How to Plan the Perfect Morocco Itinerary in 7 Days

Your Morocco adventure begins in Marrakech, Morocco's most vibrant and visited city. After arriving at Marrakech Menara Airport, settle into your riad — a traditional courtyard guesthouse that is itself an experience in architecture, craftsmanship and Moroccan hospitality. In the late afternoon, take a gentle walk to the Djemaa el-Fna square — a UNESCO Masterpiece of Oral Heritage, buzzing with snake charmers, storytellers, musicians and the intoxicating smell of grilled meats as the sun sets over the Koutoubia Minaret.

• Check into your riad in the medina
• Sunset stroll at Djemaa el-Fna
• Dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the medina
• First taste of Moroccan mint tea and msemen pastry

A full day to explore Marrakech's extraordinary historical riches with a private expert local guide. Start early at the Bahia Palace before the crowds arrive — 19th century Moorish architecture of astounding intricacy. Visit the fascinating Saadian Tombs, sealed for centuries and only rediscovered in 1917. Admire the iconic Koutoubia Mosque. Spend the afternoon deliberately lost in the souks — 1,000-year-old markets of leather, spices, ceramics, silver and textiles. Optional evening: traditional hammam experience.

• Bahia Palace — 19th century royal architecture
• Saadian Tombs — hidden necropolis
• Majorelle Garden & Berber Museum (optional)
• Medina souks — leather, spices, ceramics
• Traditional hammam experience (evening, optional)

Today you cross the Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass (2,260m) — a dramatic drive through Berber villages and staggering mountain scenery. Stop at Kasbah Ait Benhaddou — the UNESCO-listed fortress that has starred in Game of Thrones, Gladiator, and Lawrence of Arabia. Continue through Ouarzazate — Morocco's Hollywood — and wind along the spectacular Draa Valley to your overnight stop.

• Tizi n'Tichka pass — photo stops at the summit
• Ait Benhaddou UNESCO kasbah — expert guided visit
• Ouarzazate city & optional Atlas Studios
• Draa Valley arrival — dinner included

The most scenic drive in Morocco. The Route of a Thousand Kasbahs winds through the Draa Valley, past date palm oases and ancient fortified villages. Stop at the Todgha Gorges — 300m red rock walls carved by a crystal-clear river. As the afternoon sun turns golden, arrive in Merzouga and mount a camel for your trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes. Your luxury desert camp awaits.

• Rose Valley — fragrant and photogenic
• Todgha Gorges — towering 300m cliffs
• Sunset camel trek into Erg Chebbi dunes
• Luxury private desert camp — Berber dinner & music under stars

Wake before dawn for the most magical moment of the trip — Sahara sunrise, painting the dunes in fire. After breakfast at camp, drive north through the spectacular Ziz Valley palm oasis canyon towards the ancient imperial city of Fes. Arrive in time for a sunset stroll through the old medina before settling into your riad.

• Sahara sunrise — unmissable and unforgettable
• Ziz Valley palm oasis gorge drive
• Arrival in Fes — check into medina riad
• Evening walk in Fes el-Bali (old medina)

Fes el-Bali is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's largest car-free urban area — a medieval city frozen in time. With over 9,000 streets and alleys, it is genuinely impossible to navigate without a guide. Visit the Quaraouiyine University (founded 859 AD — oldest in the world), the iconic Chouara Tannery, the ornate Medrasa Bouanania, and the lively Mellah (Jewish Quarter).

• Bab Boujloud — the iconic Blue Gate entrance
• Medrasa Bouanania — finest Islamic architecture
• Quaraouiyine Mosque & oldest university
• Chouara Tannery viewpoint — iconic Morocco photograph
• Mellah and farewell dinner at a traditional Fassi restaurant

If flying from Casablanca, head directly (3.5h). Or, if you have an afternoon or late evening flight, a morning in Chefchaouen — the legendary blue city in the Rif Mountains — is an unforgettable final chapter. Every wall, street and staircase painted in shades of blue creates a dreamlike atmosphere unlike anywhere else on Earth.

• Chefchaouen — the iconic blue city (if time allows)
• Spanish Mosque viewpoint at sunrise
• Final Moroccan mint tea and msemen
• Transfer to Casablanca or Marrakech airport for departure