Route Dossier — Departing Casablanca
12 Days Tour from Casablanca
The grand route, extended to the Atlantic — Essaouira included.
Duration
12D / 11N
Route
CMN ⟶ MRK
Reviews
★ 216
Vehicle
Luxury 4x4 / Minivan
Everything the ten-day journey offers, deepened with the ocean: after the imperial cities, the Sahara, and the gorges, the road bends west to windswept Essaouira before the finale in Marrakech.
Day 01
Arrival in Casablanca
Drive — airport welcome & transfer
Welcome at Mohammed V airport and an evening on the corniche beneath the Hassan II minaret.
- Hassan II Mosque
- The Corniche
- Art Deco centre
Day 02
Casablanca to Rabat
Drive — approx. 90 km / ~1.5h
The great mosque at the ocean's lip, then the capital's Hassan Tower and the Kasbah of the Udayas.
- Hassan II Mosque
- Hassan Tower
- Chellah necropolis
Day 03
Rabat to Chefchaouen
Drive — approx. 250 km / ~4.5h
North into the Rif to the blue pearl; sunset from the Spanish Mosque viewpoint.
- Rif climb
- Golden hour in the blue medina
Day 04
Chefchaouen to Fes via Volubilis
Drive — approx. 200 km / ~4h with stops
The Roman mosaics of Volubilis and imperial Meknes en route to the medieval capital.
- Volubilis (UNESCO)
- Meknes
- Arrival in Fes
Day 05
Fes Exploration
Drive — on foot within the medina
A full day in the UNESCO medina with a licensed guide — crafts, courtyards, and the call to prayer over ten thousand alleys.
- Al Quaraouiyine
- Chouara tanneries
- Bou Inania Madrasa
- Artisan souks
Day 06
Fes to Merzouga
Drive — approx. 460 km / ~7.5h with stops
Cedars, macaques, and the Ziz palm gorge, then firelight and dunes at a luxury Sahara camp.
- Ifrane
- Azrou cedar forest
- Ziz Valley
- Camel trek into Erg Chebbi
Day 07
Merzouga — Deep Desert Day
Drive — 4×4 circuit around the erg
A 4x4 circuit of Erg Chebbi's hidden corners and a second night beneath the Milky Way.
- Khamlia Gnawa village
- Nomad families
- Fossil plateaus
- Sandboarding
- Second Sahara night
Day 08
Merzouga to Dades via Todra Gorge
Drive — approx. 260 km / ~4.5h with stops
The high canyon walls, Tinghir's palmery, and the Dades Valley's rock cathedrals.
- Sahara sunrise
- Todra Gorge
- Dades rock formations
Day 09
Dades to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou
Drive — approx. 330 km / ~6.5h with stops
Roses and kasbahs westward, the great ksar at midday, and the Atlas crossing into Marrakech.
- Valley of Roses
- Aït Ben Haddou
- Tizi n'Tichka
Day 10
Marrakech Sightseeing
Drive — on foot — city touring
Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, and an evening in Jemaa el-Fnaa's swirl of smoke and music.
- Bahia Palace
- Saadian Tombs
- Koutoubia
- The souks
Day 11
Marrakech to Essaouira
Drive — approx. 190 km / ~3h
Through the argan groves to the Atlantic — ramparts, fishing boats, and the gull-cried light that drew Orson Welles.
- Argan groves
- Skala ramparts
- Fishing harbour
Day 12
Essaouira to Marrakech — Departure
Drive — approx. 190 km / ~3h
A slow seaside morning before the return to Marrakech for your farewell dinner or onward flight.
- Seaside morning
- Argan country
- Farewell Marrakech
Provisions
- Private car (SUV or Minivan) A/C
- Pick up and return to accommodation
- Luxury stay booked
- Local guides
- Camel trekking (camel per person)
- Sandboarding (if interested)
- Flexible stops
Not Included
- Lunch
- Drinks
- Tickets