Casablanca
The Hassan II Mosque opens the trip right on the ocean.
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4 Days • Private Imperial & Desert Morocco Tour
Our 4 Days Tour from Casablanca starts at the Atlantic, crosses the Middle Atlas to a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes and finishes in Marrakech.
Duration
4 Days / 3 Nights
Departure
Casablanca
Tour Type
Private tour
Destination
Rabat, Fes, Merzouga, Dades Valley, Marrakech
Transport
Private 4x4 or minivan with air conditioning
Availability
Daily, flexible start date
Overview
The 4 Days Tour from Casablanca suits travelers who land in Casablanca with limited time and want to see the Sahara without backtracking. It is a one-way route, so you finish in Marrakech, ready for a flight or a few extra nights there. The first day pairs the Hassan II Mosque with a stop in Rabat before you sleep in a Fes riad. Next comes the longest drive, over cedar-covered hills and down the Ziz Valley to the dunes, where a camel ride leads to your camp. The last two days follow the gorges and kasbah villages of the south, then climb the High Atlas.
Ocean mosque, imperial medina and a desert night, ending in Marrakech.
What to expect
See the Hassan II Mosque above the Atlantic
Walk to the Hassan Tower in Rabat
Watch the dunes turn orange from a camel
Stroll between the cliffs of Todra Gorge
Climb through the old ksar of Aït Ben Haddou
Day by day
1
Casablanca → Rabat → Fes
Approx. distance: 300 km
Your driver meets you at your Casablanca hotel or at Mohammed V Airport. The morning starts at the Hassan II Mosque, built partly over the ocean, with an optional guided visit inside if the timing works.
Around midday you reach Rabat for the Hassan Tower, the Mohammed V Mausoleum and the white lanes of the Kasbah of the Udayas. In the late afternoon you continue inland to Fes, where dinner is served at your riad.
KEY STOPS: Hassan II Mosque, Hassan Tower, Kasbah of the Udayas
STAY: Riad in Fes
MEALS: Dinner
2
Fes → Ifrane → Merzouga
Approx. distance: 470 km
After breakfast you head south through Ifrane, a tidy mountain town with sloping roofs, and the cedar forest near Azrou where Barbary macaques often wait by the road. Lunch is in Midelt, below the Ayachi peaks.
The road then drops through the Ziz Valley, a long ribbon of palms, and passes Erfoud. In Merzouga you meet your camel and ride into Erg Chebbi as the light fades. Dinner and a night in a tented camp follow.
KEY STOPS: Ifrane, Azrou cedar forest, Midelt, Ziz Valley
STAY: Desert camp in Erg Chebbi
MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner
3
Merzouga → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley
Approx. distance: 290 km
Wake early to watch the sun rise over the dunes, then ride back to Merzouga for breakfast and a shower. The drive west passes Rissani and the oasis towns around Tinejdad.
Near Tinghir you walk into Todra Gorge, where the rock walls rise about 300 metres on each side of a shallow stream. In the afternoon the road climbs into the Dades Valley, with its red rock formations, for dinner and the night.
KEY STOPS: Rissani, Tinejdad, Tinghir, Todra Gorge
STAY: Hotel in the Dades Valley
MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner
4
Dades Valley → Aït Ben Haddou → Marrakech
Approx. distance: 330 km
Today follows the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs past Kelaat M'Gouna, Skoura and Ouarzazate. At Aït Ben Haddou you cross the river and climb through the earthen ksar, a UNESCO site used in many films.
After lunch the road winds over the Tizi n'Tichka pass at about 2,260 metres, with views of Berber villages below. You reach Marrakech in the early evening, where your driver drops you at your hotel or riad.
KEY STOPS: Kelaat M'Gouna, Skoura, Ouarzazate, Aït Ben Haddou, Tizi n'Tichka
STAY: Drop-off at your Marrakech hotel
MEALS: Breakfast
The route
The Hassan II Mosque opens the trip right on the ocean.
Discover →
Your first night is in a riad inside the old imperial city.
Explore →
A camel ride and a night among the highest dunes in Morocco.
Explore →
A short walk between tall limestone walls on day three.
Explore →
Photography
Practical details
Pickup in Casablanca and drop-off in Marrakech
Private vehicle, fuel and English-speaking driver
3 nights: riad in Fes, desert camp, Dades Valley hotel
3 breakfasts and 3 dinners
Camel ride in Erg Chebbi
Lunches and drinks
Entry fees for mosques, monuments and guides
Tips and personal expenses
Enquiry
Send us your dates and group size and we will confirm availability. If you would rather start at the airport or finish back in Casablanca, just ask.
Good to know
What does the 4 Days Tour from Casablanca include?
Private transport with an English-speaking driver, three nights of accommodation, three breakfasts, three dinners and the camel ride in Erg Chebbi.
Does the trip end in Casablanca?
No, it ends in Marrakech. If you need to fly home from Casablanca, we can add a fifth day for the drive back, which takes about three hours.
How long are the driving days?
Day two to Merzouga is the longest, around eight hours with breaks. The other days run five to seven hours including stops.
Can I be picked up at the airport?
Yes. Your driver can meet you at arrivals at Mohammed V Airport and go straight to the Hassan II Mosque.
What is the desert camp like?
You sleep in a tent in Erg Chebbi with beds and blankets. Standard tents may share bathrooms, while luxury tents have a private one, depending on the camp you choose.
Can I go inside the Hassan II Mosque?
Yes, non-Muslims can join guided visits at set times outside prayer hours. The ticket is paid on site and is not included.
What should I pack?
Bring warm layers for the desert night, a scarf for sun and sand, sunscreen, comfortable shoes and clothes that cover shoulders and knees for mosque visits.
More journeys
Tell us when you land and we will shape the four days around your plans. We usually reply within a few hours.