7-Day Marrakech, Desert and Imperial Cities Tour

Highlights

• Pick-up and drop-off in Marrakech, with no long drive back on the last day
• The High Atlas, Ait Benhaddou and the Todra Gorge
• Camel ride to a high dune for sunset and a night in a luxury desert camp
• The cedar forest of the Middle Atlas and Ifrane
• A guided day in the medina of Fes
• Meknes, the Roman ruins of Volubilis and a night in blue Chefchaouen
• Rabat and the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

Photo gallery

1. Day 1

   Marrakech – High Atlas – Ait Benhaddou – Valley of Roses – Dades Valley

   Early pick-up from your accommodation or the airport in Marrakech. We cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, stopping for panoramic views, and visit the fortified village of Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site seen in films including Gladiator and The Mummy and in Game of Thrones. We continue to Ouarzazate, the "gate of the desert", with free time for lunch, then pass the large palm grove of Skoura and the Valley of Roses before reaching the Dades Valley for the night.

   Overnight:

   Riad in the Dades Valley

2. Day 2

   Dades Valley – Todra Gorge – Merzouga – Camel trek

   After breakfast we stop at a viewpoint over the Dades Gorge, then continue to the Todra Gorge, a canyon of high red cliffs carved by the Todra river, where you have time to walk. We drive on through the palm groves of Tinejdad, with free time for lunch. In the afternoon we reach Merzouga, where you switch to camels and cross the dunes, stopping on a high dune for sunset. At the luxury desert camp you can enjoy Berber drums around the campfire, dinner and a night beneath the stars.

   Overnight:

   Luxury desert camp, Erg Chebbi

3. Day 3

   Merzouga – Rissani – Erfoud – Midelt – Ifrane – Fes

   Wake early for sunrise in the dunes, then ride back by camel to Merzouga after breakfast. We visit Rissani, the historic capital of the Tafilalet, whose large market is busiest on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and a fossil-marble workshop in Erfoud. Following the Ziz river, we stop for views over the Ziz Valley and for lunch in Midelt. In the cedar forest you may see Barbary macaques, and in Ifrane — often called the "Switzerland of Morocco" — you will notice the alpine-style houses, before we reach Fes in the evening.

   Overnight:

   Riad in Fes

4. Day 4

   Guided tour of Fes

   Explore Fes with a local guide (a short drive and a 2–3 hour walking tour). See the Royal Palace gate, the Mellah (Jewish quarter) and a viewpoint over the medina, then enter the UNESCO-listed old city through Bab Boujloud to visit the Bou Inania Madrasa, the Nejjarine fountain, the tanneries and Al Quaraouiyine. Free afternoon.

   Overnight:

   Riad in Fes

5. Day 5

   Fes – Meknes – Volubilis – Chefchaouen

   After breakfast we drive to Meknes, the city of Moulay Ismail, for Bab Mansour, the Sahrij Souani basin, the royal stables and granaries and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. Thirty kilometres on, Volubilis is a well-preserved Roman site listed by UNESCO, with mosaics, columns and archways. In the afternoon we continue north into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen, famous for its blue and white lanes.

   Overnight:

   Riad in Chefchaouen

6. Day 6

   Chefchaouen – Rabat

   Wander the alleys of Chefchaouen after breakfast, then drive south through the Rif Mountains and Ouezzane to Rabat, the capital, to visit the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Kasbah of the Udayas.

   Overnight:

   Hotel in Rabat

7. Day 7

   Rabat – Casablanca – Marrakech

   After breakfast we drive along the coast to Casablanca to visit the Hassan II Mosque on its promontory above the Atlantic, with free time for lunch. In the afternoon we continue south to Marrakech, where we drop you at your accommodation or the airport.

Practical information

Tour type

Private round trip from Marrakech with your own driver and vehicle

Pick-up

Your accommodation or Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK)

Guides

Local guide in Fes

Frequently asked questions