8-Day Morocco Tour from Fes: Imperial Cities, Rabat & the Sahara
The full northern loop before the desert — Meknes and Volubilis, Rabat, Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque, and a full Marrakech sightseeing day, then south through the Sahara and back up to Fes.
Overview
The full northern loop before the desert — Meknes and Volubilis, Rabat, Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque, and a full Marrakech sightseeing day, then south through the Sahara and back up to Fes.
This is a 8 Days / 7 Nights private tour for your group only, starting with pickup from your accommodation in Fes and finishing in Marrakech. You travel in a private vehicle with driver-guide, so the pace, stops and photo breaks are set around you.
Gallery
Highlights
- ✓Roman ruins at Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes
- ✓Rabat's Kasbah of the Udayas and Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque
- ✓A full guided day in Marrakech — Jemaa el-Fna, Majorelle Garden, Bahia Palace
- ✓Cross the High Atlas via Tizi n'Tichka and visit Telouet Kasbah and Ait Ben Haddou
- ✓Camel trek and overnight camp in the Merzouga dunes
Day-by-day itinerary
Fes to Rabat via Meknes and Volubilis
We start in Meknes, an imperial city built up largely under Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century, and pass through the monumental Bab Mansour gate, known for its detailed zellige tilework and marble columns. From there it's a short drive to Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco — a once-thriving provincial capital with mosaic floors, standing columns, and a triumphal arch still visible today, roughly an hour to explore properly. We continue to Rabat, Morocco's capital, for the night.
Rabat to Marrakech via Casablanca
In Rabat we visit the Kasbah of the Udayas, a fortified old quarter overlooking the Atlantic with whitewashed-and-blue lanes and Andalusian-style gardens. We then drive to Casablanca to see the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world and one of the few in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors on a guided tour outside prayer times — its minaret is roughly 200 meters tall. From there we continue on to Marrakech.
Marrakech sightseeing
A full guided day covers Jemaa el-Fna, the city's central square that shifts from daytime market to evening food stalls and street performers; the Majorelle Garden, a landscaped botanical garden in vivid cobalt blue, once owned by Yves Saint Laurent; the Bahia Palace, a 19th-century palace known for its carved cedar ceilings and tiled courtyards; and the Saadian Tombs, a royal necropolis rediscovered in the 20th century after being sealed for decades.
Marrakech to Ouarzazate
We cross the High Atlas at the Tizi n'Tichka pass, a switchback mountain road above 2,000 meters with Berber villages and roadside stalls selling argan oil and local minerals along the way. We stop at Telouet Kasbah, the crumbling but still-striking former seat of the Glaoui family, once among the most powerful clans in southern Morocco, before continuing to Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed ksar used in numerous film productions, and arriving in Ouarzazate — nicknamed "the Hollywood of Morocco" — where we visit the Atlas Film Studios.
Ouarzazate to Dades Valley
We follow the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs" through the Valley of Roses around Kelaat M'Gouna, the center of Morocco's rose-water industry, stopping at the Taourirt Kasbah — a large 19th-century fortified residence built by the Glaoui family — before reaching the Dades Gorges, known for dramatic rock formations and a switchback valley road.
Dades Valley to Merzouga
We walk part of Todra Gorge, where canyon walls rise roughly 300 meters above the valley floor, then continue to Merzouga. By late afternoon camels take over for the roughly hour-long ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes, timed for sunset, followed by dinner and an overnight stay in a Berber-style desert camp — pack a warm layer, since nights get cold fast.
Merzouga to Midelt
An early climb for sunrise over the dunes, then we head back north through Erfoud, known for its fossil workshops, and the Ziz Valley's palm groves, reaching Midelt, a quiet market town, for the night.
Midelt to Fes
The final leg crosses the Middle Atlas through the Azrou cedar forest, where Barbary macaques are commonly seen roadside, with a stop in Ifrane — a hill town built in a European chalet style — before returning to Fes.
Want to change the pace or add a night?
Every tour is private and can be adjusted. Send us your dates and group size.
✓ Included
- ✓Pick-up in Fes and drop-off in Marrakech
- ✓Private trip — your group only
- ✓Private transportation in an air-conditioned, comfortable vehicle
- ✓Fuel and all vehicle expenses
- ✓Private English-speaking, well-experienced driver-guide for the whole trip
- ✓7 nights accommodation (hotels, riads, and desert camp)
- ✓1 night desert camp near Merzouga, including camel trek
- ✓Breakfast every morning at your hotel, riad or desert camp
- ✓4 dinners — 1 in Ouarzazate, 1 in the Dades Valley, 1 in Merzouga and 1 in Midelt
- ✓Guided sightseeing in Marrakech
- ✓Sandboarding at the desert camp (optional)
- ✓Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel or riad every day
✕ Not included
- ✕Lunches, and dinners in Rabat and Marrakech
- ✕Entrance fees to mosques, palaces, and monuments
- ✕Tips and personal expenses
- ✕Travel insurance
Route map
Frequently asked questions
Can non-Muslim visitors go inside the Hassan II Mosque?
Yes — it's one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors, with guided tours run outside prayer times.
Does this loop back to Fes, or end in Marrakech?
This itinerary loops back to Fes; if you'd rather end in Marrakech, our shorter Fes-to-Marrakech desert tours are built for that instead.
Is this a private tour?
Yes, fully private — your own vehicle and driver-guide across all 8 days and every city on the loop.
How long are the driving days on this route?
Day 1 (Fes to Rabat via Meknes and Volubilis) and day 4 (Marrakech to Ouarzazate over the Tizi n'Tichka) are the longest. Day 3 in Marrakech has no driving, and the desert days are broken up with stops at Todra Gorge and the Dades Valley.
Is a local guide included at each stop?
Yes — the driver-guide leads sightseeing throughout, including the full guided day in Marrakech and the mosque and kasbah visits; a specialist local guide joins for the Hassan II Mosque tour itself.
Is the camel trek and desert camp included?
Yes — one night at a Berber-style desert camp near Merzouga with a sunset camel trek in is included on day 6.
Is this trip suitable for older travelers or families?
It's a full 8 days covering a lot of ground, so the main things to consider are stamina for several consecutive travel days and comfort with the varied terrain — mosque courtyards, kasbah stairs, and desert sand. Mention ages or mobility needs when booking.
What should we pack for a route through cities, mountains, and desert?
Layers for the range from coastal Rabat and Casablanca to the cold desert nights, modest clothing for the Hassan II Mosque visit, and comfortable shoes for Volubilis, Ait Ben Haddou, and the gorges.
Are entrance fees to Volubilis and other sites included?
No — entrance fees to mosques, palaces, and monuments are excluded throughout and paid on-site.
Customize your journey with Through Morocco
Want to add a day, skip a stop, or travel at a different pace? This itinerary is a starting point — tell us what you have in mind and we'll adjust the route.
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7-Day Fes to Marrakech Tour: Medina, Sahara & Kasbahs
A one-way route from Fes to Marrakech that swaps backtracking for forward motion — Middle Atlas cedar forests, a night in the Merzouga dunes, and the kasbah road south, ending in Marrakech.
- Guided walk through the Fes medina and tanneries
- Drive the Middle Atlas cedar forests toward the desert
- Camel trek and overnight camp in the Merzouga dunes
- Cross the Dades Gorge and Tizi n'Tichka pass
6-Day Desert Tour from Fes to Marrakech
A slower Fes-to-Marrakech desert route with a genuine rest day in Midelt built into the drive south, plus a full day exploring around Merzouga before the Dades Valley and Ait Ben Haddou.
- Middle Atlas cedar forest and Barbary macaques near Azrou
- A full day in Merzouga — Khamlia village, Gnawa music, and a nomadic family visit
- Walk Todra Gorge's 300-meter canyon walls
- Drive the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs" through the Dades Valley
4-Day Desert Tour from Fes to Marrakech
The Fes-to-Marrakech desert crossing with an extra day built around Merzouga — Barbary macaques in the Azrou cedar forest, a full day in the dunes, and Ait Ben Haddou on the way in.
- Spot Barbary macaques in the Azrou cedar forest
- Camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes for an overnight camp
- A full day around Merzouga — Khamlia village and a nomadic family visit
- Walk Todra Gorge and drive the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs"
10-Day Morocco Tour from Fes: Sahara, Marrakech & Rabat
A full loop out of Fes — a day in the medina to start, the Sahara and the kasbah road, Marrakech, Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque, and Rabat, back to Fes in ten days.
- A full day in Fes's UNESCO medina before the road trip begins
- Camel trek and overnight camp in the Merzouga dunes
- Walk Todra Gorge and drive the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs" to Ait Ben Haddou
- A full day in Marrakech — Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, and the Koutoubia