A desert guide in traditional dress standing beside a camel among the dunes near Merzouga, on day 6 of the loop

7-Day Imperial Cities & Sahara Tour from Fes

A private 7-day round trip from Fes covering Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the blue city of Chefchaouen, Rabat, Casablanca, a guided day in Marrakech, Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades Valley and Todra Gorge, and a night in the Merzouga dunes before returning north to Fes — our fullest loop for travelers flying in and out of Fes.

Duration: 7 days / 6 nights
Departure: Fes
Destination: Chefchaouen, Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Dades Valley, Todra Gorge, Merzouga, Erg Chebbi, Fes
From: Contact us for a tailored quote

What makes this our fullest loop from Fes

Most of our Fes departures focus on a single goal — a fast or relaxed run down to the Sahara. This one is built to cover five distinct regions in a single round trip: the imperial cities of Meknes and Fes itself, the blue city of Chefchaouen, the Atlantic coast at Rabat and Casablanca, Marrakech, and the Sahara Desert at Merzouga, before returning to Fes. It’s the itinerary we point Fes-based travelers toward when they want to see as much of the country as reasonably fits into a week rather than focus on the desert alone.

A loop that returns to where it started

The route moves in one direction for most of the trip — north and west from Fes to Chefchaouen and the coast, south to Marrakech, then back northeast through the desert — before a final push back to Fes. Because both the start and end point are the same city, this tour suits travelers whose flights land and depart from Fes-Saïss Airport rather than Marrakech, without needing a separate transfer at either end.

What a typical day looks like

Roughly half the days on this route involve several hours of driving, and the other half are anchored around a specific stop — Chefchaouen, the Marrakech medina, or the desert camp. The Marrakech day in particular is left entirely for guided sightseeing rather than combined with a driving leg, giving the trip a natural midpoint before the return journey through the High Atlas and the desert.

Handling the length of the trip

Seven days across five regions is a genuine undertaking, even with a private driver managing the logistics. The longest driving days — Casablanca to Marrakech, and Merzouga back to Fes — both include stops roughly every two hours, and the Marrakech day is left unscheduled beyond the guided medina walk, giving the trip a lower-key stretch in the middle rather than a constant string of long transfers.

Who this itinerary suits

This is the tour for travelers based in or flying through Fes who want to see the north, the coast, Marrakech and the Sahara in one trip rather than choosing just one region. If your flights instead route through Marrakech, our similar 10-day grand tour follows a comparable loop starting and ending there instead of Fes.

Tour Highlights

Meknes' monumental Bab Mansour gate and the Roman ruins of Volubilis
A morning in Chefchaouen's blue-painted medina, tucked into the Rif Mountains
Rabat's Hassan Tower and the Kasbah of the Oudayas
The Hassan II Mosque on the Casablanca waterfront
A guided day through the Marrakech medina, Bahia Palace and Jemaa el-Fnaa
Cross the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass and visit the Ait Ben Haddou ksar
Drive the Dades Valley and the narrow Todra Gorge
Camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset, with a night in a desert camp
A single loop that returns to Fes rather than ending in another city

Full Itinerary

Day 1
Fes to Chefchaouen via Meknes and Volubilis
Leave Fes and head to Meknes for the monumental Bab Mansour gate and the vast royal stables built under Sultan Moulay Ismail, then continue to Volubilis, where mosaic floors and standing columns mark a former Roman provincial capital. Cross into the Rif Mountains, reaching Chefchaouen by early evening in time to see its blue-washed streets in golden hour light.
Day 2
Chefchaouen to Rabat
Spend the morning wandering Chefchaouen's steep, narrow lanes before heading south and west toward Rabat, Morocco's political capital. See the unfinished 12th-century Hassan Tower and its rows of stone columns, and the Kasbah of the Oudayas overlooking the mouth of the Bou Regreg river. Overnight in Rabat.
Day 3
Rabat to Marrakech via Casablanca
A shorter morning drive down the coast to Casablanca for the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world and one of the few in the country open to non-Muslim visitors, plus a walk along the Corniche. Continue inland to Marrakech, arriving with the evening free to see Jemaa el-Fnaa fill with food stalls and performers.
Day 4
Marrakech Medina
A full day guided through Marrakech with a local guide: the Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, and the medina's souks, followed by the Majorelle Garden and the newer Gueliz district if time allows.
Day 5
Marrakech to the Dades Valley via Ait Ben Haddou
Cross the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n'Tichka pass, with stops at viewpoints along the way. Visit the Ait Ben Haddou ksar before continuing through Ouarzazate and the Rose Valley toward the Dades Valley, where you overnight in a hotel or guesthouse.
Day 6
Dades Valley to Merzouga via the Todra Gorge
Travel east through the Todra Gorge for a walk beneath its towering red cliffs before crossing the plains toward Merzouga. In the late afternoon, set off by camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes, reaching the desert camp in time for sunset, Berber drumming, dinner and an overnight stay under the stars.
Day 7
Sunrise in the dunes and on to Fes
Wake early for sunrise over the dunes before riding back to Merzouga by camel. After breakfast, head north with a stop at the traditional souk in Rissani and the fossil workshops of Erfoud, before continuing through the Ziz Valley and the Middle Atlas cedar forests near Ifrane and Azrou back to Fes, typically arriving by early evening.

What's Included

Private, air-conditioned vehicle for the entire loop, with fuel and toll costs covered
English-speaking driver throughout, present for all 7 days rather than swapped between regions
Hotel or riad accommodation for all 6 nights
A local guide for the Marrakech medina walk
One night in a desert camp at Merzouga, including the camel trek
Dinner at the desert camp and in the Dades Valley area
Daily breakfast
Bottled water in the vehicle every day

What's Not Included

International or domestic flights
Most lunches and some dinners
Entrance fees to monuments (roughly €65 per person across the whole route)
Tips for your driver, guide and camp staff
Travel insurance

Accommodation

Six nights are included across Chefchaouen, Rabat or Casablanca, Marrakech, the Dades Valley area, and a desert camp at Merzouga. Hotels and riads default to a comfortable mid-range standard, with the option to upgrade any stop to a higher category, and the desert camp can be arranged as a shared-tent setup or a private tent with its own bathroom.

Important Information

This is our fullest loop from Fes, combining the imperial cities, the blue city of Chefchaouen, the coast, Marrakech and the Sahara Desert in a single round trip that returns to where it started.
The route runs Fes to the north and coast, down to Marrakech, then back up through the desert to Fes, so very little of the driving repeats the same road twice.
The longest driving days are Casablanca to Marrakech and Merzouga back to Fes; both include stops roughly every two hours.
The camel trek to the desert camp can be substituted with a 4x4 transfer on request.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this tour loop back to Fes instead of ending in Marrakech?

It's built for travelers flying in and out of Fes-Saïss Airport rather than Marrakech-Menara, so the route is designed as a closed loop: north and west to the coast and Marrakech, then back through the desert to where it started, instead of finishing in a different city.

How does this differ from your Casablanca-based tours that also pass through Fes?

Our Casablanca departures start on the coast and typically end in Marrakech. This tour starts and ends in Fes, which suits a different flight itinerary, and it dedicates full sightseeing days to both Marrakech and the Fes-to-Meknes-to-Chefchaouen stretch rather than treating any of them as a pass-through.

Is 7 days enough to cover this much ground?

It's a full itinerary covering five distinct regions in a week, so expect a mix of longer driving days and full sightseeing days rather than a relaxed pace throughout. Each major stop still gets dedicated time — a full day in Marrakech and a night in the desert — rather than a quick pass-through.

Can this tour be extended or slowed down?

Yes — a common adjustment is adding a night in Essaouira on the coast, or a second night around Merzouga to explore the desert region beyond the dune camp. Let us know your priorities when booking and we can adjust the itinerary.