5 min read
Photographing Morocco: light, locations and planning
The country rewards a route built around light, not just landmarks.
Written by Morocco Tailored Tours.
The single biggest factor in Morocco photography isn't the location, it's the time of day. Medinas in Marrakech and Fez are harshly lit and crowded by mid-morning, then transform in the hour after sunrise and the two hours before sunset, when the light turns warm and the crowds thin out. A route built around those windows gets more usable images than one built purely around a list of landmarks.
Chefchaouen's blue lanes are the clearest example: photographed at midday, they're flat and full of other visitors doing the same thing; photographed at 7am, the light rakes down the walls and the streets are close to empty. The same logic applies to the Sahara, where sunrise over the dunes, not midday, is when the shapes actually show.
Dust and sand are the practical hazard, more for gear than for you. A basic dry bag, or even a plastic sleeve, for a camera body during a camel trek or a windy afternoon in the dunes is worth the minor inconvenience: sand in a lens mount is a genuinely bad way to end a trip.
Beyond the obvious sights, working with a guide who knows a neighbourhood well matters more for photography than almost any other kind of trip: the interesting frame is rarely the one everyone else is already standing in front of, and a local route through a medina's workshops and quieter courtyards usually beats the main square.
Want to see how this works on a real route? Our 13-Day Grand Morocco Circuit from Casablanca and 15-Day Morocco Circuit from Casablanca with Akchour Hike and Essaouira are private itineraries we can adjust to fit.
Planning around Chefchaouen? Read the Chefchaouen destination guide, or see 13-Day Grand Morocco Circuit from Casablanca, a sample itinerary that includes it.
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13-Day Grand Morocco Circuit from Casablanca
A private 13-day circuit that leaves Casablanca and returns to it, so you fly in and out of the same airport. It takes in two nights in Chefchaouen, a guided day in Fez, a night in the Sahara, two nights in Marrakech with a free day, and the Atlantic coast through Essaouira and El Jadida on the way back.
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Read articleTours for this trip
13-Day Grand Morocco Circuit from Casablanca
A private 13-day circuit that leaves Casablanca and returns to it, so you fly in and out of the same airport. It takes in two nights in Chefchaouen, a guided day in Fez, a night in the Sahara, two nights in Marrakech with a free day, and the Atlantic coast through Essaouira and El Jadida on the way back.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +7 more
From€4,752(≈ $5,330 USD)€5,590 (≈ $6,270 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
15-Day Morocco Circuit from Casablanca with Akchour Hike and Essaouira
A private 15-day circuit that leaves from and returns to Casablanca, built for travellers who want time as well as sights. It includes a guided hike to the Akchour waterfalls, two nights in the Sahara, a full guided day in both Fez and Marrakech, and a free day in Essaouira before the Atlantic coast road back to Casablanca.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +7 more
From€7,459(≈ $8,365 USD)€8,775 (≈ $9,840 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
15-Day Morocco Tour from Casablanca via Rabat, Asilah and Ait Benhaddou
A private 15-day Morocco tour from Casablanca that gives each region its own night: Rabat, Chefchaouen with an Akchour hike, Fez, two nights in the Sahara, a night in Ouarzazate, Marrakech and Essaouira. The coast road through Asilah and El Jadida bookends the trip, so you finish in Casablanca where you began.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +8 more
From€7,625(≈ $8,550 USD)€8,970 (≈ $10,060 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room