13 Day Grand Circuit Morocco from Casablanca — private Morocco tour departing from Casablanca
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13 Day Grand Circuit Morocco from Casablanca

⏱ 13 Days · 12 Nights🚗 Private Tour📍 Casablanca → Casablanca📅 Available Year-round

Tour Overview

Thirteen days is the ideal length for Morocco. Long enough to absorb the country without rushing — two nights in Chefchaouen, two nights in Fez, a night in the Sahara, two nights in Marrakech, and a day in Essaouira — short enough to maintain momentum and stay energised throughout. This grand circuit from Casablanca returns to Casablanca via Essaouira and the Atlantic coast, completing a perfect loop of the country. Every UNESCO site, every major landscape, every cultural depth, at a pace that lets you actually feel each place.

Tour Highlights

  • ✓Hassan II Mosque — one of the world's largest mosques built over the Atlantic
  • ✓Rabat Hassan Tower, Mohammed V Mausoleum and Oudaya Kasbah
  • ✓Chefchaouen Blue Pearl — overnight in the legendary Rif mountain city
  • ✓Volubilis Roman ruins (UNESCO) and imperial Meknes
  • ✓Two full days in Fez el-Bali medina with licensed local guide
  • ✓Al-Qarawiyyin — world's oldest university founded 859 AD
  • ✓Middle Atlas cedar forests with Barbary macaques
  • ✓Erg Chebbi Sahara camel trek and luxury desert camp
  • ✓Todra Gorge and Dades Valley
  • ✓Ait Benhaddou UNESCO ksar
  • ✓Two full days in Marrakech with guided medina tour
  • ✓Essaouira UNESCO Atlantic medina and argan forest
  • ✓Return to Casablanca completing the grand Moroccan circle

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day1

Day 1

Arrival in Casablanca

Private airport pickup and hotel transfer. Visit Hassan II Mosque — built over the Atlantic with a 210-metre minaret (the world's tallest religious structure) and a retractable glass roof that floods the marble interior with Atlantic light. Its hand-carved zellige, stucco, and cedarwood represent the pinnacle of contemporary Moroccan craftsmanship. Stroll the Habous quarter — the French-built New Medina with its Moorish arches and artisan shops — and the Corniche oceanfront boulevard.

🏨 Hotel in Casablanca
CasablancaHassan II MosqueHabous QuarterCorniche
Day2

Day 2

Casablanca → Rabat → Chefchaouen

Drive north to Rabat — visit the Hassan Tower, the unfinished 12th-century minaret beside the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in white onyx and cedarwood, and the 17th-century Oudaya Kasbah perched above the Bou Regreg estuary with panoramic Atlantic views. Continue into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen, arriving as evening light deepens the famous indigo walls.

🏨 Riad in Chefchaouen
RabatHassan TowerMohammed V MausoleumOudaya KasbahChefchaouen
Day3

Day 3

Full Day in Chefchaouen

Full day in Chefchaouen — sunrise hike to the Spanish Mosque for panoramic views over the blue rooftops and Rif Mountains, the 15th-century Kasbah and its small ethnographic museum, the Great Mosque with its unusual octagonal minaret, the central Uta el-Hammam square, and artisan workshops selling handwoven wool, natural-dye leather, and goat cheese unique to the region. Optional afternoon excursion to the Akchour waterfalls in Talassemtane National Park.

🏨 Riad in Chefchaouen
ChefchaouenKasbahSpanish MosqueUta el-HammamArtisansAkchour
Day4

Day 4

Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fez

Drive south to Volubilis (UNESCO) with a local guide for the intact mosaic floors depicting Orpheus charming the animals, the Triumphal Arch of Caracalla, and ancient olive presses. Visit Moulay Idriss Zerhoun — the holiest town in Morocco. Stop in Meknes for the monumental Bab Mansour gateway and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, the 17th-century sultan who built 40 km of ramparts. Arrive in Fez for the evening.

🏨 Riad in Fez
ChefchaouenVolubilisUNESCOMoulay IdrissMeknesBab MansourFez
Day5

Day 5

Full Day in Fez Medina

Full day in Fez el-Bali — the world's largest car-free urban area and a UNESCO World Heritage site — with a licensed local guide. Royal Palace gates, Bou Inania Madrasa, Al-Qarawiyyin University (founded 859 AD — the world's oldest continuously operating degree-granting institution, predating Oxford by over 300 years), Nejjarine woodworking museum, Pottery Village, Chouara Tanneries rooftop view, and the Mellah Jewish Quarter established in 1438.

🏨 Riad in Fez
Fez MedinaUNESCORoyal PalaceBou InaniaAl-QarawiyyinChouara TanneriesMellahNejjarinePottery Village
Day6

Day 6

Fez → Middle Atlas → Merzouga

South through Ifrane — the alpine resort nicknamed the "Switzerland of Morocco" at 1,665 metres — and Azrou's cedar forest where wild Barbary macaques, the only primates indigenous to Africa north of the Sahara, roam among the Atlas cedars and approach roadside visitors with surprising sociability. Descend through the Ziz Gorges into the Ziz Valley, a 70-km ribbon of tens of thousands of date palms threading through ochre canyon walls. Sunset camel trek into Erg Chebbi. Luxury Berber camp with tagine dinner and campfire drumming under the stars.

🏨 Luxury Sahara camp in Merzouga
IfraneAzrouBarbary MacaquesZiz ValleyMerzougaErg ChebbiCamel TrekDesert Camp
Day7

Day 7

Sahara Sunrise → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley

Rise before dawn to watch the Sahara sunrise from the dune crest — the sky shifting from deep indigo through amber and copper to brilliant gold. Drive west to Todra Gorge where 300-metre sheer limestone walls narrow to barely 10 metres around a cold, clear river — walk the full canyon floor. Continue through the Dades Valley along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs past the iconic Monkey Fingers rock formations and ancient earthen kasbahs.

🏨 Riad in Dades Valley
Sahara SunriseErg ChebbiTodra GorgeDades ValleyMonkey Fingers
Day8

Day 8

Dades → Ait Benhaddou → Marrakech

Drive west through the Rose Valley of Kalaat Mgouna and the Skoura palm oasis. Visit the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate. Cross the Oued Mellah to explore Ait Benhaddou (UNESCO) — backdrop for Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and Lawrence of Arabia. Continue to the atmospheric ruins of Telouet Kasbah where painted cedarwood ceilings dissolve slowly back into the earth. Ascend the Tizi n'Tichka Pass (2,260 m) before the final descent into Marrakech.

🏨 Riad in Marrakech
Rose ValleySkouraAtlas Film StudiosAit BenhaddouUNESCOTelouet KasbahTizi n'TichkaMarrakech
Day9

Day 9

Full Guided Day in Marrakech

Full guided day in Marrakech's UNESCO-listed medina. Koutoubia Mosque — the 12th-century Almohad masterpiece that inspired Seville's Giralda. Bahia Palace — 160 rooms of carved cedarwood ceilings and zellige tilework. Saadian Tombs — a 16th-century royal necropolis sealed for 300 years. Ben Youssef Madrasa — the largest Islamic college in North Africa. Mellah Jewish Quarter. The labyrinthine specialised souks of copper, spice, leather, and carpets. Majorelle Gardens. Jemaa el-Fna at its legendary evening peak with storytellers, Gnaoua musicians, and food stalls.

🏨 Riad in Marrakech
MarrakechBahia PalaceSaadian TombsKoutoubiaBen Youssef MadrasaSouksMajorelleJemaa el-Fna
Day10

Day 10

Free Day in Marrakech

A free day in Marrakech at your pace. Options include a traditional hammam experience, a Moroccan cooking class in the medina, a visit to the Yves Saint Laurent Museum adjacent to Majorelle Gardens, a hot air balloon flight over the Atlas (seasonal, October–May), or simply exploring the souks and cafés independently with insider tips from your guide.

🏨 Riad in Marrakech
MarrakechFree TimeHammamCooking ClassYves Saint Laurent Museum
Day11

Day 11

Marrakech → Essaouira

Drive west through the Argania spinosa argan forest — a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that grows naturally only in Morocco's Souss-Massa region. Stop at a women's cooperative for traditional stone-grinding and amlou tasting. Arrive in Essaouira: walk the Skala de la Ville ramparts lined with 18th-century Portuguese bronze cannons over the Atlantic, explore the UNESCO medina, the fishing port with its famous fleet of blue-painted wooden boats, and the artisan workshops producing thuya wood marquetry — a craft unique to this region. Evening by the Atlantic.

🏨 Hotel or riad in Essaouira
MarrakechArgan ForestWomen's CooperativeEssaouiraUNESCOSkalaFishing PortThuya Wood
Day12

Day 12

Essaouira → El Jadida → Casablanca

Drive north along the Atlantic coast. Stop at El Jadida — the Portuguese fortress city (UNESCO) whose 16th-century cistern, with its forest of stone columns reflected in the shallow water below, is one of Morocco's most extraordinary and least-visited interior spaces. Continue to Casablanca.

🏨 Hotel in Casablanca
EssaouiraEl JadidaPortuguese CisternUNESCOCasablancaHassan II Mosque
Day13

Day 13

Casablanca Departure

Private transfer to Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport at your required departure time. Your driver will ensure you arrive with ample time for check-in. This concludes your grand Moroccan circuit.

🏨 Tour ends in Casablanca
CasablancaAirport Transfer

What's Included

✅ Included

  • 12 nights accommodation in selected riads, hotels and luxury desert camp
  • Professional English-speaking driver-guide throughout
  • Private air-conditioned vehicle (4WD or minivan by group size)
  • Licensed local guide for Chefchaouen full day
  • Licensed local guide for Volubilis visit
  • Licensed local guide for full-day Fez medina tour
  • Licensed local guide for full-day Marrakech medina tour
  • Sunset camel trek in Erg Chebbi (approx. 2 hours)
  • 1 night luxury Sahara desert camp with dinner
  • Breakfasts daily
  • Pickup from Casablanca airport or accommodation
  • Drop-off at Casablanca airport or accommodation

❌ Not Included

  • Entrance fees to monuments and sites
  • Most lunches and dinners (except desert camp dinner and daily breakfasts)
  • Beverages
  • Tips and personal expenses
  • International flights
  • Travel insurance

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a private tour?+
Yes, all Fez Cultural Tours are 100% private. You will never share your vehicle or guide with strangers. Every tour is exclusively for you and your group, allowing us to tailor the pace and stops to your preferences.
What is included in the 13-day tour?+
This tour includes: 12 nights accommodation in selected riads, hotels and luxury desert camp; Professional English-speaking driver-guide throughout; Private air-conditioned vehicle (4WD or minivan by group size); Licensed local guide for Chefchaouen full day; Licensed local guide for Volubilis visit; Licensed local guide for full-day Fez medina tour; Licensed local guide for full-day Marrakech medina tour; Sunset camel trek in Erg Chebbi (approx. 2 hours); 1 night luxury Sahara desert camp with dinner; Breakfasts daily; Pickup from Casablanca airport or accommodation; Drop-off at Casablanca airport or accommodation.
What is not included?+
Not included in the tour price: Entrance fees to monuments and sites; Most lunches and dinners (except desert camp dinner and daily breakfasts); Beverages; Tips and personal expenses; International flights; Travel insurance.
What is the best time of year for this tour?+
The best times are spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) when temperatures are comfortable. Summer is very hot in the Sahara (40°C+), while winter nights can be cold but days remain beautiful.
Can we customise the itinerary?+
Absolutely. Every itinerary can be tailored to your interests, pace, and travel goals. Contact us via WhatsApp (+212 697 540 383) and we will craft a personalised route for you.
How do I book and what is the payment process?+
Contact us via WhatsApp or our enquiry form — no commitment needed. Once you approve the itinerary, a 20% deposit secures your dates. The balance is paid in cash (Euros or MAD) to your guide on the first day.
Is this tour suitable for families and seniors?+
Yes. We adapt the pace, accommodation, and activities for families with children and senior travellers. Please mention any special requirements when booking so we can plan accordingly.

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