Steal my 1 Week in Morocco Itinerary – The Best of Morocco

Planning the right 1 week in Morocco itinerary can be exhausting and tricky because there are so many places you can visit: from the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast all the way to the Sahara desert. You can do a short city break from London to Marrakech, you can spend a week in some of the regions mentioned above or you can do the ultimate road trip and cover most of Morocco in 14 days.

This guide is covering one week in Morocco which is an ideal amount for your first time there. With this itinerary you’ll be able to check the best spots in Morocco, so let’s get started! 

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How to get to Morocco

You can fly into different cities (Marrakech, Tangier, Agadir, Fes etc.). With this Morocco 1 week travel itinerary the best is to fly to Tangier, a city on the Mediterranean coast in Northern Morocco, very close to Spain.

I took the evening flight from London Stansted to Tangier, so on that evening I just had dinner, took a shower and went to sleep, so the itinerary is starting from the first full day of sightseeing.

Where to stay in Morocco

Here are the best hotels in Morocco for this exact itinerary, covering Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fes, Merzouga (Sahara), Ait Ben Haddou and Marrakech.

Where to stay in Tangier

Tangier surprised me the most. I didn’t expect much from the White City, but I loved it a lot and would love to be back, though it feels more European than North African.

Where to stay in Chefchaouen

My favourite colourful place in the world. Chefchaouen is not to be missed! 💙

Where to stay in Fes

People either love or hate Fes. Sadly, I didn’t have the best experience there, but my favourite hotel was exactly there. For this itinerary, it makes sense to make a stop at Fes, and who knows, maybe you end up liking it.

Where to stay in Merzouga

You have to go to Merzouga when in Morocco! Being in the desert was the best experience I’ve had in Morocco and one of my favourite travel moments ever!

📖 Read my detailed Best 10 Sahara Desert Camps in Morocco blog post for more.

Where to stay in Ait Ben Haddou

Welcome to Ait Ben Haddou aka Yunkai! Yes, this beautiful little UNESCO village has been a filming location of not only Game of Thrones, but of many other movies and tv shows, such as the Gladiator. It is a must visit in Morocco because of its unique architectural style and cultural importance.

Where to stay in Marrakech

I loved the vibes in Morocco and can’t wait to be back there!

Is 1 week enough in Morocco?

Yes, and no. Let me explain!

With 1 week in Morocco you can visit a lot of places like I will show you in this itinerary. However, it is not enough to visit most of the country and it often means staying 1-2 nights in one place. If you have a slower pace, within one week you can expect to see 2-3 different places instead of 6 like I did.

Morocco is a beautiful country, safe to visit, so you can always go back. I know I will. 🙂

Day 1: Tangier & Chefchaouen

Road trips are my favourite way of exploring the country, so I rented a car that I can easily move around Morocco and have my own pace of travelling. Moroccan roads are really good, the infrastructure is great, so you can easily drive. I always rent a car via AutoEurope. Kindly note that for this itinerary, you’ll have to pick up your rental car at Tangier Airport, but return it at Marrakech Airport. This will add extra £50 to your rental quote. 

If a road trip is not your kind of trip, you can also use GetYourGuide for transfer and tour guide in Morocco. 

Start your first day by exploring Tangier’s Medina and Riviera. Tangier or The White City is a city on the Mediterranean Sea. It is very close to Spain, so close actually that you can see Spain on a clear day.

When I was there it was raining on and off, but I could still see a little bit of Spain despite the fog. Tangier is very beautiful and clean, some roads and streets reminded me of Ocean Drive & Miami in general. But there’s not much to do around here. I literally spent 2-3 hours in the morning before going to Chefchaouen and it was enough.

Maybe if the weather was nicer we (my husband and I) could have had a coffee at a rooftop bar. Wandering around Medina (the walled old city) is the best activity here. And spotting some beautiful mosques. And petting cats. 😻

Then it’s time to drive/head to the Blue City of Chefchaouen, also called The Blue Pearl. It will take you around 2h from Tangier to Chefchaouen. It’s a small town with approximately 42,000 citizens. It is very small and while there is not much to do around here, trust me when I say that you will spend a few hours just wandering around and snapping photos – it is THAT beautiful 💙 

Just get lost in its narrow streets and pet all the cats. 

After you spend some time exploring The Blue Pearl, it is time for some tea or coffee – for that head to the restaurant/bar with the best views of Chefchaouen, Casa Aladdin. There are 3 stories from which you can enjoy the views, but if the weather allows, go to the very top where you’ll find an open rooftop area. The views are really amazing. 

After you have your hot beverage, go and explore Kasbah. You’ll find great views there as well. The entrance is €6 pp, pretty cheap.

Then it’s time for dinner. Most of the restaurants are on the main square. I highly recommend Restaurant Hamsa, but be aware that you’ll share your dinner with cats 😹

I stayed in Dar Zambra, a traditional Moroccan House and cannot recommend it more. 

Other good option: Dar Jasmine – Chefchaouen

More things to do in Chefchaouen here.

Day 2: Fes

If there is one place in Morocco I didn’t like at all, that is Fes. I will write more about it in my upcoming Fes Guide, but for now, you can refer to my Instagram Post where I shared more about it. However, for this itinerary Fes is a good logistical stop. And I did very much enjoy my stay at the traditional Riad Rcif 🤩

Riads are another type of traditional Moroccan house with an open central courtyard. What is so great about this Riad is that it is a 13th century palace now turned into a hotel. I paid £102 a night with breakfast for the two of us, so you are practically staying in a palace for 100 pounds, INSANE! 

As I said, with this 1 week Morocco itinerary, Fes is making a perfect logical point because the next stop will be Merzouga and we will finish our route in Marrakech, and both Fes and Marrakech are popular starting points towards the Sahara Desert.

Other good hotel option: Fes Marriott Hotel Jnan Palace.

Day 3: Sahara

As it’s a long drive of 7.5h from Fes without any stops, expect to spend your day 3 of this Morocco travel guide only on driving to the Sahara Desert.

Read my detailed blog post How to Visit the Sahara Desert in Morocco – Travel Guide.

Again, if you don’t feel like driving, check your best option for this Sahara Morocco Tour.  

Either way, this will be one of the most epic drives you’ll ever have! From mountains, oasis with palm trees to the desert, the landscapes you’ll pass will be breathtaking, so make sure to make some stops and enjoy nature. Sneak peek here to see how this drive would look like 🤩

Finally check in to Merzouga Luxury Camp and spend 2 nights in a luxury tent. We paid £124 for 2 nights with breakfast and dinner included. Can it BE any better than that!? 

On that first evening in Merzouga we checked-in, had dinner, enjoyed the Berber live music and danced around the fire with a sky full of stars. 🥹

Sunrise Palace Merzouga – another great option for desert camps, especially if you’re seeking a swimming pool.

Day 4: Sahara

This will be the most epic day you’ll have during this 1 week Morocco itinerary. 😍 

If you booked this tour with GetYourGuide, most likely they will have everything planned out for you already. If not, once you arrive at your camp, they will present all desert activities for you and ask you which one you want to do. I took everything that was offered to make the best out of my full day in the Sahara Desert. It was €110 pp and it included:

Day 5: Ait Ben Haddou

Fun fact about me: I am a big fan of Game of Thrones 🔥 (though I am very disappointed with how it ended). And whenever I am travelling somewhere where I know GOT was filmed, I know I have to visit. In Morocco you can visit Essaouira aka Astapor or Ait Ben Haddou aka Yunkai. However, this Morocco itinerary doesn’t include Essaouira nor any other city in the Atlantic Ocean, but that’s why it does include Ait Ben Haddou, which is even better, it is such a great place!

Ait Ben Haddou is a small fortified village in Morocco, nestled between Merzouga and Marrakech, and therefore a perfect stop in this Morocco itinerary.

The village is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was used as a filming location for many movies and TV shows, such as GOT, Gladiator, Mummy, Prince of Persia to name a few!

You won’t need much time here and you can expect to drive around 5.5h from Merzouga without any stops. 

I recommend staying at Kasbah Isfoula. What is so cool about this place is that it is owned by the French couple who are supporting actors in all the movies and tv shows that are filmed in Ait Ben Haddou. Actually, when we were there her husband just returned from the set for the new Gladiator movie! And she acted in a GOT scene when Daenerys freed the people of Yunkai who were then calling her Mhysa! How freakin’ cool! 🤩

Find your Ait Ben Haddou activities & tours here. 

Day 6: Marrakech

Final stop in this 1 week in Morocco itinerary is Marrakech, one of the imperial cities alongside Fes. Drive from Ait Ben Haddou to Marrakech will take around 3.5h with no stops. And this will be another epic road trip because you will be driving through the High Atlas Mountains, how cool! 🤩

Unfortunately because of the earthquake that happened in September 2023 Marrakech was damaged and a lot of places were either closed or they just reopened. We had 2 hotels cancelling our stay because they were affected by the earthquake, therefore I only planned 1 afternoon in Marrakech which is nowhere near enough for this beautiful and bustling city!

Most of the sights were opened when I was there (end of October 2023) apart from the Koutoubia Mosque that was still undergoing reconstruction. With that said, I didn’t do much in Marrakech, so I will mention what you can do here in half a day, but kindly note that you’ll need at least 1 full day in Marrakech to cover most of the things, ideally 2 full days. I know I will be back to this amazing city. So, with half a day you can explore Old Medina, see Koutoubia Mosque and have lunch/dinner at Le Jardin.

You can also check this Half-Day Guided Tour in Marrakech.

Is Morocco worth visiting?

As you can see Morocco is a very diverse country with stunning landscapes, world’s largest desert, unique architecture, great food and full of UNESCO sites. It is also very affordable and easy to visit, especially if you’re coming from Europe. Apart from the dodgy vibes in Fes and one scam incident in Ait Ben Haddou, I felt safe there, and while my not favourite country in the world, it is still very much worth visiting Morocco.

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1 Week in Morocco