7 Days Desert & Imperial
Tour from Fes
Overview
The grand circuit:
Imperial cities, Atlantic
coast & the Sahara
The complete Morocco loop in a single week — seven perfectly paced days starting and ending in Fes, taking in every face of the country. Begin in Fes with a full guided day in the medieval medina. Drive north to the famous Blue Pearl of Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains. Continue west to the Atlantic coast and Casablanca, then south to Marrakech for a full guided day in the Red City. Cross the High Atlas to Aït Benhaddou, drive the legendary Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through the Dades and Todra Gorges, and finish with a camel trek into the great dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset before sleeping in a luxury desert camp under the stars.
Seven days gives you the perfect balance — proper time in the imperial cities of Fes, Casablanca and Marrakech, the magic of Chefchaouen's blue medina, the cinematic kasbah country, and a full Sahara experience without ever feeling rushed. The loop ends back in Fes, ideal if you're flying in and out of the same airport.
All transport in a private air-conditioned 4×4 vehicle, accommodation in handpicked riads, kasbah hotels and a luxury Sahara camp, and a private licensed guide-driver throughout in English, French or Arabic.
What You'll Experience
Tour Highlights
Day by Day
Your Itinerary
Fes
Arrival & Discovery of the Ancient Medina
Arrive in Fes and meet your private guide. After settling into your traditional riad in the heart of the medina, set off on a full guided walking tour of Fes el-Bali — the 9th-century UNESCO World Heritage medina. Visit the Chouara tanneries from leather-scented rooftop terraces above the vivid dye vats. Explore Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 AD and widely considered the world's oldest continuously operating university. Wander the souks of leather, ceramics, brass and spice with your guide as interpreter. End at the Merenid Tombs above the city for golden-hour panoramas over the medieval skyline. Welcome dinner at a traditional restaurant inside the medina.
Fes → Chefchaouen
Up to the Blue Pearl of the Rif Mountains
Morning departure from your Fes riad. Drive north into the Rif Mountains through cork oak forests and Berber market towns as the air cools and clears. Arrive in Chefchaouen by lunch — your first glimpse of the famous blue medina glowing in the mountain light. After checking into your riad in the heart of the blue quarter, set off on a guided walking tour. Wander the labyrinthine alleyways washed in every shade of blue and white, visit the 15th-century Kasbah and its small museum, and browse the artisan shops selling wool blankets, leather goods and local goat cheese. End at sunset with the climb to the Spanish Mosque above the town for a panoramic view of the blue medina against the Rif. Free evening to dine on Rif cuisine in the main square.
Chefchaouen → Rabat → Casablanca
From the Rif to the Atlantic Coast
Depart Chefchaouen and drive south-west, leaving the Rif Mountains behind for the Atlantic plains. Stop in Rabat — Morocco's elegant royal capital — for a visit to the Kasbah of the Oudaias with its blue-and-white lanes and ocean views, the unfinished Hassan Tower and the magnificent Mausoleum of Mohammed V. Continue along the Atlantic coast to Casablanca. Arrive in the late afternoon and visit the spectacular Hassan II Mosque from the outside — perched dramatically on a promontory above the Atlantic, one of the world's largest and most architecturally striking mosques. Check into your hotel near the Corniche and enjoy dinner at a seafood restaurant on the seafront.
Casablanca → Marrakech
A Full Guided Day in the Red City
Morning departure from Casablanca via the modern motorway south to Marrakech (~3h). Arrive in time for lunch and check into your riad in the medina. In the afternoon, begin a full guided tour of the Red City with a local expert. Visit the ornate Bahia Palace with its hand-carved cedar ceilings and zellige courtyards, the Saadian Tombs, and the imposing Koutoubia minaret. Continue to the extraordinary Majorelle Garden — 12 acres of cobalt-blue architecture and exotic plants created by Jacques Majorelle and rescued by Yves Saint Laurent. As the sun sets, take your place in the legendary spectacle of Djemaa el-Fna square — storytellers, snake charmers, musicians, acrobats and the smoke of a hundred food stalls. Dinner on a rooftop overlooking the square.
Marrakech → Tizi n'Tichka → Aït Benhaddou → Dades
Over the High Atlas to Kasbah Country
Morning departure from Marrakech, climbing the High Atlas via the spectacular Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260m) with sweeping views over mountain ranges and Berber villages clinging to the slopes. Stop at a women's argan oil cooperative — see how the precious oil is still extracted by hand. Descend to Aït Benhaddou, the magnificent UNESCO fortified ksar of pisé earth towers, where Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and Game of Thrones were filmed. Walk through the labyrinth of mud-brick buildings with your guide and climb to the top for panoramic valley views. Continue through Ouarzazate (the "Hollywood of Africa" with its Atlas Film Studios) and the Skoura palm grove. Arrive in the rose-red Dades Valley by late afternoon. Sunset at the Dades viewpoint. Overnight in a kasbah hotel above the gorge.
Dades → Todra Gorge → Merzouga
Camel Trek into the Sahara at Sunset
Morning drive through the Dades Valley with photo stops at the famous switchback roads and the bizarre rock formations known as "Monkey Fingers." Continue east along the legendary Route des Kasbahs to Todra Gorge, where sheer canyon walls rise 300m on either side of a shallow palm-lined river — time to walk into the gorge with your guide. Drive on through pre-Saharan landscapes and palmeries, arriving in Merzouga in the late afternoon as the great dunes of Erg Chebbi flush gold and amber. Mount your camels for a 90-minute trek deep into the great dunes, watching the sunset paint the sand from camelback. Arrive at your luxury desert camp as the stars emerge. Dinner around the fire with traditional Berber music — a memory that stays for life.
Merzouga → Ziz Valley → Ifrane → Fes
Sahara Sunrise & the Long Road Home
Wake before dawn to climb the great dune behind your camp for the Sahara sunrise — one of the most transcendent experiences on earth. Watch the desert turn from violet to amber as the sun rises over Algeria. Camel back to where your 4×4 is waiting. The journey north retraces a stunning route — through the dramatic Ziz Gorge with its endless palmery corridor, across Midelt's high plateau, then up through the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas where Barbary macaques roam roadside. Stop in alpine Ifrane — the "Switzerland of Morocco" with red-roofed chalets and the famous stone lion. Continue down to Fes and arrive at your hotel or the airport by early evening, completing the loop. End of services.
Practical Information
Included & Excluded
Included
- Private licensed guide-driver throughout (7 days)
- Air-conditioned 4×4 private vehicle
- 6 nights accommodation — Fes riad, Chefchaouen riad, Casablanca hotel, Marrakech riad, Dades kasbah hotel & luxury desert camp
- Full guided day in Fes medina with local expert
- Guided medina walk in Chefchaouen
- Stops at Hassan II Mosque (exterior) & Rabat Kasbah Oudaias
- Full guided day in Marrakech with local expert
- Camel trek into Erg Chebbi at sunset & return at dawn
- Dinner at the desert camp with Berber music
- Daily breakfast at all accommodations
- Aït Benhaddou UNESCO entrance & guided walk
- Bahia Palace & Majorelle Garden entrances
- Pickup & drop-off in Fes (loop tour)
- Tour available in English, French or Arabic
- 24/7 WhatsApp support throughout the trip
Not Included
- Lunches and dinners (except desert camp dinner)
- Drinks and beverages at restaurants
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- Personal expenses, tips & gratuities
- Khamlia Gnawa music village (optional add-on)
- Quad bike or sandboarding (optional add-ons)
- Single-room supplement
- Anything not explicitly listed in "Included"
Visual Journey
Gallery
Erg Chebbi — Merzouga
Blue Medina — Chefchaouen
Chouara Tanneries — Fes
Aït Benhaddou UNESCO
Djemaa el-Fna — Marrakech
Ready for the Dunes?
Begin Your Escape
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