10 Days in Morocco Itinerary from Marrakech: My Route Through the Sahara, Fes and Chefchaouen
💡 Quick Answer If you’re wondering what 10 days in Morocco really look like, here’s the short version:
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I was born in Marrakech and I’ve planned this exact 10 days in Morocco itinerary for more couples, families and solo travellers than I can count. Most people try to cram in too much, and they go home tired instead of amazed.
This is the route I’d give my own cousins from abroad: the desert, the great medinas and the blue mountains, without wasting a single day in a car for nothing.
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Is 10 Days Enough for Morocco?
Yes, if you choose between the desert and the coast rather than trying to do both. Ten days gives you Marrakech, a night in the Sahara, Fes, Chefchaouen and Rabat at a pace that still feels like a holiday.
I start and end in Marrakech for a practical reason: it has direct flights from most European cities, you hit the desert early while you still have energy, and you finish with a soft landing in a city you already know.
What I cut, honestly: a night in Casablanca (you’ll only stop for its mosque on Day 9) and Essaouira. In ten days something has to go, and the coast loses to the Sahara every time. If the sea matters more to you than the dunes, swap Days 3 to 5 for Essaouira and the Atlas, and you’ll drive half as much.
The Itinerary, Day by Day
This is the route I drive most often. Times are approximate and shift with the season, the weather on the pass and how long you want to stay at each stop, which is exactly the point of doing it privately.
| Day | Route | Driving | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Marrakech, evening in the medina | None | Marrakech |
| Day 2 | Marrakech palaces, souks and gardens | None | Marrakech |
| Day 3 | Marrakech → Aït Ben Haddou → Dades Valley | About 360 km, 7 h with stops | Dades |
| Day 4 | Dades → Todra Gorge → Merzouga | About 260 km, 5 h | Desert camp |
| Day 5 | Merzouga → Midelt → Fes | About 470 km, 8 to 9 h | Fes |
| Day 6 | Fes medina with a local guide | None | Fes |
| Day 7 | Fes → Chefchaouen | About 200 km, 4 h | Chefchaouen |
| Day 8 | Chefchaouen → Rabat | About 250 km, 4 h | Rabat |
| Day 9 | Rabat → Marrakech | About 330 km, 4 h | Marrakech |
| Day 10 | Slow morning, hammam, departure | None | — |
Days 1 and 2: Marrakech
Evening, Day 1. Drop your bags in a riad and walk to Jemaa el Fna at dusk, when the food stalls go up.
Day 2, from 8:30 am. The Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the souks and Jardin Majorelle, ideally in that order to beat the crowds. My 3 days in Marrakech itinerary has the full timing if you want to add a third day.
Day 3: Over the Atlas to Aït Ben Haddou and the Dades Valley
8 am, leaving Marrakech. We climb the Tizi n’Tichka pass, at 2,260 metres one of the highest road passes in Morocco.
Lunch, Aït Ben Haddou. The earthen ksar you’ve seen in a dozen films. UNESCO describes the Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou as a striking example of southern Moroccan architecture, and it once sat on the caravan route between Marrakech and ancient Sudan. Cross the river on foot and climb to the granary at the top. For more time and background, see my guide to visiting Aït Ben Haddou.
Afternoon, Ouarzazate and the Valley of Roses. Then on to sleep in a guesthouse in the Dades Valley.
Day 4: Todra Gorge to the Sahara
Morning, Todra Gorge. A short walk where the cliffs close in to a few metres apart.
Around 4 pm, Merzouga. The camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes as the light turns orange. Dinner, drums and more stars than you’ve ever seen.
| LOCAL TIP FROM AYOUB “Take only a small daypack on the camel. Your main bag stays in the 4×4, and you’ll thank me when you’re sliding down a dune in the dark. Pack a warm layer even in May: the desert drops 15 degrees after sunset. My full Sahara packing list covers the rest.” |
Day 5: Merzouga to Fes
6 am, sunrise. Climb the nearest high dune and wait. This is the moment the desert part of the trip is built around.
After breakfast, the longest drive. About 470 km through the Ziz Valley and the Middle Atlas via Midelt, with cedar forests and Barbary macaques near Azrou. You reach Fes for dinner. It’s a big day, which is why I never put anything else in it.
Day 6: Fes With a Local Guide
Morning, with a licensed guide. The Medina of Fez was founded in the 9th century and UNESCO counts it among the best conserved historic towns of the Arab Muslim world. The Chouara tannery before 11 am, the Al Attarine Madrasa, the doors of Al Quaraouiyine.
Afternoon, get lost on purpose. Fes el Bali has no cars, and that’s exactly why it feels a thousand years old.
Day 7: Fes to Chefchaouen
Morning drive. Four hours north into the Rif Mountains.
Sunset, the Spanish Mosque. Chefchaouen is small, so the afternoon is enough for the blue lanes and the climb. Go early or late for photos; at midday the main lanes are full of tripods.
Day 8: Chefchaouen to Rabat
Afternoon, the capital. The Kasbah des Oudayas above the ocean, the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. After the medinas, Rabat feels almost Scandinavian.
Day 9: Rabat Back to Marrakech
Four hours on the motorway, or the train if you’d rather read. If you still have energy, stop for an hour at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, one of the very few mosques in Morocco that non Muslims can visit inside.
Day 10: A Slow Last Day
No sights at all. Sleep late, go to a hammam, have lunch on a rooftop and buy the gifts you were too tired to bargain for on Day 2.
Getting Around and Best Time to Go
The easiest way to follow this itinerary is with a private driver. There’s no train to the desert, and buses turn the Sahara crossing into two very long days. Trains work well between Fes, Rabat and Marrakech, so a mix is possible on a budget. I don’t recommend self driving the Atlas on a first trip unless you’re comfortable with mountain bends and trucks overtaking on curves.
The best months are March to May and late September to November: warm desert days, cool nights and a comfortable Fes. December to February works too, but pack for freezing desert nights and occasional snow on the Tichka pass. Avoid July and August unless you enjoy 40°C.
Stops Most Tours Rush Past
Big group tours follow a tight schedule, so these are the places that usually get skipped or reduced to a view from the bus.
The Skoura Palm Grove
Between Ouarzazate and the Valley of Roses, most tours don’t even slow down. I like to stop for twenty minutes among the palms and old earthen kasbahs. It’s the first real oasis of the trip, and it’s quiet.
Khamlia and Its Gnawa Music
South of Merzouga, the small village of Khamlia is known for its Gnawa musicians, whose music traces back to West African roots. Half an hour of tea and music there shows you a very different side of the desert than the camp drums.
Ras el Maa in Chefchaouen
At the top of the old town, the spring that gives Chefchaouen its water runs past stone basins where locals still wash rugs and clothes. Go in the morning, then walk up the hill path for the view.
What a Private 10 Day Tour Includes
When we run this 10 days in Morocco itinerary as a private tour, it’s just you, your driver and the local guides. No shared minibus, no forced shopping stops. A standard version includes:
Private air conditioned vehicle and driver for the whole loop, with pickup at your riad or hotel
8 nights in hand picked riads and hotels, plus one night in a desert camp with a private tent
Camel ride in Erg Chebbi, and licensed local guides in Marrakech and Fes
Daily breakfast, dinner in the Dades Valley and the desert, and flexible stops along the way
Entrance fees, most lunches and tips are paid on the spot. Prices depend on group size and riad level.
Who This Trip Suits (and Who Should Skip It)
First time visitors get the best overview of the country in ten days: the big city, the mountains, the desert and two very different medinas.
Couples love the desert night, especially in a private tent, and the empty last day. If you can stretch the trip, a few days of Marrakech retreat, with a quiet riad and nothing on the schedule, is the best ending I know.
Families with kids over eight do well; children love the camels. Split Day 5 with a night in Midelt if they get carsick.
Photographers should add a second night in the desert for better light.
Who should skip it? Anyone who truly hates long drives. Choose a shorter loop instead: Marrakech, Agafay, the Atlas and Essaouira. And if your dates or interests don’t match this plan, we build tailor made Morocco tours from scratch.
Mistakes I See First Timers Make
| Mistake | Why It Matters | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Adding Essaouira on top of the desert, Fes and Chefchaouen | You spend more time in the car than anywhere else | Pick the desert or the coast, not both |
| Doing the desert as a day trip | Merzouga is 9 to 10 hours from Marrakech | Take at least 3 days and sleep in the dunes |
| Visiting in July or August | The south and Fes pass 40°C | Go March to May or late September to November |
| Skipping a guide in Fes | You lose hours and get steered to shops | Book a licensed guide for the first morning |
| Carrying only cards | Camps, tips and small stalls are cash only | Carry 300 to 500 dirhams in small notes |
| Packing only summer clothes | Desert nights and Atlas passes get cold | Bring a fleece and a light scarf |
Conclusion
Ten days won’t show you all of Morocco, and anyone who promises that is selling you a car seat. But this 10 days in Morocco itinerary gives you the three things people remember for years: the noise of Marrakech, the silence of the Sahara and the maze of Fes.
Keep the pace kind, carry a bit of cash and leave that last day empty. If you’d like us to run it for you, have a look at our private tour experiences and tell me how you like to travel. I’ll shape the ten days around that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Ten days covers Marrakech, the Sahara, Fes and Chefchaouen at a comfortable pace. You won’t see everything, so choose between the desert and the coast rather than trying both.
Merzouga is about 560 km from Marrakech, 9 to 10 hours of driving, so split it over two days via Aït Ben Haddou and the Dades Valley. Physically it’s easy; the long drives are the tiring part.
Light long trousers, covered shoulders for medinas and mosques, comfortable closed shoes, and a fleece for desert nights. Carry 300 to 500 dirhams in small notes for tips, camps and stalls; ATMs are easy to find in every city.
Yes, if you want the desert. In 7 days you must choose between the Sahara and Fes; in 10 days you get both, plus Chefchaouen and a rest day.
