12-Day Morocco Grand Tour from Casablanca: Cities, Sahara & Coast

This private twelve-day grand tour is a full circle of Morocco, starting and ending in Casablanca. It covers every major region of the country: the Atlantic capital, Rabat, the blue town of Chefchaouen in the Rif, the Roman city of Volubilis, the imperial cities of Meknes and Fes, two nights around the dunes of Erg Chebbi, the gorges and kasbahs of the south, two nights in Marrakech and a night on the coast in Essaouira. Guided days in Fes and Marrakech, a 4x4 day in the desert and a relaxed pace throughout make it one of our most popular itineraries.

The balance between travel and time on the ground is what sets it apart. Only one day has more than seven hours of driving, and several have little or none at all.

The route at a glance

• Day 1: Casablanca → Hassan II Mosque → Rabat (about 125 km)
• Day 2: Rabat → Rif Mountains → Chefchaouen (about 250 km)
• Day 3: Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fes (about 260 km)
• Day 4: Full day in Fes with a licensed guide
• Day 5: Fes → Ifrane → Middle Atlas → Ziz Valley → Merzouga, then by camel to camp (about 470 km)
• Day 6: Erg Chebbi by 4x4: nomads, Mfis and Khamlia, then a riad by the dunes
• Day 7: Merzouga → Rissani → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley (about 310 km)
• Day 8: Dades Valley → Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou → Tizi n’Tichka → Marrakech (about 350 km)
• Day 9: Full day in Marrakech with a licensed guide
• Day 10: Marrakech → argan country → Essaouira (about 190 km)
• Day 11: Essaouira → Atlantic coast → Casablanca (about 350 km)
• Day 12: Transfer to Casablanca airport

Part one: the imperial north

After pickup at Mohammed V Airport or your hotel, you start with a guided tour of the Hassan II Mosque, which rises over the Atlantic on the edge of Casablanca. Then you drive to Rabat, where the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V fill the afternoon, and you spend the night in the medina.

On day two the road climbs into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen, where you have the afternoon to explore the blue medina and the evening to watch the sunset from the Spanish Mosque. On day three you visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis, with their mosaics and triumphal arch, and the imperial city of Meknes, before arriving in Fes.

Day four is a full guided day in Fes el-Bali. Your licensed guide takes you through the medina to the Royal Palace gates, the Mellah, the madrasas, the Chouara tanneries and the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university, one of the oldest in the world, and you finish at the Merenid Tombs as the sun sets over the city.

Part two: the Sahara

On day five you cross the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and the cedar forests, where Barbary macaques gather by the road, and follow the Ziz Valley south to Merzouga. At the foot of Erg Chebbi, you ride a camel into the dunes for the sunset and spend the night at our luxury camp.

Day six is spent around the desert. After the sunrise, a 4x4 excursion takes you to a nomad family for tea, to the ghostly mining village of Mfis, and to Khamlia for Gnawa music. In the afternoon, you relax at a riad at the foot of the dunes.

Part three: gorges, kasbahs and Marrakech

On day seven you head west through Rissani, with its souk on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, to Tinghir and the Todra Gorge, and on to the Dades Valley. On day eight you follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou, then cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka pass. That evening, you can walk to Jemaa el-Fna, the great square at the heart of Marrakech, as it comes alive with food stalls, musicians and storytellers.

Day nine is a guided day in Marrakech. In the morning, a licensed guide takes you to the Koutoubia Mosque, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Ben Youssef Madrasa and the souks. The afternoon is free: visit the Majorelle Garden with timed tickets, relax in a traditional hammam, or go shopping.

Part four: the Atlantic coast

On day ten, you drive west from Marrakech through the argan forests, the only place in the world where the argan tree grows wild. At a women’s argan oil cooperative, you see how the nuts are cracked by hand and the oil is pressed, and learn how the cooperatives support women in rural villages.

Essaouira is a complete change of pace. The walled medina, laid out in the 18th century by a French engineer for the sultan, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with white houses, blue shutters and straight, airy streets. Walk along the Skala de la Ville, the sea ramparts lined with old bronze cannons, and down to the fishing port, where the blue boats unload their catch. For lunch, choose your fish at the harbour grills and have it cooked on the spot.

On day eleven, the morning is free in Essaouira for the beach, the woodworkers’ workshops, where local thuya wood is carved and inlaid, or a last wander in the souks. Then you drive north along the coast to Casablanca, arriving in time for a sunset walk on the Corniche. On the last day, we take you to the airport for your flight.

Where you’ll sleep

• Rabat, Chefchaouen and Essaouira (1 night each): riads in the medina.
• Fes and Marrakech (2 nights each): riads in the medina.
• Erg Chebbi (1 night): our luxury desert camp, with a private tent for your booking, en-suite hot shower and flushing toilet, comfortable beds and electricity for charging. Heavy blankets are provided in winter, and family tents are available on request.
• Merzouga (1 night): a riad at the foot of the dunes.
• Dades Valley (1 night): a kasbah hotel.
• Casablanca (1 night): a hotel in the city.

Breakfast is included every day, and dinner at the desert camp, the Merzouga riad and the Dades Valley hotel.

Best time to go

Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with comfortable temperatures from the mountains to the desert. In summer, Essaouira and the coast stay cool thanks to the trade winds, which makes them a welcome break after the heat inland. In winter, the desert is cold at night and the Rif can be rainy, but the south is often sunny and the sites are quieter.

Who this tour is for

Travellers with return flights to Casablanca who want to see the whole of Morocco (mountains, medinas, the Sahara and the Atlantic coast) in one comfortable trip. It’s ideal for couples, families and friends on a first, complete visit.

Good to know

• Long days are few: only day five (Fes to the dunes) exceeds 7 hours of driving. Several days have little or no driving at all.
• Pack layers: you’ll go from cool mountain mornings and cold desert nights to hot afternoons in the south and a breezy coast.
• Essaouira is windy. The trade winds blow most afternoons, which is great for kitesurfing but means a jacket is useful even in summer.
• Short on time? The 10-day grand tour covers the imperial cities and the Sahara without Essaouira.