10 Day Morocco Itinerary: Marrakech, Sahara, Fes & Chefchaouen Loop
The best 10 day Morocco itinerary is a loop from Marrakech: cross the High Atlas to Ait Benhaddou and the Dades Valley, sleep one night in the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga, head north to Fes and Chefchaouen, then return via Rabat and Casablanca. It covers the desert, two imperial medinas and the blue town with no day of driving longer than about 8-9 hours with stops.
Is 10 days enough to see Morocco?
Ten days is the length at which Morocco starts to make sense as a whole country rather than a single city break. It is enough to combine the three things most first-time visitors want — the Sahara, the medieval medinas and the mountains — without the rushed feel of a one-week trip. What it will not allow is everything: the Atlantic coast at Essaouira, a proper trek in the Atlas or the far south around Tafraoute all need extra days. If you only have a week, read our 7 day Morocco itinerary, which drops the desert or the north.
The loop below is the same route we run on our 10-day private grand tour of Morocco, so every drive time has been tested on the road.
The 10 day itinerary, day by day
| Day | Route | Approx. driving | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival in Marrakech | – | Marrakech riad |
| 2 | Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Ait Benhaddou – Dades | 7-8 h with stops | Dades Valley |
| 3 | Dades – Todra Gorge – Merzouga | 5-6 h | Desert camp |
| 4 | Merzouga – Ziz Valley – Midelt – Ifrane – Fes | 8-9 h (approx. 470 km) | Fes |
| 5 | Fes el-Bali guided tour | – | Fes |
| 6 | Fes – Chefchaouen | approx. 4 h | Chefchaouen |
| 7 | Chefchaouen – Rabat | approx. 4 h | Rabat |
| 8 | Rabat – Casablanca | approx. 1 h 15 | Casablanca |
| 9 | Casablanca – Marrakech | approx. 3 h | Marrakech |
| 10 | Departure | – | – |
Day 1: Marrakech
Land at Marrakech Menara Airport, which is only about 15-20 minutes from the medina. If you arrive by mid-afternoon, walk to Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk when the food stalls set up. Keep this evening light; the next day starts early.
Day 2: Over the High Atlas to the Dades Valley
The N9 climbs through the High Atlas to the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m, Morocco's highest major road pass. On the southern side, a short detour leads to Ait Benhaddou, a fortified ksar listed by UNESCO in 1987. After Ouarzazate, the road follows the so-called Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through the Skoura palm grove and Kelaat M'Gouna, known for its rose harvest in May, to the Dades Valley. In winter (December to March) the pass can close briefly after snowfall, so build a little flexibility into this day.
Day 3: Todra Gorge and the Sahara
The Todra Gorge near Tinghir narrows to roughly 20 m between limestone walls up to around 300 m high. Walk the flat section at the entrance, then continue east via Erfoud to Merzouga. Camel treks into Erg Chebbi usually leave about 1-1.5 hours before sunset. Erg Chebbi's highest dunes rise to around 150 m, and a night in a camp among them is the highlight of most Morocco trips.
Day 4: The long drive to Fes
After sunrise on the dunes, this is the longest day: roughly 470 km north through the date palms of the Ziz Valley, the Midelt plateau and the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas near Azrou, where Barbary macaques are often seen near the road. Ifrane, at about 1,650 m, makes a good coffee stop before Fes.
Day 5: Fes el-Bali
Spend the day in Fes el-Bali, the medieval medina listed by UNESCO in 1981, with a licensed guide: the Bou Inania Madrasa, the gates of the Al-Qarawiyyin (founded in 859), and the Chouara tannery. The lanes are genuinely hard to navigate alone, so a half-day guide is worth it even for independent travellers.
Days 6-7: Chefchaouen and Rabat
Chefchaouen sits at about 600 m in the Rif mountains, around 4 hours from Fes. Its blue-washed lanes are best in the late afternoon and early morning, when day-trippers have gone. Walk up to the Spanish Mosque for sunset. The next morning, drive about 4 hours to Rabat, the capital, for the Kasbah of the Udayas and the unfinished 12th-century Hassan Tower.
Days 8-10: Casablanca and back to Marrakech
Casablanca is about 1h15 from Rabat. The Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, is one of the few mosques in Morocco that non-Muslims can enter, on guided tours (approximately 140 MAD at the time of writing — check before you travel). The A7 motorway then takes you back to Marrakech in about 3 hours, leaving time for a guided walk of the medina and the Bahia Palace before your flight home on day 10.
Should you go clockwise or anticlockwise?
Either direction works. Starting in Marrakech puts the desert early, while you are fresh, and ends with easy motorway driving. Starting in Casablanca suits travellers whose cheapest flights land there. If you fly into Fes, simply join the loop on day 5. The one thing to avoid is doing Merzouga as an out-and-back from Marrakech inside a 10-day trip: it costs two days of driving that the loop turns into sightseeing.
What to adjust for your season
- Spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November): the most comfortable months for this route, with Marrakech daytime highs of roughly 22-30°C.
- Summer (June-August): Merzouga regularly exceeds 40°C. Keep the camel trek for sunset and sunrise only, and consider adding a night on the coast instead of a second desert night.
- Winter (December-February): sunny days but desert nights close to 0°C. Good camps provide heavy blankets; pack a warm layer.
- Ramadan: dates shift about 11 days earlier each year. Sites stay open, but some restaurants close by day.
Where to add or cut a night
The most useful extra night is a second one in Fes or Marrakech, which turns a busy trip into a relaxed one. Essaouira, about 3 hours from Marrakech, is the easiest add-on for the coast. If you want fewer hotel changes, you could skip Rabat and drive Chefchaouen to Casablanca directly (around 5 hours). For help weighing these trade-offs, see our guide on how to choose the right Morocco tour, and browse all our multi-day Morocco tours.
Self-drive, public transport or private driver?
Trains (ONCF) connect Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat and Fes well, but they do not reach Merzouga, Dades or Chefchaouen, where you would rely on CTM or Supratours buses. Self-driving is possible but mountain roads, rural traffic and city medinas without parking make it tiring. Most travellers on a 10-day loop use a driver; our guide to hiring a private driver in Morocco explains what that involves and costs.
Book it with a local operator
If you would like this route handled for you, our 10 day Morocco tour from Marrakech runs privately from €1,190 per person, including your own driver and vehicle, 9 nights of accommodation with a night in a Merzouga desert camp, a camel ride and licensed guides in Fes and Marrakech. You can reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 7 days before departure. Message us on WhatsApp at +212 606 957 514 to adjust the route or dates.
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