Morocco 9 Days Tour from Casablanca

The best part of this 9-day Morocco circuit is the change of scenery: one day you are walking blue-painted lanes in Chefchaouen, and a few days later you are crossing Sahara dunes by camel. I like the well-planned route from Casablanca to Marrakech, and I like that airport transfers, hotels, and the long desert drive are arranged for you.

You also get time in Morocco’s major historic cities, not just a quick desert stop. The main caution is the pace. Several days involve long drives, and your experience depends heavily on the driver-guide. One published complaint specifically names Aziz, so I would confirm the assigned guide before departure if possible.

Key points to know before booking

• Camel ride and desert camp: Reach an Erg Chebbi camp by camel and return after sunrise.
• Five major Moroccan destinations: See Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fez, and Marrakech, with mountain and desert stops between them.
• Small-group format: The tour requires at least two people and allows a maximum of eight.
• Eight hotel nights included: Breakfast is included each morning, along with two dinners.
• Long road sections: The Fez to Merzouga and Dades to Marrakech days cover a lot of ground.
• Extra costs matter: Monument tickets, six dinners, lunches, drinks, and the Ait-Ben-Haddou admission are not included.

Casablanca to Rabat, a strong opening day

Your trip begins at Mohammed V Airport, where a driver-guide from Morocco Sahara Desert Travel meets you outside the terminal with a sign showing the agency name. You are then taken to your Casablanca hotel for the first night.

On the second morning, the route starts with Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque. This is the city’s headline sight and one of the major religious buildings in Morocco. The visit is scheduled for about two hours, but the admission fee is not included, so budget extra for it.

From Casablanca, you continue to Rabat, Morocco’s capital. The planned visit includes Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, Bab Challah, a royal palace gate, and the Oudaya Kasbah. This gives you a useful introduction to Morocco’s royal, religious, and political past without asking you to spend several days in the capital.

The day ends in Chefchaouen. Reaching the blue city early enough to walk the medina is a real benefit. You can explore the steep lanes, photograph the blue walls, and stop for local food before turning in. The schedule calls this a two-hour Rabat visit followed by roughly 19 hours in Chefchaouen, including the overnight, so do not expect a slow, detailed Rabat tour.

Chefchaouen’s blue lanes and the road to Fez

Chefchaouen sits in Morocco’s Rif Mountains and is famous for its old town painted in many shades of faded blue. The color is only part of the appeal. The medina has steep cobbled lanes, small workshops, red-walled kasbah buildings, and the central Outa el Hammam square.

You have free time here during the morning, which is valuable. A guided walk can show you the main points, but the pleasure of Chefchaouen is often simply wandering. Take your time with the slopes, since the old town is not flat. Leather and weaving workshops line some of the lanes, and the Kasbah contains cultural and artistic displays.

After lunch, you travel toward Fez. The schedule gives you about seven hours for Chefchaouen and the journey, followed by an overnight in Fez. This is a day of walking and road time, not a relaxed second day in the blue city.

Fez, Morocco’s most absorbing old city

Fez receives a full touring day, and that is welcome. After breakfast at your riad, you begin with the Royal Palace gate and the Jewish quarter, known as the Mellah. The tour presents this as the first Mellah built in Morocco, dating from the 14th century.

Inside the old city, the route includes Al Qaraouine University, the Moulay Idriss mausoleum, the famous tanneries, and other cultural and historic sites. The narrow lanes can feel confusing, so having a guide is especially useful here. You can spend less energy on finding your way and more on noticing the crafts, architecture, and daily activity around you.

After lunch, you visit a tile cooperative and then stop for a broad view over the Fez medina. That final viewpoint helps make sense of the dense maze you have just walked through.

The tour does not include monument entrance fees, so ask your guide which sites require payment and how much cash to carry. This is also a day when comfortable shoes matter. You will be on foot for much of the visit, and the old streets are described as alleys and small lanes rather than easy modern roads.

Fez to Merzouga through the Middle Atlas

Day five is the tour’s major road day. You leave Fez for Merzouga, passing through Ifrane, the cedar forest near Azrou, Midelt, the Ziz Gorge, and the Ziz Valley. The reward is a steady change in scenery, from mountain towns to dry southeastern Morocco.

Ifrane is presented as the Switzerland of Morocco because of its mountain setting and appearance. The stop lasts about 30 minutes, so think of it as a short look and photo break rather than a full visit.

At the cedar forest near Azrou, you have another 30-minute stop. This is where you may see Barbary apes. The forest is described as the largest cedar forest in Morocco, and the stop adds a welcome stretch of fresh air before the long drive continues.

Midelt is the planned lunch stop, but lunch is not included. You have about two hours there, which gives you time to eat and rest. Keep your meal budget in mind, since lunch is excluded throughout the tour.

After Midelt, the road crosses the Tiz Ntalghamt pass and passes through the Ziz Gorge. You then follow the Ziz Valley toward Erfoud and Rissani, with panoramic stops along the way. The views become drier and more open as you approach Merzouga.

Arriving in the afternoon, you receive mint tea before setting out by camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes. The camel ride takes you to the desert camp, where you spend the night. This is the tour’s signature experience, but remember that it follows a full day in the vehicle. If you are prone to stiffness, plan to take short movement breaks whenever the driver stops.

A sunrise camel ride and the Todra Gorge

The camp morning begins early. Your camel guide wakes you so you can watch the sunrise over the dunes, then you ride back toward Merzouga. The early start is part of the point. Light changes quickly across the Erg Chebbi sand, so the dunes can look noticeably different on the return route.

After leaving Merzouga, the route heads to the Todra Gorge. The gorge is described as Morocco’s highest and narrowest, with time for lunch in the area. Lunch is not included, but the setting gives you a memorable place to stop after the desert crossing.

The day continues through the Dades Valley to the Dades Gorges. Here you see unusual rock formations known as monkey toes and large earthen formations sometimes called sand castles. Your overnight accommodation is a hotel or riad overlooking the valley, with dinner and breakfast included.

Only two dinners are included in the entire tour, and this is one of them. The other nights require you to arrange and pay for dinner yourself, so do not assume every hotel stay includes an evening meal.

The Thousand Kasbahs road to Ouarzazate

After breakfast, you travel through the Dades Valley toward Ouarzazate and Marrakech. This road is called the way of the thousand kasbahs, a fitting name for a route filled with fortified buildings and earthen villages.

At Kalaat M’Gouna, known as the center of the Rose Valley, you have the option to visit a rose cooperative. Rosewater is available to buy, and it is an easy souvenir that does not take much room in your bag. The stop is optional, so you can choose between shopping and more time on the road.

Ouarzazate is known as the gateway to the Sahara. The planned sights include the large Taourirt Kasbah, a 19th-century palace, and the Cinema Museum. The kasbah offers views across the dry, rocky surroundings, and the city has a connection with film production.

Next comes Ait-Ben-Haddou, one of the tour’s most important architectural stops. This fortified ksar is made from earthen buildings grouped behind defensive walls and reinforced with corner towers. Some houses resemble small castles, with tall towers decorated in raw brick patterns. The oldest buildings date to the 17th century.

Admission to Ait-Ben-Haddou is not included. Give yourself time to walk through the site rather than treating it as a quick roadside photo stop. The two-hour visit is one of the better allocations in the schedule, especially after the long Dades Valley drive.

Crossing the High Atlas to Marrakech

The road to Marrakech crosses the Tizi n’Tichka Pass at about 2,260 meters. This is another scenic part of the trip, but it also brings winding roads and a long day in the vehicle.

You stop at an argan oil cooperative operated by Berber women. Argan oil is associated with Morocco, and this visit gives you a chance to see how the product is made and to buy it if you wish. It is also one of the few stops where the tour connects a local product with the people who produce it.

By this point, you will have crossed several mountain regions, the desert, and the southeastern valleys. The route is ambitious, and that is both its strength and its weakness. You see a great deal in nine days, but you do not have much spare time if a road day runs late.

Marrakech, from the Jemaa el-Fna to the souks

The final full day is devoted to Marrakech, often called the Red City. The tour includes Jemaa el-Fna, the Koutoubia Tower, the Saadian tombs, and Bahia Palace.

After lunch at a local restaurant near the main square, you walk through the souks, where hundreds of handicrafts are sold. The afternoon includes free time, allowing you to explore other parts of the city on your own.

That free time matters. The guided sights give you an orderly introduction, while the unscheduled hours let you set your own pace. You can return to the square, continue browsing the souks, or simply rest at the riad before the final airport transfer.

Admission fees for monuments are generally extra, so keep this in mind when comparing the tour price with a package that includes more tickets. Drinks and lunch are also excluded.

What the $2,268 price really covers

At $2,268.13 per person, this is not a budget tour. The price makes more sense if you value private transport, airport transfers, eight nights of accommodation, a driver-guide, breakfast every day, the camel ride, and the convenience of having the route arranged from Casablanca to Marrakech.

The tour allows up to eight people, so the word private should not be taken to mean a one-to-one trip. If you book with a partner or a small group, you get the benefits of a limited-size journey. The minimum booking is two people.

The included meals are modest: eight breakfasts and two dinners. You pay separately for all lunches, six dinners, drinks, and monument tickets. Add those costs before deciding if the package fits your budget.

The tour is often booked about 38 days ahead, which is a useful planning guide. It operates from September 1, 2023 through June 21, 2026, according to the stated availability period. Confirmation is provided at booking, and a multilingual guide may operate the trip.

The driver-guide can shape the whole experience

On a route with this much road time, the driver-guide is not a minor detail. You spend hours together between cities, and the guide controls the timing of stops, the flow of sightseeing, and much of the practical help along the way.

One published three-star account praised the route and several hotels but specifically complained about a driver named Aziz. The operator apologized and said the matter was investigated. I would not treat one complaint as a verdict on the entire company, but I would ask for the assigned driver’s name before departure and raise concerns early if the fit is poor.

The advertised overall rating is 4.8 from 39 reviews, with 95 percent recommending the experience. Those figures suggest that the route and service work well for most bookings, while also showing why the driver assignment deserves attention.

Who should book this Morocco route?

I would recommend this tour to you if you want a first taste of Morocco and prefer not to arrange trains, desert transfers, hotels, and airport rides yourself. It suits people who want major cities, mountain scenery, a camel ride, and a desert camp in one trip.

It is also a good match for couples, families with moderate fitness, and small groups who can share the long transfers. Vegetarian meals are available if you request them at booking.

I would think twice if you dislike long drives, want several free days in each city, or expect all meals and entrance fees to be covered. The schedule is active, and the Fez to Merzouga section in particular requires patience.

The tour requires a moderate level of physical fitness. You need to manage walking in medinas, uneven lanes, camel riding, early mornings, and long vehicle days. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time, which gives you some flexibility if your plans change.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if your priority is variety. In nine days, you move from Atlantic city sights to imperial capitals, a blue mountain town, cedar forests, desert dunes, gorges, fortified villages, and Marrakech’s souks.

The strongest reasons to book are the camel camp, the carefully connected route, the small maximum group of eight, and the practical airport and hotel transfers. The main reasons to hesitate are the high price, extra meal and admission costs, long driving days, and the importance of getting a good driver-guide.

For a first Morocco trip with limited planning time, I think the route offers strong value when shared by two or more people. Just budget honestly for extras, pack for active days, and confirm the guide and final drop-off airport before you go.

FAQ

How long is the Morocco tour from Casablanca?

The tour lasts approximately nine days and includes eight nights of accommodation.

What cities does the tour visit?

The route includes Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fez, Merzouga, Ouarzazate, and Marrakech, along with stops in Ifrane, Midelt, and other mountain and desert areas.

Is the camel ride included?

Yes. The tour includes a camel ride in the Sahara near Merzouga, with a ride to the desert camp and a return ride after sunrise.

Are meals included?

Eight breakfasts and two dinners are included. Lunches, six dinners, drinks, and monument entrance fees are not included.

How many people can join the tour?

A minimum of two people is required for a booking, and the tour can have a maximum of eight participants.

Can I be picked up and dropped off at an airport?

Yes. Airport pickup is offered at Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca, and the final transfer can go to Casablanca Airport or Marrakech Airport depending on your flight location and departure time.