10 Days in Morocco: Best Itinerary During COVID

Africa Mar 21, 2021

Morocco is open for tourists, so I challenge you to a 10-day self-drive in Morocco, a circuit in which you will be able to make a trip in the past, in the old imperial capitals and you will see the spectacular landscapes of the mountains and the desert of an absolutely enchanting country.

Take a city tour in Casablanca, visit the capital Rabat, the Roman archeological vestiges from Volubilis, the cities of Meknes and Marrakech but also the famous medina from Fez, inscribed in the UNESCO patrimony. Admire the spectacular landscapes of the sand dunes of Merzouga and the famous Ait Benhaddou citadel.

Morocco Itinerary

Day Highlights Overnight
Day 1&2 Casablanca airport - Casablanca Casablanca
Day 3&4 Casablanca - Marrakech Marrakech
Day 5 Marrakech - Ouarzazate Boumalne Dades
Day 6 Boumalne Dades - Todra Gorges Erfoud
Day 7 Erfoud - Merzouga - Azou Fez
Day 8 Fez Fez
Day 9 Fez - Volubilis - Meknes Rabat
Day 10 Rabat Home

Day 1&2 - Arrive at Casablanca Airport and discover Casablanca

Take a panoramic tour of the city, a tour in which you will admire from the outside the Royal Palace, Mohamed V Square and the Sacre Coeur Cathedral. Walk on the most famous cliffs - Corniche Aïn Diab, located in the suburb of Anfa. Here, enjoy the amazing view and take lunch on the Corniche.

Designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau and built by the Bouygues company, with the efforts of over 6,000 craftsmen, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world. The building that rises on a promontory on the Atlantic coast can accommodate up to 25,000 believers who can admire the blue of the Atlantic Ocean through the gigantic transparent floor of the house.

Day 3&4 - Explore Marrakesh

Visit the famous Jemaa El Fna Square, one of the most important attractions in Marrakech, the heart of the city, the meeting place of traders and blacksmiths, musicians and snake charmers.

Take a tour of the city of Marrakech, the second oldest imperial city, for good reason called the Pearl of the South. You will be able to admire the Koutoubia Mosque, one of the most representative Moorish-style buildings, which combines simplicity with luxury. Its 77m high tower is certainly one of the most impressive sights in Marrakech. Also, pay a visit to the Bahia Palace, an exquisite palace, constructed at the end of the 18th century, by the grand vizier Ahmed Bin Moussa.

Day 5 - Heading to Boumalne Dades, stop at Aït-Benhaddou, known for famous movies scenes

On the way to Boumalne Dades,  visit the most spectacular fortress in southern Morocco - Aït-Benhaddou, where many movies were filmed, such as Game of Thrones, Laurence of Arabia or Gladiator, today the fortress being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is located on Souss-Massa-Draa, a hill overlooking the Ouarzazate River, on the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech.

Day 6 - Discover Todra Gorges

Pass through the spectacular Todra Gorges and observe the old irrigation systems. You will cross the narrowest part of this area, with a width of only 3 meters and bordered by rocky walls 300m high, and you will be able to admire the settlements located in oases.

The high and steep cliffs and the width of average 10 m make the final part of the Todra Gorges a mandatory objective in the journey of any traveler through Morocco. Along the cold stream that crosses the gorge, a well-maintained asphalt road makes it possible for tourists to meet this wonder of nature. The show is completed by locals riding donkeys or camels, always ready to pose for new holiday memories.

Day 7 - Enjoy a safari tour in Merzouga

Leave for a desert safari in Merzouga dunes with 4x4 cars. You will be able to admire the sunrise and enjoy the amazing landscapes of the Sahara Desert: the arid plains where jackals and camels live, sand dunes, a real kingdom of scorpions and snakes, or the oases full of life.

Stop at Azou, an important center of folk art, and Ifrane, a beautiful ski resort with French architecture.

Day 8 - Explore Fez

Explore the old town of Fez, where you can visit the Fez el Bali district, known for the splendour and refinement of its buildings. You will discover here the most beautiful handcrafted wooden sculptures, bronze engravings, polychrome stone sculptures, columns and carved decorations.

Take a walk through Souk Nejjarine, the famous square where you can see the fountain with the same name, and the Jewish quarter Mellah, with neoclassical buildings and considered to be the largest in Morocco.

Visit Medersa Attarine, the place of an Islamic school, dating from the 14th century and impressing with its inner courtyards decorated with marble and alabaster columns.

Sunset in Fez, Morocco

Day 9 - Travel to Volubilis and Meknes

Don't miss to visit the best preserved Roman ruins in this part of North Africa - the archaeological site of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Built in the 3rd century BC. over an old Carthaginian settlement, the city of Volubilis was the administrative centre of the Roman province called Mauretania Tengitana. Here you can find the best preserved Roman mosaics, the Temple of Jupiter and the Triumphal Arch.

Also, take a tour of the city of Meknes, which will include Medina, the Jewish quarter, but also the spectacular Bab Mansour Gate.

Day 10 - Day tour of Rabat city

Take a day tour of the Moroccan capital, where you can admire the exterior of the Royal Palace and the Oudaya Garden, from where you can enjoy the panorama of the Rabat River, the ocean and its city. During the city tour, you can visit the Hassan Tower, built in 1195, but today in ruins.

Opposite the Hassan Tower is the splendid Mausoleum of Muhammad V, one of the most important altars in Morocco. Also, here are the tombs of King Muhammad V, Hassan II and Prince Moulay Abdellah. Designed by a Vietnamese architect and inaugurated 6 years after the death of Muhammad V, the building has a refined Moroccan-style interior.

Photo by Yous Hamito / Unsplash

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