Morocco Road Trip
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The Perfect Morocco Itinerary for 9 Days

Before we headed to Morocco, we weren’t quite sure what we actually wanna see. Neither did we know what’s the best way to get around in the country.

After doing some research we decided to rent a car and go on a road trip there. Unfortunately, we had only 9 days which was definitely not enough to explore all of the country’s beauty.

Still, I can say that we saw and experienced a lot thanks to a perfectly planned Morocco itinerary for 9 days!

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking.)

At the beginning of our planning, we didn’t really know where to begin. There’s no doubt that Morocco has way too many interesting places to discover.

I bet no matter how much time you spend there, you’ll never see everything of its beauty!

So no wonder it took us ages until we finally finished our Morocco itinerary for 9 days. Since we had only a little time, it wasn’t possible to visit all the places we actually wanted to and it was quite difficult to decide which ones we should skip.

We landed in Marrakech and also departed from there so the city is the start- and endpoint of the itinerary. You can easily start from any other place or choose to do it the other way around.

Oh and btw, if you don’t really dare to drive on your own, you can organize a rental car with a driver from one of the many tour companies.

Among the best and most popular ones is Desert Discovery Tours, a licensed company that offers private drivers and other organized tours from different Moroccan cities.

They even offer customizable tours up to 14 days based on your interests so you can include all the places mentioned in this post!

Above you can see the exact route we took.

Don’t worry, I’m going to tell you the distance between those stops and how long you need to drive from one point to another. Moreover, I also want to share what you should see/do at those places and where we decided to stay.

So let’s start! 🙂

1. Day: Marrakech

Distance: 0 km
Travel Time: 0 hrs
Accommodation: Riad & Spa Ksar Saad

As already mentioned, our flight landed at the airport in Marrakech Menara. So on the first day, we didn’t travel anywhere but stayed in the city.

Thanks to our early arrival – our flight landed at 9:00 am that day – we still had quite some time to explore the city.

A Day in Marrakech

Marrakech is probably THE absolute must-go place and one day there was way too short.

We knew we wouldn’t be able to see all of its attractions so we didn’t stress and decided spontaneously about the things we wanted to see.

Road trip itinerary for Morocco
Shop at Jemaa El-Fnaa

Even with that little amount of time, we managed to see quite a lot in my opinion – without rushing through the city.

We visited Bahia Palace, got lost in the souks, admired Koutoubia Mosque, and experienced the famous market square Jemaa El-Fnaa during day and night.

There I bought some nice Moroccan souvenirs such as argan oil and a colorful lantern for my mum.

Visiting the Jardin Majorelle would have been awesome too but we ran out of time, unfortunately.

2. Day: Marrakech – Ouzoud Waterfalls – Casablanca

Marrakech – Ouzoud Falls
Distance: ~ 160 km
Travel Time: ~ 2.45 hrs

Ouzoud Falls – Casablanca
Distance: ~ 250 km
Travel Time: ~ 3.45 hrs
Accommodation: Casablanca Suites & Spa

Our road trip and thus real adventure started on the second day when we left Marrakech and made our way to Ouzoud Falls.

Initially, Ouzoud Falls wasn’t part of our itinerary. Instead, we wanted to visit Essaouira but then decided spontaneously to skip the coast city and head to the waterfalls.

After less than three hours of driving, we arrived at the small village close to the waterfalls.

We parked our car and after a friendly Moroccan guy approached us, we decided to take a tour with him. We’d read that it’s better to take a tour anyway so we were lucky he offered us one for a very good price.

Ouzoud Falls in Morocco
Ouzoud Falls

Hiking Down The Waterfalls

Frankly, I didn’t expect it to be such a rough and long climb down to the falls but trust me, it was. Needless to say, we both weren’t dressed properly but we made it down there somehow! 😀

Our tour guide led us through bushes and fig trees – we ate some of course – passing some really awesome viewpoints of the falls.

At one point we stayed a bit longer and treated ourselves to freshly pressed orange juice for only €1!

After around 1 – 1.5 hours we finally arrived at the foot of the majestic waterfalls. It was possible to swim or take a boat tour but we did neither of those activities but simply relaxed and enjoyed the place.

We imagined it to be less touristy but it was packed with people!

Nevertheless, it was absolutely impressive seeing that natural wonder from close up.

Road trip itinerary for Morocco
Ouzoud Falls

After we spent around 4 hours at the waterfalls, we continued our road trip to Casablanca. Due to our late arrival, we didn’t do much except for having dinner.

Plus we planned what places we wanted to explore on the next day in Casablanca which was the next stop on our Morocco itinerary for 9 days!

TIP: Don’t forget to rent a car beforehand to save time at the destination. We used rentalcars.com to rent our car and it was super easy and fast!

3. Day: Casablanca – Chefchaouen

Distance: ~ 340 km
Travel Time: ~ 4.45 hrs
Accommodation: Dar Meziana

Admittedly, I wasn’t a real fan of Casablanca as it was a weird mix of modern and old so personally, I think one day in Casablanca is enough.

However, before we left for Chefchaouen, we visited the place that made it worth going to that city: Hassan II Mosque – one of the most beautiful landmarks in Africa!

Hassan II Mosque Casablanca
Hassan II Mosque

A Visit to Africa’s Largest Mosque

Africa’s second-largest mosque lures with its turquoise ornaments, grand entrance doors, and lovely fountains on every side. Not only from the outside it’s an absolute stunner but inside it’s even more breathtaking!

Luckily, there was an English-speaking guide inside who told us some interesting facts about the mosque. For example, did you know its minaret is the largest one in the entire world?

Road Trip Itinerary for Morocco
Fountains at the mosque

After the tour, we still had some time left before we made our way to Chefchaouen, the next point on my Morocco itinerary for 9 days.

Thus we went to Mausoleum Sidi Abderrahmane which is located off the coast of the city on a rocky outcrop of land.

Oddly enough, the tombs of this mausoleum are basically the white domes you can see on the island.

It’s also an informal pilgrimage destination for Moroccan people because they believe that Saint Abderrahmane has miraculous healing powers and helps them to ease suffering.

Mausoleum Sidi Abderrahmane
Mausoleum Sidi Abderrahmane

Although it was very interesting to see, you can easily skip this place if you’re short on time. If you’re going to Casablanca, just make sure to visit the mosque as it’s simply out of this world!

Apart from that, there wasn’t anything else worth seeing so we headed back to our car and started the long journey to the blue pearl!

Unfortunately, we had some issues with our car so we had to exchange it and lost quite a big amount of time.

Therefore it was already pretty late when we arrived in Chefchaouen and so we didn’t have the opportunity to explore it on that day already.

Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen

4. Day: Chefchaouen

Distance: 0 km
Travel Time: 0 hrs
Accomodation: Dar Meziana

I can’t believe I’m saying this but we almost didn’t plan to visit Chefchaouen.

From all the places on our road trip itinerary for Morocco, this city was by far the one with the biggest detour. It would have been much easier to skip Chefchaouen and head to Fes directly from Casablanca.

Instead, we decided to spend more time in the blue pearl and less in the other two cities.

Morocco itinerary for 9 days
Chefchaouen

I’m Blue da ba dee da ba daa …

I can honestly say I’M SO GLAD WE DID!

Chefchaouen was one of my absolute favorite places in Morocco and it was definitely worth the long drive to the north. We spent the entire 4th day walking around the city and it felt so good having a day without driving.

Chefchaouen in Morocco
Entrance to our accommodation

There’s not really one special “must-see” attraction as the city itself is one. We didn’t have any specific place in mind but simply followed the narrow streets where they led us.

In my opinion, it’s the best way to make sure you don’t miss any of the city’s cute hidden corners.

In the evening we climbed up to the Spanish Mosque which is a mosque built in the 1920s and located on a small hill overlooking Chefchaouen.

Even though we took a completely wrong route we reached the top of the hill right in time for sunset.

Sitting there and watching the sun turn red above the blue pearl was one of the most magical moments in my entire life! In my opinion, it’s definitely one of the best things to do in Chefchaouen.

View from the Spanish Mosque in Chefchaouen
View from the Spanish Mosque

5. Day: Chefchaouen – Fes

Distance: ~ 210 km
Travel Time: ~ 3.30 hrs
Accommodation: Riad Zamane & Spa

On day 5 we left Chefchaouen and made our way to the second largest city with the oldest medina in Morocco: Fes.

Not only is it the oldest medina but with its maze of alleys, it’s probably also the easiest one to get lost in. Therefore I recommend you to book a guided tour through the medina or ask a local to show you around.

Of course, the latter expect you to pay them but trust me, it’s better than having no clue where you actually are! 😀

Morocco itinerary for 9 days
View of the Medina from our dinner spot

One of my Least Favourite Places in Morocco:

Have you really been to Fes without seeing one of the three tanneries?

Even though I felt really uncomfortable going there (for ethical reasons) – we decided to not skip that visit. We went to Chouara Tannery – the largest one of those three and also one of the oldest tanneries in the world.

Because of all the research and articles I’d read before, I expected the smell to be unbearable since they use cow urine and pigeon feces to dye the leather.

However, the smell wasn’t as bad as I imagined it to be – probably because we went there after the actual opening hours and people weren’t working.

Road trip itinerary for Morocco
Chouara Tannery in Fes

Shortly after, we went to a local shop and learned everything about the process of making Argan oil. It was really interesting and I bought a perfume made with the simplest ingredients: Argan oil & Jasmine.

For dinner, we decided to head to a place that we got recommended by a fellow travel blogger. And trust me, it was truly the coolest dinner spot in Fes for sure!

Last but not least, we went to see Bab Bou Jeloud or better known as The Blue Gate.

It was already dark when we arrived there and while we were standing in front of it, completely over the moon about its mesmerizing look, our 5th day in Morocco came to an end.

6. Day: Fes – Merzouga (Desert)

Distance: ~ 460 km
Travel Time: ~ 7 hrs
Accommodation: Tiziri Camp

Fes is the second city I wish we would’ve had more time there but I guess that only means I need to come back! 😉

Our next stop on our Morocco itinerary for 9 days was the desert – the place I was absolutely dying to go!

It’s been on my bucket list for such a long time thus my excitement that day was simply indescribable. Honestly, I felt like a child at Christmas!

From Mountainscape to The Desert

Unfortunately, I had to be really patient because the way from Fes to Merzouga took us more than seven hours.

Luckily, the drive wasn’t boring at all thanks to Morocco’s stunning landscape. We saw tons of breathtaking viewpoints and other attractions on the way.

For example, around 1.30 hrs after we left Fes, we arrived at the cedar forests of Azrou.

This place is well-known for its wild monkeys and fortunately, there were quite a few so we stopped the car and watched them playing in the trees.

Wild monkeys in Azrou
Wild monkey in Azrou

Some other animals we encountered on our journey were flocks of sheep, goats, and donkeys that belonged to nomads living there.

Road trip itinerary for Morocco
Sheep flock – a usual sight in Morocco

Attention: Morocco landscape photo spam is coming!

Morocco road trip itinerary
Arizona or Morocco?
Morocco landscape
Lake in Morocco
Lake in the middle of nowhere

The closer we came to the desert, the more different the landscape became. It changed from a rocky mountainscape to a lowland with an endless-seeming road leading into the distance.

Slowly but steady palm trees started to appear on both sides of the road and as soon we passed Erfoud we could spot the Sahara dunes in the distance!

Morocco road
Erfoud Gate
Erfoud Gate
road trip itinerary for Morocco
Can you spot the dunes?

Although we spent all day in the car, the journey from Fes to Merzouga didn’t feel like an eternity. Still, we were more than relieved when we finally arrived at our final destination of the day: Merzouga!

7. Day: Desert Camp (Merzouga)

Distance: 0 km
Travel Time: 0 hrs
Accommodation: Tiziri Camp

Before we started planning our Morocco itinerary for 9 days we knew one thing for sure: We wanted to stay in a desert camp, frolic in the dunes and sleep under the stars of the Sahara!

So that’s what we did when we spent two nights at Tiziri Camp in the middle of the African desert.

Check out:
Staying at Tiziri Camp – a Luxury Eco Camp in Morocco

Sahara desert Morocco road trip itinerary
Sahara
Tiziri Camp Morocco
Tiziri Camp

8. Day: Merzouga – Tinghir

Distance: ~ 200 km
Travel Time: ~ 2.45 hrs
Accommodation: Kasbah Taborihte

After an unforgettable experience in the desert, our road trip continued the next day.

Luckily, the distance from the desert to Tinghir – the next stop on my Morocco itinerary for 9 days – wasn’t that long. Yet during our short time on the road, we saw some pretty awesome things again.

Like …

Camels in Morocco

… camels!
They were casually sitting next to the road and darted curious looks at us while we were watching them.

Lunch & Mint Tea With a Local Family

After we arrived in Tinghir the coolest thing ever happened: While we were taking photos of a camel sign, a local family saw us and invited us to have lunch and tea with them!

Since it was a special public holiday, it was a tradition to celebrate with the entire family and all of them heartily welcomed us too!

We ate some very delicious couscous and drank the typical Moroccan mint tea. Afterward, they dressed us like Berbers, showed us around and told us a bit about their life.

We had such a good time and they probably saved our life because due to the public holiday, almost everything was closed so we worried about finding food! 😀

Berber in Tinghir
Getting the real Berber experience
Camel sign in Tinghir
Camel sign in Tinghir

So if you find that Camel sign in Tinghir, stop and say hello to the family right next to it!

We spent quite a few hours at their place before we continued the way to our hotel.

Road trip itinerary for Morocco
View of Tinghir

Tinghir itself is not that spectacular but due to its convenient location, it’s perfect for a stopover.

Furthermore, the town is the entrance to the Todra Gorge which is a really beautiful limestone canyon and a fascinating natural wonder!

We wanted to explore the gorge a bit more, but after we checked in at our hotel, the weather turned really bad and it started to rain heavily.

Thus we were kind of stuck and decided to relax at the hotel which, btw, is probably the coolest hotel in Tinghir! It was already late anyway and we still needed to plan for the next day.

On the way from Tinghir to Marrakech are some worth-seeing stops too and we wanted to fit in as much as possible because it was our last day!

Todra Valley Morocco Itinerary for 9 days
Todra Valley

9. Day: Tinghir – Dades Gorge – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech

Distance: ~ 360 km
Travel Time: ~ 6 hrs
Accommodation: Riad Melhoun & Spa

We got up quite early on our last day because we had a long way to go back to Marrakech and there were still some places we needed to check out!

Our first stop was Dades Gorge which was actually not exactly on our way. It was only a few kilometers in another direction tho and it was really worth the slight detour!

Road to the Dades Gorge
Road to Dades Gorge

The entire journey from Tinghir to the gorge was an adventure for itself thanks to the scenic road that led through steep and rugged rocks.

You’ve probably seen some pictures of the gorge already because there’s that one very famous winding road:

Winding road of Dades Gorge
Famous winding road

As awesome as it looks, as difficult it was to actually drive on it!

I mean it’s no secret that you need to be a very good driver in Morocco anyway. But that’s another topic I’ll write a blog post about. 😀

At the end of the curvy road and situated on a hill is the lovely café-restaurant Timzillite. There you can grab a coffee and enjoy the nice view of Dades Gorge!

Road Trip itinerary for Morocco
View from Café Timzillite

It’s possible to follow the road deeper into the canyon, however, we decided to take the way back as we wanted to have enough time at our next stop: Ait Ben Haddou.

The “Slaving City” in Game of Thrones

If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones (I AM) you NEED to go to Ait Ben Haddou! The historical city was featured in the third season of the series when Daenerys Targaryen battled with the Second Sons to liberate slaves.

Even if you’re not a fan of GoT, maybe you’ve seen The Mummy or Gladiator?

They used Ait Ben Haddou as a filming location for both of them as well.
Moreover, the city is a World Heritage Site such as many other locations in Morocco.

Ait Ben Haddou
Ait Ben Haddou
Ait Ben Haddou
Feeling like Daenerys Targaryen

We spent around two hours exploring the medieval town with all its tiny and narrow streets before we continued our journey back to Marrakech, starting and ending point on our road trip itinerary for Morocco.

Narrow streets in Ait Ben Haddou
Narrow streets in Ait Ben Haddou

Bumpy Roads of Tizi n’Tichka

Although we had only 180 kilometers left until we reached Marrakech, it took us more than three hours to get there!

The reason why it took so long was the super bumpy and mostly unpathed road of the mountain pass Tizi n’Tichka.

It was really horrible driving there and we almost freaked out because of all the potholes and steep curves. Well, at least the scenery was absolutely stunning!

Road trip itinerary for Morocco
morocco itinerary for 9 days
Tizi n’Tichka

It was super late when we finally reached Marrakech. We went to Jema el-Fnaa to have dinner for the last time.

After some yummy pizza we headed back to Riad Melhoun – the place we chose for our last night and one of the best riads in Marrakech in my opinion.

There we went to bed tired and exhausted yet incredibly sad we had to leave Morocco on the next day.

Looking back, I can honestly say that this road trip was the most adventurous one so far!

Yes, we spent more than 30 hours in the car.
Yes, we got up super early almost every day and it was kind of tough but it was so worth it!

Of course, I wish we would’ve had more time in some places but 9 days simply weren’t enough for that.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure I’ll make it to Morocco again sometime and then I’ll explore all the places I haven’t seen during that road trip! 🙂

Hopefully, you find this blog post about my Morocco itinerary for 9 days helpful!


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Do you want to travel like me?
Here are some of my favorite travel tips and resources:

Flights: I prefer using CheapOair or Skyscanner to book flights. The destination everywhere feature is perfect for finding some cheap deals!

Accommodation: Booking.com is my favorite site to find some great hotel deals. I do love staying at a local place as well, thus I book an Airbnb every now and then.

Travel Insurance: There are many reasons why travel insurance is important and I never travel without having one. I use the simple and flexible one from World Nomads to be protected against unforeseen events.

Tours: I love taking tours to explore destinations like a local. My favorite website to book them in advance is GetYourGuide.

Camera Gear: I use a Nikon D5300 camera with an 18-105 mm and a 10-20 mm wide-angle lens to take my photos.   

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69 Comments

  1. This is seriously the PERFECT road trip itinerary for those truly looking to experience Morocco. I just did the south of Morocco back in April, but I want to go back and see the north. I’ll admit I was a bit heartbroken when I didn’t see Chefchaouen.

  2. You’ve covered so much of Morocco in 9 days! I have gone 3 times and it’s still not enough time to see it all but I love the country and will most likely be back again in the future!

  3. I want to go to Morocco so badly. My friends went last year and also did a dessert trip and the photos just looked incredible. You did a lot of driving but it seems like it was worth it

  4. Thank you for such a great post! Your pictures are absolutely stunning. Ouzoud Falls was one of my favourite experiences I had when I was in Morocco a few years back, but I was also surprised at how busy it was. 100% worth the trip though! I didn’t make it to Chefchaouen though sadly. I wanted to, but my travel buddy didn’t. It is definitely on my to-visit list next time I’m in Morocco!

    1. Thanks Erica, super happy you like it ☺️ Chefchaouen was one of my favourite cities and I can recommend everyone to go there. Hopefully you’ll make it next time ?

  5. Great itinerary and amazing photos – especially the one with the moon and you at the camp! I have been to Marrakesh and Atlas mountains only so I need to return to do more of your recommendations! Super post!

  6. Morocco is so high up on my bucket list, and I had no idea how doable a road trip could be around the country! I had always thought to just visit Chefchaouen. Totally considering planning a road trip for 2020 now!

  7. Hey Alina, lovely post. Very detailed and informative. Would love to do a road trip. Saving this one for future travels. Thanks for sharing.

  8. Wow this Morocco road trip itinerary is so perfect, you managed to see a lot in 9 days! I’m still dreaming of visiting Morocco, hopefully next year 🙂

  9. This is a great guide Lina, thanks for sharing so much details. I have been in Morocco but I haven’t had to chance to do a road trip, and this is very useful for when I get back again, because next time I will want to drive around and explore.

  10. I’ve always wanted to go to Morocco. It looks so beautiful and your photos absolutely do it justice!

  11. I didn’t think you could cover that much in 9 days in Morocco! The Dades Gorges looks amazing, look like you had an amazing time, makes me want to go now!

  12. What a great trip! This itinerary hits all the best spots. Hopefully I’ll be able to go sooner rather than later!

  13. What a complete itinerary! I was able to visit only Marrakech but would have loved to experience some other cities. You photos are beautiful!

  14. Woww what an amazing adventure and so much to do on a road trip around Morocco! Did you face any problems or harassment as a female? I’d love to go I have quite neglected Africa 🙁

    1. Yeah it was really an adventure!
      No not really harrassment but we both got a lot of attention, especially while driving through the smaller villages where normally no tourists ever go. The people were really nice and friendly! Just be careful because they want to have money for everything – even for things like only pointing in the direction of a place. 😀

  15. I never considered going to Morroco but after reading your post, I may change my mind! This is really cool!!!
    Oh and on another note: loved your outfits, by the way 😉

    Thanks for sharing such a great post!
    xo, B.

    1. I can highly recommend visiting it! It’s an interesting and fascinating country to see 🙂
      Thanks a lot Barbara! I bought most of them before my trip to Morocco because I didn’t have long dresses. 😀

  16. I am DYING to go to Morocco! So much to see do, and (most importantly) eat there!! It’s definitely on our bucket list and you put together a fantastic way to experience the country. Loved your photos and thanks for sharing!

  17. Morocco has soo much beauty both in it’s history as well as the culture. We have been dreaming about galavanting around the markets and buying some stunning Moroccan lamps for ages. This was one of our scheduled trips this year (dang covid) but we will keep your amazing itinerary and put it to good use when we can safely get out and travel again 🙂

  18. I like on your itinerary that you took the 2 nights in desert. Many people do the long driving just to come for the night and leave next day in the morning. They are missing so much! After all the long driving through the South is so much recommend it to spend at least 2 nights here. There is many things to do in desert as wild cooking, visiting Nomads, looking for fossils, walking, sliding down the dunes, quad biking… Or just taking it easy and enjoy the magical landscape. Especially if one travels during the spring and fall.

  19. Amazing 🤩 very good article full of value so much appreciated 👍 for this great content

  20. Thank you for sharing this information with us. I appreciate your effort. Your article inspires me to visit Morocco. Morocco is a wonderful country with charming places.

  21. Amazing my lovely sister🤩 very good article full of value so much appreciated 👍 for this great content. THANK YOU 😍

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