Morocco Itinerary 9 Days

Today there is no long drive, which makes this 9 day 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 9 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)

Today is the longest drive of the Morocco itinerary 9 days, but it is also one of the most beautiful. After breakfast in Fes, you drive south into the Middle Atlas Mountains. The first stop is Ifrane, a clean mountain town with Swiss-style houses, red roofs and wide green parks. It is called the Little Switzerland of Morocco and it is often covered with snow in winter.

Then you drive into the Cedar Forest near Azrou, one of the largest cedar forests in North Africa. Some trees are hundreds of years old. Here you can walk a little, breathe the fresh air and meet the wild Barbary monkeys, which come close to the road and love to take food from visitors. Please do not touch them, and keep your bags closed.

After lunch (not included), the road goes through Midelt, a small town between the Middle Atlas and the High Atlas, famous for apples and minerals. You cross the Tizi n’Talghemt pass and enter the green Ziz Valley, a long river of palm trees between red cliffs. The colours change from green to orange as you come closer to the desert.

In the late afternoon, you arrive in Merzouga at the edge of Erg Chebbi, the biggest dunes in Morocco. You ride a camel at sunset over the golden sand to your desert camp. After a tasty dinner, there is music around the fire and a sky full of stars. You sleep in the camp.

Driving distance: Approximately 455 km

Driving time: Approximately 8 hr (with stops)

Overnight in: Desert camp in Merzouga (breakfast and dinner included)

Wake up early in the camp for the sunrise over the dunes, one of the best moments of the Morocco itinerary 9 days. The sand turns from pink to gold and the desert is quiet. After breakfast, you return to the hotel in Merzouga to take a shower and rest. Today you do not change hotel, so you do not need to pack your bag again.

Then you start a full day of desert exploration with a 4×4 vehicle and your driver. You drive on tracks across the stony desert, visit a nomad family and learn how they live, drink tea in their tent and see how they use water, animals and the land. Many guests say this meeting is the most human part of the whole trip.

You can also stop in Khamlia, a village known for Gnawa music and drums, and see the old fossil workshops and the black rocks of the area. In the afternoon, you can try sandboarding on the high dunes. It is easy and fun, and your driver helps you with the board. You can also add quad bikes or a buggy on request (extra cost).

After a free sunset, you go back to the hotel for dinner. The day is slow and does not need a long drive, so you can take photos, drink more tea and enjoy the quiet of the Sahara. Take sunglasses, a scarf and water for the sun.

Driving distance: Short desert tracks by 4×4

Overnight in: Hotel in Merzouga (breakfast and dinner included)

After breakfast, you say goodbye to Merzouga and drive to Rissani, an old market town on the edge of the desert. It was an important stop for the caravans that came from the south, and it still has a lively souk with donkeys, spices and dates. Here you can walk around and feel the real daily life of the south of Morocco.

Next is Erfoud, the capital of dates and fossils. You can stop at a workshop where stone with fossils is cut and polished into tables and small objects. Then the road goes west through a wide landscape of palm groves, small villages and old kasbahs to Tinghir, a green oasis at the foot of the High Atlas on day 7 of the 9 day itinerary Morocco.

In the afternoon, you visit the Todgha Gorge, with walls of up to 300 metres on both sides of a small river. You can walk inside the canyon, take photos and cool your feet in the water. Many climbers come here for the high cliffs. It is a fresh and impressive stop after the hot desert.

Later, you continue to the Dades Valley, known for its red rocks and strange shapes, like the Monkey Fingers. You check in at your hotel, enjoy the view and have dinner there. The evening is quiet, and the stars are bright above the valley.

Driving distance: Approximately 340 km

Driving time: Approximately 7 hr (with stops)

Overnight in: Hotel in the Dades Valley (breakfast and dinner included)

After breakfast, you leave Boumalne Dades and drive on the famous Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through the Valley of Roses. If you travel in spring (usually April and May), the fields are full of pink roses and the air smells sweet. In other months, you still see a beautiful valley with small villages, orchards and old mud houses.

Then you stop in Skoura, a large palm grove with old kasbahs, like Amridil, that appear on the Moroccan 50 dirham note. You can walk a little between the palm trees and see how people use the water canals to grow their food. After this, you continue to Ouarzazate, called the door of the desert and the Hollywood of Morocco because many films were made here.

The main stop of the day is Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the best known ksar in southern Morocco. You cross the river and walk up the old lanes to the top for a wide view. Famous films like Gladiator and Game of Thrones were shot here. You can stop for lunch (not included) near the village.

In the afternoon, you cross the High Atlas Mountains by the Tizi n’Tichka pass, which is about 2,260 metres high, with views of valleys and berber villages. You arrive in Marrakech in the evening and check in at your hotel or riad. Dinner is not included in Marrakech, so you can go to Jemaa el-Fna and choose your own food.

Driving distance: Approximately 380 km

Driving time: Approximately 7 hr (with stops)

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

This is the last day of your Morocco itinerary 9 days, and it is a good one. After breakfast, you meet your local guide in Marrakech and start a walking tour of the red city. Marrakech is the most lively place of the trip, with colours, sounds and smells all around you, and a guide helps you understand what you see.

You can visit the Koutoubia Mosque and its famous minaret, the Bahia Palace with its painted ceilings and quiet gardens, and the Saadian Tombs. Then you walk into the souks, the covered markets of the medina, where artisans sell leather, lamps, carpets, spices and clothes. Your guide can help you find good shops and show you how to bargain in a friendly way.

You also see the Jemaa el-Fna square, the heart of Marrakech, which is a UNESCO intangible heritage place. During the day it has juice sellers and snake charmers, and at night it fills with food stalls and music. You can have lunch (not included) in a nice restaurant or a café on a terrace with a view of the square.

In the afternoon, you have a little free time for last shopping or a mint tea. Then your driver takes you to Marrakech airport for your flight, or to your hotel if you stay longer. Please tell us your flight time early, so we can plan the tour to finish with enough time before you fly.

Driving distance: Short city and airport transfers

Overnight in: End of the tour (breakfast included)