Our 7 day Morocco tour from Casablanca is a grand loop through Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes and two nights in the Sahara, ending in Marrakech.
Day one travels from Casablanca to Chefchaouen by way of Rabat. Day two continues to Fes, stopping at
the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes along the way. Day three crosses the Middle
Atlas to the Sahara Desert, arriving in Merzouga for a sunset camel trek and the first of two nights in the
desert region. Day four is dedicated entirely to exploring the culture and landscapes around Merzouga,
with a second overnight in a comfortable riad or hotel. Day five heads west through the Todra Gorge to the
Dades Valley. Day six visits Ait Ben Haddou and crosses the High Atlas into Marrakech. Day seven offers
a full guided tour of Marrakech before the transfer back to Casablanca.
The two nights around Merzouga are what set this route apart from our shorter Casablanca tours. Rather
than treating the Sahara as a single overnight stop on a long drive, this itinerary gives the desert a full day
of its own, with time for a nomadic Berber family visit, the fossil mines, the Gnawa musicians of Khamlia
village, and the option of an afternoon of ATV quad biking across the dunes.
This is a fully private tour throughout, with a dedicated driver-guide and air-conditioned vehicle for all
seven days. It is the route we recommend most often for first-time visitors to Morocco who want to see the
country properly rather than skim the surface of it.
Chefchaouen, founded in 1471 in the Rif Mountains, is famous for its blue-washed medina. Volubilis is the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco, with mosaics still in place in many of its houses. At Merzouga, the Erg Chebbi dunes rise to around 150 meters, among the tallest in Morocco.
The best months for a full Morocco circuit are March to May and September to November, when both the cities and the desert are comfortable. Summer is hot inland and in the Sahara, and winter brings cold desert nights and snow in the mountains.
This private 7 day Morocco tour from Casablanca starts from $830 per person, based on two travelers sharing, and the price per person drops for larger groups. Every itinerary can be adjusted to your dates, pace and hotel preferences. Send us your dates on WhatsApp or through the enquiry form below for a free quote.
Comparing routes for a week? Read our guide to 7 days in Morocco, with two day-by-day itineraries and drive times.
• Private airport pickup in Casablanca and private drop-off at the end of the tour
• Private, air-conditioned vehicle and driver-guide for all seven days
• 6 nights accommodation in riads, hotels, and a luxury desert camp
• Daily breakfast and all meals at the Sahara Desert camp
• Licensed specialist local guides for Fes and Marrakech
• Sunset camel trek across the Erg Chebbi dunes
• Two nights in the Merzouga area: one in a luxury desert camp, one in a comfortable riad or hotel
• Private 4×4 vehicle and driver for the full-day Sahara exploration (nomadic family, fossil mines, Khamlia
village)
• Professional multilingual driver-guide throughout the journey
• All fuel, tolls, and transportation costs between destinations
• International flights to and from Morocco
• Entrance fees to monuments, museums, and sites
• Meals not mentioned in the itinerary, including all lunches
• Personal expenses, tips, and gratuities
• Travel insurance (highly recommended)
• Optional activities in Merzouga such as ATV quad biking, sandboarding, or 4×4 excursions, paid locally
Welcome to Morocco. Your adventure begins with a pickup from Casablanca Airport, where your Navigate
Morocco driver will be waiting to start your journey. The first stop is the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, one
of the largest mosques in Africa and an extraordinary piece of architectural ambition completed in 1993.
Built partly over the Atlantic Ocean, the mosque’s 210-meter minaret is the tallest religious structure in the
world, and it is one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors.
Continue north to Rabat, Morocco’s modern capital and one of its four imperial cities. Begin with the
Oudaya Kasbah, a beautifully preserved 17th-century fortified quarter with narrow blue and white painted
streets, Andalusian gardens, and panoramic views over the Atlantic coast. Continue to the Hassan Tower,
the imposing unfinished minaret of a 12th-century mosque, standing beside the Mausoleum of Mohammed
V, one of the most visited monuments in the country.
After lunch in Rabat, head south toward Chefchaouen, driving through the scenic Rif Mountains as the
road winds higher into the hills. Arrive in Chefchaouen in the late afternoon and check into your riad. Take
the evening to wander through the famous blue-washed medina at your own pace, where nearly every
wall, staircase, and doorway is painted in a different shade of blue, and the medina is at its most peaceful
after the day visitors have gone.
After breakfast in Chefchaouen, take a short morning walk through the medina before departing south
toward one of Morocco’s most remarkable historical sites. The drive from the Rif Mountains back down to
the plains passes through fertile farmland before reaching Volubilis, a sprawling Roman archaeological site
and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Once one of the most important Roman outposts in North Africa, Volubilis is preserved well enough that
visitors can walk through triumphal arches, along ancient streets, and over mosaic floors that have
survived nearly two thousand years beneath the Moroccan sun. Continue a short distance to Meknes, one
of Morocco’s four imperial cities, for a brief stop at the magnificent Bab Mansour gate, considered one of
the finest decorated gates in all of Morocco.
From Meknes, continue east to Fes, arriving in the late afternoon. Check into your traditional riad in the
heart of the old medina and enjoy a relaxed evening, preparing for a full day of exploration in one of the
world’s greatest medieval cities the following morning.
Today is entirely dedicated to Fes el-Bali, the ancient walled medina of Fes and one of the most complete
medieval cities anywhere in the world. With a knowledgeable local expert guide, spend the day walking
through a labyrinth of over nine thousand alleyways where the sounds, scents, and textures of medieval
Morocco are very much alive.
Visit Al-Qarawiyyin University, founded in 859 AD and recognized by UNESCO as the world’s oldest
continuously operating university, and the Bou Inania Madrasa, a stunning 14th-century theological school
featuring some of the finest examples of Moroccan decorative craftsmanship.
Head to the world-famous Chouara Tanneries, where leather has been dyed using natural pigments and
traditional methods for over a thousand years, best viewed from the rooftop terraces of the surrounding
leather shops. Spend the afternoon exploring the artisan quarters, where coppersmiths, weavers, and
ceramicists still practice their crafts, with free time to browse the souk before returning to your riad.
After breakfast, depart Fes and head south through the Middle Atlas Mountains. The first stop is Ifrane, a
charming alpine town with stone chalets, manicured parks, and cool mountain air that has earned it the
nickname the Switzerland of Morocco. Continue to the cedar forests around Azrou, where Atlas cedar
trees tower above the road and Barbary macaque monkeys roam freely among the branches, a species
found only in the Atlas Mountains and a small area of Algeria.
After a lunch stop in Midelt, famous across Morocco for its high-quality apples and traditional Berber
carpets, the road descends into the Ziz Valley, a stunning pre-Saharan oasis where thousands of date
palms line the banks of the Ziz River through a corridor of red rock cliffs and ancient kasbahs. Stop at the
panoramic viewpoint high above the valley for photographs before continuing south.
By late afternoon, the towering orange dunes of Erg Chebbi appear on the horizon. Your camels will be
waiting at the edge of the desert for a sunset trek across the golden sands, the dunes glowing in shades of
amber and rose as the sun descends. Arrive at your luxury desert camp to a warm welcome of mint tea
and Berber bread, followed by a traditional dinner and live Berber music around the campfire under a sky
full of stars.
First, rise before dawn to witness the Sahara sunrise, one of the most peaceful and unforgettable moments the desert offers. After breakfast at the camp, check out and transfer to your comfortable riad or hotel in Merzouga for the second night, this time with the full day free to explore the region properly rather than rushing on toward the next destination.
Because today’s stops lie off the paved road across open sand and rough desert tracks, the day is done in a private 4×4 vehicle with an experienced desert driver, rather than the standard touring car used on the rest of the trip.
Begin with a visit to a nomadic Berber family in their tent and gain a genuine insight into their quiet, self-sufficient way of life, learning about their traditions and daily routines in one of the most challenging environments on earth.
Continue to the fossil mines near Merzouga, where millions of years of prehistoric marine life are embedded in the local rock, before heading to Khamlia village, home to the descendants of sub-Saharan Africans brought to Morocco in the 16th and 17th centuries, who have preserved the ancient tradition of Gnawa music.
A live performance by local musicians here is one of the most memorable cultural encounters of the entire tour, and the 4×4 makes it possible to reach all three stops directly across the desert rather than backtracking to the paved road between each one.
Then, after lunch at a local restaurant, the afternoon is free for optional activities, with the 4×4 already on hand to reach the best dune areas. ATV quad biking across the Erg Chebbi dunes is the most popular choice, offering a thrilling way to experience the desert from a different perspective.
Sandboarding is also available at an additional cost paid locally. Return to your riad or hotel in the early evening for dinner and a second night in Merzouga, giving you a genuinely immersive Sahara experience rather than a single quick overnight.
After breakfast in Merzouga, say farewell to the desert and begin the journey west. Stop in Rissani, the
historic former capital of the Tafilalt region and the ancestral heartland of Morocco’s Alaouite royal dynasty,
where a market day visit reveals one of the most authentic trading scenes in southern Morocco.
Continue toward the Todra Gorge, a spectacular natural canyon carved by the Todra River through
limestone cliffs that rise over 300 meters on either side. At its narrowest, the canyon walls close in to just a
few meters wide, a favorite among rock climbers, hikers, and photographers. Take a refreshing walk along
the river through the gorge before continuing into the Dades Valley in the late afternoon.
Known for its winding roads, red rock formations, ancient kasbahs, and the famous Monkey Fingers rock
formations near Ait Oudinar, the Dades Valley offers one of the most scenic overnight stops on the route.
Check into your riad overlooking the valley for a peaceful evening.
After breakfast, depart the Dades Valley and continue west through the Valley of Roses toward
Ouarzazate, known as the Hollywood of Africa for the film productions shot in its dramatic desert scenery.
Visit Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Morocco’s most iconic fortified villages,
built entirely from earthen clay and rising dramatically from the riverbank.
After a stop to explore the kasbah, cross the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n’Tichka Pass, the highest
paved road in North Africa at approximately 2,260 meters above sea level, with sweeping views of
mountain peaks and Berber villages along the way. Descend into Marrakech by early evening.
Depending on your flight schedule, this final stretch can end either with an overnight in Marrakech and a
guided city tour the following morning, or with a direct transfer onward to Casablanca for your departure
the same evening. Either way, this brings your seven-day journey across Morocco’s imperial cities and the
Sahara Desert to a close, a route that has taken you from the Atlantic coast to the blue city, the medieval
medina, and the golden dunes and back again.
End of tour with Navigate Morocco
Q1: Is this a private tour?
Yes, this is a fully private tour operated exclusively for you and your travel companions by Navigate Morocco. You will have a dedicated vehicle and driver-guide throughout all seven days and will not share with any other group at any point during the journey.
Q2: Where does the tour start and end?
The tour starts and ends in Casablanca, with pickup and drop-off at Mohammed V Airport or your hotel arranged by Navigate Morocco at the time of booking.
Q3: Why does this tour include two nights in the Sahara instead of one?
Two nights in Merzouga gives you a genuinely immersive Sahara experience rather than a single rushed overnight. The first night in the luxury desert camp provides the classic sunset camel trek and campfire experience. However, the full day that follows allows proper exploration of the region, including a nomadic Berber family, the fossil mines, and Khamlia village, with the second night in a comfortable riad or hotel giving you full bathroom facilities after a day of activity.
Q4: What type of accommodation is included?
Accommodation is a mix of traditional riads in Chefchaouen, Fes, the Dades Valley, and Marrakech, a luxury desert camp for the first Sahara night, and a comfortable riad or hotel in Merzouga for the second. All accommodations are chosen for comfort, cleanliness, and authentic Moroccan character.
Q5: What meals are included?
Daily breakfast is included throughout the tour, along with dinner on both nights in the Merzouga area. Other dinners and all lunches are not included, giving you the freedom to explore local restaurants at your own pace.
Q6: Is the camel trek suitable for all travelers?
Yes, the sunset camel trek across the Erg Chebbi dunes is slow-paced and guided by experienced local handlers, suitable for travelers of all ages. Alternatively, a 4×4 transfer to the desert camp can be arranged if preferred.
Q7: Why is a 4×4 used on day five instead of the regular tour vehicle?
Because the nomadic family, fossil mines, and Khamlia village are reached by unpaved desert tracks and open sand rather than surfaced roads, day five is done in a private 4×4 with an experienced desert driver. Your standard touring vehicle and driver-guide resume the following morning for the drive out of Merzouga.
Q8: What optional activities are available in Merzouga?
On the afternoon of day five, optional activities include ATV quad biking across the Erg Chebbi dunes, sandboarding, and 4×4 desert excursions. These are available at an additional cost paid locally and can be arranged in advance with Navigate Morocco or on the day in Merzouga.
Q9: Are entrance fees included?
Entrance fees to monuments, kasbahs, and museums are not included in the tour price, allowing you to choose freely which sites you wish to enter.
Q10: Can the itinerary be customized?
Absolutely, Navigate Morocco offers fully flexible itineraries. Stops, pacing, accommodation preferences, and optional activities can all be adjusted to match your group’s interests and schedule.
Q11: What is the best time of year for this tour?
March to May and September to November are the best months, when temperatures are comfortable across all regions of the route. Meanwhile, summer can be very hot in the Sahara Desert and southern Morocco, while winter is cooler but still manageable with appropriate clothing, particularly in the mountains.
Q12: Do I need a visa to enter Morocco?
Visa requirements depend on your nationality. Many nationalities can enter Morocco visa-free for stays of up to 90 days, but it is always best to check with your local consulate or embassy before travel.
