10-Day Imperial Cities & Sahara Desert Tour from Casablanca

Ten days is enough to see the heart of Morocco without rushing, and this private round trip from Casablanca is built to make the most of it. The first part is a journey through history: the Hassan II Mosque and the royal capital, Rabat, the blue town of Chefchaouen in the Rif, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the imperial city of Meknes, and a full guided day in the medina of Fes. The second part is the desert, with two nights at our luxury camp in the dunes of Erg Chebbi and a whole day between them. The third brings you back through the gorges and kasbahs of the south to Marrakech for a guided day in the Red City, before returning to Casablanca for your flight.

Because it starts and ends at the same airport, it’s the easiest grand tour to book flights for, and you won’t need to worry about one-way car hire or domestic connections.

The route at a glance

• Day 1: Casablanca → Hassan II Mosque → Rabat (about 125 km)
• Day 2: Rabat → Rif Mountains → Chefchaouen (about 250 km)
• Day 3: Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fes (about 260 km)
• Day 4: Full day in Fes with a local guide
• Day 5: Fes → Azrou cedar forest → Midelt → Ziz Valley → Merzouga, then by camel to camp (about 470 km)
• Day 6: A full day in the desert: Khamlia, nomad families and sandboarding
• Day 7: Erg Chebbi → Erfoud → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley (about 310 km)
• Day 8: Dades Valley → Valley of Roses → Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou → Tizi n’Tichka → Marrakech (about 350 km)
• Day 9: Full day in Marrakech with a local guide
• Day 10: Free morning, then transfer to Casablanca airport (about 230 km)

The Atlantic and the imperial north

You land at Mohammed V Airport and head straight for the Hassan II Mosque, which stands on the edge of the ocean with a minaret about 210 metres tall. It’s one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors, on guided tours outside prayer times. In the afternoon you drive up the coast to Rabat, where dinner and your first night are at a traditional riad.

The next morning is spent in the capital. The Hassan Tower, the minaret of a 12th-century mosque that was never completed, stands on a plateau above the river, and the Kasbah of the Udayas, a walled quarter of whitewashed houses and blue doors, looks out over the Atlantic. Then the road climbs into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen. You arrive in time to explore the town’s famous blue lanes in the soft evening light.

On day three you drive south through rolling farmland. Volubilis, a Roman city that flourished nearly 2,000 years ago, still has its triumphal arch, columns and floor mosaics in place, and a local guide shows you around. In Meknes, you see Bab Mansour, the monumental gate of Sultan Moulay Ismail’s imperial capital, before arriving in Fes in the evening.

Day four is dedicated to Fes el-Bali, one of the largest and best-preserved medieval cities in the world. With a local guide, you walk through the maze of lanes to the Chouara tanneries, the Al-Attarine Madrasa with its carved cedar and zellige, and the gates of the Royal Palace. The evening is yours.

Two nights in the Sahara

On day five you leave Fes for the desert. The drive, about seven and a half hours, passes through the cedar forests near Azrou, where Barbary macaques live, and the mountain town of Midelt, where you stop for lunch. Then the road descends through the palm groves of the Ziz Valley to Merzouga. There, your camels are waiting to carry you into the dunes of Erg Chebbi for the sunset, and to our luxury camp for the night.

Day six is spent in the desert, without any long drive. You visit Khamlia, where the descendants of sub-Saharan communities play Gnawa music, a hypnotic mix of drums, iron castanets and chants. You meet nomad families who live in tents woven from goat and camel hair, and learn how they survive in this harsh land. In the afternoon, try sandboarding on the dunes, or simply relax at camp. At night, sit by the fire and watch the stars wheel overhead. The camp also offers a Moroccan cooking demonstration, a chance to see how a tagine is made from scratch.

Gorges, kasbahs and Marrakech

On day seven, you watch the sunrise over the dunes, then ride back to Merzouga. In Erfoud, you visit a fossil workshop, where the local black marble is cut and polished to reveal creatures from an ancient sea. Then you drive west to the Todra Gorge, walk along the river between its towering walls, and continue to the Dades Valley for the night.

Day eight takes you through the Valley of Roses to Ouarzazate, the centre of Morocco’s film industry, and Ait Ben Haddou, the fortified village that has starred in so many films. After exploring it, you cross the High Atlas via the Tizi n’Tichka pass to Marrakech.

On day nine, a local guide takes you through the historic heart of Marrakech: the Koutoubia Mosque, whose minaret has watched over the city since the 12th century, the Bahia Palace with its painted ceilings and courtyards, and the Saadian Tombs. In the evening, head to Jemaa el-Fna, where acrobats, musicians and storytellers perform as the food stalls light up.

On the last morning you have time for shopping in the souks before your transfer to Casablanca airport, about two and a half hours away by motorway.

Where you’ll sleep

• Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes and Marrakech (6 nights): carefully chosen riads in the medinas, with breakfast.
• Erg Chebbi (2 nights): our luxury desert camp, with a private tent for your booking, en-suite hot shower and flushing toilet, comfortable beds and electricity for charging. Heavy blankets are provided in winter, and family tents are available on request.
• Dades Valley (1 night): a traditional kasbah hotel.

Dinners are included on the first night in Rabat, at the desert camp and in the Dades Valley.

Best time to go

Spring and autumn are ideal for a grand tour, with pleasant weather across the country. Spring brings green hills in the Rif and wildflowers around Volubilis. In winter, the north can be rainy and the desert cold at night, but the skies are often clear and the sites quiet. Summer is hot inland, so we plan sightseeing for mornings and evenings.

Who this tour is for

Travellers with ten days and return flights to Casablanca who want the imperial cities, Chefchaouen and a proper stay in the Sahara in one round trip. It suits couples, families and friends who want comfort, variety and a relaxed full day in the desert.

Good to know

• Longest day: day five, from Fes to the dunes (about 7.5 hours with stops).
• Dress code: cover shoulders and knees for the Hassan II Mosque and in the medinas.
• Flight times: land in Casablanca in the morning if you can, and book your return flight for the afternoon of day ten.
• Want the coast too? The 12-day grand tour adds Essaouira.