Morocco Travel Itinerary: The Perfect 2–3 Week Route

Our Morocco Travel Itinerary for 2–3 Weeks

This Morocco travel itinerary is based on how we spent two weeks traveling through Morocco, with the option to easily stretch it into three weeks if you have more time. It includes a mix of cities, nature, road trips, and cultural spots. We’ll be sharing all our practical tips, must-see stops, and things we wish we had known before going, so you can plan your own trip!

Since the beginning of our trip, we quickly realized that Morocco is not a country you want to rush. Distances can be long, travel days take time, and some places around here have views that you would like to stop to enjoy a little longer. Before diving into the itinerary, let’s go over a few useful tips that will make traveling through Morocco smoother and more enjoyable.

Before You Go: Practical Tips

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Morocco is during Spring and Fall, between March to May or September to November. During these months, the weather is as good as it gets: with warm days and cooler evenings, which is ideal for walking around medinas and spending time outdoors. But it comes with a price: this is actually also peak season so you will also find higher accommodation prices, more crowds than usual and less options for accommodation.

Summer can be extremely hot, especially in cities like Marrakech and in the desert nearby areas, where temperatures can be too overwhelming during the day. Winter, on the other hand, is a nice option if you prefer fewer crowds and cooler temperatures, particularly in the north and along the coast. Just keep in mind that nights can get quite cold in the desert and in the mountains area, so packing lots of layers is a must.

Getting Around

Renting a car is one of the best ways to move around Morocco, especially if you’re planning to have a road trip or want the freedom to stop whenever you want. Driving gives you that flexibility and makes it much easier to reach places like the Sahara Desert, Dades Valley, or smaller towns that are harder to access by public transport.

Morocco also has a good network of buses connecting major cities, and they are generally comfortable, affordable, and reliable. Companies like CTM are commonly used by travelers. Internal flights are available too and can save time for long distances, but if you’re not in a rush, driving or taking buses is the more sustainable and scenic option, allowing you to see how the beautiful landscapes change along the way.

Where to Stay

We strongly suggest to look for riads. These are traditional Moroccan houses that are now turned into guesthouses. They are more comfortable than a hotel and often have pools and inside gardens. Many of them are run by Moroccan families, and breakfast and dinner are homemade. Which is the perfect way to have an authentic experience.

Most riads are located inside the medinas, which are the old towns. These areas are car-free, so taxis won’t drop you at the door. You’ll need to walk through narrow alleys to reach your riad. Walking here might feel like a maze so don’t feel bad if you get lost more than once.

Wifi

We noticed the Wi-Fi connection was pretty bad most of the times, and later we found that it happened to us pretty often because we looked for accommodations inside the medinas. And that is common to have because the thick old walls and the way the houses are built make the signal weaker.

It’s good to know this ahead of time, especially if you’re a digital nomad or need stable internet connection.

Cash

We would recommend to always bring some cash with you. You will definitely need it to pay for some activities like to enter to any Madrassa or Palaces, to pay for your food in restaurants or markets food, and for souvenir shopping in the souks. You have to know that many small groceries shops or restaurants do not accept cards, specially in small towns or cities. In bigger cities like Marrakech you can use cards more often, but you never know when its not going to be possible so it’s always safer to have cash with you.

Clothing

Morocco is a Muslim country. Dress modestly, especially in small towns or religious sites. Avoid showing too much skin. You can wear what you feel comfortable in, but being respectful of the culture will make your trip easier.

The perfect 2-3 weeks Itinerary

This is how we spent two weeks. You can change it depending on how long you want to stay in each place and if you have more time also. At the end of the post we will explain how we would distribute this itinerary for 3 weeks.

Day 1: Tangier to Chefchaouen

After landing in Tangier, we didn’t spend any time there. Instead, we had already booked a taxi driver to pick us up to take us to the bus terminal that was around 30 minutes away from the airport. When we got there we hopped on a bus straight to Chefchaouen, which takes about two to three hours.

If you do this during the day you will start seeing the mountains and greenery of northern Morocco. When we finally arrived, we were too exhausted so we kept it simple, checked into our place, and had dinner at a small local spot nearby and get ready for exploring the next morning.

Days 2 and 3: Chefchaouen – The Blue City

Chefchaouen is a really special way to start your trip. This place is known as “the blue city” because the whole town is covered in a particular blue paint: like every wall, every door, even whole streets! You can even see people constantly re painting their facades to keep on the color display! And it just feels like you’re walking inside a painting.

We spent two days here just randomly walking around, exploring every single alley, and if you are like Debby you will stop every 2 seconds to take photos of everything. There’s lots of beautiful photo spots around here but the best one was “Orange Shop – Said Juice Seller” . You buy a fresh orange juice and then you are allowed to take as many photos as you want in their place. That sounds like a good deal right?

Other highly recommended thing to do here  is going up to the Spanish Mosque for sunset or sunrise because from there you can see the whole city from a high viewpoint and admire from far how all the houses that are covered in blue.

Day 4: Travel to Fes

This day will be a travel day between places. From Chefchaouen you can take the CTM bus, which is the main company most travelers use in Morocco. The bus station in Chefchaouen is just outside the medina. It can be a quick walk if you are staying nearby or you can stop a taxi on the street for a quick drop off. You can buy your bus tickets as soon as you arrive at the station.

The ride to Fes takes around four hours, and the bus it’s pretty comfortable with air-conditioning. If you don’t want to take the bus, you can also book a private transfer, but of course that will be more expensive. Once you arrive in Fes, the bus will drop you at the main CTM station, and from there it’s easy to grab a taxi to your choosed stay. Then you can just check in, go for a quick bite nearby, and rest because the next days in Fes are going to be busy!

Days 5 and 6: Exploring Fes – The Green City

Fes is known as the green city of Morocco, and you’ll notice it right away if you visit a view point and see the green roofs on the mosques and madrasas. It’s one of the most interesting cities in the country, and walking through the Medina feels like stepping into the movie Aladdin. But the whole place feels also like walking on a maze: tiny alleys, hidden doors, markets everywhere, people trying to convince you to buy something and it’s really easy to get lost.

Google Maps doesn’t work well here, so just expect to walk in circles or end up in the wrong direction a few times. Locals might approach you on a friendly way offering to show you the way or walk you to your hotel, but most of the time they will expect a tip at the end. If you know this in advance, it’s easier to handle.

One of the highlights in Fes is visiting the tanneries, where you can see how leather is made. The smell is really strong, but they give you mint leaves to hold under your nose which helps a lot. You can buy leather goods here for very good prices, and even order custom-made items if you have time to wait. Other things not to miss are the madrasas, the markets full of crafts and spices, and just spending time soaking in the crazy energy of the city. Two days is perfect to see the highlights without feeling rushed. 

Day 7: Drive to Merzouga — The Sahara Desert

This day is a long travel day. Rent a car and drive to Merzouga, which is the famous town closest to the Sahara Desert in Morocco. The full drive is about eight hours, but you should make some stops on the way like: Ifrane aka “the Switzerland of Morocco” because of its alpine-style houses, and switzerlandish kind of style of buildings. Then stop in Azrou, you can visit the monkey forest, which is a fun stop.

 If you don’t like long and exhausting drives like us you can even spend a night along the way and continue the next day. We decided to stop at Middelt, spend the night and continue driving to Merzouga the next day.

Day 8: Sahara Desert Glamping

This was one of the highlights of the trip for us. Instead of staying in a hotel, you can go glamping in the middle of the Sahara desert! This is a bucket list experience you will never forget for sur. The tents are big and comfortable, with their own private full bathrooms, all meals are included, you can do sandboarding, and at night you can enjoy a bonfire and watch the stars. This is a perfect location to stare at the sky because its so clear that is easy to spot the Milky Way. 

You have the option to go into the desert by 4×4 or by camel, but if you choose the camel make sure you go with an operator that treats them well, because we saw some that were clearly over worked 🙁 so choose camel rides carefully to ensure the animals are treated well.

Day 9: drive to Dades Valley

On this day you will drive to the Dades Valley after check out time. The landscapes on the way are just amazing. We stopped several times just to take pictures. The drive takes 4 hours in total and one of the things you can do as soon as you get there is visiting the famous zigzag road. To see it properly, you should go to Hotel Timzzillite, because they have a viewpoint that shows the whole winding road from above. You can buy a drink or have lunch there and enjoy the view. 

Spend one night here. And the next morning go really early before checking out to Monkey Fingers canyon. This place is called like this because mountains are shaped like monkeys fingers which is really unique. You can do a full hike here that takes several hours, but honestly, we just did a short walk, and it was already really nice. It was a really relaxing way to spend some time walking in nature before continuing your trip.

Day 10: Kasbah Amil

After checking out and packing everything in the car you are going to drive to Ait Ben Haddou. But after one hour of driving you are going to make an interesting stop on the way in Kasbah Amil. A kasbah is basically a old fortified mansion.They were built from mud-brick with high walls and towers to protect the families and communities living inside from buglers. Kasbah Amil is special because is one of best well preserved remain places like this. You can still see the old rooms, kitchen and utensils as they were used hundreds of years ago. Walking inside feels like travelling in time. 

We really recommend paying a little extra for a guide, because they explain all the history and details that you would probably miss on your own. It makes the visit much more interesting.

After the tour, you get back in the car and drive another hour to Ait Ben Haddou, which is your final stop for the day. Once you arrive, check into your stay, have dinner and get some rest. Try to sleep early, because the best time to explore Ait Ben Haddou is in the morning before the crowds arrive.

Day 11: Ait Ben Haddou

Wake up as early as possible and head to the old ksar of Ait Ben Haddou. A ksar is basically a fortified village, so inside you’ll find several kasbahs, houses, and narrow alleys all surrounded by high walls. Kasbahs were more like single fortresses or homes for powerful families, while a ksar was built to protect a whole city of those. Which is way more impressive. Walking around here gives you a clear idea of how people used to spend their everyday life hundreds of years ago, and actually few families still live inside today.

The best thing to do is just getting lost on the streets, climb up to the top for the views over the valley, and take your time for photos. There’s lots of interesting and beautiful spots to take photos every 5 minutes. Visit some cafes to have more private views and buy some souvenirs around there. 

You might also recognize the place, because Ait Ben Haddou has been used in lots of movies and shows like Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and Dune. We visited a house of someone that for a small fee let us get in and watch how his whole house is. He told us that a specific scene of gladiator was shooted there. How cool is that?

Days 12 to 15: Marrakech —The Red City

Marrakech, also called the Red City, gets its name from the red clay and sandstone used to build the walls and houses. The whole city keeps this warm red tone, (sometimes seen as pinky also) which makes it so unique and different from other cities in Morocco.

There are so many things to do here that three or four days feel just right. The Medina is full of life with souks where you can shop for spices, rugs, lamps, and souvenirs. You can visit palaces like Bahia Palace and Badi Palace, and also walk through madrasas like the Ben Youssef Madrasa, one of the most beautiful and famous ones in Morocco. It is open to the public and the detailed tiles, courtyards, and architecture are incredible to see. Mosques are stunning from the outside, but many are only open for prayer, so don’t expect to enter all of them. Another must-see is the Jardin Majorelle, a beautiful garden once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, with bright blue buildings, cacti, and calm paths to walk around.

Marrakech is busy, colorful, and sometimes loud, but that’s part of its charm. Balance the chaos of the souks with quiet moments in your riad, maybe by the pool or with tea on the terrace.

Wrap up

This two-week itinerary covers a little bit of everything in Morocco. In just 14 days, you’ll see a mix of cities, mountains, desert, and history.

• Day 1: Tangier to Chefchaouen
• Days 2 to 3: Chefchaouen – The Blue City
• Day 4: Travel to Fes
• Days 5 and 6: Exploring Fes – The Green City
• Day 7: Drive to Merzouga — The Sahara Desert
• Day 8: Sahara Desert Glamping
• Day 9: Drive to Dades Valley
• Day 10: Kasbah Amil
• Day 11: Ait Ben Haddou
• Days 12 to 15: Marrakech — The Red City

If you have three weeks instead of two, we’d suggest slowing down in a few spots. You can for example:

• Explore Tangier at the start of your trip instead of just passing through. It’s a coastal city with its own medina, and beautiful seaside views.
• Add an extra day in the desert to enjoy the camp and activities two nights instead of just one.
• Stay a bit longer in Marrakech to explore more gardens, museums, and shopping.
• Or, if you’re up to it, you could add Casablanca to your itinerary. This is Morocco’s biggest city.
  

However you plan it, Morocco is a country full of contrasts. You’ll always find yourself between the calm of your riad courtyard and the noise of a busy medina, between modern buildings and ancient kasbahs, between desert silence and city chaos. And that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable.