The short answer
Combine cities that sit on the same line. Marrakech pairs naturally with Essaouira, the Atlas and the Sahara in the south. Fes pairs with Meknes, Volubilis and Chefchaouen in the north, and Chefchaouen with Tangier. Casablanca and Rabat sit between the two halves on the train line. Pairing Marrakech with Chefchaouen on a short trip is the classic mistake.
In more detail
Think of Morocco as a south and a north joined by a motorway and a railway. The south is Marrakech, the High Atlas, the kasbah road, the Sahara and the coast at Essaouira and Agadir. The north is Fes, Meknes, Chefchaouen, Tangier and Rabat. Casablanca links them.
Good pairs, with road times from our transfer routes: Marrakech and Essaouira (about 2h45), Fes and Meknes (about an hour), Casablanca and Rabat (about an hour), Chefchaouen and Tangier (about two hours), Fes and Chefchaouen (about 3h30). Each pair can share a few days without long transfers.
Cross-country pairs take planning. Marrakech to Fes is about 6h30 by road, and Marrakech to Chefchaouen seven to eight hours. That is fine on a ten-day or two-week trip, or with a one-hour flight from Marrakech to Fes, but on a short break it costs too much time.
Good to know
- Fly into one city and out of another to avoid backtracking.
- Use the train for Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Fes and Tangier.
- Use a driver for the Atlas, the gorges and the desert.