11 Nights / 12 Days
Rick Blaine may have come to Casablanca for the waters, but this 11-night journey promises so much more than that. Step beyond the setting of a silver-screen classic with an adventure that actually feels like the work of movie magic. Run your hand along the powder blue walls of Chefchaouen. Witness history being hand-crafted in the ancient medina of Fes. And traverse the golden sand dunes of Merzouga on the way to the bustling heart of Morocco’s Red City. Vibrant, authentic, and cinematic, this itinerary is everything Morocco is and should be. So, here’s looking at you, Morocco.
- 2 Nights in Casablanca
- 1 Night in Chefchaouen
- 3 Nights in Fes
- 1 Night in Merzouga
- 1 Night in Skoura
- 3 Nights in Marrakech
Day 1 | Arrival in Casablanca
Touch down in Casablanca and have Morocco greet you with a mix of Atlantic breeze, Art Deco elegance, and cinematic promise. As a private transfer carries you smoothly to your hotel, let the modern yet grounded rhythms of Morocco’s largest city reinvent your idea of its dynamic spirit. Depending on arrival, enjoy time to rest or ease into a gentle introduction to Casablanca, perhaps a stroll along the Corniche or a quiet coffee with a view. Who knows, perhaps you’ll also want to settle down here and open a Café Américain.
Day 2 | Imperial Sights En Route to Chefchaouen
Set an awe-inspiring tone for your first day in Morocco in front of the Hassan II Mosque as it stands overlooking the Atlantic like an exquisite lighthouse crowned with emerald. Then, head north to Rabat, Morocco’s elegant capital, where imperial landmarks including the Royal Palace and Hassan Tower await with a royal welcome against a panoramic backdrop. By late afternoon, as the road unwinds toward the Rif Mountains, a sapphire will appear to dot the landscape, and that’s how you’ll know that you’ve arrived in Chefchaouen.
Day 3 | Blue Streets & Ancient Empires
Morning light reveals Chefchaouen at its most enchanting. Wander its blue-hued lanes on a guided walking tour, where doorways, staircases, and shaded squares feel brushed straight from an artist’s palette. Then, trade mountain serenity for imperial echoes as you journey toward the Roman ruins of Volubilis. There, witness columns and mosaics rise from rolling fields, whispering of an empire that once ruled far beyond these hills. By evening, arrive in Fes, where Morocco’s spiritual and cultural heart beats with a timeless and endless passion that no movie could convey.
Day 4 | Fes — Feeling the Heartbeat of History
If Casablanca is the opening scene, Fes is where the plot deepens. Follow the tales of Morocco’s most storied medina as a guide leads you through labyrinthine souks alive with spice scents, hammering copper, and the vivid hues of the famed tanneries. Taste your way through local markets, sampling time-honored flavors passed down through generations. As evening falls, step inside a traditional riad for dinner with a local family, where stories, rituals, and hospitality invite you to become a part of daily life that has endured centuries.
Day 5 | Fes — At the Table of Tradition
By now you should’ve gotten a good taste of Morocco’s undeniable essence. But to make sure, pull back the curtain on Fes from an even more intimate (and delicious) angle. Join a Fassi family in their home for a hands-on cooking experience, where recipes are heirlooms and every pinch of spice has a story to tell. Learn the rituals behind cherished dishes before sitting down to share the meal together, in true Moroccan fashion. The remainder of the day is yours to linger in the medina, visit an artisan workshop, or simply weave some memories in the heart of Fes.
Day 6 | From Cedar Forests to Shifting Sands
With palates delighted, it’s time for a taste of adventure. Leave Fes behind and cross the Middle Atlas Mountains, passing alpine-style Ifrane and wandering cedar forests where Barbary macaques linger among ancient trees. Descend into the sun-warmed Ziz Valley, an oasis ribboned with palms and earthen villages. In Erfoud, trade wheels for 4x4s and press onward toward Merzouga, where the Sahara finally reveals itself. As the sun sinks low, mount a camel and glide across glowing dunes before settling into a luxury desert camp beneath a sky made for stargazing. A day of adventure that Hollywood classics are made of.
Day 7 | Sunrise, Ramparts & Oases
Wake before dawn as the Sahara offers one final show: sunrise spilling soft gold across the dunes. After breakfast, depart Merzouga and journey west, trading sand seas for dramatic stone corridors at the Todra Gorges, where sheer cliffs frame the tranquil current of a river below. Continue along the storied Route of a Thousand Kasbahs, tracing ancient caravan routes past crumbling fortresses and palm-lined valleys. Come evening, don’t be surprised to come upon an oasis of a thousand date palms and earthen Kasbahs. This is not a mirage, but Skoura, where you shall spend a restful night steeped in desert romance.
Day 8 | Aït Ben Haddou & the Road to Marrakech
You can’t talk about movies and Morocco without mentioning the legendary Aït Ben Haddou. Rising from the earth in sculpted clay and stone, this UNESCO-listed ksar feels suspended between myth and memory, a backdrop fit for epics past, present, and now for your journey today. After setting the scene with Aït Ben Haddou, continue over the breathtaking Tizi n’Tichka Pass, where mountain vistas unfold with every curve. By late afternoon, descend into Marrakech, the Red City, where the pulse quickens, colors deepen, and the next chapter of your Moroccan story begins.
Interesting Fact
Aït Ben Haddou has been featured in a variety of motion pictures and TV productions, appearing in such titles as:
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
- The Mummy (1999)
- Gladiator (2000)
- Alexander (2004)
- Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
- Babel (2006)
- Game of Thrones — parts of the TV series (2011-2019)
Day 9 | Marrakech — Where the Story Comes Alive
If Casablanca set the mood and the desert delivered the drama, Marrakech is where the story bursts into a colorful performance piece. Slip into the medina on a guided stroll through hidden passages, artisan quarters, and quiet riads tucked behind ancient walls. By dusk, emerge into the legendary Jemaa el-Fna, where storytellers, musicians, and spice-scented food stalls animate the square in a spectacle unchanged for centuries. Lively, captivating, and utterly unforgettable, this is just another day in the heart of Morocco.
Day 10 | Marrakech — Gardens & Icons
Following the medina’s sensory crescendo, today invites a more reflective, though nonetheless colorful rhythm. Find your inner couturier amid the cobalt blues and lush botanicals of the Majorelle Garden, a serene oasis once beloved by Yves Saint Laurent, before delving into Morocco’s indigenous roots and layered past with a visit to the Berber Museum. Then, take the rest of the day to explore Marrakech at leisure. Indulge in a hammam ritual, browse contemporary galleries, or linger over mint tea on a shaded terrace. In the Red City, even unplanned moments feel artfully scripted.
Day 11 | Back to Casablanca — A Final Scene
As your Moroccan story nears its final act, depart Marrakech and journey back toward Casablanca, watching landscapes give way to familiar horizons. Upon arrival, settle in for a relaxed afternoon before gathering for a farewell dinner worthy of the journey you’ve shared. Over refined Moroccan flavors and lingering conversation, reflect on desert dawns, medina nights, and moments that felt lifted from the silver screen. After all, of all the cities in all the world, you ended up back where it began.
Interesting Fact
Although set in, and now synonymous with it, not a single scene of Casablanca (1942) was shot in Morocco. The entire picture was filmed in a studio.
Day 12 | Departure
With the final credits rolling, it’s time to bid Morocco farewell. After breakfast, a private transfer will whisk you off to Casablanca’s airport for your flight back home. And as you walk through those departure gates, accompanied by the echoes of medinas, desert horizons, and moments that felt effortlessly cinematic, don’t resist pausing, glancing back, and uttering: here’s looking at you, Morocco.
