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How many days in Morocco? 10 days from Marrakech over the Atlas to the Sahara, Fes and Chefchaouen
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Morocco is bigger than it looks: Marrakech to the Sahara is about 9-10 hours of mountain road, and the Sahara to Fes another 8. Ten days lets you do the great loop without exhaustion: Marrakech, over the High Atlas to the kasbahs and gorges, a night in the dunes of Erg Chebbi, then Fes, the blue town of Chefchaouen and out through Tangier. The desert section is best with a private driver or a small-group tour; the north works by train and bus.
Short answer
Seven days covers Marrakech, the desert loop and Fes. Ten adds Chefchaouen, the Rif mountains and Tangier, and breaks the long drives into sensible stages.
The 10-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Marrakech: the medina
Morning. Visit the Ben Youssef Madrasa (about 50 MAD), a 16th-century Koranic school of cedar and zellige tile, then the Bahia Palace (about 100 MAD). Arrive at opening to avoid tour groups.
Afternoon. Get lost in the souks north of the square, by trade: dyers, leather, metal lanterns. Stop for mint tea on a roof terrace above the Rahba Kedima spice square.
Evening. At dusk, Jemaa el-Fnaa fills with food stalls, musicians and storytellers. A plate of grilled meat or snails costs 20-60 MAD; agree prices before you sit.
Photographing snake charmers or monkey handlers costs money; animal welfare groups advise not to pay for it at all.
Day 2: Marrakech: gardens and tombs
Morning. Be at the Jardin Majorelle at opening with a pre-booked slot (about 170 MAD; the Yves Saint Laurent Museum next door is extra).
Afternoon. Visit the Saadian Tombs (about 100 MAD) and the ruined El Badi Palace, then the Koutoubia Mosque gardens.
Evening. Have a hammam and massage (about 200-600 MAD), then dinner in a riad restaurant.
Book the desert tour or driver for tomorrow with your riad if you have not already.
Day 3: Over the Atlas to Aït Benhaddou
Morning. Drive over the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 metres, about 4 hours with stops.
Afternoon. Walk the earthen ksar of Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO site and film set for Gladiator and Game of Thrones. Climb to the granary for the view.
Evening. Sleep near Aït Benhaddou or in Ouarzazate, 30 minutes on. Kasbah guesthouses facing the ksar serve dinner on the roof as the walls turn red at sunset.
Entering is free; residents of houses inside may ask 10-20 MAD to see their homes.
Day 4: Dadès and Todra gorges
Morning. Drive about 2 hours east through the Valley of Roses around Kelaat M'Gouna, where rosewater is sold in every shop. Turn into the Dadès Gorge for the zigzag road at Tissadrine.
Afternoon. Continue 1h30 to the Todra Gorge, where cliffs rise about 300 metres either side of a canyon only 10 metres wide. Walk through the narrows and into the palm groves below.
Evening. Sleep in a guesthouse in Tinghir or inside the gorge, where dinner is usually included for about 150-250 MAD extra.
The Todra is coolest in the morning; go early if you plan to hike.
Day 5: The Sahara at Erg Chebbi
Morning. Drive about 3 hours to Merzouga at the edge of Erg Chebbi, dunes up to 150 metres high. Stop at Rissani's market if it is a market day.
Afternoon. Ride a camel 1-1.5 hours into the dunes to a desert camp (about 400-1,500 MAD with dinner and breakfast, depending on comfort).
Evening. Dinner of tagine, Berber drumming and a sky full of stars.
Climb a dune for sunrise; bring a scarf for sand and wind.
Day 6: The long road to Fes
Morning. After sunrise, drive north about 8-9 hours via the Ziz Valley palm groves.
Afternoon. Stop at Midelt and the cedar forests near Azrou, home to Barbary macaques, and Ifrane, the Alpine-style resort town.
Evening. Arrive in Fes and check into a riad inside the medina. Eat in the riad; the lanes are confusing on a first night.
Have the riad send someone to meet you at the nearest gate.
Day 7: Fes el-Bali
Morning. Hire an official guide (about 300-500 MAD for a half day) for Fes el-Bali, with some 9,000 lanes. See the Bou Inania Madrasa and the Al-Attarine Madrasa.
Afternoon. Look down on the Chouara tannery from a leather shop terrace, then visit the Nejjarine museum of woodwork.
Evening. Watch sunset from the Merenid Tombs, then dinner of pastilla.
Ignore anyone who says a lane is closed; it is a classic hustle.
Day 8: To Chefchaouen
Morning. Take the CTM bus about 4 hours (about 80-100 MAD) or a private car to Chefchaouen in the Rif mountains.
Afternoon. Wander the blue-washed medina, the Plaza Uta el-Hammam and the kasbah (about 60 MAD).
Evening. Walk 30 minutes up to the Spanish Mosque for sunset over the town.
Expect offers of hashish; it remains illegal for tourists.
Day 9: Rif mountains: Akchour
Morning. Share a grand taxi 45 minutes to Akchour and hike 1-2 hours along the river to the waterfalls.
Afternoon. Continue, if fit, to God's Bridge, a natural rock arch, about 3 hours return.
Evening. Back in Chefchaouen for local goat cheese and bissara, a fava-bean soup with olive oil and cumin, for about 20-40 MAD. The square is calm and cool at night.
Wear shoes that can get wet; the trail crosses the river.
Day 10: Tangier and the high-speed train
Morning. Bus about 3 hours to Tangier. Walk the kasbah and the American Legation museum.
Afternoon. Visit Café Hafa, terrace tea over the Strait of Gibraltar since 1921, then Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules.
Evening. Take the Al Boraq high-speed train to Rabat (about 1h20) or Casablanca (about 2h10).
Book Al Boraq tickets on the ONCF site a few days ahead.
Only have 7 days?
With 7 days, do Marrakech (2), the desert loop (3) and Fes (2), and fly home from Fes.
Got extra days?
Add the coast at Essaouira, about 3 hours from Marrakech, or Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque, one of the few mosques open to non-Muslims (guided tours about 140 MAD).
Where to stay in Morocco
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Hostels and small riads, Marrakech and Fes medinas | Roof terraces, breakfast included. | 300-600 MAD |
| Mid-range | Riads near Jemaa el-Fnaa / Fes Batha | Courtyard houses inside the medina, near a gate for taxis. | 800-1,500 MAD |
| Mid-range | Kasbah hotels, Dadès and Merzouga | Earth-built hotels with pools and desert views. | 700-1,400 MAD |
| Comfort | Luxury riads and desert camps | Private-bathroom tents in the dunes, palace riads in the cities. | 2,000-5,000 MAD |
Getting around
ONCF trains link Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Fes and Tangier; Al Boraq runs Tangier-Casablanca in about 2h10. CTM and Supratours buses go to Chefchaouen, Essaouira and the south. Petit taxis in cities should use the meter (a medina ride is about 15-30 MAD). For the desert loop, a private driver costs about 1,000-1,500 MAD a day per car.
What to eat in Morocco
Eat tagine (slow-cooked in a clay pot), couscous (traditionally on Fridays), harira soup and pastilla. In Marrakech, try tanjia, beef cooked in the embers of a hammam furnace. A café lunch costs 50-100 MAD, a riad dinner 150-350 MAD. Mint tea is poured from a height. Alcohol is sold in some hotels and licensed restaurants but not in medina cafés.
Best time to visit
March to May and September to November are best: 20-28°C in Marrakech and mild nights. Summer reaches 40°C in Marrakech and Fes and higher in the desert. Winter is sunny but cold at night, with snow on the Atlas passes. During Ramadan, many cafés close by day.
Month-by-month weather for Morocco →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | 200 MAD | 500 MAD | 1,300 MAD |
| Food & drink | 150 MAD | 300 MAD | 600 MAD |
| Sights & tickets | 60 MAD | 150 MAD | 300 MAD |
| Local transport | 80 MAD | 300 MAD | 600 MAD |
| Total per person, per day | about 490 MAD | about 1,250 MAD | about 2,800 MAD |
Approximate 2026 prices in Moroccan dirhams; transport averages the desert drives over ten days. A tourist tax of roughly 15-50 MAD per person per night is added to hotel bills.
Before you go
Common questions
Should I do the desert by tour or with a driver?
Group tours from Marrakech to Merzouga are cheap, often 1,000-2,000 MAD for three days, but pack many people into a bus and finish in Marrakech. A private driver costs more but lets you stop where you like and end in Fes. Self-driving is possible but mountain roads and police checks are tiring.
How do I handle haggling?
In the souks, prices are a starting point. Decide what something is worth to you, offer around half, and settle in between. Walk away politely if the price is wrong. Fixed-price cooperatives and shops are a good benchmark, and you will never offend anyone by saying no thank you.
Is Morocco safe for women travelling alone?
Many women travel alone in Morocco without serious problems, but verbal hassle in the medinas is common. Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, walk with confidence, and stay in riads that can arrange guides and transfers. Ignore comments rather than engage, and use official guides in Fes.
Do I need cash?
Yes, for the souks, taxis, small restaurants and tips. Cards are accepted in many hotels and larger shops. Withdraw dirhams at bank ATMs; the currency cannot legally be taken out of the country in large amounts. Keep small notes and coins for tips of 10-20 MAD.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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