Morocco Road Trip: Itineraries for 7, 10, or 14 Days

How Much Time Should You Plan for Your Morocco Road Trip?

If you want to see not just one city in Morocco but multiple destinations, you should have at least 7 days for your Morocco trip.

But heads up: In that time, you won’t be able to do a full loop around all of Morocco. With 7 days, you should focus on either the north or the south.

From our own experience, we can tell you that you should plan for at least 10 days to cover both the north and the south. Even better is a Morocco road trip in 14 days.

And we want to be honest with you: Even then, you won’t manage to see all of our top 22 attractions in Morocco. The country is seriously large, incredibly diverse, and has so much to offer.

On our 14-day Morocco itinerary, though, you’ll hit the most important highlights. And if you want to see even more, you can stay longer or simply come back again — that’s exactly what we did.

How Can You Travel Around Morocco?

Our top recommendation for everyone is a Morocco road trip as a self-drive with a rental car. As long as you follow a few basic rules, driving in Morocco really isn’t that difficult.
The biggest advantages of a road trip with a rental car: you’re completely independent, flexible, and you get around the fastest. That way you can pack a ton into a short amount of time.

We always compare rental car deals through Discovercars — the site is super clear and you can easily check offers and prices side by side.

We’ve also had really great experiences with their customer service. They help with any question, no matter how small, about your booking.

Compare rental car deals on Discovercars
Our tip: When booking, make sure the rental car company has a customer rating of at least 8. With poorly rated companies, we’ve often read about problems on the ground. Personally, we’ve had great experiences with Enterprise in Morocco.

Also read all our tips on driving in Morocco

Note: Morocco is also an incredibly popular destination for a road trip with your own camper van. Ferries regularly run from Spain over to Morocco. We haven’t done this ourselves, though.

You could also cover part of the Morocco road trip using public transportation. For example, we took the train from Rabat to Fès or the bus from Essaouira to Marrakech.

Between larger cities and towns — whether in the north or the south — there are really good train and bus connections. There are usually several departures per day.

We always book our bus and train tickets in Morocco in advance online through the booking platform 12Go. There you can easily compare all connections side by side.

When heading toward the Atlas Mountains and the desert, however, connections thin out considerably. There are buses to some destinations, but you usually end up with super long travel times and can’t simply stop somewhere for a break.

Highlights like the Todra Gorge or Dades Gorge may then be completely inaccessible, or only reachable on a tour. Not ideal, and pretty time-consuming.

That’s why we don’t recommend doing a complete Morocco road trip solely by public transportation.

Starting and Ending Points of Your Morocco Road Trip

On a self-guided Morocco road trip, you can individually decide where you want to start — how great is that! Unlike in other countries, there’s no single fixed start and end point.

You could, for example, start and end in Rabat, or you could start in Rabat and end in Marrakech or in Agadir by the sea.

One reason for this is the layout of the destinations within Morocco itself, which you can drive in a perfect circle — at least more or less.

Another reason is that flight connections to Morocco are excellent. There are direct flights to several airports across Morocco from many major European cities.

The following cities are perfect starting points for your Morocco road trip:

In the north:

• Rabat
• Fès

In the south:

• Marrakech
• Essaouira
• Agadir (if you want a Morocco road trip with some beach time)

Note: As mentioned, you can also start at an airport in the north and end at a different one in the south — or the other way around. Just keep in mind that the rental car may cost more if you don’t return it to the same location.

Morocco Road Trip in 7 Days with Map

As mentioned above, you can’t do a full loop around all of Morocco in 7 days. But if you truly only have a week, we recommend deciding on either the north or the south.

Highlights of northern Morocco

• three of the four imperial cities: Fès, Rabat, and Meknès
• one of the world’s largest mosques is in Casablanca
• lots of sightseeing
• the blue city of Chefchaouen
• the Rif Mountains, part of the Atlas range, are hilly and green
• short hikes possible
• located on both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic

Highlights of southern Morocco

• Morocco’s most scenic highlights
• stunning gorges, impressive waterfalls, Sahara desert
• cool surf spots on the Atlantic
• most popular hiking area around Morocco’s highest peak
• Marrakech as the only major city (a royal city)
• small villages in the High Atlas, part of the Atlas Mountains
• charming coastal port towns

Our Recommendation for Your First Trip to Morocco

If you’ve never been to Morocco and are planning a 7-day Morocco road trip, we recommend starting with the south. The reason: it’s more diverse. Here you get the perfect mix of culture, scenery, and sea.
Marrakech is an absolute must-see in Morocco. The city is incredibly fascinating, buzzing, and super authentic. Plus, a desert tour in Morocco is one of the best activities in Morocco.

In the north, the focus is really much more on sightseeing, culture, and history. Which we also find fascinating, of course.

We’ve put together a great 7-day itinerary for both the north and the south of your Morocco road trip. We’ve mapped out exactly where each route goes on a map.

Northern Morocco: Itinerary for Your 7-Day Road Trip

Let’s kick things off in northern Morocco. We start and end the road trip in Fès. Alternatively, you can fly into Rabat or Casablanca and adjust the Morocco itinerary accordingly.

Here are the places you’ll visit on the 7-day Morocco road trip:

• Day 0: Arrive in Fès
• Day 1: Meknès
• Day 2: Rabat
• Day 3: Rabat & Chefchaouen
• Day 4: Chefchaouen
• Day 5: Chefchaouen & Fès
• Day 6: Fès
• Day 7: Departure from Fès

Day 0: Arrival

In our suggested itinerary for your self-drive Morocco road trip in the north, you land at the airport in Fès. Here you should pick up your rental car right away.

From there, you head straight to Meknès, where you’ll spend your first night. From the airport in Fès, it’s only about an hour to Meknès — that should definitely be doable after your flight.

Depending on when you land, you’ll have the afternoon or evening in Meknès. You can simply relax and recover from your journey.

Our hotel tip in Meknès: Riad Yamcha

Day 1: Meknès

On your first full day in Morocco, you can dive straight into a full dose of sightseeing — in Meknès, the smallest of Morocco’s imperial cities.

Unlike Marrakech or Fès, the medina (old town) of Meknès is really relaxed and you can stroll through the alleyways pretty undisturbed.

Most of the attractions in Meknès are right here, so you can cover them all easily on foot. Only the royal city lies about 2 kilometers outside.

Some highlights in Meknès include:

• Place el Hedim
• Bab Mansour Gate
• The souks and market halls
• Royal city

In a dedicated article, we’ve written up all the highlights, info, and our best tips for your visit to Meknès.

By late afternoon you should be done with sightseeing. Then you drive on to Rabat, Morocco’s capital city on the Atlantic coast.

The drive takes about two hours. You’ll stay in Rabat for the next two nights.

Our hotel tip in Rabat: Dar Mounia

Day 2: Rabat

On your second full day of your Morocco road trip, you’ll explore Rabat, Morocco’s capital. Rabat is also Morocco’s cultural metropolis, with many cultural centers, theaters, and cinemas.

The number of historical places to visit in Rabat is manageable, though. That’s actually good news, because it means you can see almost everything in one day.

Just like in Meknès, nearly all the highlights are right in the medina, so you can cover everything easily on foot.

Our must-sees in Rabat are:

• Kasbah of the Udayas
• Andalusian Garden
• Riverfront promenade along the Bou Regreg
• Mausoleum of Mohammed V

An overview of all the things to see in Rabat, plus more info and tips, can be found in two dedicated articles:

Since you’re spending the night in Rabat, you can soak up the lively atmosphere around the riverfront promenade and the Kasbah of the Udayas — really cool! For dinner, the medina is your best bet.

Day 3: Rabat & Chefchaouen

Day 3 brings the longest drive of your Morocco road trip. After a delicious breakfast at your accommodation, you head to Chefchaouen.

Without any stops, the drive takes about 4.5 hours. Once you arrive, your best move is to check straight into your accommodation in Chefchaouen, where you’ll be staying for the next two nights.

In the afternoon, make your way to the Spanish mosque Bouzafer. It sits on a hill, and from the old town it’s about a 20-minute walk up.

Make sure you’re up there in time for sunset — the view over Chefchaouen at that hour is absolutely dreamy. A total standout moment on your 7-day Morocco road trip.
Our hotel tip in Chefchaouen: Casa Blue Pearl

Day 4: Chefchaouen

On the next day of your Morocco trip, you have plenty of time to explore the highlights of Chefchaouen. It’s also known as Morocco’s blue city, because everything in the medina is painted blue and white.

And that’s exactly what makes Chefchaouen one of the most popular photo spots in all of Morocco. Here you can take beautiful portrait photos and sharpen your skills in street photography.

More highlights in Chefchaouen include:

• Uta el-Hammam Square
• the Kasbah
• a day trip to the Akchour waterfalls

In two separate articles, we share the most important travel tips for Chefchaouen.

Day 5: Chefchaouen & Fès

Since you’re doing a self-drive Morocco road trip, Day 5 brings another somewhat longer drive. From Chefchaouen, you now head back to Fès.

Without stops, the drive takes just under four hours. Your destination is the airport in Fès, where you’ll return your rental car.

The quickest and most comfortable option is to have a taxi take you to your accommodation in Fès. Prices in Morocco aren’t quite as steep as at European destinations. The taxi shouldn’t cost more than 100 dirhams (about €10).

We recommend spending the night at one of the 13 most beautiful riads in Fès. These are traditional homes, usually small and family-run. For your last two nights in Morocco, you should treat yourself to something genuinely authentic.

And the best part: the riads are located right in the middle of the medina. You can spend the afternoon wandering around and maybe picking up a souvenir or two in the souks.

Our riad recommendation in Fès: Riad Zina Fes

Day 6: Fès

Your last full day on your northern Morocco road trip has arrived. Today you explore one of Morocco’s coolest cities, home to the oldest and largest medina in all of North Africa.

Even if you already wandered around a bit the evening before, today you’ll find yourself getting lost in the medina again — but that’s just part of the experience here.

If you’d like, you can explore the sights of Fès with a guide, or discover everything on your own.

Guided walking tour through the medina
Many of the best things to see in Fès are right in the old town. These include:

• the city gate Bab Bou Jeloud
• the Quranic school Medersa Bou Inania
• the Nejjarine Square and Museum
• the Karaouyine Mosque

An absolute highlight in Fès is also the tanneries, because the city is famous for the particularly high quality of its leather goods. The production process is super fascinating — you really can’t skip this.

All the Fès highlights, important info, and hotel tips are covered in separate articles:

At sunset, you should definitely have a taxi take you up to Borj Sud fortress. There’s no more perfect way to wrap up your Morocco road trip.

Day 7: Departure from Fès

After your last Moroccan breakfast, it’s time to head back home. Getting to the airport is once again easiest by taxi.

If your flight isn’t until the evening, you can spend the day doing more sightseeing in Fès. That way you don’t have to rush too much on Day 6.

Southern Morocco: Itinerary for Your 7-Day Road Trip

Now on to the Morocco road trip in the south. Our 7-day Morocco itinerary starts in Marrakech. Alternative airports don’t make much sense for this one-week route.
Here are the places you’ll visit on your self-drive Morocco road trip:

• Day 0: Arrive in Marrakech
• Day 1: Marrakech & Ait-Ben-Haddou
• Day 2: Ouarzazate & Todra Gorge
• Day 3: Todra Gorge & Desert tour in the Erg Chebbi
• Day 4: Dades Gorge
• Day 5: Drive from the Dades Gorge to Marrakech
• Day 6: Marrakech
• Day 7: Departure from Marrakech

Day 0: Arrive in Marrakech

On your one-week Morocco road trip, you land at the airport in Marrakech. Even though you don’t need a car today, we recommend picking up a rental car at the airport right away.

That way you can get going straight away the next morning without having to go back to the airport. The entire car pick-up process took us about 1.5 to two hours.

You drive to your accommodation in Marrakech. We recommend a hotel outside the medina, such as in the Gueliz neighborhood, since parking is much easier there.

Ideally, book a hotel with a parking lot right away. And don’t worry — you’ll still get to experience beautiful, authentic lodging right in the medina at the end of your Morocco road trip.

Depending on how late you land, you can grab something to eat and head straight to bed. If you arrive early, you might be able to check out a sight or two in Marrakech.

Our hotel tip in the Gueliz neighborhood: Fashion Boutique Hotel

Day 1: Marrakech & Ait-Ben-Haddou

On your first full day, your Morocco road trip finally gets underway. Your first destination is Ait-Ben-Haddou, a super cool desert town and an absolute highlight in Morocco.

The ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou — a so-called fortified city — is the main reason so many visitors come here. The entire town is built from a mixture of clay and straw.

It’s not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but has also served as a film set for many movies and TV shows — including Gladiator and Game of Thrones. Amazing!

Driving to Ait-Ben-Haddou also automatically takes you through the Atlas Mountains. This is the massive mountain range that stretches from north to south across Morocco.

On your Morocco road trip through the south, you’ll drive through the High Atlas, which is for us the coolest part of the Atlas Mountains. Feel free to pull over and photograph this breathtaking landscape.

With a few stops, the drive from Marrakech to Ait-Ben-Haddou will take you about five hours. That’s perfect, because the tourist buses tend to clear out around 3 PM.

More info and our tips on what you can do in Ait-Ben-Haddou can be found in our dedicated article:

At sunset, we drove out to the film set from the horror movie The Hills Have Eyes (directions on Google Maps). It’s about 25 minutes away.

If that’s not your thing, your best bet is to stay the night in Ait-Ben-Haddou. Otherwise, a hotel in Ouarzazate is great, since that’s where you’ll start the next day.

Our hotel tip in Ait-Ben-Haddou: Riad Paradise of Silence

Our hotel tip in Ouarzazate: Le Petit Riad Maison d’hôtes

Day 2: Ouarzazate & Todra Gorge

Your second full day of your Morocco trip starts in Ouarzazate, Morocco’s movie capital par excellence. The highlight here is the Atlas Studios.

Films shot at the studios include Asterix & Obelix, Ben-Hur, the James Bond film “The Living Daylights,” and the German production The Baader Meinhof Complex.

If you’re a movie fan, you should spend the morning visiting the studios and taking a tour. If that doesn’t interest you, you can also just explore the old town of Ouarzazate.

Just before noon, you should head out. Your destination for the day is the Todra Gorge. In places, the canyon walls here are 300 meters high and the gorge is only 10 meters wide at its narrowest point — incredibly impressive!

Without stops, the drive takes about three hours. For lunch, you should definitely make a stop at Kasbah Amridil.

At the restaurant next door, we had the best chicken tagine of our entire Morocco road trip. Plus, the kasbah is one of the most beautiful in all of Morocco.

Just before the Todra Gorge, you can also check out the palm oasis in the town of Tinghir. Really beautiful! In the late afternoon, you’ll head into the gorge. You’ll be spending the night nearby.

Our hotel tip at the Todra Gorge: Riad Camping Atlas

In a separate article, we’ve written up everything you need to know about the Todra Gorge — including some cool activities you can do there.

Day 3: Todra Gorge & Desert Tour in the Erg Chebbi

If you want to do more activities in the Todra Gorge, you should either skip some of the stops on Day 2, or get up really early on Day 3. Hiking and rock climbing are especially popular here.

By the afternoon, you should arrive in the desert town of Merzouga. The drive takes about three hours without stops. In Merzouga, your once-in-a-lifetime desert tour through Morocco begins — more specifically in the Erg Chebbi desert area.

What to expect on a desert tour:

• camel riding
• watching sunrise and sunset
• making music with locals
• a breathtaking starry sky
• authentic food
• the option to go quad biking

Our desert camp in the Erg Chebbi: Authentic Luxury Camp

Exactly how to organize your desert tour on your self-drive Morocco road trip — completely on your own terms — we explain in detail in our Erg Chebbi desert tour guide.

Note: An alternative to the Erg Chebbi is the Erg Chegaga desert area. There are fewer tourists here and you’re even deeper into the desert. However, it’s on a slightly different route and the drive is considerably longer.

Day 4: Dades Gorge

On the fourth day of your Morocco road trip, you wake up right in the middle of the Sahara — what a moment! You absolutely have to watch the sunrise here; it’s simply magical.

Still at the desert camp or from Merzouga, you can book a cool quad tour through the desert — it was one of the coolest activities we did in Morocco.

After that, make your way to your destination for the day: the Dades Gorge. The highlight here is the impressive series of switchbacks — winding, serpentine roads.

Here you can hike or simply take in the unique landscape and let it all sink in. There are great places to stay all around the gorge; you’ll be spending one night here.

Our hotel tip at the Dades Gorge: Dar Essalama Dades

All the info and our best tips for the Dades Gorge can be found in a dedicated article:

Day 5: Drive from the Dades Gorge to Marrakech

Every road trip has its long driving days, and the longest on this Morocco travel itinerary comes on Day 5. It’s time to head back to Marrakech.
The drive takes nearly six hours without stops. We did make one stop for food, but unfortunately we can’t recommend that restaurant.

In Marrakech, you return your rental car and take a taxi to your accommodation. This time, we strongly recommend staying at a riad in the medina of Marrakech.

We’ve already picked out the 14 most beautiful riads in Marrakech for you. Feel free to browse for inspiration!

Our hotel tip in Marrakech: Riad Monriad — that’s where we stayed.

After checking in, we basically just walked over to Djemaa el-Fna square and ate there — though we can’t really recommend that.

One restaurant we can wholeheartedly recommend is Dar L’hssira (directions on Google Maps). Here you’ll find truly authentic Moroccan food. Make sure to reserve ahead!

Day 6: Marrakech

On your last full day in Morocco, sightseeing in Marrakech is on the agenda — the city really has a lot to offer. Make sure to plan ahead and decide what you want to see.

The good news: most of Marrakech’s attractions are very easy to cover on foot. For just a few highlights, you’ll want to grab a taxi.

We started early at the Bahia Palace and then did a walk through the medina — over to the Koutoubia Mosque and through the Kasbah neighborhood.

More top highlights in Marrakech include:

• Quranic school Medersa Ben Youssef
• Saadian Tombs
• the souks
• Jardin Majorelle
• Mellah — the Jewish Quarter
• a Moroccan cooking class

More info about Marrakech and all our tips are on a dedicated Marrakech overview page. There you’ll also find cool day trips from Marrakech in case you end up staying longer.

Day 7: Departure from Marrakech

On the last day of your 7-day Morocco road trip, it’s time to head back home. You’ll be flying out of Marrakech airport — just grab a taxi to get there.

If your flight isn’t until the evening, you can spend the day checking out one or two more sights in Marrakech.

Itinerary for Your 14-Day Morocco Road Trip

If you’d love to combine the north and the south of Morocco in one trip, we recommend having two weeks to do it.

We’ve put together a great route for your 14-day Morocco road trip too. Essentially, you combine both routes from the 7-day itineraries — more or less.

In our suggested route, you start and end in Marrakech. That’s because most direct flights go to Marrakech, and that way you also return the rental car where you picked it up.

That said, always check other airports too. Especially if you start in the north and end in the south, you can save yourself a full day in the car.

Here are the places you’ll visit on the 2-week Morocco road trip:

• Day 0: Arrive in Marrakech
• Day 1: Marrakech & Rabat
• Day 2: Rabat
• Day 3: Rabat & Fès
• Day 4: Fès
• Day 5: Fès
• Day 6: From Fès to the Erg Chebbi desert
• Day 7: Todra Gorge & Dades Gorge
• Day 8: Ouarzazate & Ait-Ben-Haddou
• Day 9: Essaouira
• Day 10: Essaouira
• Day 11: Essaouira & Marrakech
• Day 12: Marrakech
• Day 13: Marrakech
• Day 14: Departure from Marrakech

You can of course also reverse the route. If you don’t mind spending a lot of time in the car, you could alternatively stop in Chefchaouen between Rabat and Fès. But for us, that would be too hectic.

So you can really picture the route for your 14-day Morocco road trip, we’ve drawn it out on a map for you.

What Makes Your 14-Day Morocco Road Trip Special

The special thing about this trip is that you get to combine a Morocco road trip with some beach time. Because what you can’t really fit into 7 days is time by the sea.

We especially love the Atlantic coast in Morocco. In our suggested route, at the end of your Morocco road trip you have a full two days in Essaouira.

Essaouira is our favorite coastal city in Morocco. There are great things to see in Essaouira, beautiful white buildings in the old town, and the vibe while strolling around is really relaxed.

Fresh fish is available at the harbor every day, and the fortress in Essaouira even served as a filming location for Game of Thrones — super cool!

You should definitely spend the night at a riad in the medina. We’ve already picked out the 9 most beautiful riads in Essaouira for you.

Our hotel tip in Essaouira: Riad Dar Awil

More info on the best highlights and cool activities can be found in a dedicated article.

Great alternatives to Essaouira are Agadir and Taghazout. The beaches of all three spots rank among the most beautiful beaches in Morocco for us.

Agadir is great if you want a classic beach vacation at a resort hotel. The highlight in Taghazout is definitely surfing. Most places to stay in Taghazout have really cool surfer vibes.

Our hotel tip in Agadir: Robinson Agadir

Taghazout is the ultimate surfer’s paradise in Morocco. Perfect if you’re into surfing.

Our hotel tip in Taghazout: Tazuri Surf House

Also be sure to read our Taghazout tips:

Itinerary for Your 10-Day Morocco Road Trip

We also have a great route for a 10-day Morocco road trip. The easiest approach is to simply trim down the 2-week route a bit.

The best option is to skip Chefchaouen. The city is really beautiful, but the round trip there and back eats up an enormous amount of time.

Our route for your 10-day Morocco road trip:

• Day 0: Arrive in Marrakech
• Day 1: Rabat
• Day 2: Rabat & Fès
• Day 3: From Fès to the Erg Chebbi desert
• Day 4: Todra Gorge
• Day 5: Dades Gorge & Ouarzazate
• Day 6: Ait-Ben-Haddou
• Day 7: Marrakech
• Day 8: Marrakech & Essaouira
• Day 9: Essaouira
• Day 10: Departure from Marrakech

Alternative Stops for Your Self-Drive Morocco Road Trip

Our routes are of course just suggestions. On our road trips through Morocco, we’ve had great experiences with them. They’re especially perfect for first-time visitors who want to get a real feel for the country.

Depending on your individual interests, you can of course swap out one place or another.

More cool and easily accessible spots on a Morocco road trip (listed from north to south):

• Tétouan and Tamuda Bay
• the Rif Mountains around Chefchaouen
• the hiking and ski area around Ifrane and Azrou in the Middle Atlas
• the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca
• the Ouzoud Waterfalls
• the Agafay Desert
• Setti Fatma in the Ourika Valley
• Mount Toubkal, Morocco’s highest peak
• Paradise Valley
• the Erg Chegaga Desert

Our tip: Before your road trip, download an offline map of Morocco in Google Maps. You can enter the places from our routes and simply let it navigate you there.

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions About the Morocco Road Trip