20 Days Morocco Grand Tour From Casablanca

The journey begins with arrival in Casablanca, where you transfer to your hotel and spend the rest of the day settling in before taking an evening walk along the Corniche of Ain Diab to watch the sunset over the Atlantic.

The day is dedicated to exploring Casablanca itself, starting with the Hassan II Mosque, one of the 10 largest mosques in the world and the only one in Morocco open to non-Muslims, followed by a walk through the Old Medina, a stop at Mohammed V Square and the Central Market, and an afternoon in the Habous Quarter with its colonial-era Moroccan architecture and artisan shops. Spend the evening at Rick's Café, the restaurant inspired by the film Casablanca.

You drive north to Rabat, Morocco's capital, where you explore the Kasbah of the Udayas, a fortified twelfth-century citadel overlooking the Bou Regreg river with whitewashed and blue-painted alleys and the Andalusian Gardens, then visit the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, followed by the ruins of Chellah, a medieval fortified necropolis with Roman and Islamic remains where storks nest on the walls, before finishing with a stroll through Rabat's medina and souks.

The route continues north to Tangier, where you explore the Kasbah and Medina, visit Cap Spartel where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea, and see the Caves of Hercules with their famous opening shaped like the map of Africa, ending the day watching the sunset over the Strait of Gibraltar with Spain visible across the water on clear days.

From Tangier, you drive into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen, the famous Blue City, where you spend the afternoon wandering the blue-washed medina streets, visiting Plaza Uta el-Hammam with its cafés and Kasbah Museum, and the Ras El Maa waterfall at the edge of town.

The day is spent fully in Chefchaouen, with a morning hike up to the Spanish Mosque for panoramic views over the city, free time to photograph the blue alleyways, and an optional short hike into Talassemtane National Park for its waterfalls and cedar forests.

A drive south through the Rif foothills brings you to Fes, but before we arrive to Fes, we will stop at Volubilis (the Roman ruins) And Meknes (Bab Mansour gate, Royal Stables, Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail) on the way from Chefchaouen to Fes, worth noting it'll be a longer driving day than before, so an early start out of Chefchaouen will help.

The day is spent exploring Fes in depth, including the old medina of Fes el-Bali, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world, the exterior of Al Quaraouiyine Mosque and University, one of the oldest universities in the world, the Bou Inania Madrasa with its Marinid architecture, and the Chouara Tanneries viewed from a terrace, along with the souks of metalworkers, weavers, spice sellers, and ceramic workshops. The exterior of the Royal Palace and its golden doors, the Mellah or old Jewish Quarter with its distinctive balconied houses, and a visit to a traditional ceramic workshop to see hand-painted Fassi zellige tilework being made.

You leave Fes and drive south through the Middle Atlas Mountains, stopping in Ifrane, a Swiss-alpine-style town with chalet architecture, and the cedar forest near Azrou to see wild Barbary macaques, before continuing to the quiet town of Midelt at the base of the High Atlas.

A long drive from Midelt to Merzouga passes through the dramatic Ziz Valley and Gorges with palm groves and traditional kasbahs on the cliffs, then through Er-Rachidia and Erfoud, gateway towns to the desert known for their fossil workshops. On arrival at Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes in the late afternoon, you transfer by camel into the dunes to watch the sunset over the Sahara before spending the night at a traditional desert camp with Berber tents and music around the campfire.

The day is spent fully in the desert, with an optional sunrise excursion over the dunes, a camel ride back to Merzouga village, a visit to a nomad family or local Berber community for tea, and optional activities such as sandboarding, quad biking, a visit to Khamlia village to hear Gnawa music, with a second night either back at the desert camp or in a hotel in Merzouga.

Pick-up at 9 AM in Merzouga, a reinforced 4x4, a local driver who actually knows these dunes, and you're off. First stop is the adrenaline part: straight into Erg Chebbi for some serious dune bashing, no track, just sand and momentum. From there you keep pushing further out, off-roading across the black desert plateau until there's genuinely nothing around, no signs of anyone, just open desert in every direction. Somewhere along the way you'll stop at a nomad tent for tea, a nice slow moment before the real highlight: lunch cooked right there in the desert, not something packed and handed to you, but a fire lit on the spot and food made fresh. After that, you swing by the old fossil mines to poke around, then head to the seasonal Dayet Srji lake bed as the afternoon light starts to shift. By the time you're back in Merzouga, it's around 6 PM, just in time to catch the dunes go gold at sunset.

A long drive west from Merzouga to the Dades Valley, stopping at the dramatic Todra Gorge with its towering canyon walls, then continuing along the Dades Valley, known as the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs, through palm groves and traditional earthen villages, arriving in the Dades Gorge area by late afternoon.

The route continues through the winding switchback road of the Dades Gorge, passes through the Valley of Roses at Kelaat M'Gouna, and the Skoura Oasis with its beautiful kasbahs including Amridil Kasbah, before arriving in Ouarzazate, known as the door of the desert and Morocco's film-production hub.

The day is spent fully in Ouarzazate, visiting Ait Ben Haddou, a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage fortified village used as a filming location for Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and Lawrence of Arabia, the Atlas Film Studios, one of the largest film studios in the world, and the Taourirt Kasbah in town, along with optional visits to local artisan cooperatives producing carpets and argan products.

You cross the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n'Tichka Pass, one of the most scenic drives in Morocco, stopping at viewpoints and small Berber villages, before arriving in Marrakech in the afternoon.

The day begins by exploring Marrakech at Jemaa el-Fnaa square, the lively heart of the city with its snake charmers, storytellers, and food stalls, followed by the Bahia Palace with its intricate stucco and painted ceilings, the exterior of the Koutoubia Mosque, and the souks of the medina with their spices, leather, lanterns, and textiles.

The second day in Marrakech includes the Jardin Majorelle, the vivid blue garden created by Jacques Majorelle and later owned by Yves Saint Laurent, the Saadian Tombs, the ruins of El Badi Palace, and an optional traditional hammam and spa experience, with free time for shopping or relaxing.

The route heads west to the Atlantic coast, driving through argan tree groves toward Essaouira, a laid-back fortified coastal town, where you explore the medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of blue-and-white buildings and art galleries, the Skala de la Ville sea ramparts with their old cannons and ocean views, and the fishing port, with free time on the beach or in the boutique shops.

The final day begins with a morning free to walk through Essaouira or visit a local argan oil cooperative run by women's collectives, before driving back to Casablanca for the transfer to Mohammed V International Airport and departure.