksmiths, cabinetmakers and spice sellers work. If someone tells you a street is closed and offers to guide you, you'll end up in a shop.

    The afternoon is free: the Majorelle Garden and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, a hammam or a Moroccan cooking class. At night Jemaa el Fna square fills with food stalls and music. We like to watch it first from a terrace and then go down to try the snails or a fresh orange juice.

    Riad in the Marrakech medinaBreakfast

13. 13

    Day 13: Marrakech – Essaouira

    We head for the Atlantic coast on a road of about 3 hours. Along the way there are usually goats up in the argan trees, and sometimes someone asks you for a coin for the photo. We stop at a women's cooperative that makes argan oil.

    We reach Essaouira around midday. It's a walled town of white streets and blue doors, with a quiet medina. Eat fish at the stalls by the port, walk along the Skala ramparts, with their cannons facing the sea, and watch the sunset from the beach. The wind blows almost all year round, which is why there's so much kitesurfing; bring something warm.

    Riad in the Essaouira medinaBreakfast

14. 14

    Day 14: Essaouira – Oualidia – El Jadida – Casablanca

    Last morning in Essaouira, a good time to watch the boats come into the port and visit the thuya-wood marquetry workshops. Then we head north on the coast road.

    We stop in Oualidia, a village by a calm lagoon, known for its oysters; if you like them, order them for lunch. We continue to El Jadida, whose Portuguese citadel hides an underground cistern that surprises almost everyone. We reach Casablanca in the late afternoon, after about 5 hours on the road with stops. It's your last night in Morocco.

    Hotel in CasablancaBreakfast

15. 15

    Day 15: Casablanca – Departure

    Depending on your flight time, after breakfast you have time for a last walk around Casablanca. If you couldn't get into the Hassan II Mosque on the first day, now is the time. You can also go to the central market, with flower, fish and olive stalls, or have a coffee in the centre.

    At the agreed time we pick you up from the hotel and drive to Mohammed V airport, about 40 minutes away, with plenty of time to check in. This is where our services end. If you like, write to us afterwards to tell us how it went or to plan your next trip.

    End of the tripBreakfast

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 (14 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