12-Day Imperial Cities, Sahara & Chefchaouen from Casablanca

Twelve days adds the Rif Mountain gem of Chefchaouen to the classic imperial cities and Sahara circuit, creating a circular tour from Casablanca that is as complete as any two-week Morocco journey can be. The route visits all four imperial cities, two nights in the Saharan dunes, the blue medina of Chefchaouen, and the Atlantic surf of Essaouira — finishing with the Red City of Marrakech before returning north to Casablanca.

Day 1 — Casablanca › Rabat

Hassan II Mosque visit. Rabat: Hassan Tower and Mohammed V Mausoleum (royal guards, white marble, intricate zellij). Kasbah des Oudayas and the Andalusian garden. Chellah necropolis: Roman ruins, stork-topped minarets, fig-overgrown walls. Overnight Rabat.

Day 2 — Rabat › Meknès › Volubilis › Fez

Meknès imperial monuments (Bab Mansour, Heri es-Souani, Moulay Ismail Mausoleum). Volubilis Roman ruins and extraordinary mosaic floors. Arrival Fez. Overnight riad.

Day 3 — Fez El-Bali Full Day

Expert local guide: Chouara Tanneries, Bou Inania Madrasa, al-Qarawiyyin, Attarine souk, Nejjarine Fondouk woodworking museum, Jewish Mellah. Fez Pottery Cooperative demonstration. Overnight Fez.

Day 4 — Fez › Chefchaouen

Morning departure toward the Rif Mountains. Stop at a roadside argan cooperative where women crack the iron-hard argan nut by hand and stone-grind the kernels into culinary and cosmetic oil. Arrive in Chefchaouen by early afternoon. Your local guide leads you through the Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the 15th-century kasbah with its small museum of Rif culture and traditional costumes, the Chouara dyers’ quarter, and the shaded path to Ras el-Maa waterfall where the mountain stream cascades past women washing textiles and children playing in the pools below. Evening free to wander the lamplit blue alleys. Overnight in Chefchaouen riad.

Day 5 — Chefchaouen › Spanish Mosque › Fez

Morning hike to the Spanish Mosque on the hillside above Chefchaouen for the panoramic view over the blue-roofed medina and the Rif Mountains beyond — one of Morocco’s most photographed vantage points, best in early morning light. Depart via Ouezzane — the spiritual Tijaniyya Sufi order’s heartland, fragrant with orange blossom. Arrive back in Fez for an optional afternoon in the medina (hammam visit recommended). Overnight Fez riad.

Day 6 — Fez › Middle Atlas › Merzouga

South through Ifrane and Azrou (Barbary macaques). Midelt lunch and fossil market. Ziz Valley palm corridor. Arrival Merzouga. Overnight desert lodge.

Day 7 — Erg Chebbi Full Desert Day › Camp Overnight

4×4 tour: Khamlia Gnawa music village, nomadic family visit, desert sandboarding. Sunset camel trek to Berber camp. Tagine dinner, drumming, stargazing. Overnight luxury desert tent.

Day 8 — Desert Sunrise › Rissani › Todgha Gorge › Dadès Gorge

Pre-dawn dune sunrise. Rissani Alaouite dynasty market. Tinghir oasis stroll. Todgha Gorge walk between 300m walls. Dadès Gorge scenic road through monkey-paw rock formations. Overnight Boumalne Dadès.

Day 9 — Rose Valley › Skoura › Ouarzazate

Valley of Roses and Kalaat M’Gouna rose distilleries. Skoura palm grove. Ouarzazate Atlas Studios and Kasbah Taourirt. Overnight Ouarzazate.

Day 10 — Aït Ben Haddou › Tizi n’Tichka › Marrakech

Guided UNESCO Ksar visit at Aït Ben Haddou. High Atlas crossing (2,260 m). Arrival Marrakech. Overnight riad.

Day 11 — Marrakech Full Guided Day

Koutoubia Mosque, Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, souk quarters (copper, leather, textiles, spices), Majorelle Garden and Berber Museum. Evening Jemaa el-Fna square. Overnight Marrakech.

Day 12 — Marrakech › Essaouira › Casablanca

Drive through argan forest to Essaouira: UNESCO medina ramparts over the Atlantic, blue fishing boats, argan cooperative, art galleries, and the historic Skala sea fortress with its 18th-century bronze cannons aimed at the open ocean. Continue north to Casablanca airport or city hotel drop-off.

What’s Included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle (fuel included)
• Casablanca pickup and drop-off
• Licensed guides in Chefchaouen, Fez, and Marrakech
• 9 nights in hotels/riads (breakfast & dinner)
• 2 nights desert camp (dinner & breakfast)
• Camel trek at Erg Chebbi
• Complimentary bottled water and all taxes

Not Included

• Flights tickets
• Entrance fees to
• Monuments of any
• Lunches and drinks
• Anything not mentioned in the itinerary