10 Days in Morocco: Marrakech, Desert, Fes & Chefchaouen Itinerary
Ten days is the sweet spot for Morocco: enough for both great cities, the Sahara and the blue town of Chefchaouen without rushing. Here is the route, day by day.
Ten days is where a Morocco trip stops being a choice between things. It is enough to do Marrakech and Fes properly, spend a night in the Sahara, cross the Atlas twice on scenic roads, and reach Chefchaouen in the Rif — all without a single day that is nothing but driving. The route below is the one we build most often at this length.
The route at a glance
| Day | Where | Night | Driving |
|---|
| 1 | Arrive Marrakech | Marrakech | — |
| 2 | Marrakech medina and monuments | Marrakech | — |
| 3 | Atlas day trip or Agafay evening | Marrakech | 2–3 h |
| 4 | Tichka pass, Ait Ben Haddou, Dades | Dades Valley | ~6 h |
| 5 | Todra Gorge, Merzouga, camel trek | Desert camp | ~5 h |
| 6 | Sunrise, Ziz Valley, cedar forest, Fes | Fes | ~7 h |
| 7 | Fes: guided medina day | Fes | — |
| 8 | Volubilis and Meknes, or Fes crafts | Fes | 3 h |
| 9 | Fes → Chefchaouen | Chefchaouen | ~3.5 h |
| 10 | Chefchaouen morning, depart Tangier | — | ~2 h |
Arrive in Marrakech, depart from Tangier (or Fes, if you shuffle the last days). One direction, nothing repeated.
Days 1–3: Marrakech
Day 1 — arrive, settle into a riad in the medina, and be on Jemaa el-Fnaa by 18:00 when the food stalls assemble. Nothing more ambitious.
Day 2 — the medina, starting at opening time. Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, Medersa Ben Youssef and the souks in the morning with a licensed guide; a hammam, Jardin Majorelle (book ahead) or a cooking class in the afternoon; a rooftop dinner in the evening. See our Marrakech things-to-do guide for the detail.
Day 3 — get out of the city. The best options are Imlil and the Toubkal valley for real mountains, the Ourika Valley for a river and waterfalls, or an Agafay sunset dinner in the evening. Imlil plus Agafay in one day is ambitious but doable.
Day 4: Marrakech to the Dades Valley
~6 hours driving. Over the Tizi n’Tichka pass at around 2,260 m, then Ait Ben Haddou — the UNESCO-listed earthen ksar, with the climb to the granary at the top. Lunch in Ouarzazate. Afternoon east through the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs to the Dades Gorge, arriving in time for the evening light and the hairpin road above Ait Oudinar.
With ten days you can also add the Fint Oasis south of Ouarzazate or Telouet Kasbah off the pass road — both are skipped on shorter trips.
Day 5: Todra Gorge and the Sahara
~5 hours driving. Early at Todra Gorge, where the limestone narrows to about ten metres. Then Erfoud’s fossil workshops and Rissani, and into Erg Chebbi by camel around 90 minutes before sunset (or 4x4 if you prefer). Night at a desert camp: tagine, drumming, and the Milky Way.
Day 6: Sunrise, then north to Fes
~7 hours driving. Dawn on the dunes, then north through the Ziz Valley with its palm-filled canyon, lunch at Midelt, the cedar forests near Azrou and their macaques, and Ifrane before descending into Fes.
Days 7–8: Fes
Day 7 — a full guided day in Fes el-Bali: the Al-Attarine and Bou Inania medersas, the Chouara tanneries in the morning while the tanners work, Al-Qarawiyyin, Place Seffarine, and the Merenid Tombs at sunset. A licensed guide is close to essential here; see our Fes guide.
Day 8 — choose one:
- Volubilis and Meknes — the best Roman ruins in Morocco plus an imperial capital, with Moulay Idriss in between. About three hours of driving in total and the better choice for most people.
- A second Fes day — the potteries at Ain Nokbi, the Mellah and Ibn Danan synagogue, Dar Batha, and the medina at your own pace.
Day 9: Fes to Chefchaouen
~3.5 hours driving. North into the Rif to the blue town. Arrive early afternoon, then the single best thing to do there: walk up to the Spanish Mosque for sunset, a 30–40 minute climb with the whole blue medina below you. Dinner in Place Outa el Hammam.
Day 10: Chefchaouen and departure
Be out in the lanes between 07:00 and 09:00, before the day coaches from Tangier arrive — this is when Chefchaouen is at its best and most photographs are worth taking. Then the Kasbah and Ras El Maa spring, and a two-hour drive to Tangier for your flight.
If you have an eleventh day, spend it here: the Akchour waterfalls 30 minutes away are a half-day walk almost no visitor sees. See our Chefchaouen guide.
Variations
- Swap Chefchaouen for Essaouira. If you would rather have the Atlantic than the Rif, do Marrakech (3) → desert (2) → Fes (3) then fly or drive back and finish with two nights in Essaouira. Less driving, more beach.
- Start in Casablanca. If flights are better, begin there with the Hassan II Mosque and Rabat, then pick up the route at Fes and run it in reverse. Our 9-day tour from Casablanca does this.
- Reverse the whole thing. Tangier → Chefchaouen → Fes → Merzouga → Dades → Ait Ben Haddou → Marrakech. Our 12-day Tangier-to-Marrakech tour is the extended version.
- Add Erg Chigaga instead of Merzouga. Wilder, emptier dunes, but needs an extra day and a 4x4.
- Go slower. The 10-day private tour from Marrakech covers this ground with our own pacing and hotel selection.
Practical notes
- Multi-city flights. In to Marrakech, out of Tangier or Fes. Worth a small premium.
- Private driver–guide for days 4–6 at minimum; the whole route is better that way.
- Small overnight bag for the desert camp.
- Layers for everything. Two Atlas crossings, a desert night, and the Rif, which is cooler and wetter than the rest of Morocco.
- Best months: April–May and September–October hit every region at its best. Winter is fine for the desert and cities but cold in Chefchaouen and the mountains.
- Budget for entry fees and guides in cash — dirhams, small notes.
Let us build your ten days
Ten days gives real flexibility, and the right shape depends on your flights and pace. Send us your dates and arrival city and we will lay it out properly, or browse our multi-day Morocco tours.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 10 days enough to see Morocco?
Ten days is the sweet spot. It covers Marrakech, an Atlas day trip, Ait Ben Haddou, a Sahara night at Merzouga, two or three days in Fes and Chefchaouen, without any day that is only driving. Two weeks lets you add the coast or a second desert.
What is the best order for a 10-day Morocco itinerary?
Marrakech first, then south over the Atlas to Ait Ben Haddou and the Dades, then Merzouga, then north to Fes, then Chefchaouen, flying out of Tangier. That runs in one direction and repeats no roads. The reverse works equally well from Tangier.
Should I fly out of a different city than I flew into?
Yes. A multi-city flight into Marrakech and out of Tangier or Fes is worth a small premium, because returning to your arrival city costs a full day of driving over ground you have already seen.
Can I fit Essaouira into 10 days as well?
Not comfortably alongside Chefchaouen. Pick one: Chefchaouen if you want the Rif and the blue town, or Essaouira if you want the Atlantic and less driving. Fitting both means cutting your Fes or Marrakech time.
How many nights should I spend in the desert?
One night at a camp in Erg Chebbi is standard and enough for most people, arriving by camel before sunset and leaving after sunrise. Two nights makes sense only if you want a full day in the dunes or you are heading to the remoter Erg Chigaga.
