7 Days Desert & Blue City Combo

This 7-day Sahara and Blue City itinerary is crafted for comfort, pace, and wow-moments—yet fully flexible. Whether you want extra time among dunes or an added foodie stop, your Desert & Blue City tour 7 days can be customized to fit your style.

Day 1: Marrakech → Aït Benhaddou → Dades → overnight Dades

Desert & Blue City tour 7 days kicks off with an early departure around 08:00 from your riad in Marrakech, crossing the High Atlas via the Tizi n’ Tichka pass. You’ll cover roughly 257 km today with about 4h 33m of drive time. En route, you will wind through mountain switchbacks and Berber hamlets before reaching Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar whose earthen towers glow in the sun. After a guided walk through its alleys and viewpoints, continue along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to the Dades Valley, famed for its rose fields and fortress-like homes. You will pause at panoramic bends like the famous Tissdrine switchbacks and sip mint tea with a view before settling into a cozy guesthouse. Expect a warm dinner, a welcoming host, and starry skies—your ideal start. Rest well; the desert awaits tomorrow.

Approx. timing & distance: Depart 08:00; Marrakech → Aït Benhaddou (~180.9 km / ~3h 18m); Aït Benhaddou → Dades (~95.3 km / ~1h 28m).

Day 2: Dades → Todra → camel trek → overnight dunes camp

After breakfast, you’ll set out around 08:30 for the Todra Gorge, a soaring limestone canyon where cliffs rise like cathedral walls. Today’s total distance is about 265 km with 3h 58m drive time. You will stroll the canyon floor as climbers test the vertical faces above and palm groves rustle alongside the river. Continuing across desert plateaus and date-palm oases, you’ll reach Merzouga by late afternoon. Here, the 4×4 meets your camels for a gentle sunset trek (60 minutes) into the Erg Chebbi dunes. You will watch the sands ripple with changing light, cresting a ridge just as the sun drips behind the golden waves. In camp, expect a private tent with ensuite options, a candlelit dinner, Saharan drums by the fire, and a sky strewn with constellations. Magic. Sleep to the hush of the dunes.

Approx. timing & distance: Depart 08:30; Dades → Todra (~70.6 km / ~1h 11m); Todra → Merzouga (~200.6 km / ~2h 49m); camel trek ~1h.

Day 3: Merzouga → Ziz → overnight Fes

Wake early for a sunrise dune walk or short camel ride back to the 4×4. After breakfast and a refreshing shower at a lodge, you’ll roll north around 08:30 via Erfoud and the Ziz Valley, a ribbon of palms cutting through rust-red cliffs. Today is a scenic long-haul—approximately 468 km with 6h 56m drive time but it’s broken up with photo stops and lunch near Midelt. You will watch the landscape shift from desert to cedar forests, passing the alpine town of Ifrane and, with luck, spotting Barbary macaques. As the altitude rises, the air cools and green hills appear. By early evening, you’ll arrive in Fes, where your riad’s tiled courtyard and a mint tea welcome await. You will unwind before dinner—perhaps a fragrant tagine or a quick bite nearby—then settle into your room. Tomorrow, you’ll dive deep into the world’s most complete medieval medina.

Approx. timing & distance: Depart 08:30; Merzouga to Fes via Ziz/Midelt/Ifrane (~468 km / ~6h 56).

Day 4: Fes medina tour → overnight Fes

After breakfast, you’ll meet your local guide around 09:00 for a half- or full-day private tour of Fes el-Bali. Drive time is minimal today; expect walking 4–6 hours with breaks. You will navigate the labyrinth of souks, fondouks, and artisan quarters where coppersmiths hammer, woodworkers carve, and looms click in rhythm. Highlights typically include the Bou Inania or Attarine madrasas (stunning Marinid artistry), the panoramic Borj Nord lookout, and the photogenic Chouara Tanneries, where centuries-old dyeing vats paint a vivid mosaic. You will sample street-side msemen or a sit-down lunch of pastilla in a hidden courtyard. Your guide will tailor the route to your interests—history, crafts, cuisine—so you see more of what you love and skip what you don’t. Return to your riad in the late afternoon for downtime, a traditional hammam, or sunset tea on the terrace. Another night in Fes to savor its mood.

Approx. timing & distance: Start ~09:00; mostly walking; short intra-city transfers as needed.

Day 5: Transfer to Chefchaouen → overnight Chefchaouen

This morning around 09:00, you’ll depart Fes for the Rif Mountains and the fabled Blue City of Chefchaouen—a journey of about 196 km and 3h 26m drive time. En route, rolling hills give way to rugged peaks and terraced farms. You will arrive to a swirl of cobalt lanes, powder-blue stairways, and flower-boxed doorways. After check-in, set out for a leisurely orientation walk: Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the Kasbah garden, and artisan shops selling woven blankets and goat cheese. You will capture photo after photo—every corner is a postcard—and pause for a late lunch at a rooftop café with mountain views. The afternoon is yours: wander quieter backstreets, browse craft cooperatives, or simply linger over mint tea as the light softens. In the evening, the medina hushed and lanterns glowing, you’ll feel the city’s calming pull. Sleep in the heart of the blue maze.

Approx. timing & distance: Depart 09:00; Fes to Chefchaouen (~196 km / ~3h 26m).

Day 6: Chefchaouen old town & viewpoints → overnight Chefchaouen

With a relaxed start around 09:30, today is about savoring Chefchaouen at your pace. No long drives; expect light walking 3–5 hours across the day with café breaks. You will meander through the medina’s lesser-known quarters to find hidden doors, indigo-washed staircases, and artisan studios. For a broader view, you’ll follow the Ras El-Maa stream up to the Spanish Mosque viewpoint (gentle walk, ~30–40 minutes), where the whole blue tapestry unfurls beneath you. You will catch the best light mid-late afternoon, perfect for those iconic shots. Back in town, explore cooperative workshops to see weaving and woodcraft techniques that keep local traditions alive. Prefer a foodie focus? We can fold in a short street-food tasting or a home-style lunch. As twilight drifts in, the medina glows a deeper blue—unforgettable. Another serene night in Chefchaouen.

Approx. timing & distance: Start 09:30; local walking; optional viewpoint walk ~30–40 min each way.

Day 7: Drive to Casablanca or Tangier → depart

Your final day flexes to your flight. If heading to Casablanca, plan an 08:00 start for approximately 341 km and 4h 45m drive time from Chefchaouen; you will roll through fertile plains and modern expressways, with the option to pause in Rabat for a quick coastal coffee or a look at the Hassan Tower area. If departing from Chefchaouen to Tangier, leave around 10:00 for 112 km and 2h 3m drive time; you will enjoy mountain views easing into Atlantic panoramas before the port-city skyline appears. Upon arrival, you’ll be dropped at your airport, port, or hotel. You will carry home the warmth of desert hospitality, the hush of starry dunes, and the calming blues of Chefchaouen—memories that linger long after wheels-up. Until next time, shukran and safar saïd.

Approx. timing & distance: Chefchaouen to Casablanca (~341 km / ~4h 45m) or Chefchaouen to Tangier (~112 km / ~2h 3m).