Morocco Itinerary 8 Days

Today there is no long drive, which makes this 8 days Morocco itinerary more relaxed. You spend the full day in Fes with a local guide, who walks with you through the old medina, Fes el-Bali. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest car-free old towns in the world, with thousands of small lanes.

You visit the beautiful Bou Inania Madrasa, with its carved wood, tiles and fine stucco, and you see the outside of the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university, one of the oldest in the world. Then you go up to a terrace to look at the Chouara Tannery, where leather is still made in stone pits by hand, as it has been for hundreds of years.

You stop in craft workshops to see potters, weavers and metal workers at work. You can have lunch (not included) in the medina and taste local bread and fresh mint tea. In the afternoon, you can visit the Royal Palace gates and the old Jewish quarter, or enjoy a view of the whole city from the hill of Borj Nord.

The evening is free. Dinner is not included in Fes, so you can enjoy the lively streets and choose your own restaurant. Wear comfortable shoes, because the Morocco itinerary 8 days has many steps and stones in the medina today.

Driving distance: No long drive today

Overnight in: Hotel or riad in Fes (breakfast included, dinner not included)

After breakfast, you leave Fes early. This is the longest day of the Morocco itinerary 8 days, as you drive south into the Middle Atlas Mountains. Your first stop is Ifrane, a small mountain town with Swiss-style houses and red roofs, often called the “Little Switzerland of Morocco”. It is clean, green and quiet, and it is a nice place for a short walk and a coffee.

Then you continue to Azrou and its Cedar Forest, one of the largest cedar forests in North Africa. Here you can meet the wild Barbary macaque monkeys and take photos among the huge old trees. After this, the road climbs through high plains and mountain scenery to Midelt, where you can stop for lunch (not included).

In the afternoon, you follow the green Ziz Valley and its long palm groves, pass through Errachidia, and drive on to the edge of the Sahara in Merzouga. The landscape changes slowly from mountains to open desert, and the colors of the sand get warmer every hour.

Near sunset, you ride a camel over the Erg Chebbi dunes to your desert camp. If you do not want to take a camel, we can arrange a 4×4 car to bring you to the camp instead. At the camp, you enjoy a Berber dinner, listen to traditional drum music around the fire, and sleep under a sky full of stars.

Driving distance: Approximately 560 km

Driving time: Approximately 9 hr (with stops)

Overnight in: Luxury desert camp in Merzouga (dinner and breakfast included)

You can wake up early to watch the sunrise over the dunes, then enjoy a tasty breakfast at the camp. After this, you say goodbye to the Sahara and drive to Rissani, an old market town and the gate of the desert, where you can walk around the busy souk and see how local people shop and trade. Today the Morocco itinerary 8 days takes you west.

The road then goes through a dry, open landscape of stone and palm oases, with views of the mountains on the horizon. At midday, you arrive in Tinghir and visit the Todra Gorge, where rock walls rise up to 300 metres high. You can walk between the red cliffs, cool your feet in the river and take photos of the green palm oasis below. You can stop here for lunch (not included).

In the afternoon, you continue to the Dades Gorge, known for its “Monkey Fingers” rocks and its curved mountain road. You check in at your hotel and relax, with a view of the valley around you.

In the evening, you enjoy a dinner included in the hotel and an early night. This part of the 8 day itinerary Morocco shows you the south of Morocco with its red cliffs, green oases and old kasbahs.

Driving distance: Approximately 270 km

Driving time: Approximately 5 hr (with stops)

Overnight in: Dades Gorge (dinner and breakfast included)

After breakfast, you leave the Dades Gorge and drive west along the old road of the kasbahs. The first big stop of the day is Ouarzazate, called the gate of the desert. You see the Taourirt Kasbah and, if you like, the Atlas Film Studios, where many famous films were made (entrance not included).

Then you visit Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best known ksars in Morocco. This old fortified village of red clay sits on a hill above a river, and you can walk up through its small lanes to the top for a wide view. You can stop for lunch (not included) in a nearby restaurant.

In the afternoon, you cross the High Atlas Mountains by the Tizi n’Tichka Pass, one of the highest roads in Morocco. The road has many curves and beautiful views of villages, valleys and snow on the peaks in winter. Your driver stops for photos wherever you like.

In the evening, you arrive in Marrakech, the red city, and check in at your hotel or riad. Dinner is not included in Marrakech, so you can try the food stalls or a restaurant near the hotel. This is the last long day of the Morocco itinerary 8 days.

Driving distance: Approximately 400 km

Driving time: Approximately 8 hr (with stops)

Overnight in: Hotel or riad in Marrakech (breakfast included, dinner not included)

The last day of the Morocco itinerary 8 days is a guided tour of Marrakech, with no long drive. After breakfast, you meet your local guide and start with the Koutoubia Mosque, the symbol of the city, whose tall minaret you can see from far away. You can walk in the gardens around it and take photos.

Then you visit the Bahia Palace, with its painted wooden ceilings, quiet courtyards and fine tiles, and the Saadian Tombs, a royal burial place hidden for hundreds of years (entrance fees not included). Your guide tells you the story of each place and the history of the city.

You walk into the old medina and its souks, where you can see leather, spices, lamps, carpets and handmade shoes. You can stop for lunch (not included) and mint tea in a quiet corner, and finish the tour at the famous Jemaa el-Fna square, which is full of music, storytellers and food stalls in the afternoon.

After the tour, the 8 day itinerary Morocco ends and your driver drops you at your hotel, riad or the place you choose in Marrakech. Dinner is not included in Marrakech, so you can enjoy the square and the food stalls on your last evening.

Driving distance: No long drive today

End of tour: Marrakech (breakfast included)