Most travelers need 8 to 12 days in Morocco, and 10 days is the length we recommend most often. Morocco covers 712,550 square kilometers, and the roads between its regions cross mountain passes and desert, so how many days you have in Morocco matters more than how many places are on your list.
Here is what each trip length covers, using the real routes from our private tours. For every route by length and starting city, see our Morocco itinerary planner.
How Many Days in Morocco at a Glance
| Days | What fits | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 5 | Marrakech, plus one day trip to the Atlas Mountains, Ourika Valley or Agafay | A short first taste |
| 7 to 8 | Marrakech and two nights in the Sahara, or a fast loop from Casablanca through Fes and the desert | Seeing the Sahara with limited time |
| 10 to 12 | Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes with Meknes and Volubilis, two nights in the Sahara, Ait Ben Haddou and Marrakech | Most first visits |
| 14 or more | All of the above, plus Tangier, a free day in Chefchaouen, the Todra and Dades gorges, and Essaouira | A slower pace, or a second trip |
4 to 5 Days: Marrakech and One Day Trip
Four or five days is enough for Marrakech and one day trip, but not for Fes or a relaxed visit to the Sahara.
Spend two or three days in Marrakech for the medina, the souks, the food and a riad stay. Then add one day out of the city: the Ourika Valley or Imlil at the foot of Toubkal are about 1.5 hours away, and the Agafay desert is about 40 minutes. Our Marrakech guide covers what to see.
The Sahara dunes at Merzouga are about 10 hours of mountain roads from Marrakech. Our 4-day Marrakech, Atlas and Sahara tour is the shortest way to reach them, with long driving days.
7 to 8 Days: The Shortest Trip With the Sahara
One week gives you two nights in the Sahara from Marrakech, or a fast loop from Casablanca through Fes and the desert.
Option 1: a Marrakech loop. Our 7-night Marrakech, Atlas and Sahara tour starts and ends in Marrakech. It crosses the High Atlas past Ait Ben Haddou to the Dades Valley, spends two nights at Merzouga, returns through Ouarzazate, and ends with two days in Marrakech. Read the full 7-night Morocco itinerary.
Option 2: north to south in 8 days. This route adds Fes, at a fast pace:
- Arrive in Casablanca
- Drive to Fes, stopping at Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis
- Fes guided tour
- Fes to the Sahara through Ifrane, the Azrou cedar forest and the Ziz Valley, about 7 hours with stops; night in a desert camp
- Sahara to the Dades Valley through the Todra Gorge
- Dades to Marrakech, stopping at Ait Ben Haddou
- Marrakech guided tour
- Drive back to Casablanca, about 2.5 hours, for your flight home
This version has one night in the Sahara. Adding a ninth day gives you a second night in the dunes, which we recommend. See the 8-day north to south itinerary and our 8-day private tour.
10 to 12 Days: The Length We Recommend Most
Ten days is enough for Casablanca, Fes, the Sahara and Marrakech without rushing. It is the trip length most of our first-time travelers choose.
Our 10-day Highlights of Morocco tour runs like this:
- Arrive in Casablanca
- Rabat, then Chefchaouen
- Chefchaouen to Fes, stopping at Volubilis and Meknes
- Fes guided tour
- Through the Atlas Mountains to Merzouga
- A full day and night in the Sahara, in a desert camp
- Merzouga to Ouarzazate through Tinghir
- Ait Ben Haddou, then Marrakech
- Marrakech guided tour
- Departure
With 11 or 12 days, you can add a free day in Chefchaouen, a half day in Agafay, or a night at Aguelmame Sidi Ali between Fes and the Sahara to break up the long drive. Read the full 10-day Morocco itinerary.
14 Days or More: Morocco at a Slower Pace
Two weeks lets you see the whole country, from Tangier to the Sahara, with time to stay put.
Our 14-day Essence of Morocco tour adds what shorter trips leave out: Rabat and Asilah on the way to Tangier, two nights in Chefchaouen, the Todra and Dades gorges, the Rose Valley and Skoura, and a day trip from Marrakech to Essaouira on the Atlantic coast.
Two weeks or longer also suits trekking in the Atlas, a few nights on the coast, or a second trip to Morocco. Read two weeks in Morocco, or see how to travel the country with shorter drives in Slow Morocco.
Driving Times That Decide Your Trip Length
Driving time, more than distance on the map, decides how many days you need. These are the legs that shape most routes:
| Leg | Driving time |
|---|---|
| Casablanca to Marrakech | about 2.5 hrs |
| Casablanca to Rabat | about 1.5 hrs |
| Chefchaouen to Volubilis | about 2 hrs |
| Volubilis to Meknes | about 1 hr |
| Meknes to Fes | about 1 hr |
| Fes to Merzouga (Sahara) | about 7 hrs with stops |
| Merzouga to the Dades Valley | about 4.5 hrs |
| Dades Valley to Ouarzazate | about 2 hrs 20 min |
| Marrakech to Merzouga | about 10 hrs |
Times are approximate, from Google Maps, and exclude stops unless noted.
We do not recommend internal flights to save time. Weather cancellations, lost luggage and time at airports usually cost more than they save, and you miss the valleys and villages between cities. For more legs, see our full table of distances between Moroccan cities.
The Most Common Mistake: Too Much in Too Little Time
The mistake we see most is trying to fit Marrakech, the Sahara, Fes and Chefchaouen into 5 or 6 days. It can be done on paper, but you would spend most of the trip in the car and see each place through a window.
If your time is short, choose fewer places and give each one more time. Two days in Fes and two nights in the Sahara will stay with you longer than five cities seen in a hurry.
How to Choose Your Number of Days
Start with what you most want to see, then count the driving between those places. If Fes and the Sahara are both on your list, plan at least 8 days, and 10 or more if you want the trip to feel relaxed.
Three more things change the answer:
- Where you fly in. Casablanca and Marrakech are about 2.5 hours apart, and either works as a start. See which city to start your Morocco trip in.
- When you travel. Summer heat and short winter days both affect how much you can fit in a day. See the best time to visit Morocco.
- Your budget. Longer trips cost more in total but less per day. See what each length costs in our Morocco trip cost guide.
If this is your first trip, read our guide to visiting Morocco for the first time, and our Sahara desert camp guide for what two nights in the dunes look like.
How Many Days in Morocco: FAQ
Seven days is enough for Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains and two nights in the Sahara. It is not enough to add Fes and Chefchaouen at a comfortable pace.
Yes. Ten days covers Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, two nights in the Sahara, Ait Ben Haddou and Marrakech, and it is the length we recommend most.
Yes, but Merzouga is about 10 hours of mountain driving from Marrakech. We recommend at least four nights: one in the Dades Valley, two in the Sahara, and one in Ouarzazate on the way back.
Plan two days in Fes and two to three nights in Marrakech. One day in each city goes to a guided tour of the medina.
We do not recommend them. Flights are often delayed or cancelled, and the drive between cities is part of the trip.
Plan Your Trip
Not sure how long you need? Tell us your travel month and what you want to see, and our local team will build a private itinerary that fits your dates. Browse our private tours, compare routes in the Morocco itinerary planner, or fill in the form below.
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