Morocco: Ultimate One Week Itinerary

Morocco checked a few major boxes off of my travel list: my first visit to Africa, my first visit to a Muslim country, and a chance to visit one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – the Sahara Desert! On the below Morocco travel itinerary,  I show you that it’s possible to visit all of the main tourist highlights in just one week! Follow me to this gorgeous country, which has something to offer everyone.

One Week Morocco Travel Itinerary

Below you’ll find my recent Morocco travel itinerary. I actually spent 10 days exploring this country, but it’s possible to do the same trip in just one week. My suggestion would be to spend less time in the city – Marrakesh, in particular, can be skipped – and to spend more time glamping in a beautiful landscape.

Watch a Video of My Morocco Travel Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Chefchauoen (Morocco’s Blue City)

Most likely you’ll be arriving in Morocco from Europe. You have an option to take a ferry from Spain over the Strait of Gibraltar, which would put you in Tangier. For my own Morocco travel itinerary, I flew from Barcelona, Spain, to Fes on an affordable flight (it cost me less than $50 one way). Either way, the first thing you’ll do is catch a CTM bus directly to Chefchaouen, the “Blue City.” From Fes, the bus takes about 4.5 hours; From Tangier, the bus trip is 3.5 hours.

Get settled into your Riad or Hostel in Chefchauoen’s old medina. Make sure you know the directions ahead of time, as many locals will try to sway you in another direction, stating your hostel is closed or dirty. If you arrived before sunset, have dinner on the top floor of Aladdin’s Restaurant, located just off of the main square. The views are breathtaking!

View from Aladdin’s Resturant

Day 2 – 3: Explore Chefchauoen

You can easily spend an entire day shopping and exploring the Blue City. Make sure to bring your camera, because this city is a photographer’s dream! If you’re photographing people (or yourself), I suggest having your subject wear bright colors that are the opposite color of blue – such as orange or yellow. They will really “pop” in the photos.

If by the afternoon you’re tired of photographing blue hues, wandering winding alleyways, and climbing stairs,  just outside of town is a beautiful waterfall you can visit for hiking or just to take in some nature.

Day 3 – 5: Fes

In the morning of Day 3, take the CTM bus to Fes. Check into your hotel and spend the afternoon and evening wandering through the old medina. Careful though, it’s easy to get lost! Find a spot to grab dinner and get a henna tattoo before retiring for the night.

On the following day, you can visit Fes’s iconic tanneries. This area is notorious for being a labyrinth. Locals will offer to lead you out, for a fee, so I think it’s best to just pay a guide to take you to the tannery in the first place. We booked a recommended local guide through our Riad and we learned so much during our walking tour, including some local Moroccan history, food culture, religious beliefs, and the best places to shop.

Day 5: Travel the Sahara Desert

Getting to the Sahara Desert isn’t easy. If you want to see Erg Chebbi, Morocco’s iconic sand dunes, you’ll need to drive 10-11 hours to the small city of Merzouga, near the Algerian border. The drive, in itself, is an experience. Along the way, you’ll see several Berber Villages and sweeping views of the Atlas Mountains. It’s a long day, but trust me, it’s worth it!
If you’re not interested in driving in Morocco, I don’t blame you, it can be intimidating! I booked my Sahara desert accommodations through Glampinghub.com with Desert Luxury Camp. The camp hired a driver to pick us up at our hotel (this can be done in either Marrakesh or Fes) and dropped us off two days later at our next hotel. If you’re flying out of Marrakesh after visiting the Sahara, this is a very convenient option.

Day 5 – 7: Glamping in Morocco

Upon arrival in the Sahara Desert, we settled into our camp. I was amazed at the luxury of the tents. They actually had hot showers and flush toilets! The scenery of the Sahara was spectacular. All meals were included, so we feasted on tagine (a Moroccan specialty cooked in a clay pot, similar to pot roast), Moroccan salad, and mint tea for two days. There was no lack of things to do during the day. The camp offered guided camel rides, 4×4 rides, sand boarding, and they even had an unbelievable in-ground pool. Read my full review of this experience here.

If you only do one thing on this Morocco travel itinerary,

you have to try a glamping experience!

At night we gathered around the fire and listened as camp hosts played drums and sang traditional music. Of course, we ended up dancing under a sea of stars. It was a magical experience! Read my full review.

Optional Glamping Experience Near Marrakesh

Driving for 10 hours, each way, to the Sahara Desert isn’t for everyone. But don’t worry, there is another desert glamping option only 40 minutes from Marrakesh that will give you a similar experience!

Glamping at Scarabeo Camp near Marrakesh

Using Glampinghub.com again, I spent one night at Scarabeo Camp, a unique encampment with stunning views of the Atlas Mountains just outside of Marrakesh. Wood burning stoves and Berber rugs decorate their luxury tents, each with its own private bathroom. Live music played in the main tent while we had another dinner of tagine. Moroccan lanterns lit up the camp at night, and we enjoyed the peace and quiet of this rocky desert. I highly recommend spending a night here if you can’t make it out to the Sahara.

View of the Atlas Mountains from Scarabeo Camp

Day 7: Return Home

If you must leave Morocco after one week, you should make your way back to Fes or Marrakesh on this day to catch your flight home. If you have more time, you can spend a day or two exploring Marrakesh, but I don’t suggest spending any more time there. Fes is a much better city to explore.

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Disclosure: The content in this blog post was partially sponsored by Glampinghub.com, Scarabeo Camp & Desert Luxury Camp