Morocco
Six cities I explored, three routes that actually work, and the practical page. I wish someone had handed me that the first time.
Updated September 2026
What nobody tells you before you land
Morocco is a loop, not a line. The classic circuit runs Marrakech → the Sahara → Fez → the blue city → the coast, and the long drive across the Atlas to the desert is half the point. Marrakech overwhelms everyone on day one; give yourself time and it becomes the best base in the country.
A word on the medinas: you will get lost in Fez and Marrakech, everyone does, and that's the experience. Agree the price before every taxi and every rug, and say no with a smile — it's a dance, not a fight.
Fact sheet
Everything practical, on one page
Itineraries
Three routes that actually work
Seven days is Marrakech, the desert and Fez. Fourteen is the whole loop, imperial cities to the blue mountains.
Marrakech to warm up, the two-day drive over the Atlas to sleep in the dunes at Merzouga, and out at Fez — the essential first week.
The extra days climb north to Chefchaouen, the blue-painted mountain town, before flying home out of Casablanca.
The grand circuit, in the smart direction: the coast and the capital, the blue mountains, Fez, the desert over the Atlas, and Marrakech to end.
City guides
Six cities, walked one street at a time
Marrakech
The Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk, the souks, the gardens and the riads — the country's beating heart.
3–4 days · Coming soonSahara (Merzouga)
A camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes and a night under more stars than you've ever seen.
2 days · Coming soonFez
The largest living medieval medina on earth — the tanneries, the crafts, and getting gloriously lost.
2–3 days · Coming soonChefchaouen
The blue city in the Rif mountains — every wall, step and doorway washed in indigo.
2 days · Coming soonRabat
The calm capital — the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Hassan Tower and an easy pace.
1 day · Coming soonCasablanca
The modern port city and the vast Hassan II Mosque out over the Atlantic.
1 day · Coming soonAsked every week
Questions I get about Morocco
How many days do I need?+
Seven for Marrakech, the Sahara and Fez. Ten adds Chefchaouen in the north; fourteen is the whole loop with the coast, the capital and time to slow down.
How do I get to the desert?+
It's a two-day drive from Marrakech over the High Atlas to Merzouga, usually as a small-group tour with overnight stops. That drive — the Ait Ben Haddou kasbah, the gorges — is half the experience.
How do I handle the souks and haggling?+
Agree every price before you commit — taxis, rugs, everything — and haggle with a smile; it's expected and friendly. If you don't want it, a firm "la, shukran" (no, thanks) and keep walking.
What should I wear?+
Morocco is relaxed but conservative; covering shoulders and knees draws less attention, especially for women in the medinas. Bring layers — the desert is cold at night and the Atlas can be snowy.
The podcast
I walked this before I wrote it
Every guide starts as an episode. Listen to the Morocco introduction — the context, the history and the honest bits — then come back for the routes.