8 Days Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech: Chefchaouen, Fes & Sahara
Rabat, the Blue City, Fes and a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes, ending in the Red City
Tour Overview
This 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech is a private, one-way circuit of about 1,620 km. It links Rabat, Chefchaouen and Fes in the north to a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes and the kasbahs of the south, with a full guided day in Marrakech at the end.
You travel in your own vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide. Nobody else joins your group. The route runs in one direction only, so you land at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (CMN) and fly home from Marrakech Menara (RAK) without doubling back.
The tour comes in two accommodation tiers on the same route. Luxury uses boutique riads, Relais & Châteaux properties and a private-bathroom desert camp. Standard uses comfortable, well-reviewed riads and hotels in the same towns. Everything else, the driver, the vehicle and the guided visits, is identical.
- Route: Casablanca → Rabat → Chefchaouen → Fes → Merzouga → Dades Valley → Aït Benhaddou → Marrakech
- Length: 8 days, 7 nights
- Group: private, 1 to 6 travellers in one vehicle
- Price: from $1,350 for your group in the Standard tier. Prices are per group, not per person, and indicative: the final price is set once the itinerary is personalised. The Luxury tier is quoted on request.
- Best months: March to May and September to November. Summer days in the desert pass 40°C and winter nights at the camp drop close to freezing, but the tour runs all year.
- Customisable: add nights, swap a stop or extend to Essaouira. The route is a starting point, not a fixed package.
Highlights
Hassan II Mosque: Begin at Casablanca's ocean-front mosque, whose 210-meter minaret is one of the tallest in the world, before the short drive to Rabat.
Kasbah of the Udayas: Walk the blue-and-white lanes of Rabat's 12th-century fortress above the Bou Regreg river, then visit the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V.
Chefchaouen: Spend an evening in the Blue City of the Rif Mountains, from Plaza Uta el-Hammam to the Spanish Mosque viewpoint at sunset.
Fes el-Bali: Explore the UNESCO-listed medina with a local guide, including Al Quaraouiyine, the Nejjarine Fountain, the Chouara Tanneries and the Mellah.
Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest: Stop in the Middle Atlas town known as Little Switzerland and look for Barbary macaques among the cedars.
Ziz Valley: Follow a ribbon of palm oases and fortified ksour on the road south into the Sahara.
Erg Chebbi: Ride a camel into dunes up to 150 meters high for sunset, spend the night at a desert camp and watch the sunrise from the sand.
Todra Gorge: Walk the riverbed between limestone walls that rise more than 300 meters.
Aït Benhaddou: Climb through the UNESCO-listed earthen ksar used as a film set for Gladiator, then cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass.
Marrakech: Finish with a guided day at the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Majorelle Garden and Jemaa el-Fnaa square.
Why Choose a Private Tour?
Detailed Itinerary
The Journey
"Your driver meets you at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (CMN). Before leaving the city you visit the Hassan II Mosque, built partly over the Atlantic, with its 210-meter minaret. In Rabat, the capital, you walk through the Kasbah of the Udayas above the Bou Regreg river, then see the unfinished Hassan Tower and the marble Mausoleum of Mohammed V."
The Journey
"After breakfast the road leaves the coast and climbs into the green valleys of the Rif Mountains. You reach Chefchaouen in the early afternoon, with time to explore the blue-washed medina, Plaza Uta el-Hammam and the Kasbah Museum. Walk up to the Spanish Mosque for the view over the town at sunset."
The Journey
"You arrive in Fes by late morning and meet a local guide for Fes el-Bali, the largest car-free medina in the world. The visit covers Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859 AD, the Nejjarine Fountain, the Chouara Tanneries seen from a terrace above the dye vats, the Mellah and the gates of the Royal Palace."
The Journey
"This is the longest drive of the tour, broken into easy stages. You stop in Ifrane, then in the Azrou cedar forest to look for Barbary macaques, cross the Middle Atlas and have lunch in Midelt. In the afternoon the road follows the palm groves of the Ziz Valley south to Merzouga. Camels wait at the edge of Erg Chebbi for a sunset ride of 1 hour or 90 minutes, as you prefer, to your desert camp. Dinner is served under the stars."
The Journey
"Wake early to watch the sunrise from the dunes, then ride back to Merzouga for breakfast. The road west passes through Tinghir to the Todra Gorge, where you walk along the river between cliffs more than 300 meters high. You continue to the Dades Valley, known as the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs, and stay overnight among its red rock formations."
The Journey
"You drive through the Rose Valley around Kelaat M'Gouna and on to Ouarzazate, where you can see the Taourirt Kasbah. Next is Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO-listed earthen ksar used as a film set for Gladiator and Game of Thrones. In the afternoon you cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass and descend to Marrakech."
The Journey
"A local guide takes you through the Red City: the 19th-century Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Majorelle Garden and the souks of the medina. The day ends at Jemaa el-Fnaa square as the food stalls and storytellers set up for the evening."
The Journey
"After breakfast your driver takes you to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK). If your flight leaves from Casablanca, the transfer back to CMN takes about two and a half hours on the highway."
Trip Logistics & Comfort: What to Expect
VIP Airport Welcome
Your private driver waits in the arrivals hall at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (CMN) with a sign bearing your name.
Your Private Vehicle
Your Driver & Guide
"Your driver is more than a chauffeur; he is your local host."
Transparent Pricing & Inclusions
The price covers your private vehicle, fuel, driver-guide, seven nights of accommodation in the tier you choose, the camel ride and the guided visits listed below. You pay separately for lunches, drinks, entrance fees and tips.
What is Included
- Private TransportationToyota Land Cruiser Prado with A/C, fuel and highway tolls included.
- Driver-GuideEnglish-speaking driver-guide dedicated to your group for all 8 days.
- Door-to-Door ServicePickup at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (CMN) and drop-off at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), or at your hotel in either city.
- Accommodation (7 nights)Luxury tier properties are listed below. Standard tier uses comfortable riads and hotels in the same towns. Similar properties are booked if one is full.
- • Night 1 (Rabat): Riad Kalaa, Dar El Kebira or The View Hotel.
- • Night 2 (Chefchaouen): Lina Ryad & Spa or Dar Ba Sidi.
- • Night 3 (Fes): Riad Fes (Relais & Châteaux) or Palais Faraj Suites & Spa.
- • Night 4 (Merzouga): Sahara Magic Camp or Kam Kam Dunes.
- • Night 5 (Dades Valley): Xaluca Dades Hotel or Kasbah Tizzarouine.
- • Nights 6 & 7 (Marrakech): La Maison Arabe or Dar Ayniwen Villa Hotel.
- Meals
- • Breakfast every day.
- • Dinner at the desert camp (Night 4) and in the Dades Valley (Night 5).
- Experiences
- • Camel ride into Erg Chebbi at sunset (1 hour or 90 minutes, as you prefer) and back at sunrise.
- • Local guide for the Fes el-Bali medina.
- • Local guide for a full day in Marrakech.
What is Not Included
- LunchesAllow approximately €10–€12 (100–120 MAD) per person, per meal. (We stop at clean, local restaurants).
- DrinksWater, soda, and alcohol at hotels.
- Entrance FeesMonuments, museums and gardens, such as the Hassan II Mosque, the Bahia Palace and the Majorelle Garden.
- TipsDiscretionary tips for your driver, local guides and porters.
- Flights & InsuranceInternational or domestic flights and travel insurance.
Places on this route: Casablanca · Rabat · Chefchaouen · Fes · Ifrane · Merzouga · Dades Valley · Aït Benhaddou · Marrakech
Tour Details
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