Planning a Morocco trip? We spent 11 days travelling anticlockwise from Marrakech through the Sahara, Fes, Meknes, Rabat and Casablanca, finishing in Essaouira. This guide covers the full itinerary, transport, accommodation, local tours and actual budget.
11-Day Morocco Itinerary at a Glance
Marrakech → Sahara Desert → Fes → Meknes + Volubilis → Rabat → Casablanca → Marrakech → Essaouira
We travelled anticlockwise, tackling the longer inland journeys and Sahara first, then continuing north to Fes before working our way west through Rabat and Casablanca. We returned to Marrakech at the end and finished the trip with a day by the sea in Essaouira.
The key to making this route work is booking a 3-day, 2-night Sahara tour that starts in Marrakech and finishes in Fes. The tour doubles as a long-distance transfer, so there is no need to return to Marrakech afterwards. We then stayed three nights in Fes, travelled west by ONCF train, and spent our final two nights in Marrakech’s newer Gueliz district for easier Essaouira pick-up and airport access.
Eleven days is enough for the full route. With another one or two days, I would add Chefchaouen rather than remove anything. Chefchaouen offers mountain scenery and photogenic streets, while Meknes and Volubilis are more about imperial history and Roman ruins.
| Day | Destination | Main itinerary | Transport / local tour | Accommodation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Marrakech | Jardin Majorelle → Yves Saint Laurent Museum → Koutoubia Mosque → Jemaa el-Fnaa | Taxi + walking | Riad Amina |
| Day 2 | Marrakech | Ben Youssef Madrasa → Dar El Bacha Museum → Saadian Tombs → El Badi Palace → Bahia Palace | Taxi + walking | Riad Amina |
| Day 3 | Marrakech → Sahara | Atlas Mountains → Ait Ben Haddou | 3-day, 2-night Sahara tour | Arranged by tour |
| Day 4 | Sahara | Todra Gorges → Merzouga → Erg Chebbi | Tour vehicle + camel | Luxury desert camp |
| Day 5 | Sahara → Fes | Sahara sunrise → long drive north to Fes | Tour vehicle + camel | Palais Fes Yahya |
| Day 6 | Fes | Hammam → Bab Boujloud → Café Clock → Bou Inania Madrasa → Al-Attarine Madrasa → University of Al-Qarawiyyin → Chouara Tannery | Taxi + walking | Palais Fes Yahya |
| Day 7 | Meknes + Volubilis | Volubilis → Moulay Idriss → Meknes | Meknes + Volubilis small-group tour from Fes | Palais Fes Yahya |
| Day 8 | Fes → Rabat → Casablanca | Mausoleum of Mohammed V + Hassan Tower → Kasbah of the Udayas | ONCF First Class + taxi | Melliber Appart Hotel |
| Day 9 | Casablanca → Marrakech | Hassan II Mosque → train to Marrakech | Hassan II Mosque Guided Tour+ ONCF First Class | Amani Hotel Suites & Spa |
| Day 10 | Essaouira | Essaouira Medina → Skala de la Ville → harbour → seafood lunch | Essaouira Day Trip from Marrakech | Amani Hotel Suites & Spa |
| Day 11 | Marrakech | Hotel → Marrakech Menara Airport → fly home | Taxi | — |
Our Actual 11-Day Morocco Budget
These are our actual costs for two people, shown in British pounds (£), with Moroccan dirhams (MAD) in brackets.
Excluding international flights and souvenirs/personal shopping, the 11-day trip cost about £1,565 for two people, or roughly £783 per person. This includes accommodation, attractions and local tours, tips, transport within Morocco, food and mobile data. Accommodation and food are the easiest areas to scale up or down; the Sahara tour, major attractions and intercity transport are relatively fixed costs.
| Type | Item | Actual cost for 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Attractions / local tours | Marrakech: Jardin Majorelle + YSL Museum, Ben Youssef Madrasa, Dar El Bacha Museum, Saadian Tombs + El Badi Palace + Bahia Palace | £116（1,533 MAD） |
| Sahara: 3-day, 2-night tour | £331（ 4,369 MAD） | |
| Fes: Bou Inania Madrasa + Al-Attarine Madrasa + Hammam | £74（980 MAD） | |
| Meknes + Volubilis: day tour + Volubilis admission | £40（531 MAD） | |
| Casablanca: Hassan II Mosque guided tour | £24.24（320 MAD） | |
| Essaouira: day tour + attraction ticket | £31（410 MAD） | |
| Tips | Sahara driver/guides, local guides at Ait Ben Haddou and Todra Gorges, Fes tannery, etc. | £31（410 MAD） |
| Transportation | ONCF First Class: Fes → Rabat + Rabat → Casablanca + Casablanca → Marrakech | £49（643 MAD） |
| Taxis/transfers within Morocco: airport transfers plus local transport in Marrakech, Fes, Rabat and Casablanca | £52（685 MAD） | |
| Accommodation | Marrakech Medina: Riad Amina, 2 nights + local accommodation tax | £117（1,546 MAD） |
| Fes: Palais Fes Yahya, 3 nights + local accommodation tax | £120（1,584 MAD） | |
| Casablanca: Melliber Appart Hotel, 1 night + local accommodation tax | £60（796 MAD） | |
| Marrakech Gueliz: Amani Hotel Suites & Spa, 2 nights + local accommodation tax | £123（1,628 MAD） | |
| Food | Regular meals over 11 days, excluding Rick’s Café | £295（3,895.5 MAD） |
| Dinner at Rick’s Café | £71（940 MAD） | |
| Total food spend | £366（4,835.5 MAD） | |
| International flights | Return flights from the UK to Marrakech, 2 people | £157（2,072 MAD） |
| Mobile data | eSIM + Moroccan physical SIM | £30（398 MAD） |
| Souvenirs + personal spending | Bacha Coffee beans — I went slightly mad | £100+（1,400 MAD） |
| Desert headscarf/shawl bought at Ait Ben Haddou | £20（260 MAD） | |
| Other purchases: leather belt, magnets, lamp, sand bottle, hair oil, etc. | £66+（875 MAD） |
4 Things to Know Before Travelling Around Morocco
- Google Maps: It worked well for us in Marrakech, Fes and Rabat. If someone insists that “Google Maps doesn’t work” and offers to lead you somewhere, stick to your own navigation.
- Cash: Taxis, tips, some attractions, hammams and smaller restaurants still commonly use cash. Local tours, trains, hotels and more formal restaurants are generally easier to pay by card.
- Mobile data: We used both an eSIM and a local SIM for navigation, finding hotels, checking transport and keeping track of tour information.
- Leave some flexibility: Our Chefchaouen day trip was cancelled because of a flood warning, so we switched to Meknes and Volubilis instead. Distances between Moroccan cities are long, so it helps to leave some room for changes.
Detailed 11-Day Morocco Itinerary
Day 1–2｜Two Days in Marrakech
Day 1｜Arrive in Marrakech → Riad check-in → SIM / currency exchange → Jardin Majorelle → YSL Museum → Koutoubia Mosque → Jemaa el-Fnaa
We arrived around midday, sorted out mobile data, exchanged money and checked in before starting sightseeing in the afternoon. Jardin Majorelle and the YSL Museum work naturally together, followed by Koutoubia Mosque and dinner around Jemaa el-Fnaa.
On our first evening we went straight into snail soup, sheep brain, tangia, couscous and grilled skewers. It was a fairly immediate introduction to Marrakech.
Day 2｜Ben Youssef Madrasa → Dar El Bacha Museum → Saadian Tombs → El Badi Palace → Bahia Palace
The second day focused on the historic centre, with the three palaces/tombs grouped together in the afternoon.
Before the trip, I had read that Bacha Coffee offered takeaway. That was no longer available when we visited. We did not wait for a table and somehow still left with more than £100 of coffee beans.
Read More：Marrakech 2-Day Itinerary｜Jardin Majorelle, Jemaa el-Fnaa & Three Palaces
Accommodations：Riad Amina
Day 3–5｜3-Day, 2-Night Sahara Desert Tour
Day 3｜Marrakech → Atlas Mountains → Ait Ben Haddou
The first day is mainly a long travel day, with a stop at Ait Ben Haddou before continuing towards the desert.
Day 4｜Todra Gorges → Merzouga → Camel ride into Erg Chebbi → Luxury desert camp
This is the day you properly enter the Sahara. The camel ride was more exciting than expected, although the highlight of the whole tour for me was still sunrise over the dunes the following morning.
Day 5｜Sahara sunrise → Long drive north → Fes
Paying extra for the luxury camp was worth it. Our tent had a private bathroom, the interior was around 26°C, and both hot water and water pressure were completely fine.
The tour listing also mentioned Ziz Valley and Ifrane. In reality, we did not stop at Ziz Valley and only passed through Ifrane. Three days and two nights felt long enough for two adults; with older relatives or children, I would consider four days and three nights to make the final long drive less intense.
Read More：3-Day Morocco Sahara Desert Tour Review｜Itinerary, Camp, Camel Ride & Extra Costs
Our tour：3-Day Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes
Day 6｜One Day in Fes Medina
Hammam → Bab Boujloud → Café Clock → Bou Inania Madrasa → Al-Attarine Madrasa → University of Al-Qarawiyyin → Chouara Tannery
We started with a hammam in the morning, had a camel burger at Café Clock for lunch, then continued through the main sights of the Medina.
Fes was the place where we encountered the most unsolicited “help” and sales pressure. We also had someone lead us somewhere and then ask for more money afterwards, so this is where I would be particularly firm about following your own route and Google Maps.
Our hammam cost 900 MAD for two. The wash and scrub were excellent; the massage afterwards was much less memorable.
Read More：Fes Medina One-Day Itinerary｜Tanneries, Madrasas & Practical Tips
Read More：Morocco Hammam Experience｜What Happens, Prices & Our Honest Review
Day 7｜Meknes + Volubilis Day Trip
Fes → Volubilis → Moulay Idriss → Meknes → Fes
We were originally booked to visit Chefchaouen, but the trip was cancelled because of a flood warning, so we switched to Meknes and Volubilis instead.
We had not originally prioritised this route because we had already seen plenty of Roman ruins elsewhere, and before the trip I thought Bab Mansour in Meknes was still under restoration. It had reopened by the time we visited, and the change of plan also meant we completed all four of Morocco’s imperial cities.
The biggest advantage of taking a day tour is avoiding the hassle of organising transport between all three stops. Our tour also had no forced shopping.
Read More：Meknes + Volubilis Day Trip｜Roman Ruins & Imperial City from Fes
Our tour：Meknes + Volubilis small-group tour from Fes
Day 8｜Fes → Rabat → Casablanca
Fes → ONCF First Class → Rabat station → Mausoleum of Mohammed V + Hassan Tower → Kasbah of the Udayas → Casablanca
While planning the trip, I looked into a private transfer from Fes to Rabat, but for two adults travelling light, ONCF First Class was more than sufficient. The Fes–Rabat train had reserved seating in a six-person compartment, with luggage stored on the overhead rack. The journey took about three hours.
For our half-day in Rabat, we used taxis between the station, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and Hassan Tower, then the Kasbah of the Udayas. The first two fares were reasonable. When we tried to return from the Kasbah to the station, a driver quoted a much higher fare, so as we were not in a hurry, we simply walked back through the Medina instead.
Rabat to Casablanca is shorter and has frequent trains. We again bought First Class, but this time there was no six-person compartment or assigned seat — just wider standard seating. For two adults with light luggage, Fes → half a day in Rabat → Casablanca works comfortably in one day. With children, older travellers or a lot of luggage, I would stay overnight in Rabat.
Read More：Morocco Train Guide｜ONCF Tickets, First Class & Luggage
Day 9｜Casablanca → Marrakech
Hassan II Mosque → Casa Voyageurs station → ONCF First Class → Marrakech
We stayed one night in Casablanca. The evening before, we had dinner at Rick’s Café and saw Hassan II Mosque illuminated at night; the following morning we joined the mosque tour, so we saw it both by day and after dark.
One night in Casablanca was enough for our first visit. If time is tight, it could also be done as a day trip. Rick’s Café has a great evening atmosphere, although the live music was a little too loud for me.
Read More：Is Casablanca Worth Visiting?｜Hassan II Mosque & Rick’s Café Review
Our tour：Hassan II Mosque Guided Tour
Accommodations：Melliber Appart Hotel
Day 10｜Essaouira Day Trip
Marrakech → Argan cooperative → Essaouira Medina → Skala de la Ville → Harbour → Seafood lunch → Marrakech
Essaouira was one of my three favourite places on the trip.
The argan cooperative is a scheduled stop on the day tour, but there was no pressure to buy anything. If I could choose how to divide the day myself, I would give more time to Essaouira itself.
We picked seafood at the harbour and had it cooked nearby. Choosing the fish and waiting for it took longer than expected, so we ended up with less time to explore the Medina. I would still eat seafood there next time — I would just choose faster.
Read More：Essaouira Day Trip｜Getting There from Marrakech, Medina Walk & Seafood
Our tour：Essaouira Day Trip from Marrakech
Day 11｜Marrakech Departure
Gueliz hotel → Taxi → Marrakech Airport
For our final two nights in Marrakech, we did not return to the old Medina and instead stayed in the newer Gueliz district. This made pick-up for the Essaouira tour easier and was much more convenient when leaving for the airport with luggage.
Security and departure procedures at Marrakech Airport can take time. We arrived around three hours before departure, and I would keep that buffer.
Accommodations：Amani Hotel Suites & Spa
