Desert first, cities after.
Tour overview
Desert first, cities after. Two nights in Merzouga open the tour, then the road leads north to Fes for a guided day in the medina, on to Volubilis, Meknes and Rabat, and finally to Casablanca and the Hassan II Mosque, convenient for an international flight home.
Our 6 Day Errachidia to Casablanca Tour begins in Errachidia and ends in Casablanca, covering about 1,000 km by road over six days. Along the way you will experience a sunset camel trek in the dunes of Erg Chebbi, a night in a desert camp, tea with nomad families and Gnawa music in Khamlia, the cedar forests and Barbary macaques of the Middle Atlas, a guided day in the medina of Fes, the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the gates of Meknes and the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. Each stop is a real visit on foot, with your driver-guide explaining what you are looking at and local people adding their own stories.
Accommodation is chosen for character and location rather than size: one night in a desert camp in the dunes of Erg Chebbi, one night in a comfortable hotel in Merzouga, two nights in a riad or boutique hotel in Fes and one night in a riad or boutique hotel in Rabat. You travel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle, a 4x4 or a minibus depending on the size of your party, with an English-speaking driver-guide who knows these roads well. Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese-speaking guides are available on request.
It suits travellers who want to see more than one side of Morocco in a week or so, at a pace that leaves time to walk, take photographs and talk to people along the way. The longest day on the road is day 3, with 7.5–8 hours of driving; every other day is shorter, and all of them are broken up by visits and stops. Like all our tours it is fully private, so the plan below can be lengthened, shortened or rearranged to fit your dates.
Highlights
Detailed itinerary
Your journey starts with a pick-up in Errachidia. With the dunes only two hours away, you enjoy the road: the Ziz Valley viewpoint, the oasis villages, and Erfoud's fossil workshops.
In Rissani you walk through the monumental gate into the old market and can try madfouna, a stuffed flatbread baked in the sand.
In the afternoon you leave your luggage in Merzouga and ride a camel across Erg Chebbi to watch the sunset, before dinner and a night at the camp.
Climb a dune at dawn and watch Erg Chebbi light up: the desert is never more beautiful than in these first minutes. Breakfast is in camp, then you return to the village.
The day's excursion is by 4x4. You visit Khamlia, where Gnawa musicians keep alive the songs of their ancestors, and cross the black desert to a nomad tent for tea. Fossils, old mines and the seasonal lake of Dayet Srji are possible stops along the way.
In the afternoon you can rest, swim or try sandboarding. The night is in a hotel at the foot of the dunes.
After sunrise in the dunes, the long road north begins. You follow the Ziz River to a viewpoint over its palm-filled valley.
The road then winds through the Ziz gorges to Midelt, where you have lunch with views of Jbel Ayachi.
The afternoon crosses the Middle Atlas, with its cedar forests and Barbary macaques, and passes through Ifrane before you reach Fes in the evening.
A full day in Fes, the spiritual heart of Morocco. Your licensed local guide meets you at the hotel and leads you through Bab Boujloud into Fes el-Bali, whose lanes are too narrow for cars and too many to count.
On foot you see a madrasa of carved stucco and zellige, the entrance of the Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in the ninth century, the coppersmiths of Place Seffarine and the famous Chouara tannery, viewed from above with a sprig of mint against the smell.
After lunch in a traditional restaurant you drive to the Royal Palace, the Mellah and a ceramics cooperative, and end with a panorama of the medina. After the visit, the afternoon is yours.
Today you leave Fes for the coast. Across the Saïss plain you reach Volubilis, a Roman city where mosaics lie in the open and storks nest on the columns.
Meknes, the most relaxed of the imperial cities, is next: you see the great gate of Bab Mansour and the granaries of Moulay Ismail, and have lunch nearby.
In the afternoon you continue to Rabat, visiting the Hassan Tower, the royal mausoleum and the Kasbah of the Udayas today or tomorrow morning.
The morning is in Rabat for anything you have not yet seen, perhaps the Chellah gardens or a last walk in the kasbah, before the short drive down the coast to Casablanca.
In Casablanca the visit to the Hassan II Mosque is the highlight. Guided tours run at fixed times and take about an hour; inside, the scale of the prayer hall and the detail of its craftsmanship are equally striking. If time allows you drive along the Corniche and past the Art Deco buildings of the centre.
Your driver then takes you to your hotel or to Mohammed V Airport, depending on your flight. If you are flying out today, we plan the morning around your departure time.
Good to know
Before you go
Your driver meets you at Errachidia Moulay Ali Cherif Airport, the bus station or your hotel. If you arrive on the evening flight, we can adjust the first day or add a night.
Drop-off is at your hotel in Casablanca or at Mohammed V Airport, timed to your flight.
A different start or end point is rarely a problem. Because every tour is private, we can begin in one city and finish in another; tell us where you are staying and we will adapt the route and the quote.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable seasons for this route. Days are warm and clear, nights are mild, and in April and May the valleys of the south are green and the roses of Kalaat M'Gouna are in bloom.
Winter is a good time for the desert if you bring warm clothes: skies are bright and the dunes are quiet, but temperatures after dark can fall to around freezing and the High Atlas passes occasionally close for a few hours after snow. In July and August the Sahara is very hot in the afternoon, so we shift the camel trek later, start driving earlier and can recommend a camp with air-cooled tents.
During Ramadan the tour runs as normal. Some restaurants close during the day in smaller towns, your driver-guide will know where to stop, and evenings are especially lively after sunset.
Questions and answers
Yes. You travel only with the people in your own party, in a private vehicle with your own driver-guide. That means you choose the departure date, set the pace and can stop wherever you like along the way.
It varies from day to day. The longest stretch is on day 3, with 7.5–8 hours on the road, and the other days are noticeably shorter. In total the tour covers about 1,000 km. All times are approximate and broken up by visits, lunch and photo stops.
Camps in Erg Chebbi have real beds with sheets and blankets, a dining tent and a fire circle. You choose between two options. Our mid-range luxury camp has private tents with en-suite bathrooms, hot showers and comfortable bedding. Our luxury camp has more spacious tents with air conditioning and heating, high-quality bedding and premium bathroom amenities. Dinner and breakfast are served at the camp.
No. The camel trek is included and most guests enjoy it, but if you prefer, we take you to the camp by 4x4. This is also what we suggest for very young children, pregnant travellers and anyone with back or knee problems.
Yes. The programme on this page is a starting point. We can add nights, swap stops, upgrade accommodation or finish somewhere other than Casablanca. Tell us what you have in mind and we will adjust the route and send a new quote.
March to May and September to November offer the most comfortable temperatures. Winter is clear and quiet but cold at night in the desert; in July and August the Sahara is very hot, and we adjust the timings accordingly.
Prices are always quoted on request: the price depends on the number of travellers, the season and the accommodation category, so we quote each request individually. Send us your dates and group size by WhatsApp or email and we will reply with a detailed quote. You can ask for as many changes as you need before confirming.
Accommodation
Carefully selected riads, guesthouses, hotels and desert camps. The exact properties are confirmed with your quote, in the category you choose.
Night 1
Desert camp in Erg Chebbi
A camp among the dunes with proper beds and bedding in each tent, a dining tent and a fire circle. We offer two options, both with private tents, en-suite bathrooms and hot showers: a mid-range luxury camp, and a luxury camp with more spacious tents, air conditioning and heating.
Night 2
Comfortable hotel
A well-located hotel with en-suite rooms, chosen for comfort and convenience after a day on the road.
Nights 3 and 4
Riad or boutique hotel
A traditional house built around a courtyard, in or beside the old town, with individually decorated rooms and breakfast served on the roof terrace or in the patio.
Night 5
Riad or boutique hotel
A traditional house built around a courtyard, in or beside the old town, with individually decorated rooms and breakfast served on the roof terrace or in the patio.
Your night in the Sahara
We offer two camps in the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Tell us which one you prefer when you enquire.
Included in this tour
Upgrade on request
Gallery
The places you will stand in on this route, in the order you reach them.
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Tell us your dates and group size, and we will send you this itinerary with a personal quote. You can change anything you like before confirming.
Quick answers for planning your 6 day Errachidia to Casablanca tour with Magic Morocco Tours.
6 days in Morocco on this route means about 1,000 km by private vehicle from Errachidia to Casablanca, with nights in Erg Chebbi dunes, Fes and Rabat. Spent this way, your 6 days in Morocco leave time to ride a camel into Erg Chebbi at sunset and to spend a night in a Sahara desert camp.
The 6 day Morocco itinerary, day by day: day 1, Errachidia – Ziz Valley – Erfoud – Rissani – Merzouga – Camel Trek; day 2, Merzouga – Khamlia – Nomad Families – Erg Chebbi by 4x4; day 3, Merzouga – Ziz Valley – Midelt – Cedar Forest – Ifrane – Fes; day 4, Fes – Guided Tour of the Medina – Tanneries – Madrasas; day 5, Fes – Meknes – Volubilis – Rabat; day 6, Rabat – Casablanca – Hassan II Mosque. As the tour is private, this 6 day Morocco itinerary can be changed before or during the trip.
As a Errachidia to Merzouga desert tour, this trip reaches the Erg Chebbi dunes on day 1. There you ride a camel into the dunes and spend a night at a mid-range luxury desert camp (luxury camp on request). Shorter and longer Errachidia to Merzouga desert tour options are on our Tours from Errachidia page.
