Three tested 8-day routes with a map, driving hours for every day, where to sleep and what it costs, from the Marrakech team that drives them.
The best 8 day Morocco itinerary for a first trip goes from Casablanca to Marrakech via Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes and a night in the Sahara, then the Dades Valley and Ait Benhaddou, with a guided day in Marrakech at the end. Arriving by ferry from Spain, or travelling in summer, loop the north from Tangier instead; with young children, take the family loop from Marrakech.
Each route below has a map, the driving hours for every day, the hotels our tours use and what it costs. We are a tour operator based in Marrakech and these are our own tour routes. Compare with the 7 day and 10 day itineraries.
Route 1Our pickOur pick: the classic circuit
Route 2No desert, little driving
Route 3Paced for children
Eight days is a week with room to breathe. Choose by where you land and whether the desert is a must.
Switch between the routes, then tap a stop to see where it is.
Morocco 8-day routes
Route 1 has the most time in the car because it crosses the country; Route 2 never goes over 4.5 hours a day; the family route breaks every drive into short stages with stops for children.
Hours on the road, day by day
Route 1 · Our pick: the classic circuit
The most complete 8 days: Rabat, the blue town of Chefchaouen, a guided day in Fes, a night in the dunes, the Dades Valley and Ait Benhaddou, and a guided day in Marrakech before your flight. One extra day on a one-week trip is what makes Chefchaouen fit.
About 95 km · 1.5 h
From Mohammed V Airport to the Hassan II Mosque, then Rabat for the Kasbah of the Udayas.
Riad in Rabat
About 250 km · 4.5 h
Up into the green valleys of the Rif, reaching Chefchaouen in the early afternoon for the blue medina, Plaza Uta el-Hammam and the walk up to the Spanish Mosque.
Traditional riad in Chefchaouen
About 201 km · 3.5 h
Fes by late morning and a local guide for Fes el-Bali: Al Quaraouiyine, the Nejjarine Fountain and the Chouara tanneries from a terrace.
Riad inside the Fes medina
About 459 km · 7.5 h (longest day)
Ifrane, the Azrou cedar forest, lunch in Midelt and the Ziz Valley, then a camel ride at sunset to a camp in Erg Chebbi.
Desert camp, Erg Chebbi
About 250 km · 4.5 h
Sunrise on the dunes, a river walk in the Todra Gorge, and the Dades Valley for the night.
Kasbah hotel, Dades Valley
About 330 km · 6.5 h
The Rose Valley, Ouarzazate, the ksar of Ait Benhaddou and the Tizi n'Tichka pass to Marrakech.
Riad in the Marrakech medina
On foot in the city
The Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Majorelle Garden and the souks, ending at Jemaa el-Fna.
Riad in the Marrakech medina
Airport transfer: 15 min to RAK or about 2.5 h to CMN
Marrakech Menara Airport, or back to Casablanca if your flight leaves from there.
Do this as a private tour
8 Days Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech: Chefchaouen, Fes & Sahara
from $1,240 per person for two travellers sharing (Standard tier): private 4x4 with fuel and tolls, driver-guide for 8 days and seven nights.
Route 2 · No desert, little driving
A loop of the north with no long drives: Tangier, Cap Spartel and Asilah, two nights in Chefchaouen, Volubilis and Meknes, two nights in Fes, and back to Tangier through the hill town of Ouazzane. The longest day is about 4.5 hours.
Airport or port transfer, about 30 min
From Ibn Battuta Airport or the Tangier Ville port to your hotel, and an afternoon in the old International Zone of Tangier.
El Minzah Hotel or Hilton Houara Resort
About 100 km · 2 h
Cap Spartel, the north-western tip of Africa, the Caves of Hercules, then the walled seaside town of Asilah.
Same as night 1
About 120 km · 2.5 h
The Andalusian medina of Tetouan, a UNESCO site, then up into the Rif to Chefchaouen.
Lina Ryad & Spa or Dar Echchaouen
On foot in the medina
The Ras el-Maa spring, the blue lanes, Plaza Uta el-Hammam and the Kasbah.
Same as night 3
On foot in the medina
In through Bab Bou Jeloud to the Al Attarine Madrasa, the Nejjarine Fountain and the old quarters of the medina.
Same as night 5
About 300 km · 4.5 h
The rural inland road north through Ouazzane, a Sufi town known for olive oil and wool weaving.
El Minzah Hotel or Hilton Houara Resort
Airport or port transfer, about 30 min
Tangier airport, or the Tangier Ville port for the ferry to Tarifa.
Do this as a private tour
8 Days Tour from Tangier to Fes via Chefchaouen
from $1,190 per person for two travellers sharing: private 4x4, driver-guide for 8 days, seven nights and a historian-led day in Fes.
Route 3 · Paced for children
Our family route: three nights in a Marrakech hotel with a pool, drives broken into short stages, two nights at a safe, enclosed family camp in the dunes with sandboarding and Gnawa drumming, and the Atlas Film Studios on the way back. Car seats are provided on request.
Airport transfer, about 20 min
A short transfer to a family hotel with a pool, and a slow first afternoon.
Eden Andalou (aqua park) or Kenzi Menara
No driving
A horse-drawn carriage round the ramparts and a treasure hunt in the souks instead of a history lecture.
Same as night 1
About 330 km · 6.5 h, broken up
Geode stalls on the pass, the "mud castle" of Ait Benhaddou, and a night in the Dades Valley.
Xaluca Dades
About 250 km · 4.5 h
Skipping stones in the Todra river, a fossil workshop in Erfoud, then the family camp in the dunes.
Family desert camp (safe, enclosed)
No driving
Sandboarding on a gentle dune and Gnawa drumming in the village of Khamlia.
Same camp
About 360 km · 5 h (longest day)
The donkey car park at the Rissani market, a date-tasting stop in the Draa Valley, and Ouarzazate by mid-afternoon for the pool.
Oscar Hotel or Berbere Palace
About 200 km · 3.5 h
The film sets of the Atlas Studios, then the Tichka pass back to Marrakech.
Eden Andalou or Kenzi Menara
Airport transfer only
A last swim if time allows, then the airport.
Do this as a private tour
8 Days Morocco Family Tour with Kids from Marrakech
from $1,150 per person for two travellers sharing: private air-conditioned vehicle, driver-guide for 8 days and seven nights.
March to May and September to November for all three routes. In July and August the north stays cooler than the south, which makes Route 2 the summer choice, while the desert passes 40°C. In winter the Rif gets rain and desert nights drop close to freezing. More in the best time to visit Morocco.
When to go, region by region
Tap a month to see its temperatures.
Marrakech in OctoberIdeal
Warm days and mild evenings: the best weather for the medina and souks.
Average high 28 °C, low 15 °C (Marrakech).
Private 8-day tours on our routes cost from $1,150 (family loop), $1,190 (northern loop) and $1,240 (Casablanca to Marrakech) per person for two travellers sharing, with seven nights included. Here is Route 1 with lunches and tips. More in Morocco tour prices.
Example: two travellers on Route 1
| Private tour, Route 1 (2 × $1,240) | $2,480 |
|---|---|
| 7 lunches each (100–120 MAD a meal) | $140–$170 |
| Driver-guide tip, 8 days (150–200 MAD a day) | $120–$160 |
| Entrance fees, drinks, souvenirs | Your choice |
About $2,740–$2,810 for the two of you, before entrance fees and shopping.
What is not in a tour price
Route 2 works partly by train, which links Tangier, Meknes and Fes, with buses or taxis for Chefchaouen. Routes 1 and 3 cross the Atlas to the desert and need a car. For self-drive, read driving in Morocco.
| How you travel | Route 1Casablanca to Marrakech | Route 2Northern loop from Tangier | Route 3Family loop from Marrakech |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private driver-guideDoor to door, guides in each city | Works well | Works well | Works well |
| Self-drive rentalPossible; long Atlas and desert days | Possible, with trade-offs | Works well | Possible, with trade-offs |
| TrainBetween the big cities only | Does not work | Possible, with trade-offs | Does not work |
| Bus and shared toursCheapest, slow, fixed group schedules | Possible, with trade-offs | Possible, with trade-offs | Does not work |
Add Essaouira and the Atlantic coast, or a second desert night.
10 day Morocco itineraryFrom Tangier, drive south through Chefchaouen and Fes to the Sahara and finish in Marrakech.
6 days Tangier to Marrakech tourEssaouira is about 2.5 hours from Marrakech and makes an easy final day.
Essaouira day tripEight days fits two of the three. Route 1 takes the north and the desert; save Essaouira for another trip or a 10-day plan.
In July and August the Sahara passes 40°C. Families travelling then should prefer the north, or keep desert time to early morning and evening.
Route 1 ends in Marrakech. If your flight home leaves from Casablanca, allow about 2.5 hours on the highway on day 8.
Many travellers wish they had stayed longer. Route 2 gives it two nights.
The same format for every length of trip, from a few days in Marrakech to two weeks across the country.
Eight days fits two of Morocco's three big regions: the north and the desert, or the desert and Marrakech, with a guided day in the cities. For the Atlantic coast as well, plan 10 days.
Casablanca to Marrakech: Rabat, Chefchaouen, a guided visit of Fes, a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes, the Todra Gorge and the Dades Valley, Ait Benhaddou and a guided day in Marrakech. It is our 8 Days Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech.
Yes. The northern loop from Tangier spends two nights each in Chefchaouen and Fes, visits Asilah, Tetouan, Volubilis and Meknes, and never drives more than about 4.5 hours a day.
Yes on the family loop from Marrakech: drives broken into short stages, a safe, enclosed family desert camp for two nights, sandboarding, the Atlas Film Studios and hotels with pools. Car seats are provided on request.
Our private 8-day tours cost from $1,150 (family loop), $1,190 (northern loop) and $1,240 (Casablanca to Marrakech) per person for two travellers sharing, with seven nights included. Lunches and tips are extra.
Yes. The route ends in Marrakech on day 8, and the transfer back to Casablanca Mohammed V Airport takes about 2.5 hours on the highway.
March to May and September to November. In July and August the north stays cooler than the south, which makes the Tangier loop the summer choice; in winter the Rif gets rain and desert nights drop close to freezing.
Want your 8 days planned for you?
Build a day-by-day plan with real drive times in the trip planner, or book one of the routes above as a private tour.