If you’re gearing up for a trip to Morocco and want to see more than just the big cities this route is for you.
Over nine days you will move from the chaos and colors of Marrakech to the quiet of the Sahara Desert. Then to the crashing waves of the Atlantic coast.
You will be moving at your own pace but you will definitely be on the move, one region at a time.
Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech
You will land at Menara Airport. From here it’s a short drive into the city. The roads can be a bit wild but your driver will know the way.
You will stay in a riad, tucked away in the old Medina. It might not look like much from the outside, but open the door, and you’re in another world. Cool tiles. A courtyard. Maybe even a rooftop view.
This first day is light. Settle in. Get your bearings. Take a short walk to the square. Smell the spices. Watch the crowds. Try not to get lost, though if you do, that’s part of the charm.
Dinner is organized for you. A warm welcome, a bit of music, and your first taste of Moroccan hospitality.
Day 2: A Day in the Red City
Marrakech deserves time. You will walk through its history with a local guide. It starts with palaces and tombs. The Bahia Palace is bright and detailed. The Saadian Tombs are quieter, more reflective. In between you pass storks nesting on old stone walls.
Then the souks. This isn’t shopping. It’s a maze. Lanterns, leather, rugs, spices. Everything in a jumble. Your guide helps you make sense of it. Eventually you reach the Ben Youssef Madrasa. The carvings here are something else. It’s peaceful inside. A place to pause.
Lunch is simple, flatbread and lentils. Dinner is up to you. Some people like to eat at the riad. Others head back to the square, where the grills fire up and the smoke rises into the night.
Day 3: Into the Mountains
Leaving Marrakech the road climbs fast. You will pass olive trees and shepherds. Up ahead, the High Atlas Mountains. Snow-capped, even in spring. The Tizi n’Tichka Pass winds its way through the peaks. Sometimes the road is busy. Sometimes, it’s just you and the hills.
By midday you will arrive at Ait Benhaddou. It’s famous but not in a bad way. You will walk through the narrow alleys. Climb to the top. The view stretches far.
Lunch is nearby. Then you keep driving. The landscape shifts. More arid now. Less green. You enter the Draa Valley, a stretch of land that runs through the desert.
Small villages appear. Children wave. You will end the day in Zagora. There’s a kasbah here, and a garden. It’s quiet at night. The stars are starting to show.
Day 4: Edge of the Desert
Today the road heads further south. In Amezrou, there are traces of old history. Silver shops line the street. In Tamegroute, you will see green pottery and an old library filled with handwritten books. A stop here gives a different feel, less polished, more real.
Lunch is with a local family. Something homemade. Olives and bread pulled fresh from the fire. Then the road disappears. Literally. You leave the tarmac behind and head into the dunes.
The last stretch is by camel. Not fast. But reflective. The sand shifts with the wind. You arrive at your camp just before sunset. Tents wait, already set up. Inside, thick blankets, cushions. Dinner is eaten around a fire. The night is still.
Day 5: A Day in the Sahara
You wake early. The light is soft. The air is cold. But worth it. Watching the sun rise over the dunes feels like a quiet celebration.
The day opens up before you. The opportunities are endless. Perhaps you go exploring by 4×4. Perhaps you walk. You might visit a nomad family. Share tea. Listen. Ask questions. You learn a lot in silence.
Lunch happens in the shade of trees at a small oasis. The wind rustles the palms. It’s almost too quiet. Later, more time on the dunes. Some people slide down. Others just sit and look.
Back at camp, the second night feels more familiar. The stars, the fire, the rhythm of the drums.
Day 6: Back on the Road
The journey out of the desert is different. You cross dry lakebeds. Flat, cracked earth that goes on and on. The hamada is rough and rocky. Fossils can be found here. The kind that remind you how old this place is.
Lunch is at a small hotel in Foum Zguid. Perhaps by a pool. You keep going west. A quick stop in Tazenakht, a town known for rugs. The colors hang outside on walls, reds, yellows, deep blues.
By evening time you reach Taroudant. It has high walls and a slower pace. Fewer tourists. More life being lived. You sleep in a quiet riad tucked behind the city walls.
Day 7: To the Ocean
The road heads toward the sea now. You stop in Tiznit for silver jewelry or visit the Massa National Park. Flamingos sometimes nest here. Goats sometimes climb trees. Both are fun to see.
By afternoon you reach Legzira. The beach is wide. The cliffs are red. The rock arches are huge. It’s not crowded. You walk, you breathe, you let the sea air rinse off the desert dust.
Dinner is by the water. Fish grilled simply. A glass of mint tea. Sleep comes easily.
Day 8: At the Coast
There’s no rush today. Walk the beach. Sit in a café. Watch the waves. Visit Sidi Ifni if you want. It’s got old Spanish buildings and a past that’s still present. There’s not much to do. That’s the point.
You return to Legzira for one more night. The ocean sounds different at night. Bigger, somehow.
Day 9: The Long Road Back
Today is mostly driving. But it’s beautiful. The route climbs through the Anti-Atlas, over Tizi n’Test. The road is narrow. The turns are sharp. But the views go on forever.
Eventually you see Marrakech again. The red walls. The call to prayer. The return of city noise.
Nine days. A mix of everything. Enough movement to keep things interesting. Enough space to let things sink in.
There’s no better way to see Morocco unfold, piece by piece.
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