Blue City &
Sahara
Odyssey
Overview
From cobalt alleyways
to golden dunes
Eight days that trace Morocco's most dramatic contrasts — from the dreamlike blue streets of Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains, through the medieval labyrinth of Fes, across the Middle Atlas to the vast golden dunes of Erg Chebbi, and back via the red gorges of Dades to the vibrant heart of Marrakech.
All transport in comfortable air-conditioned 4×4 vehicles. Accommodation in handpicked riads and a luxury Sahara desert camp. A private licensed guide accompanies you throughout in English, French or Arabic.
Tour Highlights
What You'll Experience
Day by Day
Your Itinerary
Casablanca → Chefchaouen
Arrival & the Road to the Blue City
Arrive in Casablanca and meet your private guide. Head north along the Atlantic coast highway before turning inland into the Rif Mountains. The road climbs through cork oak forests and Berber villages as the air cools and clears. Arrive in Chefchaouen in the late afternoon — your first glimpse of the famous blue medina glowing in the mountain light. Check into your riad in the heart of the blue quarter. Free evening to explore the main square and sample local Rif cuisine.
Chefchaouen
A Full Day in the Blue Pearl
A full day to lose yourself in one of Morocco's most magical towns. Wander the labyrinthine alleyways washed in every shade of blue and white — from pale sky to deep cobalt. Visit the 15th-century Kasbah and its museum, browse the artisan shops selling wool blankets, leather goods and local goat cheese. Hike up to the Spanish Mosque above the town for a panoramic view of the blue medina against the Rif Mountains. Afternoon free to sit in café Uta el-Hammam, the beating heart of the medina.
Chefchaouen → Fes
Rif Mountains to the Imperial City
Depart Chefchaouen and drive east through the Rif Mountains, passing through small Berber market towns and cedar-forested hillsides. Stop at Ouezzane — a hilltop town famous for its olive oil and a sacred zawiya — before continuing to Fes. Arrive in the early afternoon with time to settle into your medina riad and take a first wander into the old city before dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the medina skyline.
Fes
Full Day in the Labyrinthine Medina
A full guided day in Fes el-Bali — the 9th-century UNESCO World Heritage medina and one of the most extraordinary urban environments on earth. Visit the Chouara tanneries from leather-scented rooftop terraces above the vivid dye vats. Explore Al-Qarawiyyin, the world's oldest university, founded in 859 AD. Wander the souks of leather, ceramics, brasswork and spices. Visit the ornate Medersa Bou Inania. End at the Merenid Tombs for golden-hour panoramas over the ancient city.
Fes → Ifrane → Ziz Valley → Merzouga
Across the Atlas to the Sahara's Edge
Depart Fes south through the Middle Atlas, stopping in alpine Ifrane — the "Switzerland of Morocco" with its red-roofed chalets and famous stone lion. Continue through cedar forests where Barbary macaques roam roadside. Cross Midelt's high plateau before the dramatic descent through the Ziz Gorge and its spectacular palmery corridor of date palms stretching to the horizon. Arrive in Merzouga as the great dunes of Erg Chebbi flush gold and amber at dusk.
Merzouga — Erg Chebbi
Sunrise, Camels & a Night Under the Stars
Wake before dawn to climb the great dunes of Erg Chebbi for the Sahara sunrise — one of the most breathtaking sights anywhere on earth. Morning free to explore or visit Khamlia village to hear Gnawa music. Late afternoon: mount camels for a 90-minute trek deep into the dunes to your luxury desert camp. Dinner served around a fire as a million stars emerge overhead, with traditional Berber music filling the desert silence.
Merzouga → Todra → Dades → Ouarzazate
The Road of a Thousand Kasbahs
Return from the camp on camelback at sunrise. Drive west along the legendary Route des Kasbahs — the pre-Saharan corridor of ancient fortresses, palmeries and gorges. First stop: Todra Gorge, where sheer orange walls rise 300m above a shallow river. Continue to the extraordinary Dades Valley with its rose-red rock towers and winding switchback roads. Stop at Ait Benhaddou — the UNESCO fortified ksar immortalised in Gladiator and Game of Thrones. Arrive Ouarzazate in the evening.
Ouarzazate → Tizi n'Tichka → Marrakech
Over the High Atlas — Guided Tour of Marrakech
Cross the High Atlas via the dramatic Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260m) with sweeping views over mountain ranges. Descend to the ochre plains and arrive in Marrakech. Full afternoon guided tour of the Red City: Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, and the extraordinary Majorelle Garden — 12 acres of cobalt-blue architecture created by Yves Saint Laurent. Walk the living souks of the medina. As sunset turns the city rose-gold, join the legendary spectacle of Djemaa el-Fna square for the final evening of the odyssey.
Practical Information
Included & Excluded
Included
- Private licensed guide throughout (8 days)
- All transport in air-conditioned 4×4 vehicles
- 7 nights accommodation — handpicked riads & desert camp
- Daily breakfast at all accommodations
- Camel trek to the desert camp & return at sunrise
- Luxury Sahara desert camp — dinner & Berber music included
- All entrance fees to monuments & sites on itinerary
- Airport pickup in Casablanca & drop-off in Marrakech
- Tour conducted in English, French or Arabic
- 24/7 support throughout the journey
Not Included
- International flights to/from Morocco
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- Lunches and dinners (except desert camp dinner)
- Personal expenses, tips & gratuities
- Optional activities not listed in the itinerary
- Moroccan visa (if required for your nationality)
- Drinks and beverages at restaurants
- Room upgrades or single supplements
Visual Journey
Gallery
Blue Medina — Chefchaouen
Erg Chebbi — Merzouga
Chouara Tanneries — Fes
Ait Benhaddou
Djemaa el-Fna — Marrakech
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