After coming back from Morocco, I couldn’t stop talking about it. The trip was otherworldly: an unforgettable adventure full of unique cultural experiences, traditional local warmth, incredible landscapes, beautifully designed architecture, and the chaos of cities and markets.
This 10-day Morocco itinerary covers the best places to visit in Morocco, from the capital city of Casablanca, the ultra-popular and bustlingly vibrant Marrakech, the deeply distinct culture of Fes, and the serene and photogenic blues of Chefchaouen.
Please note: this is an overarching itinerary meant to serve as a scaffold! To learn more about each city on this itinerary, I’ve included links to my in-depth travel guides covering each location. You can also check them out here:
- Riads, Souks, and Spices: A Guide to Marrakech, Morocco
- The 10 Best Riads in Marrakech
- Discover the Magic of Fes: Your Essential Travel Guide
- The 16 Most Instagrammable Spots in Chefchaouen
Best Time of Year to Visit Morocco
Morocco has much to offer no matter what time of year you are planning on visiting. Generally, the most popular times to visit are during the spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) months when the weather is mild, but visiting outside of these months doesn’t pose a problem at all. In fact, my first trip to Morocco was in mid-February and I thought it was perfect.
Weather in Morocco
Morocco is on the Mediterranean Sea, characterized by mild winters and hot, dry summers. The cities on this 10-day Morocco itinerary mostly have slightly chilly winters with temperatures averaging around 5°C to 15°C (41°F to 59°F), while summers are hot, with temperatures often exceeding 30°C (86°F) and occasionally reaching 40°C (104°F) or higher. These regions experience little rainfall, particularly during the summer months.
What to Pack and Wear in Morocco
Morocco is a conservative and mostly Muslim country. While there are no rules for what tourists can or cannot wear (except for in mosques), it’s still best to dress modestly out of respect for the culture. Short sleeves and pants or dresses are fine—they know you’re a foreigner—but don’t walk around in a bathing suit. No one ever said a word about what I was wearing, but I noticed that I felt a bit self-conscious if my shoulders weren’t covered in the street.
Morocco is very sunny and even in the winter, the sun is bright and strong. I recommend packing a hat or head cover and sunglasses to protect your face and eyes during the brightest hours of the day.
While it’s usually quite warm or hot during the day, it can get cold at night—especially in the desert or in the winter months. Consider packing a shawl or sweater to keep yourself warm.
Tips and Warnings for Morocco
The Moroccan people are some of the warmest and kindest people that I’ve ever met. Moroccan hospitality is on another level and people are almost overwhelmingly welcoming. Morocco is also extremely safe and has very little crime of any kind—pickpocketing or theft is practically unheard of here, to the point that I saw people leaving their phones charging unattended in train stations. Violent crime is also extremely uncommon.
However, Morocco does have a lot of scams. For example, always determine a price with your taxi driver before getting into the car—they will probably claim that their taxi meter is broken (it’s not, but the taxi drivers have gotten used to scamming tourists and will refuse to turn it on). If locals come up to you and ask if you’re lost, or offer to walk you to your destination, they will certainly demand money from you at the end of the journey. Shopkeepers will often try to overcharge you by a ridiculous amount, so feel free to haggle within reason.
All of this is to say that while Morocco is extremely safe and I loved the friendliness of the people, it also pays to be a bit wary. My go-to rule is: if they approach you, it’s probably no good. But if you approach them—to ask for directions, help, etc—they will go out of their way to kindly help you without asking anything in return.
10-Day Morocco Itinerary
This ten-day itinerary takes you through the best places to visit in Morocco, hitting all the most popular cities while allowing enough time in each place to gain a feeling of the unique culture!
Casablanca: 1 Day
This trip starts in Casablanca, the capital city in Morocco. You’ve probably heard people say that there’s nothing to do in Casablanca. And while I mostly agree, there’s one major reason why you should include Casablanca in your best places to visit in Morocco…because you probably have to.
Casablanca is the largest airport in Morocco and chances are, if you are arriving internationally it is through CMN. So why not make a day out of it?
The most famous sight in Casablanca is the Hassan II Mosque, also known as the Grand Mosque. With the tallest minaret in the world and a huge array of beautiful blue-tiled patterns, you must include the Hassan II Mosque on your Casablanca itinerary!
Visiting the outside is free, but if you want to visit you must go with a guided tour. Hassan II Mosque is one of the only mosques in Morocco that is open to non-Muslims. The guided tour costs about $12 and the times and hours change depending on the season.
If you have more time in Casablanca, you can also check out the Mahkama du Pacha, a beautiful courtyard with a colonnade and more Moroccan patterns. There’s also the Old Medina, the heart of the old city in Casablanca and a gateway to the traditional Moroccan market culture that you’ll experience much more of in the next few days!
🚄 How to Get from Casablanca to Marrakech
There are several ways to get from Casablanca to Marrakech, but I recommend taking the train. The Moroccan railway system, ONCF, runs trains between the two cities every two hours. Tickets cost 90-170 dirhams depending on fare class and the journey takes 2.5 hours.
You can book tickets online in advance or at the train station. There are two train stations in Casablanca—make sure to go to Casa Voyageurs.
Marrakech: 4 Days
Oh, Marrakech. This colorful and bustling city is by far one of the best places to visit in Morocco. You could visit time and time again and discover new and beautiful secrets every time, incredible places tucked away into corners and restaurants and riads at every turn.
It’s definitely possible to fit Marrakech into 3 days, but I urge you to spend 4 if you can. With 4 days, you can start to really feel the heartbeat of the city, exploring places beyond just the tourist path. Marrakech has something for everyone: shopping, food, spas, luxury experiences, budget experiences, photography, beauty—the list goes on and on. I’ve written an ultimate comprehensive guide to Marrakech, so read that for more in-depth knowledge and details, but here’s a quick rundown of your days in arguably the best city in Morocco!
Of course, you must stay in a riad while in Marrakech. Some famous ones include La Sultana Marrakech, Riad BE Marrakech, and the Royal Mansour. I’ve written an article here on the best riads in Marrakech, so take your pick—you can’t go wrong! If possible, I would recommend also trying to visit other riads during your time in Marrakech. You’ll start to see how they are each uniquely beautiful and a hallmark of Moroccan culture.
🕌 Read more: The 10 Best Riads in Marrakech: Home Away From Home
Spend a day or two exploring the souks of Marrakech, the Rahba Lakdima (the spice market), and having coffee at the Place des Epices. You haven’t experienced true shopping (or true haggling) until you’ve bargained your way through lamps, spices, ceramics, shoes, and much more in a Marrakech souk! The corridors of shops stretch on forever and you’ll probably get lost more than once—it’s all part of the experience.
Additionally, explore the breathtaking history and architecture of Marrakech by stepping into the Ben Youssef Madrasa, a popular restored old Islamic school of thought that’s also a masterpiece of design. For the history lovers, you’ll want to discover the ruins of El Badii Palace which date back to 1578 and the popular Bahia Palace, which thrills with its traditional Moroccan tiles and patterns.
🐪 For a full guide to Marrakech, read my travel guide here: Riads, Souks, and Spices: A Guide to Marrakech, Morocco
✈️ How to Get from Marrakech to Fes
There are a few ways to get from Marrakech to Fes. You can take the bus, the train, or fly. The bus is the cheapest method at around 150 dirhams but takes 10.5 hours—not recommended. The train is faster for a similar price at around 200 dirhams, taking 6.5 hours.
We decided to fly on AirArabia, which only takes 3 hours from RAK to FEZ. The price fluctuates depending on when you buy your ticket, but ours ultimately came out to about 80 USD each for an upgraded fare class.
You can also make your trip from Marrakech to Fes its own destination by booking a desert tour if you wish!
Fes: 2 Days
I noticed that Fes is surprisingly skipped over compared to places like Marrakech, Rabat, or Chefchaouen. However, after visiting, I firmly believe that Fes is one of the best places to visit in Morocco for its authentic culture and unique offerings. The first thing I noticed about Fes is that fewer people speak English—the city feels less catered towards tourists and there is more local energy (though obviously Fes is still a relatively popular city for foreigners).
Like Marrakech, I have a separate guide just for Fes, so don’t forget to read this more in-depth travel guide for all the details!
The most impressive and unique part of Fes is Chouara Tannery, a massive leather-making complex that still uses the traditional method of dyeing and making leather. Some say that the smell is horrific—the traditional leather process uses several kinds of animal feces—but we didn’t think it was all that bad. Go inside the leather goods shops to get a view of the tannery from above. Or if you know a guy, you can even walk among the dye pits like I did!
Stay in a riad in Fes, which often feature more black-and-white tiles and carvings compared to the blue and green tiles of Marrakech. From there, you can explore the medina, which is just as busy and bustling as in other cities. And if you enjoyed the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech, you won’t want to miss Bou Inania Madrasa and Al Attarine Madrasa, two restored ancient schools which date back to the 14th century.
🕌 For a full guide to Fes, read my travel guide here: Discover the Magic of Fes: Your Essential Travel Guide
🚌 How to Get from Fes to Chefchaouen
I recommend taking the bus from Fes to Chefchaouen. The bus system in Morocco, CTM, is very clean, comfortable, and affordable! The bus ride takes about 4 hours and operates 4 times a day. Tickets cost between 80-140 dirhams.
Day tours from Fes to Chefchaouen are also available, though I urge you to stay a night or two in Chefchaouen if you have the time.
Chefchaouen: 2 Days
Chefchaouen, the Blue Pearl of Morocco, is a photographer’s dream. The entire city is painted in a rich and bright shade of blue, possibly because it was originally the home of Jewish immigrants. Today, the small city of Chefchaouen is popular among tourists for its fascinating colors and proximity to nature.
While there’s not that much to do in Chefchaouen per se, I still recommend having two nights and at least one full day in Chefchaouen in order to discover the city properly. The winding streets are all too easy to get lost in and you will keep finding new and beautiful corners at every turn. I recommend just embracing the meander, delighting in the blue houses with their ornate doors and white-washed stairs.
If you love taking photos like me but want to have some structure for your Chefchaouen trip, check out my Instagrammable guide to Chefchaouen here!
📸 Read more: The 16 Most Instagrammable Spots in Chefchaouen
🚌 How to Get from Chefchaouen to Casablanca
From Chefchaouen, it’s time to head back to Casablanca and the airport—which means the trip is almost over! But don’t worry, there’s still one stop on the way there.
Getting from Chefchaouen to Casablanca is tricky. There is a CTM bus that runs directly between the two cities daily (6 hours, 140-210 dirhams), but the catch is that the only time slot is at 7 AM. We didn’t want to cut out a whole day in Chefchaouen just to take the bus back to Casablanca, so we opted for a different strategy.
From Chefchaouen, you can take a CTM bus to the coastal city of Tangier (2 hours). Then from Tangier, you can either take the ONCF train or fly back to Casablanca—we opted to take the train. It’s only two hours and the ride was very comfortable even in second class. Plus, this means you get a half day to explore Tangier!
Tangier: 1 Day
Tangier is Morocco’s northernmost city, sharing a border with Spain. It’s widely regarded as one of the best places to visit in Morocco because of its beautiful views and beaches and mix of Moroccan and Spanish architecture. The clusters of white houses in the mountains look similar to Chefchaouen, but in gleaming ivory and red. And sitting near the coastline at the Strait of Gibraltar, on a sunny day you can clearly see Spain just across the water!
With only a few hours in Tangier before your train to Casablanca, there’s only so much to do and see. I recommend taking advantage of Tangier’s famous cafe culture and exploring a stunning cafe or two. Cafe Hafa is the most famous cafe in Tangier, boasting a terraced view directly on the coastline. I also recommend Dar Nour and Riad Amr (the latter pictured below) for their beautiful views of the white houses of Tangier and wonderfully warm staff.
After a quick stop for one last Moroccan mint tea and some dessert, then it’s off to Casablanca and the airport!
10-Day Morocco Itinerary: Conclusion
And that’s the end of your Morocco trip! After seeing all the best places to visit in Morocco, you’re guaranteed to leave with everlasting memories. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll have caught the Moroccan travel bug and want to start planning your next trip back!
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