PRIVATE TOUR — 12 DAYS MOROCCO ITINERARY FROM CASABLANCA

OVERVIEW

Twelve days adds the Atlantic coast to the loop. You get everything the 10-day tour covers — Rabat, Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Meknes, Fes, a full day in the Merzouga desert, the Atlas gorges, Ait Ben Haddou, and a guided day in Marrakech — and then finish with two days in Essaouira before looping back to Casablanca to fly out.

Essaouira is the change of pace that long Morocco trips need. It’s a walled Portuguese-built fishing port on the Atlantic, with a UNESCO-listed medina full of blue-painted doors, artist workshops, cafés, and a long windswept beach. After a week and a half in the interior, the sea breeze is welcome.

Every itinerary is fully customisable to suit your preferences and pace.

DURATION: 12 DAYS / 11 NIGHTS
START: CASABLANCA
END: CASABLANCA
TOUR STYLE: PRIVATE

HIGHLIGHTS

– The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca
– Rabat — Hassan Tower and Kasbah of the Udayas
– Chefchaouen, Morocco’s blue city
– The Roman ruins of Volubilis
– Imperial Meknes — Bab el Mansour and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
– A full guided day in the Fes medina
– Camel trekking across the Erg Chebbi dunes
– Sunset and sunrise over the Sahara
– A night under the stars in a luxury desert camp
– A full day exploring the Merzouga desert by 4×4
– Visiting a Berber nomad family in their tent
– Hearing live Gnawa music in the village of Khamlia
– The abandoned galena mines at M’Fis
– A walk through the Todra Gorge
– The “monkey fingers” rock formations of the Dades Valley
– The UNESCO-listed Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou
– A full guided day in Marrakech
– Two days in Essaouira on the Atlantic — Portuguese ramparts, woodcarving workshops, the beach
– Crossing the High Atlas via the Tizi n’Tichka pass

ITINERARY

DAY 1: CASABLANCA → RABAT

Your tour starts with a pick-up at Mohammed V International Airport. First stop is the Hassan II Mosque — one of the largest mosques in the world, built partly out over the Atlantic, with one of the tallest minarets anywhere.

From Casablanca we drive to Rabat, Morocco’s capital, for a quick tour: the Hassan Tower (the unfinished 12th-century minaret) and the Kasbah of the Udayas, a small fortified neighbourhood overlooking the river mouth. End of the day at your Rabat accommodation.

If your flight arrives at night, we’ll take you directly to a Casablanca hotel instead and start the tour properly the following morning.

Approximate driving distance/time: 128 km / 2 hours 10 minutes

DAY 2: RABAT → CHEFCHAOUEN

After breakfast, the drive north into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen — a small mountain town where almost every wall is painted in some shade of blue. The drive takes around four to five hours through rolling hills and small villages.

You’ll arrive in time to settle in at your hotel or riad and have the afternoon and evening free to explore the medina at your own pace. The blue alleys, small souks, and old kasbah at the centre of the town are all within easy walking distance. Overnight in Chefchaouen.

Approximate driving distance/time: 254 km / 5 hours

DAY 3: CHEFCHAOUEN → VOLUBILIS → MEKNES → FES

A driving day with two strong historical stops. After breakfast, we head south through the Rif villages and central Moroccan farmland. First stop is Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco — large mosaics still in situ, alongside the basilica, triumphal arch, and public baths dating to around the 3rd century.

From Volubilis we continue to Meknes, the 17th-century imperial capital under Sultan Moulay Ismail. After lunch in town, we walk through the medina to see Bab el Mansour — one of the most decorated city gates in Morocco — and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail.

The day ends in Fes, where you’ll sleep in a riad inside the old medina.

Approximate driving distance/time: 260 km / 4 hours 30 minutes

DAY 4: GUIDED TOUR OF FES

Full day in Fes with a local guide. Fes is one of Morocco’s four imperial cities and arguably its cultural and religious heart — the medina is UNESCO-listed and one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world. Trying to navigate it without a guide usually means seeing maybe a third of what’s worth seeing and getting lost for the rest.

The day starts at the golden gate of the Royal Palace, then moves into the medina proper. You’ll see Al-Qarawiyyin University (founded in 859 AD, often cited as the oldest continuously operating university in the world), the Al-Attarine Madrasa, the Nejjarine fountain, and the Chouara tanneries — the famous open-air dye pits, best viewed from the leather shops on the surrounding terraces.

The afternoon takes you through the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, before climbing up to an old fortress on the hills above the city for a panoramic view over the medina. Back to your riad for the night.

DAY 5: FES → IFRANE → MIDDLE ATLAS → ZIZ VALLEY → MERZOUGA

The long desert day. After breakfast we head south, with a first stop in Ifrane — a small mountain town with chalet-style houses and pine trees, often called the Switzerland of Morocco for its incongruous alpine look.

From Ifrane the road climbs across the Middle Atlas, with a stop in a cedar forest where Barbary macaques often appear at the roadside. Lunch is at a restaurant along the way. The route then drops down through the Ziz Valley — a long ribbon of palm groves and small Berber villages — before continuing across the rocky pre-desert to Merzouga.

By late afternoon you’ll meet your camels and ride across the Erg Chebbi dunes to your luxury camp, pausing on a high ridge for sunset. A cup of tea greets you at camp. After settling into your private tent and a generous dinner, the evening ends around a campfire with Berber drumming and music — stars overhead.

Approximate driving distance/time: 500 km / 7 hours 30 minutes

DAY 6: IMMERSIVE EXPLORATION OF THE MERZOUGA DESERT

Sunrise over the dunes is worth the early wake-up. After breakfast you’ll return to Merzouga by camel or 4×4, where your driver will be waiting.

The first stop is Khamlia, a small village a short drive south of Merzouga, famous for its Gnawa music. The tradition traces back to Sub-Saharan communities — people whose ancestors came from Mali, Sudan, and Niger generations ago and settled in this area. You’ll hear live music and a dance performance in the village’s small community hall.

From Khamlia we head off-road to M’Fis, an abandoned village with old galena mines (galena was once mined here and used to make kohl, the eye makeup). You can walk around the ruins of the village and the entrance of the mine.

Next stop is a Berber nomad family living near the Erg Chebbi dunes. They’ve stuck with a traditional nomadic lifestyle, moving with the seasons. You’ll share tea with them in their tent and learn how they live.

After lunch, we transfer you to a riad in Merzouga with a swimming pool — useful in the afternoon heat. In the late afternoon you can either add on a quad bike or buggy ride for sunset (extra cost), or just walk out to the dunes from the riad. Dinner and overnight at the riad.

Approximate driving distance/time: 57 km / 1 hour 15 minutes

DAY 7: MERZOUGA → RISSANI → TODRA GORGE → DADES GORGE

After breakfast at your riad, we head west toward the Dades Gorge.

If the day falls on a Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday, we can stop at the Rissani souk — Rissani was historically the capital of the Tafilalet region and is still one of the more authentic markets in this part of the country, with everything from spices and dates to livestock changing hands.

From Rissani the road climbs to Tinghir, then into the Todra Gorge — a deep slot canyon where the Todra river runs between cliffs that rise around 300 metres. You’ll have time for a walk through the gorge.

The afternoon drive takes you through the Dades Valley, with a stop to look at the famous “monkey fingers” rock formations — limestone columns weathered into shapes that look like… well, monkey fingers. Overnight at your hotel in Dades.

Approximate driving distance/time: 310 km / 5 hours

DAY 8: DADES → OUARZAZATE → AIT BEN HADDOU → HIGH ATLAS → MARRAKECH

After breakfast we head west to Ouarzazate, sometimes called the Hollywood of Africa for its film industry. There’s an optional stop at Atlas Studios, one of the largest film studios in the world by area.

From Ouarzazate we continue to Ait Ben Haddou — a UNESCO-listed fortified earthen village on a hillside above a riverbed. It’s been used as a film set for Prince of Persia, The Mummy, and Game of Thrones, among others. You’ll have time to walk up through the kasbah to the granary at the top, and back down across the riverbed.

After lunch at a local restaurant, the road climbs into the High Atlas and over the Tizi n’Tichka pass at 2260 metres before descending into the plain around Marrakech. You’ll arrive in the late afternoon and check in at a riad in the medina. Dinner is open: at your riad, or on one of the rooftop restaurants overlooking Jemaa El Fna.

Approximate driving distance/time: 353 km / 6 hours 30 minutes

DAY 9: GUIDED TOUR OF MARRAKECH

Full day in Marrakech with a local guide. The morning covers the main historical sights — Jemaa El-Fna Square, Bahia Palace (a 19th-century palace with painted ceilings and detailed plasterwork), the Saadian Tombs (a 16th-century royal necropolis), Ben Youssef Madrasa (a former Quranic school), and the Koutoubia Mosque (the city’s main minaret).

After lunch, you can either head to the modern part of the city to visit the Majorelle Garden (the cobalt-blue garden originally created by Jacques Majorelle and later restored by Yves Saint Laurent) or head back to your riad for some downtime.

Late afternoon is best spent at Jemaa El-Fna itself. A drink at one of the rooftop restaurants overlooking the square is the right way to watch sunset, then dinner from one of the food stalls or a sit-down restaurant nearby before heading back to your riad.

DAY 10: MARRAKECH → ESSAOUIRA

After breakfast, we drive west to the Atlantic coast. Essaouira is a small fishing town inside 15th-century Portuguese fortifications, with a UNESCO-listed medina, artist and woodcarving workshops, good seafood, and a wide windswept beach.

The medina is small and easy to navigate — blue doors, blue window frames, and the sound of the surf in the background. Cafés with terraces are scattered throughout, useful for breaks. The old port at one end of the medina is good for watching the fishing boats come in.

You’ll arrive in time for lunch and have the afternoon and evening free. Overnight in Essaouira.

Approximate driving distance/time: 177 km / 2 hours 51 minutes

DAY 11: ESSAOUIRA → CASABLANCA

A last morning in Essaouira — beach or medina, your call. There are good woodcarving workshops to wander through, fresh fish at the port restaurants, and the ramparts to walk along if you want one more view of the Atlantic.

After lunch, the drive north up the coast to Casablanca takes about four and a half hours. Check in at your hotel for the last night of the tour.

Approximate driving distance/time: 377 km / 4 hours 31 minutes

DAY 12: CONCLUSION OF THE TOUR

Transfer from your hotel to Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) for your outbound flight, timed to your schedule. End of the tour.

 

IMPORTANT NOTES

– Driving times don’t include stops for lunch and sightseeing.
– This itinerary can be customised to your interests — tell us at booking.
– Dietary preferences (vegetarian, vegan, allergies) can be accommodated — please mention this when booking.
– Optional add-ons: professional photographer, romantic desert dinner, desert proposal setup, quad/buggy activity, hot air balloon in Marrakech, cooking class, hammam, day trip to Ouzoud Waterfalls, day trip to Ourika Valley.
– Prefer not to ride a camel? A 4×4 will take you into and out of the camp at no extra cost.
– Three accommodation categories are available — comfortable riads, mid-range, or luxury (Sofitel, Palais Faraj, La Maison Arabe, Hotel Le Medina, etc.).
– If you have 14 days, the 2-week version adds Tangier and Asilah on the coast. Shorter versions (5-10 day) also available.