Chefchaouen’s blue medina, Fez and Marrakech

The Hassan II Mosque and the art deco centre of Casablanca; the high-speed train to Tangier and the road to Chefchaouen, the blue-and-white medina in the Rif mountains; the medina of Fez, with 9,400 alleys and no cars; and Marrakech, from the Koutoubia to the souks and Jemaa el-Fna square.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Casablanca → Chefchaouen → Fez → Marrakesh · 9–11 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

MoroccoCasablanca
Days
2–3
When
Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct
Per person/day
Average 800–1,400 MADMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
MoroccoChefchaouen
Days
2
When
May–Jun · Oct
Per person/day
Average 703 MADMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
MoroccoFez
Days
2–3
When
Mar–May · Sep–Nov
Per person/day
Average 800–1,400 MADMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
MoroccoMarrakesh
Days
3
When
Mar–May · Oct–Nov
Per person/day
Average 700–1,400 MADMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For a first trip to Morocco that wants the imperial cities and the northern mountains, by train and bus, without the night in the desert.

Not for anyone after the Sahara dunes: this route stays in the north and centre of the country, and nights in the desert are another trip, starting from Marrakech.

The strategy

Casablanca gets two days: the guided visit to the Hassan II Mosque at 9:00, the medina and the art deco of Boulevard Mohammed V, and the sea at Anfa. From Casa Voyageurs station, the Al Boraq reaches Tangier in 2h10, and from Tangier to Chefchaouen a grand taxi takes about two and a half hours; the bus does it in two and a half to three, usually via Tétouan. Chefchaouen gets two days, with two nights: the medina, the Kasbah and late afternoon at the Spanish mosque, and the Akchour trail to God’s Bridge, leaving early. To Fez, the CTM bus takes about four hours and can sell out days ahead: buy as soon as your date is fixed. Fez gets two days, one to walk down through the whole medina and another for Fes el-Jdid and the mellah. From Fez station, the train reaches Marrakech in about seven hours, and Marrakech closes the trip with three days: the imperial medina, the souks, and Gueliz with the gardens. The way home leaves from Marrakech airport, 5 km from Jemaa el-Fna. May and October suit all four cities; in Chefchaouen, rooms are hard to find from mid-July to September, and in winter rain and cold get in the way of the trails. Ramadan changes the hours of cafés and restaurants, and its date shifts every year.

What you will see

Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca. Designed by Michel Pinseau, built between 1986 and 1993 on a platform partly jutting into the Atlantic and funded by public subscription.
Place Outa el Hammam, Chefchaouen. The main square of the medina, probably laid out in the sixteenth century by a son of the founder, brings together the Kasbah, the Great Mosque, an old funduq (merchants' inn) and cafés with outdoor tables.
Bou Inania Madrasa, Fez. Built between 1350 and 1355 by Abu Inan Faris, it's the only madrasa in Fez with a minaret and a Friday mosque, which makes it the largest of all.
Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakesh. A square of about 4 ha, in continuous use since the 11th century, between the medina and the kasbah.

Day by day