What to see in Morocco in 10 Days Itinerary?
What to see in Morocco in 10 Days Itinerary?
What should be on your list of things to see and do in Morocco during your 10 days trip?
Morocco offers an abundance of activities and destinations for travelers to explore. Its diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage are a major draw for visitors. This diversity is noticed and experienced once you across the Strait of Gibraltar arriving to Marrakech. We are passionate about travel and want to share that enthusiasm with you by providing a 10-day itinerary that allows you to fully experience Morocco’s stunning beauty. Follow our route to discover the best this country has to offer.
Explore Morocco in 10 days with a guided tour
Morocco is a vast country, and to truly experience its cultural richness and main attractions, you will need at least 10 days. To make the most out of your trip, we suggest a route that begins in Marrakech and concludes in Tangier. With stuninng aeroports, these two cities are ideal as arrival and departure destinations. However, you have the flexibility to do the route in reverse based on your preferences. With this in mind, let’s embark on a 10-day journey through Morocco.
Experience the magic of Marrakech during the initial two days of the itinerary
You can devote the first two days of your 10-day Morocco route entirely to explore the splendid city of Marrakech, which is regarded as one of the most significant cultural centers in the country. Although this resort town may appear frenzied at first glance, as you explore its depths, you’ll encounter a one-of-a-kind cultural and sensory experience. The red hue of its buildings, the aromas and tastes of its cuisine, its vibrant souks, and majestic mosques all beckon you to immerse yourself in this city’s offerings.
Top sights to explore in Marrakech
Marrakech is home to an unmissable souk that boasts countless stalls and street markets selling everything you can imagine. It’s best to spend an entire afternoon wandering through its labyrinthine streets and following your instincts. Our travel tip: visit the souk in the morning to avoid the crowds.
The Djemaa el Fna square, known as the heart of Marrakech, is a major attraction in the city. The square is always bustling with activity, both day and night, but it truly comes to life after sundown. Street musicians and food vendors selling Moroccan cuisine, as well as impromptu games and other activities, fill the square. During the day, visitors can witness monkey tamers, snake charmers, henna tattoo artists, jugglers, and more. It’s a square that can be enjoyed day and night.
In Marrakech, the Ben Youssef Madrasa is a stunning monument situated next to a mosque of the same name that is definitely worth visiting. The central courtyard can be walked through and the large iron lamp surrounded by tile-covered walls can be admired.
The Bahia Palace, another must-see attraction in Marrakech, was built to be the largest palace of all time. While it’s not the largest, it’s still a vast space that perfectly blends Arabic and Moroccan styles. The central square and gardens are the palace’s highlights.
While only Muslims are permitted to enter mosques, a visit to the Koutubía Mosque, the largest in the West and one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, is a must-see. It stands tall at 70 meters, making it the city’s tallest building.
The Dar Si Said Museum or Museum of Moroccan Arts, located in the center of Marrakech, is another noteworthy site worth visiting. Its interior houses an interesting collection of jewelry, fabrics, clothing, rugs, wood pieces, and furniture. In addition to its rooms, its patios and gardens are also worth exploring, with sober yet elegant decorations.
Day three is dedicated to exploring Essaouira
On day 3 of the 10-day Morocco route, you’ll explore the charming city of Essaouira. To get there, head to the Marrakech bus station and catch a bus, which takes about 2 hours. Starting your day early is recommended so you can make the most of your time, but keep in mind that it’s possible to take a day trip with us since you’ll need to return to Marrakech.
Located on the Atlantic coast, Essaouira is a UNESCO World Heritage City with a labyrinthine old town and easy-to-navigate modern city. There are numerous activities to enjoy here, including horseback riding, camel or quad tours, coastal dune walks, and water sports such as kite surfing and windsurfing.
Exploring the medina, strolling through souks, shopping for handicrafts, and visiting the port are equally exciting experiences. As a renowned port city, Essaouira boasts a wide range of fish and shellfish dishes for lunch.
Top things to see in Essaouira?
You might be asking what are the top things to see in Essaouira? Why do not try this: stroll along Taghart beach, the city’s main beach, which extends for 2 kilometers from the port to the south. It’s also essential to tour the fortification that surrounds the medina to understand the city’s history, despite being worn out and sometimes smelly. Once you pass through one of the most famous gates, Bab Moulay Youssef, you’ll enter a completely different world full of street stalls and markets.
The Skala marks the end of the medina and the beginning of the port, which is entered through a port wall. It’s worth going to the place to take many pictures of Essaouira. The place has hundreds of cannons that once protected the city, as well as defense towers.
Travel Tip: The Essaouira area is well-known for the production of argan oil, which is renowned for its many properties and can easily be found in the medina.
Days four and five of the 10-days trip will be filled with a desert adventure and a half-day tour of Morocco.
During days 4 and 5 of the 10-day Morocco route, you will have the opportunity to explore the breathtaking Sahara desert. To get there, you can travel south by private car, bus, or excursion and cross the Atlas via the Tizi’n tichka pass to reach Ouarzazate. The Atlas is a vast mountain range situated in the central part of Morocco, with Toubkal being its highest peak at 4165 meters. While the Atlas deserves more than a week’s worth of exploration, the trip will be shortened to ensure a complete Moroccan experience.
The Moroccan desert
There are two options to explore the Moroccan desert, the Erg Chebbi and the Erg Chegaga, both located in the Sahara desert with vast stretches of dunes that differ from each other. The Erg Chebbi desert is renowned for having the largest dunes in Morocco and is situated close to the town of Merzouga. On the other hand, the Erg Chigaga desert comprises the Reg or stone desert and the Erg or sand desert. Erg Chebbi translates to “The Little Dune,” despite its dunes reaching 250 meters in height. According to a legend, these dunes are the result of a divine punishment inflicted on the inhabitants of Merzouga, who refused to help a woman and her children in need, leading to their death. As punishment, a furious sandstorm covered the town and its inhabitants entirely, and locals claim that screams are still heard at noon emanating from the dunes. You can explore the dunes on foot, on the back of dromedaries, or in all-terrain vehicles, but it’s best to take an excursion.
To reach either desert, the journey begins in Marrakech to Ouarzazate, where the route forks. The route is stunning, with must-see places like the Ziz river valley, which is a rarely visited but beautiful area. Tighdouine and Tighdouene National Park are also worth visiting and can be covered in a little over two hours. The Tizi N’tichka mountain pass is an essential point where the road that traverses the southern part of the Atlas passes through to reach the plain of oases and deserts. Finally, you’ll arrive at one of Morocco’s great treasures, Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a Berber citadel that served as the setting for famous movies like Gladiator, The Mummy, and Babel.
Ouarzazate is the gateway to the desert, and its most exciting site is the kasbah Taourirt. From there, you can take two routes to the desert. If you take the route that heads southeast from Ouarzazate to the Erg Chegaga desert, you’ll pass through sites worth visiting like the Draa river valley, its massive palm grove, and several Berber villages known for their adobe buildings. Passing through the desert plateau between Tamegroute and Tagounite and the small town of M’hamid is also a prominent part of the tour. The Draa Valley is a 100 km oasis filled with palm trees surrounded by Berber villages. Tamnougalt is another point on the route that’s worth stopping at, a small town known for its incredible fortification and where scenes from the acclaimed film The English Patient were filmed. Between Tamegroute and Tagounite, you can climb a plateau from which you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the pre-desert area, the prelude to the Sahara.
M’hamid, a small town located near a sacred palm grove, marks the final destination before reaching the Erg Chigaga desert. Here, the rocky desert landscape begins, and nomadic groups with their camels become a part of the scenery.
Alternatively, if you decide to take the route from Ouarzazate to Erg Chebbi, you’ll pass by the Atlas massif and have the opportunity to visit the Dadés gorge, the town of M’semrir, the Todra gorges, and the palm grove of Tinghir. The most significant attractions along this route are the stunning Dadés and Todra gorges. The former is a famous postcard destination in Morocco, characterized by a winding road that traverses its rugged terrain. The Dadés gorge is located between Boumalne Dadès and M’semrir and boasts a scenic valley route.
Meanwhile, the Todra Gorges are another famous site located in the southern Atlas Mountains. This great canyon features walls that tower 160 meters high, with its most spectacular stretch occurring in the final 600 meters. Your journey begins in the Tinerhir palm grove and continues through the valley.
Khamlia, also known as “the village of Ismkhan,” is situated in the shadow of the Erg Chebbi dunes. This population of just over 300 inhabitants comprises descendants of slaves who came from black Africa. After being freed from slavery, they subsisted as nomads, moving through the desert to find optimal land for raising their cattle. Over time, they began to intermingle with the Berbers, and Khamlia was founded.
Day 6’s plan includes a trip to the breathtaking Merzouga desert before heading to Fes
On the sixth day of this 10-day itinerary in Morocco, we will explore the stunning Merzouga desert, considered the pearl of the Sahara. This popular destination attracts numerous tourists who want to experience its vast dunes either on a 4×4 vehicle or atop a dromedary. The desert of Merzouga is known for its stunning sunrise, with the sun appearing behind the dunes, and the mesmerizing night sky that gets lit up with stars, making it a perfect spot for stargazing as there are no urban lights nearby to obstruct the view. Apart from its breathtaking landscapes, Merzouga is also home to a diverse range of wildlife including reptiles like lizards and sand vipers, and mammals like desert hedgehogs, field mice, and more. The area is also renowned for birdwatching, where you can spot several species like bustards, nightjars, and pink flamingos. The cherry on the top is the magnificent palm grove that adds a splash of green to the otherwise golden desert landscape.
The itinerary for day 7 in Morocco includes a visit to the historic city of Fes.
Due to its ancient walled city which is often compared to Jerusalem, Fes city draws many tourists. It the first of the four imperial cities in Morocco that dates back to the 8th century. Fes is renowned as the cultural and spiritual capital of Morocco, as well as a hub for art and science. Given the abundance of attractions in Fes, it is recommended to devote an entire day to explore. Even with a 10-day trip to Morocco, one may not have enough time to truly delve into the richness of the country.
What to see in Fes?
Several must-visit places is to take in consediration while visting Fes: the medina that boasts over 9,000 narrow streets representing the best-preserved medina in the Arab world. The Fes el-Bali medina which is the largest urban area in the world without car traffic and the better explored by wandering the labyrinthine streets or hiring a guide. The city also boasts several medersas or Koranic schools, including the Chahrij Bouinania, built-in 1300, with its beautiful examples of Marinid plasterwork and stunning views of the city from the rooftop.
Other landmarks in Fes include the Karaouine Mosque, the second-largest mosque in Morocco, and the Moulay Idriss Mausoleum, the tomb of the founder of Fes, both of which are accessible only to Muslims. Visitors can still appreciate the beautiful facades of these buildings from the outside. Another notable site is the Mellah, the Jewish quarter, which features the IBN Dayan Synagogue and the Jewish cemetery. A guide is highly recommended to get the most out of the Mellah’s rich history. Lastly, the new town of Fes which is the modern area of the city featuring European architecture, administrative offices, banks, and modern shops. It might show a great contrast comparing it with the ancient medina but this amazing new town could be a good option for those seeking a more western-style experience.
What to see in Meknes?
Day eight of our itinerary calls for an excursion to Meknes and a stop at the Roman ruins of Volubilis.
Before the 10 days Morocco trip will come to an end, so much still to explore. On the 8th day, we suggest visiting two nearby destinations from Fes: 1) Meknes, also known as the imperial city of Meknes which is just 60 km away surrounded by 40 km of defensive walls; 2) The city’s history, particularly the reign of Sultan Mulay Ismail that you can start your day with; 3) The Roman ruins of Volubilis that you can visit in the afternoon.
While you are in Meknes, you can start your journey by strolling through the smaller, quieter medina and discover traditional Moroccan clothing, rugs, and more. Be sure to visit the Great Mosque, which features 11 doors and over 140 arches, as well as El Hedim Square, the center of public and cultural life in the city. Here, you will find many bars and restaurants to taste typical local cuisine. The Bab El Mansour gate is the most notable feature of the square and is considered one of the world’s most beautiful gates.
The Royal Palace Dar El Kebira, once the home of the famous and feared Moulay Ismail during his reign, is located in front of El Hedim Square. The Moulay Ismail Mausoleum, where one of Morocco’s most famous sultans rests, is also worth a visit.
After exploring Meknes, you can head 27 km to the ruins of Volubilis, which is the best evidence of Roman presence in Morocco. The ruins of this once-prosperous Roman city are nestled in the foothills of the Rif Mountains.
During your arrival, you will receive a map with an itinerary of the most important places to see in Volubilis. As you get closer to the ruins, you will be impressed by the intact columns and arches that have stood the test of time. The Arc de Triomphe, Basilica, and Capitol columns are all impressive constructions that you should not miss. The first place to visit is a small museum that tells the story of Volubilis through information panels, columns, mosaics, and statues.
The House of Orpheus is the most significant building in the ruins, and the Orpheus Mosaics, depicting the god Orpheus playing the harp surrounded by animals, is its highlight. The baths, which once occupied a large space in the center of the city, are also worth exploring. The temple of Jupiter Capitolino, located inside the forum, is dedicated to the three main Roman divinities and is a very photogenic place. The Basilica, the most important building in the city of Volubilis, was where state affairs and all decisions related to citizens’ futures were made. The houses of the columns are another area worth visiting, with the first one featuring a beautiful mosaic.
After visiting the ruins, you can travel to Chefchaouen for an overnight stay before continuing the tour the next day.
What to see in Chefchaouen?
On the ninth day of the Morocco trip, you’ll explore the «Blue City », an exquisite gem of Morocco, where the majority of buildings are painted sky blue.
What sets Chefchaouen apart from other cities in Morocco? Find out why it’s known as the “blue pearl” and what sights to see during your visit ?
Chefchaouen, also known as Chaouen, is a city made up of narrow alleys, irregular steps, and blue houses with balconies adorned with colorful flowers, offering a postcard-perfect view. Walking through the medina, the city’s main attraction, where the color blue reigns, is a must-do activity. As you wander through the labyrinthine streets, you’ll come across iconic spots, including the Great Mosque with its octagonal tower. The medina of Chefchaouen is situated on the Rif mountains, so you’ll enjoy the charming landscape as you ascend towards the exit arch, where you’ll find the way down to the waterfall and the washing places, also known as Ras al-Ma. In the afternoon, the trip continues to Tetouan, a nearby city with many cool and interesting places to visit.
What are the most stunning places to visit in Tetouan?
Tetouan is a significant city in Morocco, once the capital of the Spanish Protectorate in North Africa, from 1913 to 1956. The city has many must-see spots, but since you have only half a day, we’ll list just a few. The Tetouan medina, known as the most comprehensive in Morocco, is worth the title of World Heritage Site. Its narrow labyrinthine streets filled with smells and colors are authentic and offer a chance to feel like a true Moroccan. The tanners’ neighborhood is one of the medina’s most recognized spots and provides an up-close view of the skin treatment process for clothing and accessories. Outside the medina, the Royal Palace and Moulay El Mehdi Square are essential buildings worth a stop. If interested, the Spanish Quarter, with its inherited architecture and white facades with green accents, is also a fascinating visit. Additionally, the famous novel “El tiempo entre costuras” was filmed in Tetouan, and you may recognize many settings from the series.
On the tenth and final day of our ten-day journey through Morocco, we conclude our adventure in Tangier.
We have reached our final destination on our 10-day journey through Morocco:Tangier. considered as on of the significant cities in the Moroccan history and as a gateway to the African continent, Tangier is located on the Strait of Gibraltar. Before departing, we recommend visiting some of Tangier’s most iconic landmarks.
The medina is undoubtedly one of the city’s main attractions, featuring several points of interest, including the Kasbah. To access the Kasbah, visitors must pass through the Bab el Assa gate, also known as the Gate of the Sentinels. Once inside, tourists can explore the Kasbah Museum, formerly a sultan’s palace and the residence of French and Portuguese governors.
Tangier airport operates both international and domestic flights, including routes to Casablanca, Marrakech, and Ouarzazate, as well as Europe via airlines such as Ryanair, Air Arabia, and Iberia. Your Morocco journey will conclude in Tangier, providing you with a comprehensive experience and unforgettable memories.
Our itinerary through Morocco in ten days included the imperial cities, deserts, Berber villages, and unique landscapes that showcase Morocco’s diverse cultural and scenic beauty. Few countries offer such a complete experience, making Morocco an exceptional travel destination. We hope our route served as an inspiration for future travels, and we look forward to the next destination.
