Morocco in 7 Days: The Best One-Week Itinerary (Marrakech, Sahara & Fes)

Arrive, check into a riad inside or close to the medina and spend the first evening on Jemaa el-Fnaa, when food stalls, musicians and storytellers fill the square. Day 2 is for the souks, Bahia Palace, Ben Youssef Madrasa and the Majorelle Garden. A guided half-day walk saves time in the maze of alleys.

If you want one unforgettable splurge, day 2 is the morning for a hot air balloon flight over the countryside outside the city. It starts before sunrise and returns by late morning, leaving the afternoon free.

Leave early. The Tizi n'Tichka pass climbs to 2,260 metres with wide mountain views, then drops towards Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed fortified village that has appeared in countless films. Walk up to the granary at the top before lunch.

Continue past Ouarzazate and the Skoura palm grove along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, and sleep in the Dadès Gorges. Arriving before dark lets you enjoy the famous zigzag road at golden hour.

A short drive takes you into the Todra Gorge, where the cliffs close in to a few metres apart. Walk the narrowest section in the morning, before tour groups arrive. Then head east through Tinejdad and Erfoud to Merzouga, where the orange dunes of Erg Chebbi rise suddenly out of the flat hamada.

Aim to reach camp by mid-afternoon so you can climb a dune for sunset. After dinner, the lack of light pollution makes Merzouga one of the best places in Morocco to see the Milky Way.

This is the day most rushed itineraries skip, and the one travellers remember most. Watch sunrise from the dunes, then choose your adventure: a 4x4 loop to the nomad families, Khamlia village and its Gnaoua music, a camel ride, sandboarding or horse riding along the edge of Erg Chebbi. Afternoons in summer are for resting in the shade or in an air-conditioned tent.

Two nights in the desert also protect your plans: if a sandstorm or late arrival spoils one sunset, you still have another.

The desert night sets the tone of the whole trip, so it is worth choosing carefully. Basic camps share bathrooms and can be cold in winter and very hot in summer. At Merzouga Glamping, every private tent has its own ensuite bathroom and AC and heating that run day and night, with dinner served in an air-conditioned restaurant.

The longest driving day. After an early breakfast, follow the Ziz Valley past palm oases and viewpoints, cross the Middle Atlas through cedar forests where Barbary macaques live, and stop in Ifrane, an alpine-style town often called the Switzerland of Morocco. Arrive in Fes in the evening.

Fes el-Bali is the largest car-free medieval city in the world. Even a few hours with a licensed guide is enough for the Chouara tannery terraces, the Bou Inania Madrasa, the Al-Qarawiyyin quarter and the Nejjarine fountain. Fly home from Fes-Saïss airport, or take the fast train to Casablanca or Tangier.

Not driving yourself? These selected listings cover the main pieces of the week: a Marrakech walking tour, a sunrise balloon flight, a one-way Marrakech to Fes desert crossing via Merzouga and a guided Fes medina walk. Check dates, inclusions and recent reviews before booking.

Costs depend on season, comfort and how you travel. As a rough guide per person sharing a double room: budget travellers spend about €500–800 for the week with shared tours and simple riads; mid-range around €900–1,500 with a private driver for the crossing; and luxury from €1,800 with boutique riads, private guides and a premium desert camp. Flights are extra.