Two Week Moroccan Road Trip Itinerary

How we spent our two weeks in Morocco, and maybe you will too!

Quick Overview

• Days 1-3: Tangier (2 nights)
• Days 3-5: Chefchaouen (2 nights)
• Days 5-7: Fes (2 nights)
• Days 7-9: Sahara Desert Luxury Camp (2 nights)
• Days 9-10: Agdz (1 night)
• Days 10-13: Marrakesh (3 nights)
• Day 13-14: Casablanca (1 night)
• Day 14: Fly home! 

Tip: Use the maps.me app for all your navigating needs. Download maps offline  to use them with or without internet. Google maps is not helpful inside the old medinas.  

And If you want to leave the planning, booking and logistics to a local professional, reach out to our friend Abdo at Secret Morocco Adventure Tours to recreate our itinerary or your own perfect trip!

Tangier: Days 1-3

Fly into Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport. About a 2 hour flight from Madrid and you are in the beautiful coastal port city of Tangier where the whitewashed walls of Tangier's old medina pop against the blue Atlantic ocean.

Stay: Hilton Garden Inn

• The staff, location, and accommodations here are all lovely. Its a quick walk to the beach or a quick taxi ride (hotel staff will happily facilitate) to the old medina.

Eat:

• Alma Kitchen for refreshing juices, lovely vibes, modern dishes and even a cute retail shop!
• El Morocco Club for a cozy upscale Moroccan and Mediterranean dinner in the old medina.
• Kebdani Restaurant for lunch, when you need a break from shopping. We split a tagine here and it was exactly what we needed.
• Hotel Breakfast to start your day off right! We actually had all of our breakfasts at our hotels or riads and they were all amazing!

To Do:

• Head to the old medina to kick off your shopping adventure!
• While you're there, head to the American Legation Museum for some interesting history on Moroccan-US relations, if that's your thing. 
• Stop for some mint tea and snacks on the upper terrace of the Grand Hotel Villa de France to enjoy the views. 
• For a closer ocean view, head to the famous Cafe Hafa.
• Take a stroll along the beach.

Transportation: 

• From the airport: we arranged an airport transfer with our hotel.
• Taxis to and from the medina - taxis and petit taxis wait outside the Hilton so just hop in one, or ask the hotel staff for assistance if needed.
• Taxis also wait outside the old medina along Grand Socco, where you can hail one home.
• To our next destination: we arranged a private taxi through our hotel to our next stop which cost about 800 dirham (about 80 USD). 

Thoughts:

Tangier's old medina is smaller than some of the other cities on our road trip so it was a great first stop for us. After two days here, I felt fairly capable of navigating the winding alleyways and finding our way to the main path, just in time to head to our next stop! Two full days here felt like enough time for us.

Chefchaouen: Days 3-5
"The Blue Pearl"

Chefchaouen certainly lives up to its nickname of the "Blue Pearl" and Dar Jasmine offered an amazing view of the city with the Rif mountains in the distance. 

Stay: Dar Jasmine

Beware of the 155 (!) steps from the street up to the front door, but it's worth it. Don't worry, hotel staff will carry your bags up and down the stairs for you.

Eat: 

• Dar Jasmine for breakfast and dinner.

After a long day wandering the medina, once we came back to the hotel, we were happy to enjoy a delicious meal out on Dar Jasmine's terrace, overlooking the Blue Pearl's city lights lit up under the night sky. Be sure to let the hotel know you will be joining them for dinner ahead of time so they can place your order and have your table ready for you. 

• Tissemlal for a traditional Moroccan lunch in the medina.

To Do:

• Explore the medina: There's plenty of shopping but Chefchaouen, being the Blue Pearl, is full of magnificent streets and alleyways to get lost in, each a more mesmerizing shade of blue than the last. Have fun, take pictures, explore the various art installations, murals and backdrops! Just keep in mind, people do live here so be respectful.
• Relax: If you're staying at Dar Jasmine, be sure to explore the hotel grounds and enjoy all the amenities they have to offer. We booked massages one afternoon and spent time by the pool one morning. Dar jasmine also has several terraces which provide amazing views of the city amidst the mountains. 
• Hike up to the Spanish Mosque for another amazing view of the city.

Transportation:

• Walk! No car needed once you're here, unless you want to do some hiking in the Rif mountains.
• We arranged a private taxi through our hotel to take us to our next stop, Fes!

Thoughts: 

Chefchaouen is a small city located in the Rif Mountains in the northern part of Morocco . While the hills (and steps) can be a challenge here, the crisp, cool mountain air was a welcome respite between the coastal humidity of Tangier and dusty heat of Fes. Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Chefchaouen and appreciated some time to relax before we dove head first into Fes! If you're in Morocco, I would highly recommend finding a way to fit Chefchaouen (and Dar Jasmine) into your itinerary!

Fes: Days 5-7

Oh boy. Fes is A LOT. But it's a must-see! Just be prepared, and consider utilizing a guide, particularly if you have limited time. You really don't want to waste too much time wandering around, hoping you stumble upon all the things you really want to see. 

Stay: Dar Bensouda

Eat:

• Dar Roumana for dinner in the stunning riad courtyard dining room.
• The Ruined Garden for dinner outside in a garden among the ruins, if you will.
• Street Food as recommended by your guide ;) We had some delicious pita sandwiches with grilled meat from a stall somewhere in the medina. If it had a name, I didn't catch it. 
• Hotel Breakfast included a robust buffet spread of traditional Moroccan breakfast items as well as eggs made-to order, all served in the courtyard by the pool. 

*Tip: when making a dinner reservation, you can request a porter to escort you between the restaurant and your hotel. I HIGHLY recommend utilizing this service. Its free, just tip your porter :)

To Do

• Explore the medina (with your guide). Fes will have absolutely everything you could possibly be interested in.
• Chouara Tannery is a must-see while in Fes. A free guide will give you a tour and a history lesson of the tannery while you're here. Then you can wander around on your own and do some shopping. 
• Hammam, Spa and/or Massage at your riad. You'll need it after a long day in the medina!

Transportation

• Walking is the only way once inside the medina. Our driver dropped us off just outside the medina where we were met by a porter from our riad who loaded our bags into a push cart. We then followed him to our riad. Be sure to have small bills or change (in moroccan dirhams) to tip your porters!
• Rental Car: our next stop was the Sahara Desert which is about 7.5 hours from Fes, so it was time to get a rental car! We took a taxi to the Fes airport where we picked up a little Toyota that we would drive for the next four days.

Thoughts:

As you may have noticed, we found Fes to be pretty overwhelming. Nevertheless, we would recommend anyone to go at least once, with a guide. It's nothing like we've ever experienced! You can hire a guide directly through the tourist office (which we did) or through your riad to ensure you are paired with an official guide.  We paid about 50 USD for the entire day, plus a tip. 

Sahara Desert: Days 7-9

The Sahara desert is a must-see while in Morocco and worth the journey to get there. You could spend two nights at a luxury camp in the dunes (like we did) or one night in the dunes and one night in a hotel; just don't skip the desert!

Stay: Sirocco Luxury Camp

Eat:

• Sirocco Luxury Camp provides breakfast and dinner. 
• Have lunch by the hotel pool in Merzouga (or in the AC if you need a break).

To Do:

• Quad Bikes or Camel Trek to explore the dunes beyond your camp.
• Sand Boarding in the morning or evening.
• Pool Lounging at the partner hotel in Merzouga while its too hot in the dunes (Sirocco will arrange this for you!).
• Star Gazing with the brightest stars and clearest skies you may ever see.

Transportation: 

We drove ourselves to and from Merzouga, but you will need an experienced driver (or camels) to get you into the dunes. If you book a camp in the dunes (like we did) they will coordinate that for you and make sure you're taken care of. The roads to and from Merzouga were quite good with only a few rough spots due to construction and repaving efforts. Do your best not to speed and make sure you have cash for the possibility of a speeding ticket.

Thoughts:

The Sahara Desert is not to be missed! It is truly an incredible experience. Even though we had seen pictures of the dunes and took way too many of our own, the feeling of being there can't quite be captured; you just have to experience it for yourself. From sunrise to sunset, to the ever changing shades of blue sky and orange sand, to the midnight sea of stars, there's so much to see and we can't wait to go back. 

Tip:

Do NOT underestimate the dry desert air. As east coast gals just off the heals of an east coast summer, the 15% humidity was really starting to get to us (and we are constantly drinking water as it is). So bring your electrolytes and your hydrating skincare and stay ahead of it!

Agdz: Days 9-10

Agdz was only meant to be a halfway point between the desert and our next stop in Marrakesh, but WOW. Look at that view! Lodge Hara Oasis was such an amazing surprise and I wish we would have had more time here.

Stay: Lodge Hara Oasis

Eat:

Lodge Hara Oasis. We were only here one night so we had both dinner and breakfast here and both were excellent. I thought dinner was one of the best meals in Morocco (though they were all so good). 

To Do:

• Explore the grounds of Lodge Hara. There are many different places to relax, a couple peacocks and of course, cats.
• Swim in the Draa River if it's not dry while you're there.
• Swim in the NEW pool! With such variable water levels of the river, the addition of a pool is fantastic.

Transportation:

We drove ourselves here from the desert which was an interesting drive. As expected, the road through the mountains was a constant switch back but the driveway to Lodge Hara was really something else! Just keep going and trust the directions provided by the Hotel. Just when you think you'll need to turn around and go back to the main road, you'll notice a tiny metal sign atop the imposing gate that says "Hara Oasis". 

Thoughts: 

We really enjoyed our short stay here. The food, the view, the hotel grounds were all so peaceful and the perfect place to rest between long, focused drives. The only thing that would have made this stop better (aside from more time) was if the river had been flowing, but maybe you'll have better luck!

Marrakech: Days 10-13

At last, we have arrived.

Stay: Riad Tibibt

Eat: 

• DarDar Rooftop for sunset views. Be sure to book a reservation accordingly and well in advance.
• Nomad for another beautiful rooftop overlooking the medina.
• Breakfast at the riad, of course.
• Check with your riad about having dinner there at least one night. We did this our last night and it was an amazing meal. 
• Secret Garden (le Jardin Secret en francais) for lunch after exploring the grounds.

To Do:

• Shopping!
• Ben Youssef Madrasa (we bought tickets upon arrival).
• The Jardin Secret located right in the medina  (we bought tickets upon arrival).
• Hammam and/or Spa.
• Relax at your riad.

Transportation:

We arrived via rental car which we returned at the airport, where a private driver arranged through our riad picked us up.

Thoughts:

Marrakesh lives up to the hype. It definitely felt a bit more modern with more tourists than some of the other cities we visited. If you only have a short stay in Morocco, then Marrakesh is a great choice; amazing food, tons to do, its easier to navigate (during the day) than a place like Fes and its easy to get to by plane or train! Do be mindful leaving restaurants at night to head back to your accommodations as the medina can look quite different at night and some gates may be closed. If you find yourself lost or turned around, reach out to your riad for assistance finding your way back, they are happy to help.

Casablanca: Days 13-14

And for our final stop, the infamous Casablanca.

Stay: 

From personal experience, we unfortunately don't have a specific hotel to recommend.

Eat:

• Rick's Cafe was surprisingly lovely. We weren't sure what to expect given that it is based on the movie but it was the perfect final stop on our road trip.

To Do:

• Hassan II Mosque (we bought tickets upon arrival).
• Explore the old Medina.

Transportation:

We took the train here from Marrakesh which was on-time, clean, spacious and inexpensive. It took about 3.5 hours. We did purchase our tickets in advance but we missed that train and were able to switch to the next train an hour later; just check with the ticket agents and they can issue a new ticket for you!

Thoughts: 

Casablanca has a major international airport which makes it a natural starting and/or stopping point for any Moroccan vacation. And while we're happy to have enjoyed a meal at Rick's Cafe and to have toured the Hassan II Mosque, we can't say we're dying to go back.