Overview
Take a twelve-day Marrakech circuit through Ouarzazate, Merzouga, Midelt, Fes, Meknes, Rabat and Casablanca.
Take a twelve-day Marrakech circuit through Ouarzazate, Merzouga, Midelt, Fes, Meknes, Rabat and Casablanca.
The itinerary allocates separate days to exploring the Merzouga area and the camel trek with camp overnight. It also includes guided Marrakech and Fes visits and ends with a free day in Marrakech.
About this activity
Duration: 12 Days / 11 Nights
See the itinerary for the route and overnight stops.
Starting point: Marrakech
Confirm the precise meeting or pickup arrangements when enquiring.
Finishing point
Marrakech
Max People
17 People
Pick Up
Hotel / Airport
Min Age
12+ Years
Tour Type
Cultural, Wildlife, Adventure
Drop Off
Hotel / Airport
Highlights
- Atlas Mountain scenery along the route
- Visit the fortified ksar of Ait Ben Haddou
- Confirm the Dades overnight mentioned in the legacy highlights
- Views across the Erg Chebbi dunes
- Sunset views over the dunes
- Camel trek in the Merzouga dunes
- Sandboarding in the dunes
- Overnight in a Merzouga desert camp
- Dinner and Amazigh drumming at camp
- Explore Marrakech with a local guide
- Visit a nomadic family around Erg Chebbi
- Explore Fes with a local guide
Itinerary
Driving times are planning estimates for time in the vehicle. They exclude meals, sightseeing and breaks outside the vehicle.
01Day 1: Welcome to Marrakech : transfer to your Hotel / Riad
Meet the team at Marrakech airport for the transfer to your selected hotel or riad. Provide the flight details and agree the meeting point before arrival.
Route notes
Send your arrival details and the address of your accommodation before departure. If you are staying in a pedestrian medina, confirm the nearest meeting point accessible by vehicle.
- Driving time / time in the car
- Confirm local driving or transfer time when booking.
- Overnight accommodation
- Hotel categories to request: Standard (3 stars), Luxury (4 stars), or Superior (5 stars).
02Day 2: Full Day to Visit Marrakech with a local guide
Explore Marrakech’s medina on foot with a local guide, with a lunch stop in the old town. Continue to Majorelle Garden before another overnight in Marrakech. Confirm garden reservations, entrance fees and meal costs in the quote.
Route notes
Marrakech’s UNESCO-listed medina brings together monuments from several periods. On a scheduled guided walk, ask how the minaret, palace courtyards and market lanes served different parts of city life.
Destination reference- Driving time / time in the car
- Confirm local driving or transfer time when booking.
- Overnight accommodation
- Hotel categories to request: Standard (3 stars), Luxury (4 stars), or Superior (5 stars).
03Day 3: Marrakech » Ait Ben Haddou » Ouarzazate [195 km]
Cross the Atlas from Marrakech toward Ait Ben Haddou for the fortified settlement visit. The program also includes the cinema-related stops around Ouarzazate before the overnight there. The road stage is listed at 195 km; confirm the particular studio visits and admissions.
Route notes
Look for the defensive towers above the earthen houses at Ait Ben Haddou. The buildings form a ksar, a fortified settlement typical of southern Morocco. The lanes climb, so wear shoes with grip.
Destination reference- Driving time / time in the car
- 2 h 30 min – 4 h
- Overnight accommodation
- Hotel categories to request: Standard (3 stars), Luxury (4 stars), or Superior (5 stars).
04Day 4: Ouarzazate » Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) [367 km]
Travel from Ouarzazate through the Valley of Roses and Todra Gorge toward Merzouga for the overnight. The stage is listed at 367 km. A Dades overnight appears in the general highlights but is not allocated in these daily headings; confirm the actual accommodation plan rather than assuming an extra stop.
Route notes
At Todra Gorge, the river runs beneath steep rock walls. If you walk at the gorge stop, wear shoes with grip and check where the path approaches the water.
Destination reference- Driving time / time in the car
- 4 h 30 min – 7 h 30 min
- Overnight accommodation
- Hotel categories to request: Standard (3 stars), Luxury (4 stars), or Superior (5 stars).
05Day 5: Explore Merzouga area (Erg Chebbi Sahara Desert) [40km]
Explore the Merzouga area, including Khamlia for Gnawa music, with the local stage listed at about 40 km. Confirm the overnight allocation: this narrative describes a camel departure and tent night, while the next day also schedules the camp stay and the package lists only one camp night overall.
Route notes
Gnawa is a Moroccan tradition combining music and spiritual practice. On a scheduled music stop, listen for the interplay of voice and rhythm and ask before recording the performers.
Destination reference- Driving time / time in the car
- 30 min – 2 h
- Overnight accommodation
- Confirm whether this night is at a hotel or in a desert camp.
06Day 6: Merzouga Camel trek & Overnight in desert camp
Visit the nomadic-family and palm-oasis surroundings described in the program, with Khamlia also named again. After lunch in Merzouga, take the camel ride toward the desert camp for sunset, dinner, Amazigh drumming and the overnight. Agree which local visits happen on each day and which night is at camp before booking.
Route notes
Low light brings out the ridges and shadows in the Erg Chebbi dunes. If your program includes sunset or a camp night, keep a warm layer and a small light in your day bag.
Destination reference- Driving time / time in the car
- Confirm local driving or transfer time when booking.
- Overnight accommodation
- Tent categories to request: Standard, Luxury, or Superior.
07Day 7: Merzouga » Rissani » Erfoud » Ziz Valley » Errachidia » Midelt [263 km]
Leave the Merzouga area through Rissani and Erfoud, following the Ziz Valley and Errachidia route toward Midelt. Stay overnight in Midelt after the 263 km stage.
Route notes
Along the Ziz and around Erfoud and Rissani, look for date palms on the valley floor. The palms trace the oasis system and show the contrast between cultivated land and dry slopes.
Destination reference- Driving time / time in the car
- 3 h 30 min – 5 h 30 min
- Overnight accommodation
- Hotel categories to request: Standard (3 stars), Luxury (4 stars), or Superior (5 stars).
08Day 8: Midelt » Atlas Mountains » Azrou (Cedar Forest) » Fes Imperial City [204 km]
Continue through the Middle Atlas toward Azrou’s cedar forest and Ifrane, then finish at your Fes accommodation. The stage is listed at 204 km. Look for macaques without following the old text’s suggestion to feed them.
Route notes
The Ifrane area is part of the forested Middle Atlas. Barbary macaques live in the region and sightings vary. If you see them, watch quietly from a distance.
Destination reference- Driving time / time in the car
- 2 h 30 min – 4 h 30 min
- Overnight accommodation
- Hotel categories to request: Standard (3 stars), Luxury (4 stars), or Superior (5 stars).
09Day 9: Fes Sightseeing tour with a local guide
Explore Fes’s medina with a local guide, including the tanneries and ceramics-related visit described in the program. Stay overnight in a traditional riad. Confirm the selected sites and any entrance costs with the team.
Route notes
The medina of Fes is home to tanners, metalworkers, weavers and potters. If your route passes workshops, ask your guide which parts of the work you can watch.
Destination reference- Driving time / time in the car
- Confirm local driving or transfer time when booking.
- Overnight accommodation
- Hotel categories to request: Standard (3 stars), Luxury (4 stars), or Superior (5 stars).
10Day 10: Fes » Volubilis » Meknes » Rabat [205 km]
Visit Volubilis after leaving Fes, then continue to Meknes for lunch before the journey to Rabat. Stay overnight in a hotel in Rabat after the 205 km stage. Confirm the time for Meknes sightseeing when agreeing the program.
Route notes
Meknes was the imperial capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail. If Bab Mansour is on the route, look at the scale of the gate in relation to the defensive walls.
Destination reference- Driving time / time in the car
- 2 h 30 min – 4 h 30 min
- Overnight accommodation
- Hotel categories to request: Standard (3 stars), Luxury (4 stars), or Superior (5 stars).
11Day 11: Rabat » Casablanca » Marrakech [323 km]
Visit the Rabat sights agreed with the team before continuing to Casablanca for Hassan II Mosque. The program suggests a drink or lunch at Rick’s Café or an Atlantic-side venue, subject to the selected arrangement and availability. Continue to Marrakech after the 323 km stage.
Route notes
Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque sits on the Atlantic shore. On a scheduled waterfront stop, look at how the minaret is positioned against the sea. Confirm any interior visit separately.
Destination reference- Driving time / time in the car
- 4 h – 6 h 30 min
- Overnight accommodation
- Hotel categories to request: Standard (3 stars), Luxury (4 stars), or Superior (5 stars).
12Day 12: Free day in Marrakech
Enjoy free time in Marrakech for last-minute shopping or packing according to your departure schedule. The narrative includes a final airport transfer; confirm its pickup time and destination airport with your flight details.
Route notes
Semmarine is one of Marrakech’s main souk passages. If you have time to explore independently, agree on a meeting point before entering the lanes and watch how the workshops and goods change from street to street.
Destination reference- Driving time / time in the car
- Confirm local driving or transfer time when booking.
- Overnight accommodation
- No overnight stay included.
Map
Booking
Before you go
Travel tips
- Confirm your pickup point and time before departure. If you’re staying in a medina, ask whether your driver can reach your accommodation or will meet you nearby.
- Pack layers for cool mornings and evenings. Keep water, any medication you need and a phone charger in a small bag you can reach during drives.
- Check the final day’s route and drop-off location before booking an onward flight or train. Leave time for delays on longer drives.
- Tell us about dietary requirements or mobility needs before booking so we can discuss the arrangements for your route.
Review the cancellation policy and confirm the terms for your quote before booking.
Includes
- Drop-off and pick-up at/from your hotel
- Transport in a modern private vehicle equipped with air conditioning
- Experienced English Driver/Guide
- Car Fuel
- 10 nights in a private room at the Hotel (Dinner & Breakfast)
- Camel Trekking (Camel per person)
- Sunset camel ride
- A hearty meal and a party around a fire pits (Berber Drums)
- Overnight in a camping site in Camp (Breakfast and dinner)
- Transfer of 4x4s from and back to the camp (Alternative alternative to Camels)
Not included
- Drinks
- Lunch
- Entry for monuments (Optional)
- Tipping (Optional)
Reviews
470 reviews
Customer comments published on our original tour page.
12 days Morocco itinerary tourWe visited Morocco in April, and we started the tour from Marrakech as a family. Our kids are 13 and 15 years old. We met our guide at right time.We just completed our 12-day trip in Morocco including Casablanca, Fez, High Atlas, Chefchaouen - charming blue painted medina and delicious, Merzouga - beautiful landscape of Sahara and romantic night in the desert.Nice to see nomadic families life with overnight stays in tents. It was an experience of a lifetime. The guide was professional, knowledgeable, and thoughtful. We even met his family who are very lovely hosts and had some Couscous.Definitely a trip to remember with all the exotic culture and architecture. All the riad and hotels were great and the food was all delicious.I recommend Morocco Packages Holidays for traveling around Morocco. The company was very professional and more than delivered on the itinerary!
An unforgettable and different experience!This trip was incredible for three reasons: the spectacular and completeness of the tour, the excellent hospitality of the guides, employees, and drivers, and finally, the people you meet during the experience.It has been perfectly organized since we managed to visit many places not only in Marrakech but also in other parts of Morocco.The tour managers were very attentive and went to extremes to make sure we had a good time until I returned to the desert dunes at night to find my phone that fell on the sand. It has been one of the best experiences!
FAQs
Can I add a night before or after the tour?
Tell us which city and date you have in mind and whether you already have a hotel. Ask what can be added to your booking and what you would arrange yourself.
Can my group request twin beds or rooms close together?
Send a rooming list with the number of rooms and your bed preferences. Ask which requests the accommodation can confirm before you finalise the booking.
Will I be able to use mobile data in the desert?
Coverage can vary along remote stretches. Save your key contacts and booking details offline, and ask about connectivity at your overnight stop.
Can we ask for extra rest stops?
Let us know if your group needs more frequent breaks. Ask how those stops would fit into the day, especially if you have a fixed arrival time.
Can someone join after the tour has started or leave early?
Tell us the city and day they would need to join or leave. Ask whether the itinerary can accommodate that change and who would arrange the separate transfer.
