The Ultimate 9 Day Morocco Itinerary

The best way to explore a country is by visiting as many cities as possible. Each city has its own unique look and feel. By visiting a handful of cities across Morocco you get a good feel of all the country has to offer. We have selected our favorites cities in Morocco and created the best itinerary to see the country with a friendly budget.

Morocco has been a dream destination for Jazmin as long as she can remember. When we were in Madrid for our Masters she wanted to go so badly. Unfortunately she needed a visa and more time to explore that beautiful county.

In the past couple years Morocco has become a trending destination and it is not hard to see why. Each corner is full of magic with its beautiful doors, tiles, Riads, delicious food and welcoming people. Plus, lets be honest it is pretty cheap, which is key when choosing a destination with a limited budget.

This year Jazmin’s New Year resolution was to visit at least three new countries that has been on her bucket list for the longest time, so we finally made her dream come true!

Our 9 day itinerary to visit Morocco is the perfect guide to help you plan the best trip possible and to see the main highlights of this country.

How to see Morocco in 9 Days Travel Video:

Tips for Visiting Morocco

We visited Morocco in May as it was the start of the high season but the prices were still low. At the same time it was not too hot and full of tourists. The best time to visit Morocco is from March to May or September to October.

A lot of people have asked us if it is safe to visit Morocco and to be honest it is as safe as any other place we have travelled to. People are very nice and we had no issues in any city. We took several long bus rides and it was ok!

If you are wondering what you should wear in Morocco, anything is fine for either male or female. However, we suggest light long sleeves to protect yourself from the sun. As a female you need to cover yourself when visiting a Mosque out of respect, so if I were you I will carry a shawl in your bag.

It is hard to find places that take your credit card so it is recommendable to get cash out on any ATM or to exchange money. When purchasing something make sure to bargain, that will make you get a better price! The custom there is to bargain otherwise you can be paying 3 to 4 times more.

Nine Day Morocco Itinerary

Our 9 day travel guide starts in Tétouan or Tanger. You can easily do this the other way round, depending where would you like to go first. If you have the time, we would recommend extending the itinerary to 12 days instead of 9 to have more time to explore other beautiful cities like Casa Blanca.

Day 1: From Tétouan to Chefchaouen

➳ What to do: Arrive by plane to either Tanger or Tétouan. Tétouan is best option as an starting point. Once you explore the city take a bus to Chefchaouen, also known as the blue pearl. The closest airport to Chefchaouen is Tangier Airport. We took a CTM bus and took us almost 4 hours to get to Chefchaouen. You can also hire a taxi or rent a car and drive for 2 hours.

➳ Riad recommendation: Hotel Casa Miguel

➳ Transportation: Bus from Tanger or Tétouan to Chefchaouen. It costs approximately 35 DH. The bus station is called, gare routiière, and all the busses leave from there.

Day 2: Get lost in the blue city of Chefchaouen

➳ What to do: Chefchaouen is a dream place. It will make you fall in love with its beautiful blue doors and walls. We recommend to get lost in the old city, visit the Kasbah and wake up to see the sunrise at the Ras Elma, a beautiful viewpoint on the way to the Spanish Mosque.

➳ Riad recommendation: Hotel Casa Miguel

➳ Read More: 14 Photos to inspire you to visit Chefchaouen

Day 3: Traveling from Chefchaouen to Fes

➳ What to do: Visit the Medina which is actually the biggest Medina in Morocco. Take an informative guided tour at the ceramic and mosaic factories as well as the leather tanneries. Take a photo in front of the golden King’s Palace doors (Dar el Makhzen Palace). 

➳ Riad recommendation: Riad Lalla Fatima

➳ Transportation: Take the morning bus from Chefchaouen to Fes. It cost approximately 60 DH. The ride is about 4 hours.

➳ Read More: The Complete Guide of things to do in Fes 

Day 4: Explore Fes and then take the night bus to Merzouga

➳ What to do: Spend a full day exploring the many hidden spots in Fes and take the night bus to Merzouga.

➳ Transportation: Night bus from Fes to Merzouga. It cost approximately 180 DH.

➳ Read More: Glamping Guide: The Best Luxury Camp in the Sahara Desert in Morocco

Day 5: Enjoy a day at the Sahara Desert

Merzouga is a town on the edge of the Sahara Desert in Morocco. From here, it is a 45-minute drive to the camp where you will be staying for the night. We recommend to only stay one day at the desert. It can get hot and there is not much to do.

➳ What to do: Spend a full day in the desert riding camels, sand-boarding, 4 wheeling and relaxing in the Sahara Desert with some Berber tea.

➳ Accommodation: Desert Luxury Camp

Day 6: Travel from Merzouga to Ouarzazate

This will be a long, long day! It takes eight hours to the next destination or 14 hours if you would like to skip Ait Benhaddou. You will leave Merzouga at 8AM and arrive to Ouarzazate around 4PM.  From Ouarzazate you will have to get a cab to Ait Benhaddou. It costs around 50 DH each way via taxi.

➳ What to do: ExploreAit Benhaddou, visit Dades Valley, the Taourirt Kasbah Museum, the Cinema Museum of Ouarzazate, and take a tour at the Atlas Studio. Grab dinner and then head back to Ouarzazate for a good nights sleep.

➳ Transportation: Bus from Merzouga to Ouarzazate. It costs approximately 180 DH.

Day 7: Travel from Ouarzazate to Marrakech

➳ What to do: Wake up early morning to take the bus to Marrakech. Explore the old medina, the Jarin Majorelle, the Ben Yossef Madrasa and even if you are not staying you must visit La Mamounia Riad.

➳ Riad recommendation: Hotel Sherazade or Riad Star Marrakech

➳ Transportation: Bus from Ouarzazate to Marrakech. It cost approximately 40 DH.

➳ Read More: What to do and see in Marrakech 

Day 8: Marrakech to Essaouira

➳  What to do: Take a day tour or the bus to Essaouira. It is a beautiful port city along the Atlantic coast. Enjoy the walled medina, visit the palace and do not leave without eating grilled fish in the port.

➳ Riad recommendation: Hotel Sherazade or Riad Star Marrakech

➳ Transportation: Either take a bus from Marrakech or take a day tour.

➳ Read More: 14 Photos to inspire you to visit Essaouira

Day 9: Marrakech

➳ What to do: Wake up early morning to take the bus back to Marrakech. Explore the rest of the old medina and spend some time picking up souvenirs from the endless shops in the shuks.

➳ Riad recommendation: Hotel Sherazade or Riad Star Marrakech

Day 10: Explore the city and then leave to the airport

We could not visit Rabbat, Meknes or Casablanca due to our schedule. For what we have read people recommend to either stay 1 to 2 days in each city. Make sure to buy your plane ticket to one city in Morocco and leave from another. It will save you time and money as you will not have to travel all the way back to your starting point.

Is Morocco safe to travel?

One of the questions we get a lot is if Morocco is a safe place to travel and the answer is always “Yes”. People are super friendly. Like any other destination, you need to be smart and do not do something that you feel is not safe. At night, make sure to not walk alone and stay in the medina just to be sure.

How expensive is to travel through Morocco?

Morocco is one of those destinations where can be super cheap to travel to or super expensive. It all depends on the activities, how you choose to travel  and where you will like to eat and sleep. Private tours are expensive as in any other place, while public transportation, trains and buses, are very cheap. Taxis can get pricey very fast if you do not share the costs, otherwise it might be a good way of traveling as you will get places faster. Food costs anywhere from $2 to $15 a person. Riads and hotels can be pretty cheap to stay in. Prices ranges from $30 to $500 a night, depending where you will like to stay.

When is the best time to visit Morocco?

The best time to visit Morocco is between the months of March and May and from September to October. Avoid visiting Morocco in July and August as it can get unpleasantly hot in the cities and in the desert.

See our complete trip with many more photos and behind the scenes videos on our TraveLibro account.

⇟ More articles from Morocco that might interest you:

➳ Read More: The Complete Walking Guide of Fes Morocco

➳ Read More: 14 Photos to inspire you to visit Essaouira

➳ Read More: 14 Photos to inspire you to visit Chefchaouen

➳ Read More: What to do and see in Marrakech 

➳ Read More: Budget Friendly accommodation in Marrakech

➳ Read More: Glamping Guide: The Best Luxury Camp in the Sahara Desert in Morocco

➳ Read More: Luxury accommodation in Marrakech

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