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How Many Days Do You Need in Morocco?
What 7, 10, 12 and 14 days realistically cover on a private tour of Morocco, with the driving times behind each route.
The short answer
- 10 days is the right length for a first visit that includes the imperial cities, the Sahara and Marrakech.
- 7 days works if you start and end in Marrakech and keep to the High Atlas and one desert route.
- 12 to 14 days lets you add Tangier, Rabat, Essaouira or a slower night in the Skoura oasis.
- We avoid more than five hours of driving in a day wherever the route allows it.
Ten days is the length we recommend most often for a first private tour of Morocco. It covers Fes, the Sahara and Marrakech at a comfortable pace, with a night in Chefchaouen or the Dades Valley to break the long drives.
The question is really about distance. Marrakech to Merzouga, the gateway to the Erg Chebbi dunes, is around 560 km over the High Atlas. That is a full day of driving, so routes that include the Sahara need time to do it well.
7 days
Start and finish in Marrakech. Cross the High Atlas to Aït Benhaddou and the Dades Valley, spend a night in the Sahara, and return by way of the Draa Valley or Skoura. It is a good week, but the desert section involves two long driving days. Our Sahara & Atlas Escape follows this pattern.
10 days
The classic route: arrive in Casablanca, continue to Chefchaouen and Fes, cross the Middle Atlas to the Sahara, then drive west through the Dades Valley to Marrakech. Two nights each in Fes and Marrakech give you time for a guided day and a free day. See the 10-day itinerary.
12 to 14 days
With two weeks you can begin in Tangier, add Rabat, spend a second night in the desert, slow down in Skoura and end on the Atlantic in Essaouira. This is the length at which a journey stops feeling like a sequence of drives.
Driving days at a glance
| Leg | Distance | Time with stops |
|---|---|---|
| Casablanca – Chefchaouen | 340 km | 5 hours |
| Chefchaouen – Fes | 200 km | 4 hours |
| Fes – Merzouga | 470 km | 8 hours via Ifrane and the Ziz Valley |
| Merzouga – Dades Valley | 300 km | 5 hours via the Todra Gorge |
| Dades Valley – Marrakech | 320 km | 7 hours via Aït Benhaddou |
| Marrakech – Essaouira | 190 km | 3 hours |
More detail is in routes and driving times.
Questions we are often asked
Is 5 days enough for Morocco?
Five days suits Marrakech with a day in the Atlas and a night in the Agafay desert. Reaching the Sahara dunes in five days means two very long drives, which we do not recommend.
How many nights should we spend in the Sahara?
Two if you can. One night means you arrive in the late afternoon and leave after breakfast; a second gives you a full day in the dunes and the villages around Merzouga.
