6 Days Casablanca to Marrakech Tour — Blue City, Fes & the Sahara
The full sweep of Morocco from the Atlantic to Marrakech — Rabat, blue Chefchaouen, imperial Fes, a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes and the kasbah road south.
Introduction
The 6-day Casablanca to Marrakech tour is our most complete first-visit itinerary from the coast — a single north-to-south journey that adds Chefchaouen's blue city and Roman Volubilis to the classic run of imperial Fes, the Erg Chebbi Sahara and the kasbah road. Below you'll find the full day-by-day plan, transparent pricing, inclusions, the best time to travel and practical advice from the family that runs it.
Overview
Six days is the sweet spot for a first, complete tour of Morocco — long enough to add the blue city of Chefchaouen and a Roman ruin to the classic imperial-cities-and-Sahara route, short enough to keep the pace lively. Beginning in Casablanca and ending in Marrakech, this tour draws a single unbroken line down the country: the Atlantic coast, the Rif mountains, the medieval medina of Fes, the Middle Atlas, the Erg Chebbi dunes and the kasbah valleys of the south.
It's our most popular Casablanca grand tour, and the one we'd choose ourselves for a first visit: nothing is rushed, nothing important is missed, and the finish in Marrakech makes onward travel easy.
Why choose this tour
What makes this the strongest Casablanca grand tour:
- The whole country, in order. Coast, Rif, imperial cities, Middle Atlas, Sahara and kasbah valleys — a logical line with no repeated roads.
- Two nights in Fes. A full guided medina day plus free time, rather than a rushed half-day.
- A real desert morning. Not just a sunset arrival — a 4x4 among nomads and fossils before you move on.
- Run by the owners. The desert hotel, camp and camels are ours; the price is honest and nothing is subcontracted.
Highlights
- The Hassan II Mosque on the Atlantic in Casablanca
- Chefchaouen — Morocco's blue-washed mountain town
- Roman Volubilis and the holy town of Moulay Idriss
- Fes — a full guided walk through the medieval medina
- Sunset camel trek and a luxury camp night at Erg Chebbi
- A 4x4 desert morning: nomads, fossils and Khamlia Gnawa music
- Todra & Dades gorges and UNESCO Aït Ben Haddou
Itinerary
Day 1Day 1: Casablanca → Rabat → Chefchaouen
Morning. Start at Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque above the ocean, then up the coast to Rabat for the Kasbah of the Udayas and the Hassan Tower.
Afternoon. We turn inland into the Rif mountains, reaching the blue city of Chefchaouen by evening.
Evening & accommodation. A small hotel or riad in the medina. Travel time: ~5.5 h with stops · distance: ~430 km. Insider tip: the blue lanes empty out after the day-trippers leave — an evening stroll is the loveliest time. Overnight in Chefchaouen.
Day 2Day 2: Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fes
Morning. A little time in Chefchaouen's photogenic medina, then south to the Roman city of Volubilis, the best-preserved ancient site in Morocco, its mosaics still bright in the ground.
Afternoon. The whitewashed holy town of Moulay Idriss and imperial Meknes with its great Bab Mansour gate, before arriving in Fes.
Evening & accommodation. A traditional riad in the Fes medina and a Moroccan dinner. Travel time: ~4.5 h with stops · distance: ~300 km. Overnight in Fes.
Day 3Day 3: Fes medina guided tour → free afternoon
Morning. A local guide leads you deep into the Fes el-Bali medina — the 1,200-year-old Al-Qarawiyyin (often called the world's oldest university), the Bou Inania and Attarine madrasas, the famous chouara tanneries and the coppersmiths' square.
Afternoon. Free time to get pleasantly lost, shop for the medina's crafts, or relax at your riad.
Accommodation. Second night in Fes. Insider tip: the tanneries are best in the morning light and cooler air; accept the sprig of mint they hand you at the door. Overnight in Fes.
Day 4Day 4: Fes → Ifrane → Azrou → Ziz Valley → Merzouga (camel trek & camp)
Morning. Climb into the Middle Atlas — Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest with its Barbary macaques.
Afternoon. Across the Midelt plateau and down the palm-filled Ziz Valley to the edge of the Sahara.
Evening — camel trek & camp. A sunset camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes to our luxury camp, with dinner and drumming under the stars. Travel time: ~7 h + 1 h camel · distance: ~470 km. Dinner & breakfast at camp.
Day 5Day 5: Sahara sunrise → 4x4 desert morning → Todra → Dades
Morning. Sunrise over the dunes, then a 4x4 excursion to nomad families, the fossil fields and the Gnawa music village of Khamlia before we head west.
Afternoon. The Todra Gorge and into the Dades Valley.
Evening & accommodation. A kasbah hotel in the Dades. Travel time: ~5 h with stops · distance: ~300 km. Dinner & breakfast included.
Day 6Day 6: Dades → Aït Ben Haddou → Tizi n'Tichka → Marrakech
Morning. Through the Roses Valley and Skoura to Ouarzazate and the UNESCO ksar of Aït Ben Haddou.
Afternoon — arrival. Over the Tizi n'Tichka pass and down to Marrakech, where the tour ends at your hotel. Travel time: ~7 h with stops · distance: ~430 km. Breakfast included.
Tour route map
Accommodation
Five nights: a medina hotel or riad in Chefchaouen, two nights in a traditional Fes riad, one night in our luxury Erg Chebbi camp (en-suite tent, real bed, hot shower) and one in a Dades Valley kasbah hotel. Upgrade the camp to a honeymoon tent if you're celebrating.
Transport
Private air-conditioned 4x4 or minivan with fuel and an English/French/Spanish-speaking driver-guide for all six days. Roads are paved throughout; the only off-tarmac travel is the camel ride into camp (swappable for a 4x4 transfer). Daily drives are moderate and broken up with sightseeing.
Pick-up & meeting point
Pick-up from your Casablanca hotel or Mohammed V Airport (CMN) on Day 1, confirmed by WhatsApp the night before. Flying in late? We can start on Day 1 afternoon or add a Casablanca night — just tell us your arrival.
Included & not included
- ✓Private air-conditioned 4x4 or minivan with fuel & driver-guide
- ✓Casablanca hotel or airport pick-up
- ✓5 nights: Chefchaouen, 2× Fes riad, Erg Chebbi luxury camp, Dades kasbah hotel
- ✓Local guided tour of the Fes medina
- ✓Sunset & sunrise camel trek + 4x4 desert morning
- ✓Half board (dinner & breakfast daily)
- ✓English / French / Spanish-speaking driver-guide
- ✓Bottled water
- ✗Lunches & drinks
- ✗Monument & mosque entrance fees
- ✗Fes local guide tip & other tips
- ✗Travel insurance
- ✗Marrakech hotel on Day 6
Pricing
Per person for the private tour; the price falls as your group grows. Shared group departures available on request.
| Group size | Price per person | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 2 people | €1120 | Private tour |
| 3–4 people | €900 | Private tour |
| 5+ people | €750 | Private tour |
Best time to travel
Comfortable year-round, with spring and autumn the pick for mild days in the medinas and cool desert nights. Winter adds snow to the Atlas passes and cold desert nights (bring a warm layer); summer is hot in Fes and the south, so we start early and time the camel treks for dawn and dusk. See the best time to visit the Sahara.
What to pack
Layers for warm days and cold desert nights, a warm jacket, a scarf, comfortable walking shoes for medinas and gorges, sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen, a refillable bottle, a head-torch and a power bank. Modest dress helps at religious sites. Full list: Morocco packing list.
Travel tips
Insider tips: hire the local Fes guide we include — the medina's 9,000 lanes are genuinely bewildering without one; keep small notes for tips and medina purchases; and photograph Chefchaouen and the tanneries in the softer morning light. Short on time? The 4-day Casablanca to Merzouga tour covers the desert faster; with more days, add the coast on a 10-day grand tour.
How booking works
Tell us your dates, group size and starting city by the enquiry form or WhatsApp and you hear back personally, usually within a few hours, with a clear all-in price. A small deposit holds your dates and you pay the balance on arrival, so you never prepay in full. Free cancellation up to 7 days before departure, and we confirm your pickup by WhatsApp the night before.
Booking direct with our Berber family
Hotel Les Roches is our own — we were born at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes and have run it since 2004. You deal with the same family that owns the hotel, runs the desert camp and leads the camels, so there is no agency markup, nothing is subcontracted, and the price you are quoted is the price you pay.
What a night at our camp is like
After the sunset camel trek you reach our private camp as the sky turns from gold to deep blue. The tents are proper rooms — a real bed with warm blankets and an en-suite hot shower — and dinner is a home-cooked tagine under the stars, followed by Berber drums around the fire. With no light for a hundred kilometres the Milky Way is astonishing, and you wake early to climb a dune for sunrise.
What our guests say
★★★★★
We travelled all over Morocco and liked Auberge Les Roches especially. They arranged an awesome overnight camel tour, and the camp was deluxe with its own shower, hot water and toilet. The best people.
Ilya · Google · 2023
★★★★★
The hotel backs onto the desert, which was stunning, and the room was spacious and clean. The hosts even packed us breakfast for our early bus. The nicest vegetable tajine we had so far.
Beck Fa'amausili · Google · 2024
★★★★★
Perhaps the greatest hotel in the area — literally in the desert, with a beautiful pool. The staff is dedicated to making your stay just what you expected. I will definitely return.
Rhonda Vasquez · Google · 2025
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Luxury
Frequently asked questions
Why start in Casablanca rather than Marrakech?
Casablanca is Morocco's main international gateway, so many travellers land there. This tour uses that arrival well — it heads straight into the north (Chefchaouen, Fes) that Marrakech-based tours often skip, then delivers you to Marrakech at the end.
Is Chefchaouen worth the detour?
Absolutely — the blue-washed medina is one of Morocco's most beautiful and relaxed places, and it only sits on north-to-south routes like this one. See our Chefchaouen guide.
How much desert time do we actually get?
A sunset camel trek, a full night in the Erg Chebbi camp, a sunrise, and a 4x4 morning among the nomads and fossils — a proper desert experience, not a quick photo stop.
Can this tour end in Casablanca instead?
Yes, though returning to Casablanca adds roughly a day. Most guests prefer to finish in Marrakech; tell us your flights and we'll adapt the route.
Is it suitable for families?
Very — the pace is comfortable, children love the camels and the macaques, and private travel means we stop when you need to. Tell us ages when booking.
How far is Merzouga from Marrakech, and how long is the drive?
It's about 560 km and 8–9 hours over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, which is why the journey is spread over 2–3 days with stops at Aït Ben Haddou, the gorges and the Ziz Valley rather than driven in one go.
How comfortable is the desert camp?
Very — our private luxury camp at Erg Chebbi has en-suite tents with real beds, hot showers, private bathrooms, rugs and plenty of blankets for the cool desert night, plus a Berber dinner under the stars.
Are your tours private or shared?
Every tour is private by default — your own vehicle, driver-guide and flexible pace. Shared group departures are offered only on the Marrakech–Merzouga–Marrakech and Marrakech–Merzouga–Fes routes.
When is the best time of year to travel?
Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) are the most comfortable, with warm days and cool nights. Winter nights are cold and summer is hot at midday, so we run camel treks at sunrise and sunset.
Have a question before you book?
Message the team directly — we usually reply within a couple of hours.
⚡ Spring & autumn dates fill fast — book ahead. · ✓ Free cancellation up to 48h before arrival.