10 Days Morocco Tour from Marrakech: Sahara Desert Dunes, Imperial Cities & Coastal Heritage

Your grand 10-day Moroccan journey starts as your private driver welcomes you at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK). Travel directly to your traditional boutique riad tucked away within the ancient Medina. Enjoy a calming welcome glass of Moroccan mint tea infused with fresh orange blossom in the tranquil tiled courtyard. Spend the remainder of your afternoon unwinding by the courtyard plunge pool or taking your first steps into the nearby alleys. Overnight in a charming luxury riad in Marrakech (Breakfast included).

At 10:00 AM, your official licensed historian guide meets you at your riad for an in-depth walking tour of the “Red City.” Marvel at the 19th-century Bahia Palace, walking through peaceful courtyards lined with fragrant jasmine and orange trees and admiring ceilings carved from Atlas cedarwood. Stand before the 12th-century minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque, the architectural inspiration for Seville’s Giralda.

Visit the tranquil oasis of Le Jardin Secret and the breathtaking 14th-century Ben Youssef Medersa, where hundreds of students once studied Islamic sciences beneath delicate stucco and zellige walls. In the afternoon, explore the bustling artisan quarters—woodcarvers, brass beaters, and leather tanners—before concluding at the vibrant Jemaa el-Fnaa square. Overnight in your Marrakech riad (Breakfast included).

Depart Marrakech after breakfast, heading east toward the mighty High Atlas Mountains. Climb the serpentine switchbacks of the famous Tizi n’Tichka Pass, topping out at 2,260 meters above sea level with panoramic vistas over remote Berber villages clinging to red clay hillsides. Stop for photos and fresh mint tea before descending to the southern desert plains.

Explore the legendary UNESCO World Heritage site of Ksar Ait Ben Haddou, a spectacular fortified earthen village that has served as the cinematic backdrop for Gladiator, The Mummy, and Lawrence of Arabia. Continue past Ouarzazate to the lush Skoura Palm Oasis. Tour the remarkable 17th-century Kasbah Amridil, one of Morocco’s most iconic mud-brick fortress estates, before checking into a serene garden riad. Dinner and overnight in Skoura (Dinner & Breakfast included).

Drive through the fragrant Valley of the Roses (Kelaat M’Gouna) and follow the lush Dades River past towering red canyon cliffs. Continue to Tinghir and enter the spectacular Todra Gorges, walking beside the shallow stream between sheer 300-meter vertical limestone cliffs that narrow to just 10 meters apart.

After a scenic lunch break, proceed southeast across the arid pre-Saharan plateaus of Erfoud and Rissani, the ancient cradle of the ruling Alaouite Dynasty. By late afternoon, the flat horizon gives way to the golden, 150-meter-high dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga. Check into a beautiful traditional riad situated directly along the edge of the desert dunes for a relaxing swim and sunset views. Dinner and overnight in Merzouga (Dinner & Breakfast included).

Set off on an off-road 4×4 desert safari circling the Erg Chebbi dune field. Visit an authentic nomadic Berber family living in traditional woven camel-hair tents on the black desert reg to learn about their seasonal survival in the Sahara. Continue to Khamlia village to witness an intimate live performance of spiritual Gnawa music played with heavy castanets (krakebs) and the guembri lute.

Sample traditional Medfouna (Berber stuffed flatbread) for lunch in Rissani. In the late afternoon, mount your dromedary camel for a tranquil 1-hour sunset trek into the heart of the Sahara. Arrive at your private luxury desert glamping camp. Enjoy a multi-course Moroccan feast, followed by acoustic Berber drumming around the roaring campfire under an unpolluted canopy of stars. Overnight in a heated luxury tent with en-suite hot shower (Dinner & Breakfast included).

Rise early to watch the unforgettable spectacle of the desert sunrise washing the dunes in shades of gold and apricot. Following breakfast at camp, travel north through the magnificent Ziz Valley, stopping at high canyon viewpoints overlooking hundreds of thousands of date palms. Cross the High Atlas via the Tizi N’Talghamt Pass to the apple capital of Midelt for lunch.

In the afternoon, traverse the Middle Atlas Mountains, stopping in the ancient cedar forests of Azrou to meet wild Barbary macaques living freely among the trees. Visit Ifrane, renowned for its alpine chalets and clean parks, before arriving in the imperial city of Fes by early evening. Overnight in a luxury riad in Fes Medina (Breakfast included).

Immerse yourself in 1,200 years of living history with a licensed historian guide. Walk through the blue ceramic Bab Boujloud gate into Fes el-Bali, the world’s largest car-free medieval city. Visit the 14th-century Medersa Bou Inania, admiring its cedarwood latticework and intricate geometric stucco. View the historic University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 AD by Fatima al-Fihri.

Climb to a panoramic leather terrace overlooking the historic Chouara Tannery, watching artisan tanners process hides in stone vats using ancient natural dyes. Continue to the artisan metalworkers of Place Seffarine, the historic Jewish Mellah quarter, and the ornate bronze gates of the Royal Palace (Dar el Makhzen). Overnight in your luxury Fes riad (Breakfast included).

Depart Fes after breakfast for the UNESCO World Heritage site of Volubilis. With your licensed site guide, discover the ancient Roman outpost that once exported grain and wild animals across the Mediterranean. Admire remarkably intact floor mosaics, the Basilica, the Capitoline Temple, and the triumphal Arch of Caracalla.

Continue to Meknes to admire the grand imperial gate of Bab Mansour and the granaries of Moulay Ismail. Drive westward to Rabat, Morocco’s oceanfront capital. Explore the 12th-century Kasbah des Oudayas, wandering through pristine white-and-blue alleys with Atlantic ocean vistas, and visit the iconic Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V. Overnight in a charming boutique hotel or riad in Rabat (Breakfast included).

After breakfast in Rabat, take a short 1-hour coastal highway drive south to Casablanca, Morocco’s modern economic powerhouse. Stand on the oceanfront esplanade of the monumental Hassan II Mosque, admiring its 210-meter minaret and intricate handcrafted marble and cedar architecture rising directly over the Atlantic waves.

Take a relaxing drive along the Ain Diab Corniche boulevard before beginning your comfortable return journey south across the Haouz plains to Marrakech. Check into your riad for a relaxing final evening, perfect for enjoying dinner on a rooftop terrace overlooking the illuminated city. Overnight in Marrakech (Breakfast included).

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast on your riad terrace. Depending on your flight departure schedule, take some final free time to wander the medina souks for souvenirs such as argan oil, leather babouches, and saffron, or relax in a traditional Moroccan cafe. Your private driver transfers you directly to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) in plenty of time for your flight check-in, concluding your unforgettable 10-day Morocco tour.