Morocco 10-Day Quick Read Itinerary

Marrakech -> Draa Valley -> Sahara Desert -> Fes -> Chefchaouen

Marrakech: 2 days (1 half day and 1 full day)

Merzouga Sahara Desert: 4 (including travel, 2 nights in the desert)

Fes: 2 Full Days

Chefchaouen: 1 day

The amount of time allocated in each city above is an appropriate amount of time in my opinion. Obviously, more time anywhere allows you to really see things from a local perspective but I believe the amount of time is enough for each location. If anything I’d extend the day trip from Chefchaouen to an overnighter. We did not visit other big cities like Casablanca or  Tangier on this trip. If time allows, you could extend driving through Chefchaouen to Tangier and add Casablanca to the front or back end. From what I have read and what friends have told me, both Casablanca and Tangier are similar to Fes, just on the coast. If the Merzouga desert seems too far for you, consider visiting Agafay. It is not the Sahara desert but offers similar experiences without having to go the full distance.

Day 1:  Travel Day: Arrive to  Marrakech

Day 2: Explore Marrakech (1 full day to see Marrakech)

Only really need 1 full day in Marrakech to see all the key attractions.

Day 3: Start of Sahara Trip: Marrakech -> Draa Valley (5.5hr drive time-  longer with stops)

Traveling long distances is a requirement to enjoy the beauties of the Erg Chebbi Dunes of Merzouga in the Sahara Desert. Consider visiting the Agafay instead if you do not want to travel all the way to the Sahara Desert.

Day 4: Day 2 of 4 Sahara Trip: Draa Valley -> Merzouga (3-4hr drive time - longer with stops)

Do your research to come to your own conclusion, but staying two nights in the Merzouga Desert is something I personally recommend. It is a lot of traveling just to stay 1 night and it allows you to have some downtime on your busy trip.

Day 5: Day 3 of 4 Sahara Trip

Day 6:  Final Travel Day of Sahara Trip: Merzouga -> Fes (7-8hr drive time- long travel day)

These trips can be tailored to start and end in the same city or go reverse (get picked up in Fes, end in Marrakech. 

Day 7: Full Day to Explore Fes

Day 8: Day trip to Chefchaouen

You can also plan to stay the night in Chefchaouen. It is a beautiful blue city with a more relaxing vibe than the other cities we visited in Morocco. It is not a very big city and can be explored in either a day trip or 2 days. You’ve already done so much driving on this trip that you might enjoy staying the night. While you’ll want to stay longer because of the ~chill vibes~, you don’t need more than a full day to explore the city. 

Day 9: Last Full Day in Fes

Another alternative would be to spend days 7 & 8 in Fes, and then leave on Day 9 for Chefchaouen. Drive to Chefchaouen for 1 night, then continue driving to Tangier on Day 10 and extend your trip an extra day to fly out of Tangier. That would be if your time and flights allowed. 

Day 10: Fly Home

You can reverse the order of this trip depending on where flights are best for you. You could add a few days on the front end of your trip to visit Casablanca or add more time to Tangier at the end. I really enjoyed Marrakech and Fes, but I think Chefchaouen has its own uniqueness to it that is worth a stop, even if it is just a day trip.

For a more detailed 10-Day Itinerary, click HERE.

For travel tips to Morocco, click HERE.

For detailed information about everything Morocco, read my DEEP DIVE blog post.

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