Morocco on the road. A 10-day epic itinerary

Last Updated on March 20, 2024 by

Morocco is per excellence one of the most diverse lands I have ever explored. From bustling cities, filled with vibrant markets and historical value, to majestic golden dunes that stretch as far as the eye can see. The landscapes of Morocco are a captivating tapestry of beauty and wonder. Journeying through this enchanting country, one can discover lush forests and hidden oases, tucked away in the folds of spectacular high canyons. Morocco truly embodies the essence of diversity, with each corner offering a unique treasure waiting to be uncovered. In this blog, you will discover a Morocco 10-day itinerary easy to follow for your next travel adventure.

There is a specific time of the year when my husband and I decide our summer destination. This usually happens between February and March and is partially influenced by the cost of the flights and partially by our bucket list. The finalists for this summer were Croatia and Morocco. However, as much as I wanted to swim in the Dubrovnik coast, my heart was already dreaming of hidden riads, tasty tagines, and moonlit desert nights. Morocco was a clear winner for both of us and, since that moment, my trip started taking shape. Months of planning every second of our 10-day Moroccan adventure resulted in an extraordinary seamless trip. I am here to share the results of my planning to help you with your own adventure! So read below and enjoy this fantastic country.

Morocco at a glance

Morocco (officially The Kingdom of Morocco) is a land of strong contrasts both in its landscapes and society. A place where strong spiritual and familial traditions embrace a contemporary world of material appearance, luxury, and mundanity. I found it quite interesting to see how these two worlds mixed together in the chaotic streets of the medinas. Morocco is a country with a long and interesting history, of which evidence is still well visible in its unique architecture and urban development.

Located in the Maghreb region of North Africa, Morocco overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. This makes possible the region is affected by different types of microclimates that goes from Sub-Mediterranean, to Alpine to Arid.

Morocco is the fifth largest economy in Africa and tourism plays a strong role in its economy. Indeed, moroccan culture is at the centre of its tourist promotion and attract visitors from all over the world.

The main currency is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD) and the cost of life is relatively inexpensive compared to European countries. Most tourist tend to stay a week or 10 days but with an increase in low-cost flights, particularly from Ryanair, shorter trips are becoming more popular. Especially in Marrakech.

Planning a trip to Morocco. What you need to know

Morocco is a relatively easy country to get around if you get proper information before your trip. Indeed, public transport is great, roads are in excellent condition, and there’s so much choice of places to visit. It’s actually hard to choose an itinerary!

Getting to Morocco

If you are traveling from the UK, there are flights connecting with Marrakech, Fes, Tangier, Casablanca and Rabat. During summer also the Agadir connection is live. Flights are mainly provided by Easyjet, Ryanair and a few from British Airways. Prices vary according to the season with very reasonable prices in low season (50-100 £ one way). For our particular case, we got to Morocco from Italy (Milan). This because we left our two little ones with their grandparents in Sicily.

Getting around Morocco

If you are planning a Morocco vacation, getting around is fairly simple. Most big cities are connected by high-speed trains and the public transport works pretty well to reach almost every touristy spot on the map. However, if you want to get a little bit of more flexibility and speed, rent a car is the most cost-effective way of visiting the country.

Travel in Morocco by train

Train travel in Morocco is fast, efficient and safe. We personally used the train in Casablanca (although for a very short trip) and we found it cheap and reliable. High-speed trains connect Marrakech to Casablanca, Fes, Rabat and Tangier. ONCF is the main company running the high-speed trains in Morocco and tickets can be booked online here. Unfortunately, the website is only in French so it may be difficult to use for some users.

I had both booked a ticket online and try to buy it from a ticket machine in Casablanca. Unfortunately, we discovered that the ticket machine didn’t accept any of our credit cards. We still not sure why. Ticket counter didn’t have any problem with this and also online we bought the tickets without problems.

Travel in Morocco by bus

Despite many cities in Morocco are well connected by train, smaller centres and difficult to reach places still rely on the efficient bus network. There are two main companies providing long-range bus trips in Morocco. These are CTM and Supratours. CTM is the national company in Morocco, they provide newer and reliable buses with routes all around the country. The only downside is that they don’t have multiple departure times for certain destinations (e.g. for Essaouira), therefore if a slot is complete you should check different providers.

Soupratours is managed by ONCF and the tickets can be bought from the same website. Conversely to CTM they have multiple departures for certain destinations and their bus stations are generally closer to the city centre/medina than CTM.

Other smaller companies, like Satas, provide services for more remote places but unfortunately they don’t have the best reputation. Althought, I can’t personally confirm as I didn’t try them.

Travel in Morocco by taxi

Travel by taxi in Morocco is a thing! We saw taxis everywhere, even in the most remote areas of the High Atlas! Indeed, Morocco has essentially two type of taxis. Petit Taxis are the “regular” city taxi going only reasonable distances. One of the thing you will notice if you get a little bit around Morocco is that those taxis have different colours according to the city. For example they were Ochre in Marrakech, Blue in Essaouria and Red in Fes. We used a couple of Petit Taxi to get out of the Medina in Marrakech. Unfortunately, no one of the drivers wanted to turn on the meter, so we established a fair price before getting on the taxi. This was never more than 100 MAD.

The second type of taxi are the Grand Taxis. These vehicles usually travel long distances and can take you to another city or village that can’t normally be reached by a petit taxi. The norm wants that these taxis are shared, but you can ask the driver to not share the taxi with anyone. Although this might cost you a surcharge fee. Until a couple of years ago, Grand Taxis were only vintage Mercedes-Benz W123. However, newer taxis are gradually replacing those old cars with modern air-conditioned vehicles (mostly Dacia Lodgy). You’ll see them around a lot as most of them are white mini-van vehicles. We used a grand taxi only once going from Casablanca to the airport (35 mins away). We paid in total 300 MAD and it was a very early morning ride (5 am).

Travel in Morocco by car

Differently from our trip to Jordan, our road trip to Morocco road trip itinerary was very smooth (except one misfortunate flat tyre). I think that Morocco is one of the best places for a road trip as most roads are well-kept, the scenery is truly stunning and there’s no way you might end up without food or fuel as any road have plenty of stops for drivers. Most cities are also equipped with motorways, which is a great advantage for saving some time.

We personally rented the car with Avis in Marrakech Downtown. We highly recommend this agency. Very professional, zero attempt to scam, zero push for buying additional products. We always buy the additional insurance for our personal peace of mind (and it’s always worthy!). The guy inspected with us every single centimetre of the car and allowed us to take videos of everything. Most importantly, Avis is one of the few agencies allowing to pick-up the car in one place and return it to a different city (with just a £25 surcharge!). Indeed, we picked-up the car in Marrakech and left it in Casablanca.

For a 10-day road trip expect to pay around £500 for rental and insurance in mid-low season.

Do I need an international driving licence to drive in Morocco?

If you are coming from Europe/UK, an international driving licence is not strictly necessary. Technically they could ask for it but apparently no one does. We did it one in the UK, just because it’s quite cheap to do it but when we asked at Avis, they said it wasn’t necessary.

Of course, if you arrive from the US legislations might be different and this could be needed. Check this in advance before booking your rental car.

Best season to visit Morocco

Morocco is considered by many a year-round destination. However, if one wants to avoid the scorching summers or extremely cold winters, the best periods to visit are between September-November and March-early May. We personally visited in mid-June and, if you can’t bear the heat, I won’t recommend it! Indeed, coastal cities were fresh and windy, but we still remember the 45 degrees in Fes as one of our “it’s really too hot” moments. Overall, despite the warm, humid weather, we loved it and can’t really imagine getting around there in the winter.

How many days should I stay in Morocco?

When I discussed the length of my trip with one Moroccan guy in Chefchaouen, he looked at me like “what are you talking about?”. Indeed, for him, 10 days were not even enough to scratch the surface of Morocco’s diversity. Begrudgingly, I agreed with him. Unlike Jordan, which is relatively easy to do in a small amount of time, Morocco is vast. The lengthy distances to cover make it also very challenging to condense everything in a short space of time.

Therefore, at one point in your planning, you will have to make a choice. Whether it is Agafay versus Merzouga or Tangier versus Chefchaouen, if you have just 10 days, or worse, a week in Morocco, something will be left out. So, from our experience, I can honestly tell you that in 10 days you can cover many (famous) and amazing places, but there will always be something you will renounce. Maybe two weeks is a slightly more relaxed choice in term of time, if you can plan for this.

My best suggestion is (especially if you don’t want to drive), if you have a short time to spend in Morocco, focus on a small part and make the best of it.

Do I need a Visa to visit Morocco?

Depends where you are coming from. Currently, citizen of EU, UK, Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada do not need a visa to enter Morocco. Indeed, you can do the 90-days visa on arrival once you arrive at the airport. This is free of charge. So, if anyone is asking any money for it, it’s a scam.

Note you might need to show a return ticket on your arrival (at least that’s what they asked us).

For all those countries that need a visa, they can request this online at the Moroccan Consulate.

Best sim card to get around Morocco

Before jumping on the first sim stand at the airport, tailor your sim choice to your actual itinerary need. Indeed, we’ve been informed that not all the Moroccan phone operators have a good 4G coverage. Therefore, if you are planning to travelling extensively by car, particularly in desert or remote areas, a good 4G cover is vital.

There are 3 main sim companies you will find at the airport: Orange, Inwi and Telecom. We found out that Orange (which usually is my favourite) had the least 4G coverage in Morocco. Therefore, we ventured straight to the Inwi stand.

We bought each a 20 giga sim with unlimited phone minutes at the cost of 200 MAD (roughly 20 euro). This was more than enough to get around Morocco for 10 days and do all our social media updates as well. However, remember, when possible, to use your accommodation wi-fi to save-up some giga!

What to wear in Morocco

Morocco is a Muslim country and it is essential to be respectful of the local culture and sensibilities when traveling around. This means, particularly for women, avoiding shorts, crop tops, and inappropriate attire in most settings, such as religious and historical buildings, rural areas, etc. Although Morocco is somewhat more open to touristy habits than other Muslim countries, it is good practice to be respectful of the local culture even when there are 45 degrees!

The best thing to do is using layers and breathable fabrics like cotton and linen. If you are a woman, always having a light jacket or a large scarf with you will ensure you are ready for any occasion. I personally wore long skirts, long dresses, and t-shirts. In case I had my shoulders uncovered, I always had a light jacket with me.

You can dress how you want in your hotel, hotel swimming pools, and in many famous restaurants. Cities like Marrakech and Casablanca tend to be more open to touristy attire, but I found Fes a little bit more conservative.

Scams in Morocco

Not very proud to say this but, I was kinda terrified of visiting Morocco. Partially because of our kinda scam experience we had with the car in Jordan. Partially because of all the horror stories I heard from fellow travellers, on the web, podcasts, and everywhere I looked at. Not sure if we were particularly lucky, or these scams simply don’t exist but we just didn’t have most of the problems you would expect reading the web.

To make you aware of the possible scams you can potentially encounter, I made a little list here. This comes from my previous research on what to expect in Morocco when going around alone. I would like to highlight that I don’t know if Dr Internet is just exaggerated, but we didn’t encounter most of these scams or, at least, the most obvious ones were easily avoidable with good common sense. This doesn’t mean you should travel light and free but just keep in mind that, if you do proper research, most of them won’t happen or you can easily avoid them.

The “Your passport is ruined, I can’t give you the visa”

One of the first scam I heard about was just at the airport. Exactly at the passport checks for the visa. Apparently a few fellow travellers said some police men like to insinuate your passport has something wrong so you can’t access the country. However, if you pay some money the situation can easily change.

MY EXPERIENCE: I think this scam is not really true. Not sure which airport these people travelled, but in Marrakech all the police checks were super professional. Everything was very smooth. Of course, you will be asked about your itinerary but that’s standard procedure.

The “I need to search your luggage”

Also this scam apparently happens at the airport. Indeed, in order to get out of the airport, you have to pass the luggage to further scan. Here the “person in charge” will notice something wrong with your belongings and take you somewhere to inspect the luggage. Apparently there are two versions of the scam. The first, see the guy “finding something” (clearly not yours) in your luggage and wants money to avoid to report you to the police. The second, see another person involved taking you somewhere to check your passport and the first one stealing your belongings from the luggage.

MY EXPERIENCE: also here, the plot looks a bit too elaborate to be true. The guys who were checking the luggage to go out of the airport looked pretty relaxed and I think they genuinely tried to move the queue quickly instead of trying to scam people. I didn’t see anyone questioned or separated from his belongings. So, not really think this scam is true. At least not in Marrakech or Casablanca (were we traveled).

The Police Man and your “bad” road behaviour

Moroccan roads are heavily checked by police. Checks may be in person or by electronic speed cameras. A very large number of people reported to be stopped by the police with the most diverse accuses. From speed driving, to inappropriate lighting etc. The consequence was to be threatened to jail/seizure of the driving licence, heavy charges. The solution is usually just one. Paying the Police Man a bribe to avoid those accuses.

MY EXPERIENCE: first thing first. Moroccan urban roads (not motorway) have very low speed limits. With very low, I mean between 20 and 60 kmph (with some rare 80 kmph). Police checks are most of the time before entering inhabited areas or at dangerous intersections where people should NOT speed for any reason. I can’t even tell you how many people I saw speeding at those limits. Including a lot of tourists, of course the Police was right behind them, ready with a fine.

We’ve been personally stopped 2 times for a general check. No one asked us anything apart our driving documents and if we were enjoying Morocco. Our speed was within the limits so there was no need for any fee. Not at any point any Police man asked us any money. So I have my doubt to believe 100% to this scam. Probably it may happen, but I also think that many people infringe those limits and this cause them to be stopped frequently to be legitimately fined.

The fake guide

Fake guides are almost everywhere in Morocco. Even when you least expect there is someone ready to offer its own precious knowledge for a not indifferent amount of money. Some of these fake guides are so part of the “background” you don’t even realise you are falling in their scam and sometimes it’s too late. In Marrakech most of these fake guides are around Jemaa el-Fnaa square. Around Fes, they are more focused in the Chouara tannery area. In Chefchaouen, they are at every photogenic spot. Most of them goes away after a few “No, shukran“. Some of them are quite insisting and need a major effort.

100% of these guides are fake. No one is authorised. This because authorised guides don’t need to get around to bring on board people and always wear a professional badge. So, just ignore any of them and continue your tour.

My Experience

We almost fell for one of those scam without even realising it! I am not proud of this, but it was quite well-organised. This happened at the Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate. When we bought our tickets from the ticket office, there was a guy wearing a (what I was thinking was) an official badge from the place. He marked our ticket and showed us the main entrance courtyard saying “you have to start your visit here, just wait your turn to enter”. He was so kind and smiling, so we were stupidly waiting in the main courtyard of the kasbah.

A well organised plot!

He returned in a few moments later and started talking to us about the family who lived in the Kasbah, what was the use of that courtyard, where we came from etc. He was nice, but something didn’t sound right to me. I started looking better at the courtyard and I didn’t see any door or corridor going INSIDE the kasbah. So, I immediately realised he was taking time for something and started sending eye signals to my husband who was probably thinking the same thing. Indeed, after a few minutes, the guy started saying the Kasbah was a labyrinth and “two foreign alone” weren’t able to get around without his help. His kind help would cost us 400 MAD per person. A nice 75£ (to note the entrance to the Kasbah was in total 40 MAD -less than 5 euro).

We kindly refused but he became a little aggressive, telling us we were clearly “unable to understand what we were seeing”. To him we were just two stupid tourists. At this point, I became quite annoyed. I didn’t want to be rude and tell him that I probably knew the Kasbah better than him giving my academic background, but his insinuation about our intelligence costed him a possible tip I would have give him for his initial kindness and explanation. And, as he continued to curse us until we left for the actual entrance, I sent him kindly to f*** off.

The “square is this way”

Whether you are getting around Marrakech, Fes or Chefchaouen there will always be someone ready to tell you that you are going in the wrong direction (even if they clearly don’t know where you are going!). Indeed, someone will tell you “hey, you are on the wrong road, the square is this way” or “this street is closed and you can go this way”. This is probably one of the scams that happen the most.

Of course we never fell for it, but a large number of people stopped us (particularly in Fes) trying to get us into other directions. As far as I know, if you accept their suggestion, the will offer you to take you the right way. However, this won’t be the right way but an isolated street where they will ask you for money. Of course, I am not sure this really happens. What I am sure is that a lot of people will approach you with this excuse. So whether they want to bring you to the actual square or isolating you from the crowd, the result will be always the same. They want money from you. So, just to be safe. Don’t follow anyone, anywhere.

Does Google maps work in the Morocco’s medinas?

Yes and No. I would say that in the Marrakech Medina, Google Maps works better than in Fes. However, there is always a difference of a couple of meters when searching for a landmark. The good news is that we never got lost and always reached the right place. Marrakech is really easygoing. Google Maps can take you almost everywhere without any problems.

In Fes, Google Maps works at 80% I would say. Indeed, the Fes medina is much more complicated than what the app knows, and it’s better to follow the general direction rather than the specific one. Indeed, you may find the app telling you to turn right at one point, but there is a shop or a closed alley that hasn’t been counted. When this happens, don’t look lost (otherwise the first scammer around will approach you to give you directions). Continue to follow as much as possible the compass direction until your map readjusts to your current position.

If you enter too deep into the Fes medina, the map won’t work at all. Indeed, the intricate jungle pattern of the medina’s alleys is impossible for Google to decipher (by now). For this reason, it’s better to pinpoint your landmarks in advance and follow the compass direction to the landmark.

Chefchaouen medina, despite small ,was similar to Fes in terms of directions. Indeed, the map was working but with a defect of a couple of metres (sometimes more).

Tip for Navigating the Moroccan medinas

For a smoother experience, use Google My Maps to save all the attractions, landmarks, and restaurants you would like to visit and download it offline to your phone before your trip. This will save you a lot of time once there and will help you to not get (too) lost even when there is no signal.

Can I drink tap water in Morocco?

The most honest answer to this question is NO. Despite there are plans to implement potable water, particularly in Marrakech. However, drinking tap water is not currently advisable unless your hotel has a specific filter for drinking water. As we did in Egypt and Jordan and also in India we drank only bottled water. This is, of course, available at all shops and restaurants and your riad/hotel will likely provide some free bottles for you on arrival. The main bottled water provider in Morocco is called “Sidi Ali,” you’ll see this water brand everywhere. It’s safe to drink and cheap to buy.

Can I brush my teeth with tap water in Morocco?

As long as you don’t drink it, the reply is yes. We didn’t have any issue with this. Although in the Sahara the water coming from the tap didn’t have a nice smell so we opted to use our bottled water even for brushing our teeth.

Morocco 10 day itinerary

Day 1-3 – Marrakech

Despite not being the capital, Marrakech is probably the most famous city in Morocco. I know many people who have been here before me, and I heard from them the most different opinions. Who loved it, who completely hated it! So I wasn’t sure what to think about it. However, after 3 intense days spent in Marrakech, I admit I’m in the “love it” team. Indeed, Marrakech is vibrant, happy, full of energy, and with tons of things to do. I can easily say that you can stay even a week without getting bored as there are lots of opportunities for leisure and relaxation.

I admit that 3 days feel a little rushed (particularly for people like me who stop to take 10,000 pictures). However, we wanted to experience as much as possible in Morocco so we made a list of Moroccan cities to explore in 10 days and we did our best to see the best highlights in each of them. If you want to know more, here you can find 10 most unique things you can do in Marrakech.

What to see in Marrakech in 3 days

If you have enough time to plan your visits according to different areas of the city, this will help you to save a little time as there is a lot to walk. Indeed, you should remember that cars are not allowed in the medina! Of course, it’s easy to start your visit from the attractions closer to your riad/hotel. We arrived in Marrakech very early in the morning. So, by 10 am we were already roaming around!

Day 1

On our first day, we wanted just to have a sense of the city and relax. So we started with a visit to the oldest monument in Marrakech, the Almoravid Koubba. Did a nice walk to the Secret Garden and explored different souks. We stopped for lunch at NOMAD, relaxed a little bit at our riad in the afternoon and then head to the spa for a 2 hours hammam and massage. For this we chose Les Bains de Marrakech, which is one of the few hammams doing couple treatments. We ended up our day with a candlelit dinner at the lovely Le Jardin.

Day 2

Our second day in Marrakech started very early. Indeed, we got picked up at 5 am and headed to Palmeriae for an exciting hot hair balloon flight. For this, we chose Ciel d’Afrique. A leading company in Morocco for balloon flights. It was an amazing experience and we really recommend it! If you want to plan a hot air balloon flight, you can read my detailed guide here.

We returned back in Marrakech around 9.30 am, ready for another day of exploration. We started at the stunning Badi Palace followed by the Saadian Tombs and Bahia Palace.

Our lunch stop today was at L’Mida and I could not recommend this place more!I loved their Berber Gnocchi! Our afternoon was a little more relaxed as we headed to Dar Bacha Museum to have a coffee at the incredible Bacha Coffee. Try to not make many plans when you visit this place as the queue to accede the cafe are pretty long and you can’t wait outside. Indeed, we waited about 1,5h before they called us! So we lost pretty much the whole afternoon. We ended up our night enjoying the view of Jemaa el-Fna from the balcony of Le Grand balcon du café glacier with a warm mint tea. The service is really terrible, but the view on the square is fantastic!

Day 3

Our last day in Marrakech was dedicated to exploring the lovely Ibn Youssef School, getting around more souks and visiting the stunning Koutoubia Mosque and its gardens. In the afternoon we visited the beautiful Jardin Majorelle. For our last dinner in Marrakech we chose the scenic La Trattoria. It’s located out of the medina but it’s well worth a visit.

Day 4 – Essaouira

Essaouira was the first stop on our Morocco road trip! It’s located at about 2 hours and 44 mins from Marrakech and it’s a very smooth trip. If you don’t have a car, you can easily go to Essaouira by bus with Supratours. If you are driving, yo can park your car for free at the public parking near Sqala du Port. Make sure to arrive early if visiting during summer because this parking is used also to access the public beach in Essaouira.

Essaouira is a much more relaxed destination compared to Marrakech. The medina is smaller, there are fewer attractions with less tourists. We found it very pleasant to walk there and discover many photogenic corners. Being located on the coast, Essaouira is always quite windy. This made her famous as “the wind city”. I really enjoyed our time in Essouira as we focused more on walking randomly around with just two “must do” visits on our itinerary. One, of course, was the famous Sqala du Port. Here the bastions dominate the scene and you feel like in Game of Thrones. The second one, was the Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah Museum. This, in addition to be located in a beautiful historical palace, has an interesting collection of objects, art crafts and carpets from the region.

Our lunch stop was at Mandala Society. I really loved their brunch boards! Later in the day we stopped for a drink at the photogenic Salut Maroc which has one of the best terrace in the city. We returned late night in Marrakech but not to late to enjoy a sweet treat at Cafe’ des Epices.

Make sure you read this blog post for a perfect day trip to Essaouira.

Day 5 – Ait Benhaddou/Ouarzazate

The road from Marrakech to Ouarzazate is one of the most scenic drives you can experience in Morocco. With breathtaking views of high red canyons filled with lush green forests, sandy castles perched on cliffs and crazy winding roads, this drive left me speechless most of the time. I feel like I spent at least 2/3 of the trip hanging out of the car window with my camera ready to shot at every berber village we passed by.

Ouarzazate is far 3 hours and 40 mins from Marrakech and can be your final destination or (as we did) a stop on the way. In fact, we decided that instead of staying in Ouarzazate (as 99% of the tourists do) or opt for a day trip, we preferred to book an overnight stay in Ait Benhaddou. We later discovered we (unconsciously) booked the entire set of Game of Thrones for an overnight stay, but this story requires a different blog post I will write soon! Watch this space!

This well-planned overnight stop allowed me to complete my “mission Kasbah” aka my objective of visiting as many Kasbahs as possible in the region. Indeed, Ait Benhaddou is located on a very favourable location for this type of exploration.

The best road trip stops to do from Marrakech to Ouarzazate

As I said before, the drive from Marrakech to Ouarzazate is among the most amazing road trips I ever done. There are several stops you can plan along the way but these below are the ones we did. Our first stop was, of course, the most scenic view points of the whole Morocco. The Tizi n’Tichka pass. This is the halfway from Marrakech to Ouarzazate and cut through the Atlas Mountains through a very winding and dangerous route. Do not confuse this with the Dades Gorges which is located closer to the Sahara (further stop, but a day later on this trip!). Our second stop was Kasbah Telouet. A dilapidated Kasabah with spectacular unexpected rooms.

Ait Ben Haddou was our overnight stop. Here the spectacular Kasbah Tebi, allowed us to visit the UNESCO village when all the tourists were gone and have this spectacular Game of Thrones location all for us! In Ouarzazate we stopped at two different Kasbah. Kasbah Tifoultoute and Taourirt Kasbah. The latter is the largest kasbah in Morocco and an incredible maze of rooms and secret passages that look straight out of a Tomb Raider game!

Our last stop of this tour was Kasbah Amridil. A famous sand castle that used to be on the 50 MAD notes and it’s still perfectly preserved.

Make sure to read this post if you want to plan a detailed itinerary in the Road of a Thousands Kasbahs.

Day 6 – Sahara Desert

The drive from Ouarzazate to the Sahara Desert, more precisely to the village of Merzouga is quite a long stretch. Indeed, it will take 5-6 hours to reach Merzouga and the landscape will start becoming a little monotonous after the oasis of Tinghir.

Indeed, the closest you’ll be to the desert, the “emptier” will be the landscape until suddenly you’ll start to see the dunes. Probably among the highest you’ll ever seen. But before we get there, let me recap a second!

Stopping at Todra Gorge

We left Kasbah Tebi soon after breakfast and we stopped at Kasbah Armidil (that is along the way) for a brief visit. If you are brave, you can drive all the way down the Sahara but with a temperature of about 40 degrees, we didn’t feel that brave. So we planned a stop at Todra and Toghda gorges to break our drive. I feel that both gorges have some Jordan vibes but lack the fascination and beauty of the Jordanian country. Indeed, they are a bit over-touristy and I wouldn’t plan a specific visit there (unless it’s for a brief stopover). The Dades Gorge viewpoint, however, is well worth a stop!

Our Sahara adventure

I reflected a lot whether to stay in a camp or hotel in the Sahara. I had the strong temptation of staying in a camp but couldn’t find any of them that screamed “I am special! Stay here!”. Moreover, having been in desert camps a year after an other in the past 4 years I felt like it was time to have a comfortable desert stay. So, I opted for a hotel and I am very glad I did. Our hotel was pretty cool as it had a nice swimming pool with with a very close view on the dunes. As we arrived pretty late (around 5 pm) I didn’t feel to venture on the desert in that warm (am I becoming old???) and spending the afternoon by the pool was too tempting after that long drive.

So we did exactly this. Staying by the pool the whole afternoon, having an amazing dinner and be ready for a sunrise mission. Indeed, we didn’t get till there to watch the dunes from the pool but we booked a sunrise camel ride for the day after.

At 4 am my alarm started to ring and I wanted to break my phone as I was feeling a bit tired from the trip. BUT a camel was waiting for me somewhere out of the hotel so I needed to wake-up.

Booking a camel ride in the Sahara. All you need to know.

As you know, I am not a big fan of riding animals and before going on this tour, I wanted to be sure the camels were fairly treated and no abuse was going on in order to carry us somewhere.

To be sure no mistreatment is going on, you must check a few things. First, ensure that your tour does not exceed one hour. Although it would take more than an hour to walk to the dunes from our hotel, the camel ride lasted a total of 45 minutes round trip. Second, the camels should have an adequate resting period after carrying you or other passengers. Our camels rested for about an hour and a half after dropping us off in the dunes. Third, the camels should not display any signs of mistreatment on their bodies (such as lashes on their neck or legs).

This would indicate that they were domesticated through force. Fortunately, our camels were incredibly gentle! The guide would lightly pat them to make them go up or down. I had never seen anything like this before. He also advised us to gently pat them on the head to soothe them and introduce ourselves. Lastly, we learned from the guide who accompanied us with the camels that they cannot climb high dunes. It is very painful for them to carry people up steep dunes as they struggle to balance their weight and are at risk of falling and injuring themselves.

I never knew this! Indeed, we stopped at some lower dunes, than we “parked” the camels and proceeded on foot.

Sunrise in the Sahara

Climbing the steep dunes is not a joke! It’s all leg work, and doing this in the dark and at 5.30 in the morning didn’t sound like my best idea. However, after we reached the top of a dune and sat in the dark, I started realising my surroundings: infinite sand dunes stretching as far as the horizon and all around us, absolute silence, and only a light wind blowing through the sand. As the first lights of the morning started to appear, every inch of black sand became like pure gold. I don’t know why but the Aladdin Disney’s intro started in my head and there wasn’t any way to stop it as I genuinely tough a Cave of Wonders could appear at any moment asking us for the Diamond in the Rough.

The best thing is that it was just us (and our guide) and seeing the sunrise from the dunes was better than I ever imagined. My husband even said this was so epic that we could even finish our trip there. Of course, we didn’t.

Day 7-8 Fes

The drive from Merzouga to Fes was the longest we did in this Morocco road trip. 7+ hours on the road with no sightseeing planned. Indeed, we did only one stop for lunch. This because the length of the drive is so long that one can’t afford stopping and losing precious time. Indeed, we didn’t want to arrive in Fes at night with the risk of getting lost in the medina on our first day. We comfortably arrived in Fes around 6 pm. If you are driving, of course you can’t park in the medina. So we left the car in a underground parking and our riad, sent us someone to picking-us and guide us through the maze of the Fes medina.

Where to stay in Fes

I want to dedicate a little paragraph about where to stay in Fes because I found out that compared to Marrakech, the place where you stay overnight here has much more importance. Indeed, the Fes medina is twice as difficult to navigate compared to the one in Marrakech. There are no signs to get around, Google maps doesn’t work well and the medina at night is pretty sketchy to navigate. Therefore, you don’t want to find yourself getting out of a restaurant and no longer find your place back, or worse, ending up in a dark alley with not-very recommended companies. I believe the safer options here are two. Getting a place out of the medina. Maybe a big chain hotel with several restaurants where you can hang out at night. Or, stay in the medina but ensure your place serves dinner or is located on a well-posted position.

We opted for the second option. Indeed, I wanted to prioritise my need of staying in a historical location but at the same time I didn’t want to get around Fes at night. For this reason we picked-up Riad Idrissy. Indeed, this place is famous for its restaurant, The Ruined Garden, and not many people know they have also a guesthouse! It was a perfect combination. I admit that coming back at this riad after a long day around Fes was very refreshing!

A city with an old soul. What to see in Fes in 2 days

2 days in Fes will grant you to see most attractions. However, to get a better understanding of the city, 3-4 days would be ideal. To get around in Fes, I definitely recommend you hire a guide. The medina is a complicated maze of alleys, under passages and dark corners that might be difficult to navigate, particularly for inexperienced travellers. Moreover, Fes has such an intricate and important history that a guide will make your tour a valuable choice. Unfortunately, we didn’t get lucky with this (my bad). I was so busy with work that I thought of searching a guide a little last minute. In addition, we were happening to travel in Fes on a Friday and this is a rest day for Muslims. So, these two combinations were not favourable and no (authorised) guides were available! Don’t do our same mistake here, book in advance!

Nevertheless, I had already a planned itinerary and everything went according to the plan. On our first day we didn’t do much. It was Friday so most places were not open, so we did a lovely tour or the souks and got a sense of the Medina. Had a lunch at Cafe’ Clock and relaxed in the afternoon at our riad.

Visit the Fes Tanneries

Our second day, instead, started quite early with a visit to the Chouara Tannery. Tanneries’ origin dates back to the 11th century, but they were recently renovated. Pinpoint this spot on your map as there are several small tanneries in Fes and not very friendly locals will try to divert you in different directions. Therefore, knowing where you are going will be a huge advantage.

The tannery is free to visit but people will follow you with along the way, giving you explanations, a branch of mint and unwanted tours. You can try to refuse or give them a small tip. We actually found a very kind guy who’s father owned the tannery shop who was a pleasure to talk with and we didn’t mind give him a tip after he explained us a lot of things. Keep in mind the smell of the tanneries is quite strong so you will welcome that mint branch handed to you. We got used to the smell after a while but the first 5 mins I was about to vomit.

The only way to visit the Chouara Tannery is going on a balcony. These balconies are usually private residences or the upper part of the leather shops of the area. The best balconies are located on n.10 and n.64. As the owners kindly open these balconies to visitors, a tip is expected. An early morning visit grants you a visit without many people and you will see a lot of people at work in the tanneries.

Check off all the Madrasa

You will soon realise that Fes is very spiritual and religious traditions are deeply rooted in its society. One of the best things to do in Fes is exploring its religious schools. These are called Madrasa/Medersa and most of them are located all around the Al-Karaouine University deep into the medina. Some of the oldest religious school in Fes dates back to 1300. You’ll also see that most of these Madrasas have similar architecture featuring a large central courtyard and a upper floor space divided into several smaller rooms that have been used by students in the past. Most of these schools are no longer in use for their original purposes, but still remain open for tourists to visit.

Madrasa of Fes Itinerary

We were able to visit 3 out of 5 Madrasa in the medina. Unfortunately the other 2 were not open on the Friday and we didn’t make it in time on the other day. However, if you wish to have a tour of these stunning religious schools here below you can follow a little itinerary with this map:

Start from the Blue Gate of Fes, Bab Boujloud. The first stop, Bou Inania Madrasa is located on one of the main streets, Rue Talaa Sghira. After your visit, continue your way to the Cherratine Medersa (point B on the map). This is really close to the Kairaouine University so you can pop out your head on the university beautiful courtyard (unfortunately only Muslim can visit the Mosque). Very close to both locations, Al-Attarine Madrasa is the only one featuring a mosque (that you can’t access). It was built in 1350/55 and the courtyard features stunning decorations. In the space of a few minutes, you can reach also the Saffarin Madrasa situated in the famous Place Saffarin.

Unfortunately I’ve seen the school only from the entrance (the guardian allowed me to take a picture) but that day it was in use by students of the university. Last on the list is the Sahrij Madrasa. This is located in the Andalus quarter, just beside the Spanish Mosque. Unfortunately, also this one wasn’t open during my visit but I’ve read its decor its similar to the one used in the Alhambra in Grenada. It was honestly on the top of my list and I was a bit disappointed to find it close! I hope to return next time.

Hidden palaces and Royal tombs

Not many tourists know, but there are a lot of beautiful historical palaces hidden deep in the medina. I am not talking about the Fes Royal Palace, of which you can visit just its doors, but real hidden gems that need to be purposely searched in order to be discovered. Indeed, there are a large number of dilapidated palaces in Fes that had an unfortunate fate. From former luxury residences of the Fassi noblesse to abandoned ruins forgotten by people and time. Despite not being in the best condition, some of these residences are still visitable by tourists and you’ll be blown away by their beauty.

One of my favorites was El Glaoui Palace. This was the former residence of the powerful Glaoui family and one of the largest residential palaces in Fes. Another beautiful residence is Palais el Mokri, just a few meters away from the previous one. In much better condition than El Glaoui Palace, this palais is one of the finest examples of Fassi traditional architecture and apparently, there’s no equal in the city. Please note that Google Maps won’t bring you to the exact location of this place, so you’ll need to search a little bit around before finding it. There is a large sign on a wall, so you can’t miss it when nearby.

A last palace you can visit is Mnebhi Palace. A 19th-century lavish residence that has now been partially converted into a restaurant. There are other several properties that are not open to the public because of their unstable architecture. Among these are the stunning Dar Batha Museum and Dar Abdou. A few others, instead, have been converted into guesthouses, so you might possibly visit them if staying there or having a meal.

The best view in Fes

If time allows, an unmissable site to visit in Fes is certainly the Marinid Tombs. Dating back to the 13th century, they guard the city from its highest point, providing an unmatched view of the medina. I personally recommend you to leave this landmark as the last spot of your visit. I don’t know why, but I found it extremely rewarding to see the medina from a higher position and acknowledge how much I walked in the past days!

Day 9 Chefchaouen

I wouldn’t be totally honest if I didn’t tell you that one day in Chefchaouen wasn’t enough for me. Indeed, after walking a few streets, I immediately regretted that I booked just one night here. Not because there is so much to do. Au contraire, the city is much more relaxed compared to Marrakech or Fes. But it’s this lovely fresh and relaxed vibe that I wanted to experience for longer! Chefchaouen is indeed very small. In one day, you can easily walk around and see everything it has to offer. However, it is so lovely, with its secret colourful alleys, the rooftop cafes, and nice restaurants on its lively squares that an additional day will make you appreciate the lovely atmosphere for a longer period.

Differently from Marrakesh and Fes, the medina of Chefchaouen has just a few “famous landmarks” to pinpoint on your map. The rest of the spots can be considered as Instagrammable locations that became famous thanks to social media. Of course, it’s up to you if you want to find them for a nice picture, but I would recommend not to miss the Alcazaba of Chefchaouen, the White Mosque, and the lovely Place el Haouta. For the rest, get lost! There are a lot of nice alleys to discover, and it’s very safe to get around and find your way back.

Day 10 – Rabat and Casablanca

The last day of our 10-day road trip to Morocco was quite long. Indeed, our final destination was Casablanca but we aimed to stop in Rabat along the way. Indeed, I kinda felt guilty to visit many places all around Morocco and skipping its lovely capital city. Turned out that my feeling was quite right. Indeed, we really loved Rabat!

Exploring Rabat

The drive from Chefchaouen to Rabat took around 4 hours. We departed soon after breakfast and arrived in Rabat just before lunchtime. Before getting around, we decided to have lunch at a very nice restaurant on Rabat’s promenade. This is called Le Dhow and it’s entirely built on a docked ship! Moreover, this place offers a nice panoramic view of Rabat’s fortified citadel. If you have just a day in Rabat, the must visit areas are essentially three.

What to visit in Rabat

First, its fortified citadel, Kasbah of the Udayas. Located at the top of the cliff and still encircled by its high walls this citadel still preserves one of the oldest mosques in Morocco, the Jama’ al-‘Atiqa dating back to the 12th century (although renovated during the 18th century). To not miss a peaceful walk in the beautiful Andalusian Gardens. Second, the Rabat Medina. This is one of the oldest parts of the city located just opposite to the Kasbah. If you have an additional day in the capital, it’s worth to explore the medina on a separate day. Indeed, Rabat Medina is not huge as the one in Fes but it’s big enough to get you busy for more than a few hours thanks to its lovely market, well-preserved Merenid architecture and numerous eateries.

Lastly, the area of the Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V. These are located closer to the newer part of Rabat but still at a walkable distance from the medina or the kasbah if you have some time to spare. Otherwise the car park just in front of the monument will save you a little time. I found this was probably the most crowded part of the city as many tourists were flocking to see the mausoleum. To be honest, despite I found the architecture of the place really stunning, I had contrasting feeling about all these pushing crowds and their ready-to-film mobile phones inside the mausoleum. Not sure what king Mohammed V would think about this nowadays, but if I was buried there, I wouldn’t probably be happy to see all these people filming my tomb and pushing each other for a selfie. That’s kinda creepy!

A quick visit to Casablanca

After our Mausoleum visit, we left Rabat to reach Casablanca. There is just one-hour drive between the two cities, and you can also take a scenic route on the coast if you want a more relaxed experience. We arrived in Casablanca around 5 pm. I knew I wouldn’t have much time to get around the city, so we headed straight to the Hassan II Mosque. This is one of the most extraordinary buildings I have ever seen. I think it made it to my top 3 list of favorite architectural masterpieces, which by now includes just La Sagrada Familia and the Taj Mahal. The mosque grounds are free to visit, and this is also the only mosque in Morocco that allows non-Muslims to visit its premises. Tours are usually in the morning or early afternoon.

Be aware that during the prayers times, the mosque will be closed to visitors. This includes also the grounds. So check the timings before going. Casablanca is a huge metropolis. I have to say it didn’t give me the best impression compared to the rest of Morocco. However, it’s true also I didn’t have the chance to explore it in full. An extra day would have been better!

If you tour Casablanca, make sure to not miss a stop at the Mahkama of Pacha, the Sacred Heart Cathedral, the Medina and the famous Rick’s cafe’. As we prioritise a slow visit to Rabat, we skipped all those places but you can decide to do a shorter Rabat stop or focus just on Casablanca. We slept in Casablanca but our flight was at 8 in the morning so we were already at the airport at 5.30 am!

Where to stay in Morocco

Morocco is unlike any other destination. Indeed, there are not just regular hotels or guest houses. Here there are riads, dar, kasbah, berber tents and auberges. There is so much offer that can be even overwhelming to choose a place to stay. However, I admit I had so much fun choosing our accommodations! Here below you’ll find some tips according to our experience.

Dar or Riad?

For someone who has never heard about these types of accommodations before, it’s difficult to understand what is what. In the Arabic language, the word Riad means ‘garden’. This is a type of domestic architecture that historically originated in the Middle East, particularly in Persia. During the Middle Ages, this architecture arrived in Spain as well as in Morocco. Indeed, one of the most famous riads in the world is the Generalife in the Alhambra complex. In Morocco, riads are the historical houses that feature one or more stories around an interior garden featuring a fountain. Traditionally, the centred gardens of the riads were full of fruit trees like oranges or lemons.

Differently from riad, the word ‘dar’ means house. This type of domestic architecture is similar to the riad featuring a multi-storey accommodation. However, instead of a garden, dar usually feature a central patio. Dar are also smaller than riads and don’t have a central fountain.

What are the advantages of staying in a riad?

I am firmly convinced that a visit to Morocco can’t be considered fulfilled without a stay in a riad. I know that many prefers the comfort and luxury of modern hotels (that in Morocco are most of the time located well-out of the medinas). BUT riads have their own unique charm. There are many advantages of staying in a riad compared to a regular hotel. First, most of these accommodations are real piece of history. Some of them have been saved from destruction, some other are rare jewels of architecture. Staying in a riad is a unique occasion of catching a glimpse of Morocco’s history all in one go.

Second, they are relatively small. Indeed, many riad have 4 to 10 room at maximum. This will grant you a major attention from the staff, more privacy and better service than the one you can have in a massive hotel with hundreds of other guests. A further bonus point is that if you are lucky, you might be even the only guest having an entire riad all by yourself! This happened to us at the lovely Riad Idrissy where for two straight days we’ve got a fantastic property all for ourselves! This granted us also an upgrade to the suite with a lovely private terrace!

Lastly, historical and authentic riads are located inside the medinas in Morocco. This will grant you a car-free experience and the opportunity to have most landmarks at a walking distance from your accommodation.

Staying in a Kasbah

As for the riads, Morocco is one of the only places where you can stay in Kasbahs. Traditionally, a Kasbah was the fortified section of a village. Particularly, its fortified citadel aimed to protect the settlement from external attacks. Similarly to our European castles, the Kasbahs had towers, secret passages, and fortified walls. These were also popular in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and in Spain with the name of Alcazaba. Nevertheless, the peculiarity of Morocco’s Kasbahs is that they are made of mud-brick. They literally look like sand castles, and most of them actually are. Indeed, because of their fragile architecture, they need constant renovation and care.

We visited a Kasbah near Ouarzazate and one of the workers told us they need to rebuild the towers every year because the they melt with strong rain in the winter. These are rebuild in the exact original style as the Berber techniques are passed from a generation to another.

Booking an overnight stay in a Moroccan Kasbah should be on everyone’s bucket list of unique experiences to to in Morocco. Indeed, this would provide a unique way to experience the culture and hospitality provided by the Berbers. The High Atlas Mountains, particularly the Draa Valley, is the best region to stay in a Kasbah. Most of these structures are authentic Berber jewels, some of them even dating to the 16th century. However, pay attention to the ‘fake-looking’ kasbah. Indeed, driving through the High Atlas Mountains taught us that not all you see it’s authentic. There are many hotels that call themselves as ‘Kasbah X’ and then they are just regular hotels but in the middle of nowhere.

How to find an authentic kasbah where to stay

Real, authentic kasbah are quite a rare sight. However, the High Atlas Mountains have the highest concentration of them. To be 100% sure you are staying in an authentic kasbah, you should keep in mind 3 simple rules:

1. Authentic kasbah are made of mud and earth materials. This is clearly visible as you touch the walls. Mud brick is often mixed with sand and straw that pops out of the walls here and there. Moreover, as this needs constant care, you’ll probably see a section of the kasbah where the actual mud-bricks are prepared in case of need. Most of them need to dry in the sun for a couple of days/weeks.
2. Most authentic Kasbahs date between 17th and 19th century. Some of them are even regarded as UNESCO world heritage sites. This means that to preserve their integrity and historical value redecoration and restorations have to be kept at minimum and respecting the original architecture. This means that a 17th-century Kasbah won’t turn into a luxury hotel very soon.
3. Authentic Kasbahs in Morocco still follow their centuries-old inheritance rules. Indeed, you have to think them as the equivalent of European Castles. Therefore, their original owners were likely belonged to families of a certain importance within their village/society. As per our Castles, these properties were passed from father to son until the current generation. Although the fundamental hierarchies the past are (most of the time) no longer alive, these families still have the control of their Kasbahs. Ergo, if your Kasbah owner is a British man, it’s unlikely that Kasbah is really authentic. There might be a few exceptions, of course, but always double check the Kasbah historical info before going.

For our kasbah stay we chose Kasbah Tebi and our stay was very special!

Berber Camps

There is no better place than Morocco to do a camp. Indeed, the high dunes of the Sahara are one of the most scenic locations where to spend the night in Morocco. Same with the martian scenery of the Agafay Desert. Everything enriched with fresh mint tea and the most amazing sky.

There is plenty of camp choices, from luxury secluded spaces to very cheap tent. It’s up to you decide what’s best.

Booking.com

Usually people stay just for one night. However, the drive to Merzouga is pretty long that 2 nights might offer a more relaxing experience.

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