This 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech is a one-way private journey through the kasbahs and desert of Morocco. You start on the Atlantic coast and cross the imperial city of Fes. Next, you drive through the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas and sleep in a camp among the Erg Chebbi dunes of Merzouga. After that, you follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Ait Ben Haddou and finish in Marrakech. Every day mixes history, big landscapes and time with local Amazigh (Berber) families.

Quick Answer: What Is the 8 Days Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech?

The 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech is a private road trip of 7 nights that starts on the Atlantic coast and ends in the Red City. The route runs Casablanca – Rabat – Fes – Ifrane – Midelt – Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dades Gorges – Ait Ben Haddou – Telouet – Marrakech. In total, it covers about 1,400 km, with one night in a Sahara desert camp and three nights in kasbah hotels.

Tour Highlights: 8 Days Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech

• Visit the Hassan II Mosque, whose 210 m minaret rises above the Atlantic
• Walk through the Kasbah of the Udayas in Rabat, a UNESCO-listed capital
• Explore the medina of Fes el-Bali with a licensed local guide
• Spot Barbary macaques in the cedar forest of Azrou
• Sleep in a kasbah hotel in Midelt, between the Middle and High Atlas
• Ride a camel into Erg Chebbi and spend the night in a Merzouga desert camp
• See the ruins of Sijilmassa in Rissani and hear Gnawa music in Khamlia
• Walk between the high limestone walls of Todra Gorge
• Drive the hairpin bends of the Dades Gorges
• Follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through Kelaat M’Gouna and Skoura
• Watch the sunset over the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Cross the High Atlas via Telouet Kasbah and the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260 m)

8 Day Morocco Itinerary at a Glance

The table below sums up each stage of the 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech, with the distance, the driving time and the place where you sleep.

Day	Route	Distance	Driving time	Overnight
1	Arrival in Casablanca	About 30 km (airport transfer)	About 40 min	Hotel in Casablanca
2	Casablanca – Rabat – Fes	About 290 km	About 3 h 30	Riad in Fes
3	Guided tour of Fes	City day	–	Riad in Fes
4	Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Midelt	About 200 km	About 3 h 30	Kasbah hotel in Midelt
5	Midelt – Ziz Valley – Rissani – Merzouga	About 275 km	About 5 h	Desert camp in Erg Chebbi
6	Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dades Gorges	About 300 km	About 5 h 45	Kasbah hotel in the Dades Gorges
7	Dades – Kelaat M’Gouna – Skoura – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou	About 170 km	About 3 h 30	Kasbah guesthouse in Ait Ben Haddou
8	Ait Ben Haddou – Telouet – Tizi n’Tichka – Marrakech	About 175 km	About 3 h 45	End of the tour in Marrakech

Itinerary: 8 Days Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech

Day 1: Arrival in Casablanca – Hassan II Mosque – Corniche

Your 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech begins at Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) or at Casa Voyageurs train station, where your private driver meets you. First, you drive to your hotel and rest after the flight. If you land before midday, your first visit is the Hassan II Mosque. It opened in 1993 and stands partly over the ocean. Its minaret reaches 210 m, one of the tallest in the world.

Non-Muslim visitors can enter only on the official guided tours. According to the official price list of the Hassan II Mosque, foreign adults pay 140 dirhams and children over six pay 30. From mid-September to mid-March, tours start at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and 15:00, with fewer slots on Fridays. Later, you can walk along the Corniche of Ain Diab and watch the sun go down over the Atlantic.

Overnight: Hotel in Casablanca
Meals: Not included

Day 2: Casablanca – Rabat – Fes

After breakfast, you drive 90 km north to Rabat, the capital of Morocco. The city is on the UNESCO list as a modern capital and historic city. First, you see the unfinished Hassan Tower, begun in the 12th century. Then you visit the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, where royal guards stand at the gates.

Next, you enter the Kasbah of the Udayas through its carved Almohad gate. Inside, blue and white lanes lead to a terrace above the mouth of the Bou Regreg river. This is the first kasbah of your journey, and it sets the theme for the whole week.

In the afternoon, the motorway takes you 200 km east to Fes. In total, the day covers about 290 km. You check in to a riad near the old medina in time for dinner.

Overnight: Riad in Fes
Meals: Breakfast

Day 3: Fes – Guided Tour of the Imperial City

Today you explore Fes with a licensed local guide. The medina of Fes el-Bali has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. It is one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world. For this reason, donkeys and handcarts still carry goods through its narrow lanes.

You visit the Bou Inania Madrasa, Nejjarine Square and the outside of Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri. Then you look down on the dye pits of the Chouara Tannery from a leather shop terrace. After lunch, you meet coppersmiths, weavers and zellige makers in their workshops.

Late in the day, you drive up to the Merinid Tombs for a wide view of the medina at sunset. For more ideas, read our complete guide to Fes, Morocco.

Overnight: Riad in Fes
Meals: Breakfast

Day 4: Fes – Ifrane – Azrou Cedar Forest – Midelt

This morning, you leave Fes and climb into the Middle Atlas. After 64 km, you reach Ifrane, a town of sloping roofs and gardens at about 1,650 m. Locals call it the “Switzerland of Morocco”, and it often sees snow in winter.

Next, you drive through the cedar forest near Azrou. Here, troops of Barbary macaques live among the trees. Please watch them from a distance and do not feed them, because the species is endangered.

The road then crosses high plateaus to Midelt, a quiet town at about 1,500 m. It sits between the Middle Atlas and the High Atlas, below Jbel Ayachi, which rises to nearly 3,750 m. Midelt is known for its apple orchards and its fossil and mineral shops. In the afternoon, you can visit a women’s carpet and embroidery cooperative.

Tonight, you sleep in a kasbah hotel. Thanks to this stop, the day covers only about 200 km, and the drive to the Sahara becomes much easier.

Overnight: Kasbah hotel in Midelt
Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 5: Midelt – Ziz Gorges – Rissani – Merzouga – Camel Trek

After breakfast, you cross the Tizi n’Talghoumt pass and drive down into the Ziz Gorges. On the way, you pass the Legionnaires’ Tunnel, cut through the rock in the 1920s. Soon after, the Ziz Valley opens into one of the largest palm groves in Morocco, dotted with old earthen ksour.

Near Errachidia, you can stop at the Meski Blue Spring for a short walk. Then you continue to Rissani, the historic heart of the Tafilalt oasis. Here you see the ruins of Sijilmassa, a caravan city founded in the 8th century, and the grand Ksar Oulad Abdelhalim.

In the late afternoon, you reach Merzouga, about 275 km from Midelt. A camel and a camel handler wait for you at the edge of Erg Chebbi, where the dunes rise to about 150 m. You ride into the sand as the light turns orange, and then you climb a dune for the sunset. Finally, you arrive at your Merzouga desert camp for dinner, drums and a sky full of stars. For most guests, this night is the highlight of the 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech. To prepare, read our guide to camel trekking in Merzouga.

Good to know: From 20 September 2026, Morocco returns to GMT all year round. As a result, sunset in the Sahara comes about an hour earlier on the clock than in recent years, so your driver plans the arrival time around it. Check the current time in Morocco before you travel.

Overnight: Desert camp in Erg Chebbi (standard or luxury tent)
Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 6: Merzouga – Khamlia – Todra Gorge – Dades Gorges

Wake up early and watch the sunrise from the top of a dune. Then you ride back to Merzouga for breakfast and a shower. Before leaving, you can visit Khamlia, a village famous for its Gnawa music. In 2019, UNESCO added Gnawa to its list of intangible cultural heritage.

Next, you drive west through Erfoud, Tinejdad and the palm groves of Tinghir. Along the way, you see old kasbahs and the underground water channels called khettaras. In the early afternoon, you walk into the Todra Gorge. Here, the canyon narrows sharply, and its limestone walls rise up to 300 m.

Later, you continue to Boumalne Dades and turn into the Dades Gorges. You pass the red rock formations known as the “Monkey Fingers” and stop above the famous hairpin bends at Tissadrine. This is the longest drive of the tour, at about 300 km, so the stops are short and frequent.

Overnight: Kasbah hotel in the Dades Gorges
Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 7: Dades – Road of a Thousand Kasbahs – Skoura – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou

Today is the heart of this kasbahs and desert tour. You follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs west along the Dades Valley. First, you stop in Kelaat M’Gouna, the Valley of Roses. Every May, the town holds its rose festival, and all year you can buy rose water and oils in local cooperatives.

Next, you enter the palm grove of Skoura to visit Kasbah Amridil. This 17th-century family kasbah appeared on an older 50-dirham banknote. Inside, you see the olive press, the old kitchen and the tower rooms.

In Ouarzazate, you visit the Taourirt Kasbah, a former residence of the Glaoui family. Film lovers can also tour Atlas Studios, which opened in 1983. Finally, you drive 34 km to Ait Ben Haddou and check in to a kasbah guesthouse facing the ksar. At sunset, the earthen walls turn gold. In total, the day covers only about 170 km.

Overnight: Kasbah guesthouse in Ait Ben Haddou
Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 8: Ait Ben Haddou – Telouet – Tizi n’Tichka – Marrakech

In the cool morning, you cross the river and climb through the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Its lanes and towers have appeared in films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator. From the old granary at the top, you see the whole Ounila Valley.

Then you take the old caravan road through the Ounila Valley to Telouet. Its kasbah was the seat of the Glaoui family, the powerful lords of the High Atlas. Some reception rooms still keep their zellige and carved cedar ceilings, although parts of the building are under restoration.

After Telouet, you join the N9 road and cross the Tizi n’Tichka pass at 2,260 m. From there, the road winds down through Amazigh villages to Marrakech, about 175 km from Ait Ben Haddou. Your driver drops you at your riad, your hotel or Marrakech Menara Airport. This is the end of your 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech.

Meals: Breakfast
End of services: Marrakech

What’s Included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle (4×4 or minivan) with an English-speaking driver
• Pick-up in Casablanca (airport, train station or hotel) and drop-off in Marrakech
• 7 nights of accommodation: 1 hotel in Casablanca, 2 nights in a riad in Fes, 3 kasbah hotels and 1 desert camp
• Licensed local guide for the Fes medina tour
• Camel trek in Erg Chebbi (sunset ride and sunrise return)
• Breakfast every day and dinner on Days 4, 5, 6 and 7
• Fuel, tolls and parking

Not Included

• International flights and travel insurance
• Lunches and drinks
• Entrance fees (Hassan II Mosque, Kasbah Amridil, Taourirt Kasbah, Telouet, Atlas Studios)
• Optional local guides in Rabat and Ait Ben Haddou
• Tips for your driver, guides and camp staff
• Personal expenses

Why Choose This Kasbahs and Desert Tour from Casablanca?

A One-Way Route With No Backtracking

Most desert tours from Casablanca loop back to Casablanca, which adds a long drive at the end. This 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech ends in the Red City instead. So you can fly home from Menara Airport or stay a few more nights in Marrakech. If you prefer a loop with Chefchaouen, see our 8 days private tour from Casablanca.

More Kasbahs, Fewer Hours in the Car

The 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech breaks the drive to the Sahara with a night in Midelt. As a result, no day on the way to the desert passes 300 km. You also sleep three times in kasbah hotels. Along the way, you visit or pass more than eight kasbahs and ksour, from the Kasbah of the Udayas in Rabat to Telouet in the High Atlas.

Fully Private and Flexible

Only your group travels in the vehicle. You choose the hotel level, the length of each stop and the pace of the day. For example, families often add a night in Fes, while couples like a second night in the desert. Learn more in our comparison of private vs group tours in Morocco.

Best Time for 8 Days in Morocco on This Route

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the best seasons for this 8 day Morocco itinerary. In fact, most travelers book the 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech in April, May, October or November. At that time, days are warm in the desert and nights are cool. In summer, however, Merzouga often goes above 40 °C, so the camel ride takes place only at sunset and sunrise.

In winter, nights get close to freezing in the Sahara and drop below 0 °C in Midelt. Snow can also close the Tizi n’Tichka pass for a few hours. For month-by-month advice, see our guide to the best time to visit Morocco.

Practical Tips for Your Casablanca to Sahara Desert Journey

What to Pack

Bring layers, a warm jacket for the desert night, a scarf against sun and sand, and closed shoes for the gorges. Men and women should also cover shoulders and knees in mosques and villages. Our guide on what to wear in Morocco gives a full packing list.

Money and Payments

Cards work in most hotels in Casablanca, Fes and Marrakech. However, villages, small kasbahs and the desert camp run mostly on cash. For this reason, withdraw dirhams in Fes or Errachidia before the desert. Read more about the Moroccan dirham.

Luggage in the Desert

First, take a small overnight bag on the camel. Meanwhile, your main suitcase stays locked in the vehicle or at a hotel in Merzouga.

Safety on the Road

The route follows the main national roads, and your private driver knows each stop well. For advice on scams, health and night driving, read our guide Is Morocco safe?

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the drive from Casablanca to Marrakech via the Sahara?

On the 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech, the drive covers about 1,400 km. The driving time adds up to about 25 hours, but it is split over seven days. Therefore, the longest day has just under six hours at the wheel, plus stops.

Is 8 days enough for Morocco?

Yes. With 8 days in Morocco, you can see three imperial cities (Rabat, Fes and Marrakech), the Sahara and the kasbah valleys at a steady pace. However, you will not see the blue city of Chefchaouen or the coast at Essaouira. For both, choose our 10 days Morocco itinerary from Casablanca.

Can the tour start at Casablanca airport?

Yes. Your driver can meet you at Mohammed V Airport on Day 1, whatever your arrival time. Simply send us your flight number when you book.

Will I really sleep in a kasbah?

Yes, on three nights. In Midelt, the Dades Gorges and Ait Ben Haddou, you stay in kasbah hotels or guesthouses built in the traditional earthen style, with modern bathrooms.

What is the desert camp like in Merzouga?

The camps stand among the Erg Chebbi dunes. Standard tents have real beds and shared or private bathrooms. Luxury tents, on the other hand, add a private bathroom, heating or fans, and more space. Dinner is usually a tagine, followed by music around the fire.

Can I end the tour in Casablanca instead of Marrakech?

Yes, we can adapt the route. For a loop that returns to Casablanca, see our 9 days private tour from Casablanca, or browse all our tours from Casablanca.

Is this tour good for children and older travelers?

Yes, the 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech works well for families and older travelers. The private vehicle, the night in Midelt and the short Day 7 keep the pace gentle. The camel ride is short, and you can also reach the camp by 4×4 instead.

How much does the 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech cost?

The price depends on the size of your group, the season and the hotel level, from standard rooms to a luxury desert camp. Send us your dates through our contact page, and we will reply with a detailed quote.

Plan Your 8 Days in Morocco With Favorites Morocco Tours

Favorites Morocco Tours designs private journeys from Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes and Tangier. Tell us your travel dates, the number of travelers and your hotel style. Then we will tailor this 8 days tour from Casablanca to Marrakech to your group. You can also explore our tours from Marrakech, discover the Sahara Desert in Morocco or go back to the home page.