What is a Good Itinerary for 10 Days in Morocco?

Morocco Itinerary

I’ve been to Morocco twice so far in my lifetime, and I’m sure that there will be a third trip! It’s a country full of amazing food, beautiful scenery and a fascinating culture. The first time I went to Morocco I spent 6 weeks there, which gave me ample time to fit in a few beautiful but challenging desert and mountain treks. The second time I took my lovely mum, and we found that 10 days was the perfect amount of time to explore and enjoy three fabulous destinations – Marrakech, Ouarzazate and Essaouira. Enjoy my recommended Morocco Itinerary – in fact you have a choice of 2 for the North and the South!

For a 10 day Itinerary of Morocco, I would recommend choosing to travel in either the North or the South. Someone asked me about doing 5 main cities in 10 days. If you tried to fit in Rabat, Casablanca, Chefchouen, Essaouira and Marrakesh, this would be way too much for one trip. You would be spending almost all of your time on the road, and not really have enough time to appreciate the amazing food, culture and people that Morocco has to offer.

When I made a 10 day trip to Morocco, I went to Marrakech, over the Tizi n Tichka Pass to Ouarzazate and also to Essaouira on the coast. Anything more than that would have been too rushed for a 10 day trip, in my opinion. So, what is a good itinerary for 10 days in Morocco?

Beautiful Bahia palace in Marrakesh, Morocco
Marrakesh, Morocco – December 8, 2016: Inside the beautiful Bahia palace with the fountain in Marrakesh, Morocco, Africa.

10 Days Morocco Itinerary – The South (Visit Marrakesh, Mountains and Coast)

My recommended itinerary for the South would be to fly into Marrakesh and spend at least three days there. You can head over Tizi-n-Tichka pass and Ouarzazate. In the surrounding areas you will find many Kazbah’s (Ait Benhaddou), gorges (Dades Gorge) and Wadis to explore, so spend three or four days there is possible. You can then head to the coast to Essaouira. This 10 day itinerary will allow you to see city, mountains, Desert and Coast.

I did this itinerary in August and it was amazing, although avoid heading to the desert in August because the heat is too much to bear. Tour operators in Marrakech will tell you that you can do the trips across the Atlas Mountains to Ait Benhaddou as a day trip, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The trip across the High Atlas is stomach churning, and it’s bad enough doing one way there in a day, never mind back again on the same day! There are also some fantastic day trips from Ouarzazate not to be missed, such aa several Wadi’s and Gorge walks.

This itinerary presumes that you fly into Marrakech – there are Easyjet flights to Marrakech.
Day 1 – Arrive Marrakech, eat at Le Jardin (one of my favourite restaurants in Morocco!)
Day 2 – Visit Marrakech Museum, Ben Yousef Madrasa Old Qura’nic school.
Day 3 – Koutoubia Mosque, Mediah walls, Bahia Palace.
Day 4 – Essaouira – Ramparts and Medina.
Day 5 – Essaouira – Beach or Surf, head back to Marrakesh for overnight stay.
Day 6 – Over Tizi n Tichka, visit Kasbah on the way.
Day 7 – Ait Benhaddou (early morning), Atlas Studios. Eat at Chez Dimitri.
Day 8 – Day trip – Dades Gorge/Wadis/Kasbah’s.
Day 9 – Back over Tizi n Tichka, cooking class/Jemaa El Fna square for night market.
Day 10 – Marrakech – shopping in the souks ready for flight home!

Ait Benhaddou Game Of Thrones
Exploring Ait Benhaddou, Morocco

10 Day Morocco Itinerary – North Morocco

For a North Morocco itinerary, you could fly in to Casablanca.  There, you can visit the only mosque in Morocco that a non-Muslims are allowed to enter. Other than the White Mosque, there is not that much to see in Casablanca, and the city is busy and dirty. But it’s a good starting point considering international connections.

You would be better to move on visit Fez, Rabbat and Meknes as soon as you have seen the White Mosque and done enough exploring. If you are making good time, you may also be able to fit in Chefchouen, the blue city. Aim to fit Chefchouen in above Fez if you prefer the smaller towns to big cities in Morocco). Chefchouen is one of the most picturesque towns is the world.

This Itinerary presumes that you are flying in and back out of Casablanca.

Day 1 – Casablanca – White Mosque and the Old Medina.
Day 2 – Rabat (Old Town, Royal Palace).
Day 3 – Rabat (Kasbah des Oudaias).
Day 4 – Travel to Chefchouen – The Blue City.
Day 5 – Exploring Chefchouen.
Day 6 – Travel from Chefchouen to Fez. Explore Fez Medinah.
Day 7 – Fez (Take a guide to show you the main sites in one day)
Day 8 – Fez – Evening travel to Meknes.
Day 8 – Meknes (Medina, Bou Inania Medersa, Bab Mansour Gate)
Day 9 – Meknes (El Hedim Square, Dar Jamai Museum)
Day 10 – Return to Casablanca. Shopping and relax ready for flight.

casablanca view from the sea
The White Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco.

The buses in Morocco are relatively safe, but a little sickly (especially on Tichka pass). I can recommend a good private driver if you need one! Trains are also ok, but keep an eye on your belongings and prepare for the scramble to get tickets! Some travellers pay for local businesses to source their tickets, to make it easier.

Personally, I prefer slow travel, and I would be tempted to take 2 weeks to do these trips, particularly the second. These trips cover a lot of ground, so consider extending your trip if possible to fully absorb Moroccan culture and way of life. I really think you should spend more than 10 days in Morocco if possible.

If you wish to see all of the places described in these Morocco itineraries, I recommend that you combine the two together and simple double your time there, doing the North and South over 3 weeks. You may also consider flying into Marrakech and out of Casablanca, or vice-versa doing it this way.

Further Reading on Morocco

Also, here are a few more articles to help you to prepare for your Morocco itinerary – have a wonderful trip!