Imperial Cities + Sahara Circuit

Morocco

About Imperial Cities + Sahara Circuit

An 8-11 day loop through Morocco's signature landscapes: souks and riads in Marrakech, a crossing of the Atlas Mountains over the Tichka Pass into Berber village country, a night camped among the dunes of Erg Chebbi in the Sahara — dinner, live music, and stargazing built into the stay itself, not something visited from it — then west into Fes's UNESCO-listed medieval medina and its centuries-old tanneries, closing with a day or two in Chefchaouen, a small mountain town painted almost entirely in shades of blue. Marrakech and Chefchaouen can each also be visited on their own as a shorter city-break, but the full circuit is how most first-time visitors experience the country.

Food & drink

TagineFood

CouscousFood

Traditionally eaten on Fridays.

PastillaFood

A sweet-savory filo pie, classically with pigeon or chicken.

HariraFood

A tomato-and-lentil soup.

Mint teaDrink

Poured from height in the traditional style.

Things to do

Jemaa el-Fnaa (evenings)

cultural site

Marrakech Souks

shopping & markets

Bahia Palace

historic site

Jardin Majorelle

botanical garden

Koutoubia Mosque (exterior)

religious site

Traditional Riad Hammam & Spa

cultural site

Marrakech Food Tour / Street Food

culinary experience

Rooftop restaurants over the medina

culinary experience

Saadian Tombs

historic site

Le Jardin Secret

botanical garden

Ourika Valley day trip

nature park

Luxury Desert Camp Stay — Erg Chebbi Dunes

entertainment & leisure

Circuit stages

Marrakech

2–3 nights

Souks, the Jemaa el-Fnaa night market, riads, gardens — arrival point via direct international flight.

Atlas Mountains (Tichka Pass)

Optional0–1 nights

Mountain scenery and Berber villages on the ~6-7h drive from Marrakech to the Sahara, with photo stops — either a straight transit day or one night in a Berber village.

Sahara Desert — Merzouga/Erg Chebbi

1–2 nights

The Erg Chebbi dunes; a sunset or sunrise camel ride, or dune driving by 4x4. The luxury desert camp itself is part of the experience: traditional dinner, hookah, a live Berber music and dance show, and stargazing built into the night — the accommodation is the attraction, not a base to visit attractions from.

Fes

2–2 nights

Fes el-Bali medina (UNESCO), the Chouara tanneries, Al Quaraouiyine University, Bou Inania Madrasa — reached via Midelt/Ifrane, ~6-7h drive from Merzouga.

Chefchaouen

1–2 nights

The all-blue medina on foot, plus sunset from the Spanish Mosque viewpoint — reached in ~4h from Fes.

Tangier or return (optional)

Optional1–1 nights

Circuit closer — Tangier as Morocco's gateway to Europe (ferry from Spain) and a mix of cultures, or a direct return to Marrakech/Casablanca depending on the outbound flight.