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Marrakech or Fez: which should you fly into first?
Both work. The right answer depends on the shape of your route, not which city is 'better.'
Written by Morocco Tailored Tours.
Marrakech has more direct international flight connections, particularly from Europe, and it's the more common entry point simply because of that. It also sits closer to the High Atlas and the most-visited stretch of the Sahara at Erg Chebbi, which makes it a natural starting point for a desert-focused trip.
Fez has its own international airport with a smaller but growing set of direct routes, and starting there works well if your trip leans toward the imperial cities, the north (Chefchaouen, Tangier), or if you'd rather finish your trip in Marrakech, closer to Essaouira and the airport with the most onward connections.
For a one-way route, the kind we build often, the choice is less about which city is better and more about which end makes sense for your flights. A Marrakech-to-Fez desert crossing and a Fez-to-Marrakech version cover the same ground in reverse.
If you're genuinely undecided and your flights allow it, flying into one and out of the other avoids backtracking altogether, which is usually the more efficient choice regardless of which city comes first.
This one is specifically about Marrakech versus Fez. If Casablanca or Tangier are also on the table, see our broader guide to which city to start your Morocco trip in, since the trade-offs shift once a third or fourth city is in the mix.
Want to see how this works on a real route? Our 12-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Casablanca via Tangier, the Sahara and Essaouira and 9-Day Tangier to Marrakech Desert Tour via Fez are private itineraries we can adjust to fit.
Planning around Marrakech? Read the Marrakech destination guide, browse all tours from Marrakech, or see 12-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Casablanca via Tangier, the Sahara and Essaouira, a sample itinerary that includes it.
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12-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Casablanca via Tangier, the Sahara and Essaouira
A private 12-day Morocco tour that starts at Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque and works clockwise round the country: the Atlantic coast to Tangier, the blue Rif, Fez, two nights in the Sahara, the Atlas kasbahs, Marrakech and finally Essaouira. It is the full country in one trip, with a guided day in each of the two great medinas.
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Read articleTours for this trip
12-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Casablanca via Tangier, the Sahara and Essaouira
A private 12-day Morocco tour that starts at Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque and works clockwise round the country: the Atlantic coast to Tangier, the blue Rif, Fez, two nights in the Sahara, the Atlas kasbahs, Marrakech and finally Essaouira. It is the full country in one trip, with a guided day in each of the two great medinas.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +7 more
From€3,591(≈ $4,010 USD)€4,225 (≈ $4,720 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
9-Day Tangier to Marrakech Desert Tour via Fez
A private 9-day Tangier to Marrakech desert tour covering Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fez, Sahara and Marrakech. The full north-to-south crossing: Tangier is the furthest of our departure cities from the Sahara, so this route takes longer than the others, with real stops rather than a rushed dash south.
Visits Tangier · Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Marrakech
From€2,293(≈ $2,560 USD)€2,698 (≈ $3,015 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
10-Day Morocco Tour from Tangier via the Imperial Cities, Sahara and Essaouira
A private 10-day Morocco tour that runs south from Tangier through Tetouan and Chefchaouen to Fez, the Sahara, the Atlas kasbahs and Marrakech, finishing on the Atlantic coast at Essaouira. The route has a full guided day in each of Fez and Marrakech and a night in the Sahara, without doubling back.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +5 more
From€2,625(≈ $2,935 USD)€3,088 (≈ $3,450 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room