Morocco itinerary 10 days: the route at a glance
Ten days is enough to cross Morocco from the Atlantic to the Sahara without rushing. This one-way route runs clockwise: north to the Rif Mountains, inland to the imperial cities, over the Middle Atlas to the dunes, then west along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs and over the High Atlas to Marrakech. Three of the ten days involve little or no driving, which is what makes the pace comfortable.
| Day | Route | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival in Casablanca | Hassan II Mosque | Casablanca or Rabat |
| 2 | Casablanca – Rabat – Chefchaouen | Hassan Tower, Kasbah of the Udayas, Rif Mountains | Chefchaouen |
| 3 | Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes | Roman mosaics, Bab Mansour | Fes |
| 4 | Fes (no driving) | Guided medina tour, Chouara Tannery, Al Quaraouiyine | Fes |
| 5 | Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Midelt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga | Cedar forests, Barbary macaques | Hotel at the edge of the dunes |
| 6 | Merzouga and Erg Chebbi | Nomad family, Khamlia music, sunset camel trek | Desert camp |
| 7 | Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dadès Valley | Sahara sunrise, Todra cliffs | Dadès Valley |
| 8 | Dadès – Ouarzazate – Aït Benhaddou – Marrakech | Valley of the Roses, Tizi n'Tichka | Marrakech |
| 9 | Marrakech (no driving) | Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, souks, Jemaa el-Fna | Marrakech |
| 10 | Marrakech – airport | Free morning | – |
If you are flying home from Casablanca rather than Marrakech, or prefer to start in the north, compare this route with the 10 days tour from Tangier, which covers the same south and Sahara sections.
Is 10 days in Morocco enough? Choosing the right length
For most first-time visitors, yes. Ten days lets you see the four things people usually come for, namely the blue town of Chefchaouen, the medina of Fes, the Sahara dunes and Marrakech, with one unhurried day in each of the big cities. What you give up is the Atlantic coast beyond Casablanca and Rabat, and extra nights in the Atlas.
- Fewer days: the 7 day itinerary from Casablanca covers the same loop but drops the free days, so the driving feels more intense.
- More days: the 12 day Morocco itinerary adds breathing room and coastal time, ideal if you dislike long days in the car.
- Same length, different start: starting in Tangier suits travellers arriving by ferry from Spain.
As a private tour, nothing here is fixed. You can swap the Merzouga hotel night for a second night in the dunes, add Essaouira at the end, or start in Rabat. Tell us your arrival and departure airports and we will adapt the plan.
Driving times and pacing on a Morocco trip itinerary
The full route covers more than 1,500 km. The longest days are day 5 (Fes to Merzouga, roughly 8 to 9 hours with stops) and day 8 (Dadès to Marrakech over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, roughly 7 to 8 hours with stops). Day 2, day 3 and day 7 are moderate, around 4 to 6 hours including visits. Your driver-guide plans regular breaks for coffee, photos and lunch, and you can ask to stop whenever you like.
Driver-guides work in English, French, Spanish or Italian; a Spanish- or Italian-speaking driver-guide depends on availability and is confirmed before booking. In Fes and Marrakech a licensed local guide leads the medina walks, as the old cities are closed to traffic.
Accommodation style
Nights are spent in city riads and hotels, a hotel at the edge of Erg Chebbi, a desert camp and a kasbah-style hotel in the Dadès Valley. Tours can be booked in a comfort or a luxury category; in Merzouga itself only the comfort category exists, so the upgrade applies in the Dadès Valley, the desert camp and the cities. Read more in our guide to riads, kasbahs and desert camps.
Your Sahara desert night from Casablanca: what to expect
Days 5 to 7 are the heart of the trip. You arrive in Merzouga on the evening of day 5 and sleep in a hotel by the dunes, so day 6 is free for the desert itself: a 4x4 drive to visit a nomad family, Gnawa music in Khamlia village and, in the late afternoon, a camel ride of about an hour and a half to your camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes. The camel ride depends on camel availability that day; if none are available, you reach the camp by 4x4 with a sunset stop on the dunes and ride the next morning instead.
In the comfort camp every tent is private, normally for two people, with its own bathroom and toilet. A partner camp with air-conditioned tents is also used, which is welcome in summer. Dinner, music around the fire and a sky full of stars follow. Optional extras such as quad biking in the Merzouga dunes can be added on day 6.
Best time for this 10 day Morocco vacation itinerary
- Spring (March to May): mild temperatures everywhere, green northern hills and roses in the Dadès area in late spring. The most popular period.
- Summer (June to August): pleasant in Chefchaouen and on the coast, but very hot in the desert and in Marrakech. Plan sightseeing early and late in the day.
- Autumn (September to November): warm, settled weather and comfortable desert nights. A very good time for long drives.
- Winter (December to February): sunny but cold at night, especially in the desert and the Middle Atlas; snow can briefly close mountain passes.
Pack layers whatever the season, a scarf for sun and sand, comfortable walking shoes for the medinas and modest clothing for mosques and villages. The dirham (MAD) is a closed currency, so you change money or withdraw cash in Morocco; carry cash for lunches, entrance fees and tips. For month-by-month detail see the best time to visit Morocco.