Ten days is the sweet spot for Morocco — long enough to start in Marrakech and loop through the Sahara and the imperial north unhurried, with the Essaouira coast as an optional finish.
Itineraries · Updated June 2026 · 2 min read
The grand loop, day by day
This length from Marrakech gives you the country's greatest hits with breathing room between them. The drives are spread out so no single day feels like a marathon, and it all begins on home turf in the Red City.
- Days 1–2: Marrakech — the medina and souks, Majorelle and the palaces, a hammam and a chef's-table or rooftop dinner.
- Day 3: High Atlas to Aït Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate.
- Day 4: Dadès and Todra gorges to the desert.
- Day 5: Erg Chebbi dunes — camel trek and a luxury camp night.
- Day 6: North-west to Fes via the Middle Atlas cedar forest and Ifrane.
- Days 7–8: Fes — the medieval medina, the craft workshops and a family dinner.
- Day 9: Meknes, Volubilis and on to Chefchaouen or Rabat.
- Day 10: A final city morning and departure.
Add the coast
Prefer to wind down by the sea? Swap the last two days for Essaouira, about 2 hours 45 minutes west of Marrakech, with windswept ramparts, a working fishing port and some of the best grilled seafood in the country. It's the perfect decompression after the desert, and an easy run back to Marrakech for your flight.