Travel to Morocco

Trips to Morocco: Last one-week itinerary

Morocco ticked some big boxes off 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 following Morocco travel itinerary, I show you that it is possible to visit all the major tourist attractions in just one week! Follow me to this beautiful country, which has something to offer everyone.

One week travel itinerary in Morocco

Day 1: Arrival in Chefchauoen (Morocco Blue City)

You will most likely arrive in Morocco from Europe. You have the option of taking a ferry from Spain through the Strait of Gibraltar, which would put you in Tangier. For my Morocco travel itinerary, I flew from Barcelona, Spain, to Fes on an affordable flight (it cost me less than $50 one way). In any case, the first thing you will do is take 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.

Settle into your Riad or hostel in the old medina of Chefchauoen. Make sure you know the directions in advance, as many locals will try to influence you in another direction by stating that your hostel is closed or dirty. If you arrived before sunset, dine on the top floor of the Aladdin restaurant, located just off the main square. The views are breathtaking!

Day 2 - 3: Explore Chefchauoen

You can easily spend a full day shopping and explore the Blue City. Be sure to bring your camera, because this city is a photographer’s dream! If you’re photographing people (or yourself), I suggest that your subject wear bright colors that are the opposite of blue – like orange or yellow. They’ll really be “pop” in the photos.

If for the afternoon you are tired of photographing blue shades, wandering winding alleys, and climbing stairs, just outside 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 in your hotel and spend the afternoon and evening wandering around the old medina. Be careful though, it’s easy to get lost! Find a place to grab dinner and get a henna tattoo before retiring for the night.

The next day you can visit the legendary tanneries of Fes. This area is known to be a maze. The locals will offer to take you out for a fee, so I think it’s best to pay a guide to take you to the tannery in the first place. We booked a recommended local guide through our Riad and learned so much during our walking tour, including some local Moroccan history, food culture, religious beliefs, and the best places to shop.

Day 5: Journey through the Sahara Desert

Getting to the Sahara Desert is not easy. If you want to see Erg Chebbi, Morocco’s iconic sand dunes, you’ll have to drive 10-11 hours to the small town of Merzouga, near the Algerian border. Unity, in itself, is an experience. Along the way, you will see several Berber villages and sweeping views of the Atlas Mountains. It’s a long day, but believe 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 accommodations in the Sahara Desert via Glampinghub.com with Desert Luxury Camp. The camp hired a driver to pick us up at our hotel (this can be done in Marrakech or Fes) and left us out two days later at our next hotel. If you are flying out of Marrakech 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 surprised by the luxury of the tents. They actually had hot showers and flush toilets! The Sahara landscape was spectacular. All meals were included, so we feasted on tagine (a Moroccan specialty cooked in a clay pot, similar to braised), 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 also had an amazing pool on land.

Day 7: Back home

If you have to leave Morocco after a week, you should return to Fes or Marrakech on this day to take the return flight. If you have more time, you can spend a day or two exploring Marrakech, but I do not suggest spending more time there. Fes is a much better city to explore.