15-Day Morocco Tour from Casablanca via Rabat, Asilah and Ait Benhaddou

Arrival in Casablanca

You are met at Mohammed V Airport and taken to your hotel. In the late afternoon we visit the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest in the world, with a 210-metre minaret and a prayer hall built partly over the Atlantic, then walk along the Corniche seafront.

Airport transfer only

Hôtel Club Val d'Anfa or similar, Casablanca

Casablanca to Rabat

We drive north to Rabat, the capital, to see the Hassan Tower, the unfinished 12th-century minaret, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the old Chellah gate and the blue-and-white Oudaya Kasbah above the Bou Regreg estuary. The rest of the day is at an easy pace.

About 1 hour on the road, roughly 90 km

La Tour Hassan Palace or similar, Rabat

Rabat to Chefchaouen via Asilah

We follow the Atlantic coast north to Asilah, a walled town whose medina walls are painted with murals each year during its arts festival. From there we climb into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen, the Blue Pearl, in time for the evening light on Uta el-Hammam square and the artisan workshops.

About 4.5 hours on the road, roughly 360 km, plus stops

Dar Echchaouen or similar, Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen and the Akchour Waterfalls

We visit the 15th-century Kasbah and its small museum, then drive to Akchour for a guided hike up the Oued Farda river through oleander and cedar gorges to the twin cascades and the limestone arch known as God's Bridge. We return to Chefchaouen for the evening in the blue lanes.

About 1 hour each way to the trailhead

Dar Echchaouen or similar, Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen to Fez via Volubilis and Meknes

We drive south to Volubilis, a UNESCO-listed Roman city with mosaic floors, a triumphal arch and old olive presses, where a local guide explains the site. At Meknes we see the Bab Mansour gate and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, then reach Fez in the evening for two nights.

About 4.5 hours on the road, roughly 260 km, plus stops

Riad Fez Mahal or similar, Fez medina

Full Day in the Fez Medina

With a licensed guide we spend the day in Fez el-Bali, the world's largest car-free medina. We visit Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 and widely regarded as the oldest continuously operating university, the Bou Inania Madrasa and the Nejjarine woodworking museum, pass the Royal Palace gates and the Mellah, and view the Chouara Tanneries from a rooftop.

No driving today

Riad Fez Mahal or similar, Fez medina

Fez to Merzouga via the Middle Atlas

We travel south through Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest, where wild Barbary macaques come to the roadside, then descend through the Ziz Gorges and the Ziz Valley palm oasis to Merzouga. At sunset you ride a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes to a luxury Berber camp.

About 7.5 hours on the road, roughly 460 km, plus stops

Tiziri Desert Camp or similar, Erg Chebbi

A Full Day in the Sahara

We watch the sunrise over the dunes, then explore by 4x4. In Khamlia we hear live Gnaoua music played on the guembri and iron krakebs, and we share mint tea with a nomadic Berber family in their tent. A second night under the desert stars follows.

Short 4x4 excursion only

Tiziri Desert Camp or similar, Erg Chebbi

Merzouga to the Dades Valley via Todra Gorge

We drive west through the fossil marble workshops of Erfoud and the covered souk at Rissani, birthplace of Morocco's ruling Alaouite dynasty. We walk the canyon floor at Todra Gorge, then continue through the Dades Valley, past the Monkey Fingers rock formations and old earthen kasbahs, to Boumalne Dades.

About 4.5 hours on the road, roughly 280 km, plus stops

Dades Paradise or similar, Dades Valley

Dades Valley to Ouarzazate

We drive west through the rose-growing Kelaat M'Gouna valley, where we visit a rose water distillery, and on to Skoura, with its old kasbah among date palms. We continue to Ouarzazate, a gateway to the south and a hub of the Moroccan film industry, where we spend the evening and the night.

About 2 hours on the road, roughly 110 km, plus stops

Kasbah Yu Palace or similar, Ouarzazate

Ouarzazate to Marrakech via Ait Benhaddou

We drive to Ait Benhaddou for an unhurried morning in the ksar with a local guide, when the light is best, crossing the river and climbing to the granary tower. We then cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, 2,260 metres at the summit, and descend through Berber villages into Marrakech in the afternoon.

About 4 hours on the road, roughly 210 km, plus stops

Riad Aslal or similar, Marrakech medina

Full Day in Marrakech

A licensed guide takes you through the medina: the Koutoubia minaret, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the Majorelle Garden, followed by the souks. The evening is free on Jemaa el-Fna.

No driving today

Riad Aslal or similar, Marrakech medina

Marrakech to Essaouira

We drive west through the argan forests, with a stop at a women's cooperative to see argan oil made and to taste amlou. In Essaouira, a UNESCO-listed walled port, we explore the Skala ramparts and their old cannons, the fishing harbour and the galleries and thuya-wood workshops of the medina.

About 2.5 hours on the road, roughly 180 km, plus stops

Riad Mimouna or similar, Essaouira

Essaouira to Casablanca via El Jadida

We return along the Atlantic coast to El Jadida to visit the Portuguese Cistern, a 16th-century underground reservoir with vaulted arches reflected in a shallow pool and lit by one skylight, and part of a UNESCO-listed Portuguese city. We continue to Casablanca for a farewell dinner in the Maarif district or on the Corniche.

About 5 hours on the road, roughly 360 km, plus stops

Hôtel Club Val d'Anfa or similar, Casablanca

Final Morning and Departure

The morning is free in Casablanca for the Habous quarter, a 1930s new medina that blends Moroccan and French styles, the Central Market, or a last look at the Hassan II Mosque. A private transfer then takes you to Mohammed V Airport.

Airport transfer only