7-Day Tour: Casablanca to Chefchaouen, Fes & Sahara

Most week-long Morocco tours force you to choose: the blue city or the desert. This one refuses to make you pick. The route threads Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Fes and the Sahara into a single private itinerary - and that inclusion of Chefchaouen is genuinely rare at this trip length. At EUR285 per day for a private tour with accommodation and transport, it sits in the premium bracket, but the geography it covers would cost you more in taxis alone if you tried to replicate it independently.

What actually happens

Day one begins with collection from your Casablanca hotel or the airport, then the long drive north toward Chefchaouen. You will likely arrive in the late afternoon, giving you an evening to wander the blue-painted lanes without the midday crowds. Day two is dedicated to Chefchaouen itself - the medina, the kasbah, the Ras el-Maa waterfall. Then you drive east to Fes, arriving in time for dinner. A full day in Fes follows with a local guide navigating the medieval medina, the tanneries, the madrasas. From Fes, you head south through the Middle Atlas, stopping at Ifrane and the cedar forests before reaching the Ziz Gorges and ultimately Merzouga. The Sahara portion includes a camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes, a night in a desert camp, and sunrise over the sand sea. The return leg loops through the Dades Valley and Ouarzazate before the final transfer back.

Our honest take

The price is steep - EUR1995 puts it at nearly double some 7-day alternatives we have reviewed. Tour 67 covers similar ground for EUR1150, and Tour 168 does it for EUR1285. But neither of those includes Chefchaouen, and that detour adds genuine variety. The Rif Mountains feel nothing like the Sahara, and having both in a single week is a luxury that cheaper tours skip. The perfect 5.0 from 54 reviews is encouraging, though you should expect long driving days - Morocco is a big country and this itinerary covers a lot of ground. The drive from Chefchaouen to Fes alone is four hours on winding mountain roads. If you are the sort of traveller who hates car journeys, budget tours that focus on one region will suit you better. If you want the grand sweep, this delivers it with a private vehicle and no strangers to negotiate with.

Who should book this

• Travellers who have a single week in Morocco and want the maximum geographic range
• Couples or families who value privacy over budget and do not want to share a minibus
• Anyone specifically wanting Chefchaouen combined with the Sahara - this is one of the few tours that threads both into seven days
• Photographers chasing variety: blue walls, ancient medinas, cedar forests, desert dunes

Who should skip this

• Budget travellers - you can see much of this route for EUR1150 to EUR1285 with other operators, minus Chefchaouen
• Anyone who dislikes long drives - several days involve four to six hours in a vehicle
• Solo travellers who enjoy meeting others on the road - this is private, meaning it is just you and the driver-guide
• People who want deep immersion in one city rather than a whistle-stop tour of five

Before you book

Duration: 7 days, 6 nights

Price: From EUR1995 per person (works out to roughly EUR285/day including accommodation and transport)

Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before - book now, decide later.

Rating: 5.0/5 from 54 verified reviews

How it compares: Tour 67 (EUR1150) and Tour 168 (EUR1285) cover similar Fes-to-Sahara routes for less, but skip Chefchaouen entirely. If the blue city is not important to you, save the money. If it is, this is the only 7-day tour in our catalogue that includes it.

Practical tip: Pack layers. Chefchaouen sits at 600 metres and can be chilly in the evenings, while the Sahara is baking by midday. You will experience both within the same week.