North to South Morocco Tour: Chefchaouen to Marrakech

Sahara desert in Morocco

What to expect on this itinerary

Step into a blue town of cobblestone and intrigue during this exciting 12-day Morocco trip. Feel the silence of the Saharan sand dunes, ride a camel to a desert town, and explore an old Roman city. You can also visit famous movie locations and listen to traditional storytellers weave their way through historical narratives. All of these experiences will be part of your journey.

Countries Visited

Morocco

Places Visited

Chefchaouen, Fes, Marrakech, Erg Chebbi, Todra Gorge, Ait Benhaddou

Suggested Duration

12 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Chefchaouen – Arrive in the Blue Town

Chefchaouen will immediately take your breath away. Oddly, it is not the blue so much as it is the location. The old town is perched on a mountain slope. Vehicles cannot enter through the narrow town gate, and they certainly would not be able to navigate the steep streets. This inaccessible location is part of the city’s charm, and your guide will help carry your luggage into the old town. Your hotel will be in the heart of old Chefchaouen in a converted 15th-century building with a private balcony. Although it is a two-hour drive from Fes-Sais Airport, starting in Chefchaouen is a great way to overcome jet lag or travel fatigue.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Day 2

Chefchaouen – Relaxing Day in the Town

Day 3

Chefchaouen – Mountain Market and Cooking Class

Day 4

Fes – From the Romans to the Souks

Day 5

Fes – Discovering the Best of Fes

Day 6

Erg Chebbi – The Atlas Mountains and the Sahara

Day 7

Erg Chebbi – On the Sand Dunes

Day 8

Todra Gorge – Camel Caravan

Day 9

Ait Benhaddou – Stunning Movie Locations

Day 10

Marrakech – Djemaa El-Fna

Day 11

Marrakech – Full-Day Tour

Day 12

Marrakech – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Immerse yourself in Morocco’s blue pearl and spend your first several days in the charming town of Chefchaouen
  • Travel through the Sahara Desert on a camel and be enveloped by the wilderness
  • Feel the energy and enchantment of Fes, which is an enormous walled city that is full of souks and iconic sites
  • Explore Morocco’s movie-set locations and stop in Ouarzazate before a night in Ait Benhaddou
  • Discover why Marrakech is such a unique destination as you navigate through the snake charmers and storytellers of Djemaa El-Fna square
  • Piece together different histories as you visit Roman Volubilis and the trading town of Rissani
  • Travel through the Atlas Mountains to find remarkable panoramas and river canyons
  • Learn how to cook Rif Mountain cuisine with a market and cooking class in Chefchaouen

Detailed Description

Morocco tends to conjure images of souks, medinas, mosques, and bustling streets of traders, but these images are just one side to Morocco. There is so much more to this landscape that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the high mountains and the Sahara Desert. One day, you will be surrounded by the colors of busy city souks, and the next day, you can be standing on a rugged mountain pass. Some evenings will be spent listening to storytellers and snake charmers, and others will be spent gazing at the desert stars. Morocco is a country with an incredible range of experiences, and you will begin with Chefchaouen, which is also known as the blue pearl.

Chefchaouen is entirely pedestrianized and ideal for overcoming any travel fatigue. You can explore at your leisure, and there is something that will capture your heart around every corner. Next, you will visit a market and cook with a local chef. You will then leave Chefchaouen to see the highlights of Morocco, starting with Roman cities of Volubilis and Meknes.

You will then spend a couple of nights in Fes. With its energy and never-ending procession of local sights, the world’s largest walled city is Morocco’s most iconic experience. You will then cross the Middle Atlas, and your driver will lead you to the desert. Camels will take you further into the dunes. Your evening journey will be an impressive sunrise and sunset ride the following day. Your experience will be complemented by your boutique camp, where you can casually watch the desert go through its impressive color changes.

The following day, you will leave the sand but stay in the desert with a stop in Rissani. You will then continue Todra Gorge before exploring a slightly fictional world. Ouarzazate is the small city at the heart of Morocco’s movie industry, and you will be amazed by how many international blockbusters have been shot nearby. You will stay in Ait Benhaddou the next day, which was the setting for Gladiator. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lastly, Marrakech will complete your tour.

Starting Price

$4,500 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 106 reviews

Morocco Vacation Review: Marrakech, Chefchaouen, Rabat, Casablanca, Hot-Air Balloon Ride, Desert, Medina, Local Cuisine, 6 Nights

Our trip to Morocco was absolutely perfect from start to finish. Our driver was excellent and an excellent companion throughout the journey—reliable, friendly, and always helpful.

The guided tour through the medina in Marrakech with our guide was a standout experience, especially with the bonus of dining at a fantastic restaurant he recommended. Two major highlights of the trip were the unforgettable hot-air balloon ride and our magical night in the desert.

Although our time in Casablanca was brief, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Our guide in Rabat was knowledgeable and made the experience engaging and informative. We ended our trip in the stunning town of Chefchaouen, where another guide provided an exceptional tour—he was informative and passionate about his city.

The accommodations were perfect at every stop, and we truly appreciated the welcome gifts and meals provided by Zicasso's travel specialist and his team. Their attention to detail made all the difference.

I would highly recommend him and his company to anyone planning a trip to Morocco. It was an unforgettable experience that I will be sharing with friends and family for years to come.

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Morocco Trip Review: Atlas Mountains, Fes, Marrakech, Atlas Mountains, Chefchaouen, Food Tour, Photography, 11 Nights

Our trip with Zicasso’s tour company was wonderful. The agent really listened to our specific needs and designed a great trip for us. The country, of course, was wonderful, but the agency was what made the trip amazing. They chose the properties and knocked it out of the park. We loved all our riads and each had fabulous food, so we rarely went elsewhere.

Our trip around Morocco from north to south included a lot of driving. The driving agency, specifically our driver, was amazing. He spoke excellent English and knew his country well. He also had a fun personality and the heart of a servant. He literally made our trip. We were sad to say goodbye. We also enjoyed all our guides at each location. 

Besides the Fes market foot tour, the best was the two photo tours arranged by our travel company. We had one in Chefchaouen and one in Marrakech. This entailed a professional photographer leading us to beautiful architectural or scenic spots and capturing us in them. What a memory. My Instagram will be blowing up!! Ha ha. Seriously though, we have some great shots and memories. 

Another highlight was horseback riding in the Atlas Mountains. It was just us and our guide, and we saw no other people in the stunning countryside and mountains during our three-hour ride. So fantastic. I can't say enough good things about this trip. We loved it.

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Morocco Vacation Review: Marrakech, Merzouga, Fes, Chefchaouen, Medinas, Desert, Camel Ride, Gardens, Museums, Cooking Class, 11 Nights

We had the most amazing time in Morocco, thanks to our wonderful Zicasso trip planners. From the very beginning of the planning stages, our agents were not only super-accommodating, but provided great ideas to make our trip as special as could be!

Once we landed, our guide and driver made sure we were comfortable throughout our trip. We visited Marrakech, Merzouga, Fes, and Chefchaouen. Each of these destinations were special in their own way and we had amazing tours in the medinas, visited gardens and museums, had a cooking class and, of course, a wonderful night in the desert.

None of this could have been possible without the expertise of the entire team at the travel agency. The logistics were impeccable, the hotels so beautiful, and suggestions for shopping and meals were perfect as well!

We cannot thank the team enough for such a special experience and we hope to work with them in the future! Thank you so much!

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Morocco Travel Review: Marrakech, Atlas Mountains, Imlil, Food Tour, Cooking Class, 8 Nights

Morocco, a country that stimulates all the senses: tastes of tagines, smells of orange blossoms, textures of handmade Berber rugs, sounds of the call to prayer, and sights that are imprinted on my brain.

Our tour guide in the Atlas Mountains was exceptional in bringing us to the home of friends to cook a meal and then safely guiding us through the extraordinary mountain area of Imlil. Our driver navigated the mountain roads and medina traffic equally skillfully and safely, and became a friend.

Our stay in Marrakech was exceptional; doing a food tour and experiencing the breaking of the fast in Ramadan was a highlight. Learning about the culture and history from the knowledgeable guides enriched our experience.

We could not have planned this on our own and are truly thankful for Zicasso’s travel specialist’s guidance in orchestrating this amazing trip.

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Morocco Trip Review: Agafay Desert, Marrakesh, Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Sidecar Motorcycle Ride, Mosques, Tanneries, 2-Week Tour

We enjoyed our tour in Morocco, mainly for the opportunity to explore different places and learn more about their customs and history. The people has been very attentive and the itinerary was very interesting and well organized.

Our driver did a very good job, he was always available and on time. The hotel and riads were excellent, but in some cases their location was not the best.

Many things to remember, but we just would like to mention the Sidecar motorcycle tour and the Agafay desert visit, both from Marrakesh. We also liked the visit to the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, the city tour in Rabat and the visit to the tanneries in Fes.

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Morocco Vacation Review: Casablanca, Fes, Marrakech, 9 Nights

If you are looking for a white-glove, red-carpet experience, Zicasso's tour planner and his company are your go-to. He created an amazing itinerary that fit our budget. He was terrific with communication and follow-up. The minute we set foot in Morocco, his team was there, ready to go. They were 10 to 15 minutes early every day. We traveled through four cities, with wonderful stops, sights, commentary, and tours.

Our tour guide first introduced himself as the fixer. I was wary. Four days later, it proved true. He saved me and my dresses. I left my dresses in the Casablanca hotel room. Five hours later, I discovered the "Oh no!". Our guide hopped on the phone, called the hotel numerous times, contacted several colleagues, and found someone to drive my dresses three hours to our Marrakech hotel. The dresses arrived by noon the next day.

Most of all, our tour planner created and delivered a magical, memorable experience, without mishap. My 80-year-old mother said it was the best vacation she's ever taken. We are truly grateful.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

30,000+ Verified Traveler Reviews