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Highlights of Morocco:...
 

Highlights of Morocco: Marrakech, the Sahara & Fes

12 days |  15 days with Essaouira & Marrakech extension
12 days |  15 days with Essaouira & Marrakech extension
Group size1222 travelers
Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars

72
Physical activity
a table full of tangine and other moroccan food
a man selling oranges at a stand in morocco
tan buildings and palm trees in ouarzazate
OverviewItineraryDates & pricesReviewsTraveler photosHotels, flights & FAQ
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Vibrant cities, oasis towns, and desert communities—this is Morocco.

One day you’re riding a camel through the Sahara Desert and the next you’re walking through lively city souks. On this small group adventure tour, you’ll see classically tiled gates and walled medinas as well as towering mountain ranges and colorful botanical gardens, all located in the heart of North Africa. Among these unique landscapes and inspiring cultures, find your Morocco moment.

Your tour package includes

  • 10 nights in handpicked hotels
  • 10 breakfasts
  • 3 lunches
  • 6 dinners
  • 1 cooking class
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Included highlights

  • Djemaa el Fna market
  • Moroccan cooking class
  • Majorelle Garden
  • Ait-Ben-Haddou
  • Kasbah Ait Kassi
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Start planning today

An expert specializing in tours of this region is here to help.

Talk to a Tour Consultant

Day-by-day itinerary

Print itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day

Board your overnight flight to Marrakech today.

Marrakech3 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Marrakech
Included meal: Welcome dinner

Welcome to Morocco! Sip a welcome drink with your Tour Director and fellow travelers on a terrace overlooking the lively Djemaa el Fna market. Then, enjoy a welcome dinner.

Day 3: Sightseeing tour of Marrakech
Included meal: Breakfast

Get a feel for the history of Marrakech, one of Morocco’s imperial cities, on this morning’s guided tour.

  • Pass through the sophisticated Gueliz district
  • Marvel at the massive Koutoubia Mosque, which features a minaret that reaches nearly 200 feet high and dominates the city’s skyline
  • Enter the UNESCO-listed Medina of Marrakech to see the Bahia Palace
  • Step inside the evocative Saadian Tombs, the mausoleum for the 16th-century ruling princes

Return to your hotel and spend some time relaxing before experiencing Marrakech’s market culture on this afternoon’s guided tour.

  • Visit Djemaa el Fna, a festive, open-air market where musicians, snake charmers, and clowns perform during the evenings
  • Walk through the city’s vibrant souks to see the many products being sold by the local vendors
Day 4: Cooking class & Majorelle Garden
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Visit a local cooking school and learn how to make Moroccan cuisine, including the famous chicken tagine, and tea during a hands-on cooking class. Enjoy eating the traditional cuisine for lunch.

This afternoon, enter Majorelle Garden, which was designed by French architect Jacques Majorelle and purchased by legendary fashion duo Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1998.

  • Stroll through the twelve-acre botanical garden
  • Visit the Berber Museum and Yves Saint Laurent memorial

Enjoy a free evening in Marrakech or add an excursion.

Traditional Hammam Spa Visit & Dinner

From $99 per person

Ouarzazate1 night
Day 5: Ouarzazate via Ait-Ben-Haddou
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Transfer through the High Atlas Mountains to Ait-Ben-Haddou.

  • Sit down for an included lunch at a local restaurant
  • Take a guided walking tour of the village’s UNESCO-listed ksar to see the fortified complex made up of defensive walls and towers

Continue on to Ouarzazate, where movies and shows such as Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones were filmed.

Sahara Desert Region2 nights
Day 6: Erfoud via Kasbah Ait Kassi, Tinghir & Todra Gorge
Included meals: Breakfast, Tasting, Dinner

Make several stops as you travel from Ouarzazate to the Sahara Desert region.

  • Visit Kasbah Ait Kassi to meet a local family at this traditional riad, or courtyard, and sit down to enjoy a cup of mint tea
  • Walk through Tinghir’s ancient Jewish Quarter with your Tour Director
  • See Todra Gorge and follow your Tour Director on a short walk along the canyon
  • Stop to learn about the ancient Berber Qanat water well system
Day 7: Rissani & Erg Chebbi sand dunes
Included meals: Breakfast, Tasting, Dinner

Spend the morning touring the oasis town of Rissani with your Tour Director.

  • Enter the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif
  • Walk through Ksar El Fida, the oldest ksar in Rissani
  • Stop at a local fossil shop before returning to Erfoud

Enjoy free time to eat lunch and relax at your hotel. This afternoon, head out to the Erg Chebbi sand dunes and discover the otherworldly beauty of the Sahara Desert.

  • Hop inside a 4x4 Jeep and ride through the desert to visit the town of Merzouga
  • Visit a Bedouin tent for traditional mint tea and snacks
  • Learn about Khamlia’s Gnawa people, an ethnic group originating from West Africa, and see how they celebrate their culture during a musical performance
  • Take a camel ride over the sand dunes and soak in the incredible landscape
Fes3 nights
Day 8: Fes via Midelt & Ifrane
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Drive through the scenic Ziz Valley and Atlas Mountains to reach the town of Midelt, where you’ll enjoy free time to explore and eat lunch. Next, visit Ifrane, a city known for its cedar forests and alpine-style architecture. After, continue on to Fes.

Day 9: Roman Archaeological Site of Volubilis & Meknes
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Head outside of Fes today and begin by visiting some of the most significant historical sites in northern Morocco.

  • Discover the ancient ruins at the UNESCO-recognized Roman Archaeological Site of Volubilis
  • See the Roman ruins of the forum, temple, baths, and gates followed by free time to visit the museum
  • Walk through the holy town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, known as the birthplace of Islam in Morocco

Continue on to Meknes for an included lunch and a Tour Director-led sightseeing of one of Morocco’s imperial cities.

  • See the bustling Lahdim Square and Bab el-Khemis Gate
  • View the Bab Mansour gate before entering the ruins of Dar el Ma to see the ancient stables and granaries

Return to Fes, where you’ll enjoy a free evening.

Day 10: Sightseeing tour of Fes
Included meals: Breakfast, Tasting

Take a guided tour of Fes, the spiritual and cultural center of Moroccan life.

  • See the ornate brass doors of the Royal Palace and visit the Mellah Jewish Quarter
  • View the Bab Bou Jeloud, a blue-tiled gate that exemplifies the Moorish architectural style
  • Attend a ceramics demonstration, where you’ll learn how the intricate and colorful art pieces are created
  • Explore the UNESCO-listed Fes Medina on a walking tour through the colorful souks and tanneries
  • Visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss and a madrassa, a type of local school focused on both secular and religious studies
  • Sample msemen, a traditional flatbread

Enjoy a free evening in Fes or add an excursion.

Morocco Home-Hosted Dinner

From $99 per person

Casablanca1 night
Day 11: Casablanca via Rabat
Included meals: Breakfast, Farewell dinner

As you make your way to Casablanca, stop to tour Morocco’s capital city of Rabat.

  • Enter the white and green Mausoleum of Mohammed V, which houses the tombs of the 20th-century king and his two sons
  • View Hassan Tower, intended to be the world’s largest mosque until construction halted in 1199
  • Make a photo stop at the Royal Palace
  • Walk through the Kasbah des Oudaias to see the mouth of the Bou Regreg river and the Andalusian gardens

Please note: On some departures, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V may be closed due to ongoing renovations.

Enjoy free time for lunch before continuing on to Casablanca, where your Tour Director will introduce you to the seaside city made famous by Old Hollywood.

  • See the Hassan II Mosque, the largest in Morocco
  • Pass through the fashionable La Corniche waterfront area

Tonight, attend a farewell dinner with your fellow travelers.

Flight Home
Day 12: Departure
Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Please note: Some flights may leave Casablanca very early in the morning.

Extension to Essaouira & Marrakech
You know Marrakech and Casablanca (you did just travel there!) but have you heard of Essaouira? Join your expert Tour Director to explore this vibrant city on Morocco's western coast. Get ready to be wow-ed by the boutiques, art galleries, and adorable tree-climbing goats in the Argan forest. Yes, seriously.
Essaouira2 nights
Day 12: Essaouira via El Jadida & Oualidia
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Travel from the bustling Casablanca to the more quiet Essaouira, stopping along the way for a guided sightseeing tour of El Jadida and lunch in Oualidia.

  • Walk through the old Cité Portugaise and see the Church of the Assumption and the underground Portugese Cistern
  • Visit Oualidia and sit down for an included lunch, then, enjoy free time to explore the seaside town

Continue on to your hotel in Essaouira.

Day 13: Sightseeing tour of Essaouira
Included meals: Breakfast, Tasting, Dinner

Set off on a guided tour of the UNESCO-listed Essaouira and learn more about this port city made famous by the Orson Welles film Othello.

  • View the Clock Tower and the attached Sidi Mohommed Ibn Abdallah, the largest mosque in the city
  • Explore the Moulay Hassan Square, which hosts the Gnaoua Festival every year bringing in artists and musicians from around the world
  • Walk the walls of the Skala de la Kasbah rampart and take in the views of the ocean and the medina of the city

Tonight, sit down for an included dinner with your group.

Marrakech1 night
Day 14: Argan Forest & argan oil shop
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

As you make your way back to Marrakech, visit an Argan Forest and learn how empowered women command the production of the famous oil in an otherwise male-dominated culture.

  • Join a local guide for a walk through an Argan forest and learn about the ecology and lifecycle of the Moroccan trees
  • See why the trees are nicknamed “the Tree of Life” not only for it’s fruit but it’s impact on the local culture
  • Visit a women run argan oil shop and discover the secrets to producing argan oil, a delicious and rich substance with health benefits used in products all around the world
  • Sit down for tea with a Berber villager and experience Moroccan hospitality

Then, continue on to Marrakech and enjoy a farewell dinner as you celebrate your trip with your fellow travelers.

Flight home
Day 15: Departure
Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Show full itinerary
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Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars

Overall rating 4.6 out of 5

Based on 72 authentic traveler reviews
Sort by

    5 out of 5 stars

    A tour that surpassed expectations!
    11/16/23 by 24th-time traveler Davara

    This was a wonderful itinerary that crossed many regions and provided ever-changing landscapes: bustling towns, Roman ruins, deep gorges, mountain peaks and passes (3 of the 4 mountain ranges), olive orchards, arid plains, dark-brown fields, sand dunes, and Atlantic shores (extension). The extension...

    Read more +
    EF Go Ahead Tours replied on 12/18/23

    Thank you for your glowing review! Your in depth a...

    Read more +

    4 out of 5 stars

    Must see Morocco!
    11/16/23 by 3rd-time traveler Anonymous

    This was a trip of a lifetime and sharing it with my daughter made it very special. Our tour guide Ouadie, was the best and he made this trip worthwhile with his caring and sweet personality. Our bus driver Mafoud, was amazing as he took us through the Atlas mountains and the Sahara Desert. Ridin...

    Read more +
    EF Go Ahead Tours replied on 12/18/23

    Thank you for sharing your unforgettable Morocco e...

    Read more +

    5 out of 5 stars

    10/26/23 by 4th-time traveler Elizabeth
    Show more reviews

    Traveler photos

    Hotels, flights & FAQ

    Here's the nitty-gritty—where you’ll stay, how you’ll get there, and what to know about your destination before you go.

    Hotels

    We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
    Radisson Blu Hotel Marrakech Carre Eden
    Radisson Blu Hotel Marrakech Carre Eden

    This modern hotel is located in the Gueliz district. Guests enjoy a restaurant, a pool, and a spa. Nearby you’ll find the Koutoubia Mosque, the Marrak...

    Read more +
    Berbere Palace
    Berbere Palace

    This contemporary hotel is located in Ouarzazate. Guests enjoy multiple restaurants, a garden, and an outdoor pool. Nearby, you'll find the Ksar Ait-B...

    Read more +
    Kasbah Hotel Xaluca Arfoud
    Kasbah Hotel Xaluca Arfoud

    This adobe-style hotel is located outside of the Erfoud city center. Guests enjoy a spa, a pool, and restaurants. Nearby you’ll find the Sahara Desert...

    Read more +
    Fes Marriott Hotel Jnan Palace
    Fes Marriott Hotel Jnan Palace

    This stylish hotel is located in Fes’ new quarter. Guests enjoy the surrounding gardens, spa, and outdoor pool. Nearby, you’ll find the Royal Palace, ...

    Read more +
    Grand Mogador City center
    Grand Mogador City center

    This modern hotel is located near the Fonciere neighborhood. Guests enjoy a gym, lounge, and spa. Nearby you’ll find the Royal Palace of Casablanca, S...

    Read more +
    Atlas Essaouira
    Atlas Essaouira

    This beachfront hotel is located in Essaouira. Guests enjoy the outdoor pools, spa with hammam, and a private beach area. Nearby you'll find the Bab M...

    Read more +
    Palm Plaza Hôtel & Spa
    Palm Plaza Hôtel & Spa

    This grand hotel is located in Marrakech's Agdal neighborhood. Guests enjoy the large outdoor pool, piano bar, and spa. Nearby you’ll find the Saadian...

    Read more +

    Flights

    Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
    Add our airfare package and you'll get:
    • Round-trip flight for your tour
    • Airport transfers at your destination
    • A great price locked in today
    • 24/7 support from our dedicated service team
    • Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
    • Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
    • Find out more about flights

    FAQ

    Print FAQ

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