Last Updated on fifteenth March 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
If you might be desirous about touring to Morocco, this 10-days in Morocco itinerary is simply what you want. And should you’re staying for much less time, you may simply choose the times and actions you need and go away the remaining for the following go to… as a result of it would be best to return a minimum of another time!
Land of contrasts and spectacular landscapes, Morocco is an impressive vacation spot in Northern Africa. Busy road markets, snow-capped mountains, and an unlimited desert the place to reside excessive adventures are a part of the expertise.
This 10-day Morocco itinerary begins in Marrakech and ends in Tangier. Here, you may both take a ferry to Spain or fly again to Morocco to get your ultimate aircraft residence.
Days 1-3 Amazing Things to Do in Marrakech
From the airport to the Medina
Once at Marrakech airport, don’t get distracted by taxi bargaining, as an alternative, it’s higher to e-book a switch on-line like this one earlier than arrival to get on to your resort.
Alternatively, you may organize airport pickup together with your lodging. Many native riads supply airport switch without spending a dime or for a small fee- verify this when reserving.
Accommodation in Marrakech
There are riads for all budgets contained in the Medina, from quite simple lodging to luxurious lodgings with swimming pools. These are the 2 choices I like to recommend:
Riad Leila Marrakech: Affordable riad within the heart of Marrakech, near well-known points of interest and that includes additionally a restaurant. Check costs and availability right here.
Riad Farhan: A beautiful riad with an indoor pool and comfortable rooms with a seating space. Shuttle providers to and from the airport are additionally provided. Check costs and availability right here.
Once you’ve checked in, head out to the streets of the Medina, the previous walled metropolis, and begin exploring this magic vacation spot.
The Souk
The good place to go to very first thing within the morning, even should you simply have a few days in Marrakech, the souk is the large road market situated near Medina’s fundamental sq., Place Jmaa el Fna.
In Marrakech, every thing occurs in and across the sq., which is much more alive within the evenings, when dozens of road meals stalls supply native meals. So, because it’s nonetheless morning and the sq. is just not but at its finest, let’s head to the Souk!
Once inside this colourful maze, use your bartering abilities to purchase native merchandise, comparable to olives, dates, figs, and spices. You may discover ornamental objects to take again residence comparable to rugs, brass lamps, clay pots, and different handmade objects.
There are additionally leather-based baggage and comfortable slippers but additionally silk scarves, summer season clothes, and even cosmetics made with rose oil or argan oil.
Having a fast lunch on the souk is just not a nasty concept, some alleys contained in the market have meals stands providing vegetable or meat tajines, cous cous, and different dishes and that is the place most locals eat too!
Le Majorelle
In the afternoon, get pleasure from a cup of native tea at Le Majorelle, a ravishing backyard situated outdoors the Medina. It’s very straightforward to get there by taxi.
Le Majorelle is a superb oasis that includes unique crops, a cactus backyard, fountains, and shaded paths surrounded by completely different species of birds and colourful structure. The place turned when French designer Yves Saint Laurent fell in love with it, purchased it, and restored the backyard structure.
Remember that to go to Le Majorelle, reserving upfront is a should. Several fascinating excursions mix the go to to the backyard with different actions, these two are our favourite ones:
– Majorelle Garden and Palmeraie Camel Ride Tour: The tour consists of pick-up out of your resort. It incorporates a go to to Majorelle Garden, the backyard’s implausible Berber Museum, and ends with an additional enjoyable camel trip by way of the traditional palm grove of Marrakesh.
– Majorelle Garden Visit and Hammam: Perfect to go to the backyard but additionally to get pleasure from a restoring expertise as, after the go to, your driver will take you to a neighborhood spa for the distinctive and stress-free expertise of the Moroccan hammam.
Marrakech Tanneries
Working with leather-based and making top-quality leather-based merchandise are emblems within the nation. In Morocco, there are tanneries and leather-based artisans in all places! Although there are greater and extra spectacular tanneries to discover in different cities, the tannery in Marrakech is a small however fascinating place to be taught concerning the leather-based business and the method that changing uncooked pores and skin into stunning footwear, baggage, and jackets.
Visiting the tanneries early within the morning ensures fewer crowds but additionally that the fairly disagreeable scent ensuing from the tanning course of shall be much less pungent and extra bearable.
Ben Yousef Madras
Since just some hundred meters separate the tanneries from Marrakech’s Coranic School, it’s a good suggestion to move to Madras proper after.
Ben Yousef Madras is a spiritual college which you could discover to be taught extra about Islam and its significance within the nation. This explicit college was once the biggest Islamic faculty in Morocco and it was constructed again within the sixteenth century.
Place Jmaa el Fna
Head to the principle sq. in Morocco for lunch and a enjoyable afternoon, you may both search refuge from the sheer quantity of road distributors in a tea home or you may enterprise to the middle of the sq. to see the native water sellers, henna tattoo artists, snake charmers, and dancers performing.
Since scams are at all times so as, watch out and attempt to be well mannered (even whenever you get a bit wired with all of the bargaining). The place is just not harmful, however it may be overwhelming.
Next up, have a standard Moroccan dinner at any of the a number of meals stalls that populate Place Jmaa el Fna. Over right here, you may savor a wide range of small snacks or perhaps a full meal. Sweets are additionally a part of the menu and so they can vary from easy nuts and dried fruit to extra elaborate pastries.
Koutoubia
On the following morning, after your hearty riad breakfast, head simply out of the Medina to go to the tallest minaret on the town which is a part of the largest mosque in Marrakech, often known as the Koutoubia.
Although entry to the mosque is restricted to locals and Muslims, the spectacular development surrounded by stunning gardens presents you the chance to be taught concerning the historical past and non secular traditions of the nation.
Moroccan Food
Devote the final afternoon on the town to get pleasure from a meals tour with a neighborhood. These are those I counsel:
Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class & Market Visit: Ideal tour to discover lesser-known components of the market with a neighborhood, buy all of the substances, and roll up your sleeves to strive your abilities at genuine Moroccan dishes.
Street Food Tour by Night: Another nice expertise beginning proper after sundown, this tour is nice to expertise new flavors together with candy pastries or the standard charcoal-baked tajine. You will even get a neighborhood recipe as a singular memento and take a look at the scrumptious almond drink that locals adore.
Days 4-7 Road Trip Adventure within the Sahara
Although it’s attainable to lease a automobile with a GPS and do that tour by yourself, should you’re not a really skilled driver, I like to recommend doing the following three-day expertise with an organized tour.
There are fairly inexpensive safari experiences that, by way of the excessive Atlas Mountains take you thru the desert with unimaginable stops alongside the way in which, ending up with the unimaginable, once-in-a-lifetime expertise of spending the evening within the Sahara.
You can select any of the excursions we advise down under, all of them cowl the identical locations, even when in a unique order, that we describe on this part, nevertheless, doing them with a non-public safari or an organized group tour is usually safer, extra inexpensive, and we assure that you just received’t get misplaced in a spot the place language limitations are sometimes a danger.
Best Sahara excursions and experiences:
3-Day Sahara Tour to the Erg Chebbi Dunes: The tour consists of the choose up from Marrakech to embark on a 3-day tour of southern Morocco. During this journey, you’ll sleep within the Sahara, see Ait Ben Haddou, and go to the Valley of the Roses. The journey consists of crossing the Atlas Mountains and the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Merzouga 3-Day Desert Safari with Food: Another choice of an analogous tour within the Moroccan Sahara Desert. The is a 3-day safari from Marrakech to Merzouga that features spending the evening at a Bedouin camp in Erg Chebbi and driving a camel to observe the dawn. It additionally consists of stops in Ouarzazate.
And should you desire to skip the evening within the desert, however nonetheless wish to go to Ait Ben Haddou and different beautiful landscapes within the south of Morocco, try this Overnight Sahara Tour to Zagora & Ait Ben Haddou.
This 2-day expertise features a first day touring by way of the sandstone metropolis of Ouarzazate, a cease on the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, passing by way of the Draa Valley, and, after a camel trip, spending the evening within the Zagora dunes. The subsequent day, you’ll journey again to Marrakech by way of the Atlas Mountains.
Stops alongside the Sahara Adventure
As we talked about earlier than, most organized excursions take you to go to the next areas earlier than reaching the Sahara:
- Ouarzazate: This is a vital Moroccan metropolis usually described because the gate to the desert, it’s a must-stop for any safari heading to the Sahara. In city, you may go to the massive Taourirt Kasbah, residence to a well-preserved Nineteenth-century palace. Ouarzazate is thought for its movie studios but one of the best factor to see is the clay city of Ait-Ben-Haddou, which can be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Todra Gorge: During any tour heading to the desert, you’ll try this spectacular gorge and the Tinghir Oasis, a ravishing palm backyard proper on the entrance of the gorge. Along the way in which, you may admire historical clay villages, previous kasbahs, and the dramatic rocks that form the breathtaking canyon.
- Draa Valley: The Draa is Morocco’s longest river (1100 kilometers) shaped by the Dates and Imini rives The Draa types a spectacular valley that’s often a part of any desert safari journey.
- Merzouga Desert (Sahara): A spotlight of each Morocco expertise, nearly each desert tour consists of camel trekking with an in a single day keep on the dunes of the Sahara. Also often known as Erg Chebbi dunes, they’ll attain unimaginable heights of as much as 180 meters!
- The Atlas Mountains: Extending for greater than 2500 km throughout northwestern Africa, this collection of mountain ranges separate the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast from the Sahara Desert. They function various terrain and climates, and are dotted with conventional Berber villages that you’ll usually go to throughout the journey.
Days 7-10 Travel North: Chefchaouen, Tangier
As most Sahara excursions find yourself again in Marrakesh, you may get on a bus, a practice, or a aircraft and journey to Chefchaouen the place you can begin the final leg of your Morocco journey.
How to get from Marrakech to Chefchaouen
- By automobile: The whole distance is 575 km, due to this fact it may be fairly a tiring journey with a mean journey time of round 7 hours.
- By practice: Although a bit longer than by automobile, the journey is snug and might take about 10 hours, the journey is just not direct although, you’ll board a practice to Tangier, and, from there, you may connect with Chefchaouen both by bus or taxi.
- By aircraft: There are a number of inexpensive each day flights connecting each cities, and the flying time is about one hour.
- By bus: Probably the best and least expensive strategy to go from Marrakech to Chefchaouen with a journey time of 12 hours and ticks obtainable from about 45 euros.
Checfchaouen
Considered by the locals probably the most stress-free spot within the nation, this hippie-vibe city identified additionally as Chaouen is situated within the Rif Mountains within the northwestern space of the nation. The metropolis can be the principle hashish manufacturing space within the nation, so don’t be shocked if locals strategy you to purchase marijuana.
Where to remain in Chefchaouen
The best choice is to remain at a standard riad which in Chefchaouen is also referred to as dar.
Dar Hannan: This genuine riad is situated within the coronary heart of the Medina with spectacular views over the blue metropolis. The resort additionally incorporates a restaurant and a shuttle to Tangier airport. Check costs and availability right here.
Dar Yakout: A colourful riad within the previous city near the Kasbah, that includes a restaurant, household rooms, and airport shuttle providers. Check costs and availability right here.
Old Town
Devote the primary day in Chefchaouen to go to town’s previous city, that includes pastel blue houses throughout its previous city, but additionally identified for typical crafts comparable to leather-based and weaving with artisan workshops lining lots of the steep cobbled lanes of town.
Chefchaouen Main Square and Kasbah
Head to the beautiful fundamental sq. of Place Outa el Hammam to discover the red-walled Kasbah that dated again to the fifteenth century. Over right here, it’s also attainable to go to the traditional fortress and dungeons which might be a part of the construction. Inside the premises, you may spend a bit greater than an hour admiring the displays at Chechouen Ethnographic Museum.
Grand Mosque
Also in the principle sq., you may admire the spectacular minaret of the Grand Mosque of Chefchaouen which is the oldest and fundamental historic mosque on the town. The constructing in all probability dates again to 1471, the identical yr town was based.
The mosque additionally has a madras or Coranic School that used to supply classes in non secular sciences and Islamic jurisprudence and likewise featured a dormitory for college students.
Chefchaouen Medina
Nestled in a stunning valley of the Rig Mountains, this historical Medina has usually been described as probably the most picturesque within the nation.
Its fundamental attribute is the hanging mixture of various shades of blue that adorn the facades of homes and outlets, but additionally alleyways and passages. This superb function has earned town the nickname of the Blue City of Morocco.
End the day by climbing up the hill to the Spanish Mosque, also referred to as Mosquée Bouzâafar, it is a favourite spot the place the superb views of the blue metropolis mix with spectacular sundown views that shade the encircling hills.
Shopping in Chefchaouen
On your second and final day on the town, do some Souk procuring. The metropolis is probably the most handy and thrilling place in Morocco for souvenirs and native merchandise.
Over right here, you may barter for unimaginable high quality soaps, lotions, and organ oil however it’s also possible to discover distinctive components to embellish your house, comparable to spectacular do-it-yourself carpets and lamps, in addition to clothes and leather-based merchandise.
Chefchaouen Gastronomy
End your distinctive Chefchaouen expertise by tasting one of the best north Moroccan meals with a meals tour. This is one of the best ways to depart taking with you probably the most genuine impression of town.
This explicit expertise, Guided Food Tour with over 6 Tasting Stops, incorporates a stroll by way of the picturesque streets of the Old Medina, a cease at scrumptious distributors to style the flavors of the area, and a go to to a standard restaurant for lunch or dinner.
Tangier
The final day of the tour begins with a switch from Chefchaouen to Tangier both with a non-public firm or the general public bus (from 2 to three hours). Check switch costs right here.
Once in Tangier, you may fly again to Marrakech and even take a ferry to achieve the south of Spain.
Tangier is a Moroccan port on the Strait of Gibraltar in addition to a gateway between Africa and Europe. The metropolis incorporates a beautiful whitewashed hillside Medina the place you may go to the Dar el Makhzen, a former sultan palace that at the moment hosts the Museum of Moroccan Artifacts.
Since your time on the town could be a bit restricted, why not have a fast panorama of town by strolling across the heart of the previous Medina, then get pleasure from a standard lunch, and eventually head to the airport to board your aircraft?
This notably inexpensive Highlights Private Tour of Tangier consists of visits to the markets in addition to the Caves of Hercules, inhabited for the reason that Neolithic interval. You may also go to the Kasbah, the Archaeological Museum, and the Mendoubia Gardens.
If you’ve gotten extra time…
Fès, additionally spelled Fez, is situated in northern Morocco and is best-known for its UNESCO World Heritage listed medina. The metropolis can be well-known for its conventional crafts, comparable to leatherwork and pottery, and its scrumptious delicacies.
Some of one of the best issues to do in Fes embody exploring the medina and its many souks, visiting the historic Al-Qarawiyyin University, and admiring the intricate tilework and structure of the Bou Inania Madrasa.
Fes additionally occurs to be an ideal base for exploring the encircling countryside and experiencing conventional Moroccan hospitality within the type of residence stays and guided excursions.
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Gabi Ancarola is a journalist and journey author who has lived over 20 years in Italy, and has been dwelling in Crete for the final 5 years. She hosts culinary excursions, interprets and writes for her Crete journey weblog The Tiny Book. She’s written for Greek Reporter and revealed a number of journey guides about Greece.