The Perfect 7-Day Morocco Itinerary (2026)

Morning. Pickup at 8 am from your riad. Cross the High Atlas via Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260 m) — a 30-minute coffee stop at the viewpoint with terraced Berber villages spread below. The road was widened in 2023, cutting drive time by 45 minutes vs older guides.

Afternoon. Reach Aït Benhaddou by 12:30 pm. Two-hour walk through the UNESCO-listed kasbah complex (Heritage Site since 1987, Gladiator and Game of Thrones filmed here). Lunch at a rooftop café. Continue to Ouarzazate for a brief Atlas Studios pass, then on to Skoura palmeraie. Sunset photo stop at Kasbah Amridil.

Accommodation: Boutique kasbah-hotel in Skoura palmeraie. Drive: 4 h 30 min (240 km).

Morning. Morning drive through the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs. Pause at the famous Dadès Gorge switchback viewpoint, then a 1-hour walk through Todra Gorge between 300-metre rock walls. Lunch in Tinghir.

Afternoon. Continue east through Erfoud, arriving Merzouga at 5 pm. Meet your camel caravan and trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes (1 h 15 min on camelback) for sunset. Arrive at the luxury Berber camp before dark.

Evening. Dinner at the camp — five-course Berber meal under the stars. After dinner the camp staff lead a drum circle around the campfire. On clear nights the Milky Way is directly overhead. Sleep in your private en-suite tent.

Accommodation: Luxury Sahara camp at Erg Chebbi (private en-suite tent in ALL tiers). Drive: 6 h (360 km).

Morning. Sunrise camel ride out of the dunes (cold in winter — bring a fleece). Hot shower and breakfast at the camp lodge. Depart at 9 am — this is the longest driving day, no way around it.

Afternoon. Stops along the route: Erfoud fossil workshops, Ziz Valley palmeraie photo stop, lunch in Midelt. Cross the Middle Atlas cedar forest near Azrou — Barbary macaques often line the road. Brief coffee stop in Ifrane (the alpine-style “Switzerland of Morocco”).

Evening. Descend into Fes by 7 pm. Riad check-in. Optional dinner at the riad — your driver-guide can recommend a quiet local table if you prefer to walk.

Accommodation: Riad in Fes Medina. Drive: 8 h (470 km).

Morning. Meet your licenced Fes guide at 9 am. The Fes Medina has 9,000 alleys and 280,000 residents — it is the world’s largest car-free urban area, and you will get lost without a guide. Highlights: Bab Bou Jeloud (the blue gate), Madrasa Bou Inania (Marinid architecture from 1351), Al-Qarawiyyin (founded 859 AD, oldest continuously operating university in the world).

Afternoon. Lunch at Café Clock or The Ruined Garden. Afternoon at the Chouara tannery — climb to the rooftop view to see the dye pools. Free time after for the souks (carpet, leather, ceramics).

Evening. Evening: dinner at Riad Fes or NUR for top-tier Fes dining, or a quiet meal back at your riad.

Accommodation: Same Fes riad.

Morning. Depart Fes after breakfast. Optional 30-minute coffee stop at Volubilis Roman ruins (UNESCO World Heritage) on the route — a remarkable Berber-Roman site most travellers skip.

Afternoon. Arrive Chefchaouen by 3 pm. Check in to your riad inside the blue medina. Walk the painted alleys at golden hour — Plaza Uta el-Hammam has the best afternoon light. Sit at the square fountain, watch the locals.

Evening. Dinner at Casa Aladdin or Bab Ssour (rooftop view of the entire blue town). Sleep in.

Accommodation: Riad in Chefchaouen Medina. Drive: 4 h (200 km).

Morning. Sunrise photos in the blue medina (the iconic shots are 6:30–7:30 am before the day-trippers arrive). Breakfast at the riad.

Afternoon. Depart 9:30 am. Drive to Casablanca (5 h, recommended for US-bound flights — more direct connections from CMN) or back to Fes (3 h, easier for European hubs).

Evening. Arrive at the airport with time for souk-shopping check-in. Tip: for US flights, choose Casablanca — Fes airport has fewer direct options.

Accommodation: — (departure day).