Private 7-Day Marrakech, Imperial Cities and Sahara Tour
This private 7-day round trip from Marrakech combines the imperial cities with the Sahara, in a private air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver-guide. You travel north through Casablanca and Rabat to Meknes, Volubilis and Fes, spend a full day in Fes with a city guide, then cross the Middle Atlas to Merzouga for a camel ride and a night in a desert camp. The way back runs through Todra Gorge, the Dades Valley, Ouarzazate, Ait Ben Haddou and the Tizi n'Tichka pass to Marrakech. The price is per person for two travelers, and it changes with group size.
It suits travelers who want the imperial cities, the desert and the kasbah road in one week. Because the tour is private, the route and pace can be adapted to your group.
7-Day Tour at a Glance
What You Will Experience
- + Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and the capital Rabat, with the Hassan Tower and the Kasbah of the Udayas
- + Meknes and its Bab Mansour gate, and the Roman ruins of Volubilis
- + A full day in Fes with a city guide, in the oldest of Morocco's imperial cities
- + Ifrane, the Azrou cedar forest and Barbary macaques
- + Camel ride in Erg Chebbi and a night in a desert camp
- + Todra Gorge and the Dades Valley
- + The Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, the Valley of Roses and the Skoura Oasis
- + Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Kasbah of Telouet and the Tizi n'Tichka pass
7-Day Tour Itinerary, Day by Day
Here is the trip in the order it happens. As a private group you can spend longer where you like. Overnight stops are listed as Night.
Marrakech to Rabat via Casablanca
The first day heads north to the Atlantic coast and the capital.
Your driver-guide collects your group from your accommodation in the morning and contacts you before pickup so you can spot the vehicle.
Lunch stop and time to see the city's greatest landmarks, such as the Hassan II Mosque.
Visit the Hassan Tower and the garden of the Kasbah of the Udayas in Morocco's capital.
Dinner and the night at a hotel or riad in Rabat.
Rabat to Fes via Meknes and Volubilis
From the capital through the imperial city of Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis to Fes.
After breakfast, continue to Meknes, known for its imperial past and for Bab Mansour, a huge gate with arches and mosaic tiling.
Visit the ruins of the Roman city of Volubilis.
Arrive in Fes.
Dinner and the night at a hotel or riad in Fes.
A full day in Fes with a city guide
A day for Fes, the oldest of Morocco's imperial cities and home to one of the world's oldest universities, dating back to the 9th century.
Explore Fes with your tour guide and a city guide, who is included in the tour.
Return to your hotel or riad in Fes for the night.
Fes to Merzouga via Ifrane, the cedar forest and Midelt
A long day south through the Middle Atlas and the Ziz Valley to the Sahara.
Leave Fes after breakfast for the first stop of the day in Ifrane.
Drive through the cedar forest and see whether the Barbary macaques offer a good photo.
Lunch stop in Midelt.
Drive through the Ziz Valley to Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes, part of the Sahara Desert.
A camel guide takes you on a one-hour camel ride to your campsite, where you have dinner.
The night in a tent under the stars.
Merzouga to the Dades Valley via Tinghir and Todra Gorge
Sunrise over the dunes, then back west to the gorge and the valley.
Wake up early for the light before sunrise, then leave the dunes and meet your tour guide again.
Lunch break in Tinghir.
Stop along the way for photos and walk through the canyons of the Todra Gorge.
Drive to the Valley of Dades for dinner.
The night at a hotel or riad in the Dades Valley.
The Dades Valley to Ait Ben Haddou via Ouarzazate
The Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, the Valley of Roses and the Skoura Oasis.
After breakfast, follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through the Valley of Roses, the rose capital of Morocco, and on to the Skoura Oasis, with many spots for photos.
Known as the Hollywood of Africa, Ouarzazate has large film studios, and you can stop to visit one. Admission is not included.
Arrive in the area of Ait Ben Haddou.
Dinner and the night at a hotel or riad.
Ait Ben Haddou to Marrakech via Telouet and the Tizi n'Tichka pass
The last day visits the ksar, then crosses the High Atlas back to Marrakech.
Visit the UNESCO World Heritage ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a well-preserved fortress city that has served as a filming location.
Stop at the Kasbah of Telouet, once the seat of Pasha El Glaoui of Marrakech.
Cross the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m), the highest road pass in Morocco.
Arrive back in Marrakech in the afternoon. Drop-off at your pickup point or another agreed location in Marrakech.
Pickup Details
- Where: hotels, riads and private accommodations in Marrakech, or Marrakech Menara Airport, within the designated pickup area
- Riads inside pedestrian-only parts of the medina: pickup at the nearest point a vehicle can reach
- Meeting point if needed: outside the main entrance of Grand Hotel Tazi (Hôtel Tazi, 79 Passage Prince Moulay Rachid), Marrakech; arrive 15 minutes before departure
- What we need: the full name and address of your accommodation and a phone or WhatsApp number that works; your driver-guide contacts you before pickup
Return Details
- Day 7 ends back in Marrakech
- Drop-off: your original pickup point or another agreed location in Marrakech
- Timing depends on your pace and traffic
Guide Status
A professional driver-guide travels with your group for the whole trip, and a city guide joins you for the full day in Fes. Entrance fees and optional activities are not included.
Includes
- Pickup and drop-off in Marrakech
- Private comfortable air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional driver-guide
- City guide for the full day in Fes
- Six nights of accommodation, including a night in a desert camp in Merzouga
- Breakfasts and dinners
- Camel ride in Erg Chebbi
- Fuel and transport costs
Excludes
- Lunches
- Drinks
- Personal expenses
- Entrance fees and optional activities, such as a film studio visit in Ouarzazate
- Tips
Before You Go
- Every day is a driving day with stops, except day 3, which is a full day on foot in Fes with a city guide.
- The tour is not wheelchair accessible. Infant seats are available, and infants ride on a lap.
- It is not recommended for travelers with heart problems or other serious medical conditions.
- Bring some cash for lunches, drinks, entrance fees, optional activities and tips.
7-Day Tour FAQ
It starts in Marrakech with pickup from your hotel, riad, accommodation or Marrakech Menara Airport within the pickup area, or at Grand Hotel Tazi, and it ends back in Marrakech on day 7, at your pickup point or another agreed location.
Day 1 goes to Rabat via Casablanca. Day 2 goes to Fes via Meknes and Volubilis. Day 3 is a full day in Fes with a city guide. Day 4 goes to Merzouga via Ifrane, the cedar forest and Midelt, with a camel ride and a night in a desert camp. Day 5 goes to the Dades Valley via Tinghir and Todra Gorge. Day 6 goes to the area of Ait Ben Haddou via the Valley of Roses and Ouarzazate. Day 7 returns to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou, Telouet and the Tizi n'Tichka pass.
Night 1 is at a hotel or riad in Rabat, nights 2 and 3 at a hotel or riad in Fes, night 4 in a desert camp in Merzouga, night 5 at a hotel or riad in the Dades Valley and night 6 at a hotel or riad in the area of Ait Ben Haddou.
Yes. Apart from the full day in Fes, every day is spent mostly on the road with stops along the way, so it suits travelers who enjoy long scenic drives.
Pickup and drop-off in Marrakech, a private air-conditioned vehicle, a professional driver-guide, a city guide for the full day in Fes, six nights of accommodation including a night in a desert camp in Merzouga, breakfasts and dinners, a camel ride in Erg Chebbi, and fuel and transport costs.
Lunches, drinks, personal expenses, entrance fees and optional activities such as a film studio visit in Ouarzazate, and tips. Confirm current pricing and any optional extras with Morocco Happiness Tours before booking.
The price shown is per person for two travelers. The price per person changes with group size, so use the price estimate on this page to see the total for your group.
Yes. You travel in your own private vehicle with your own driver-guide, and only your group takes part.
Yes. The route, pace, hotels and stops can be adapted to your dates and interests. Contact us to confirm any changes before booking.
Use the price estimate on this page and press Check Availability, or send your dates and group size through the contact form, WhatsApp or email. Your booking is confirmed directly with Morocco Happiness Tours, not through automatic online checkout.