5 Days in Morocco Itinerary: Route, Drive Times and Cost

Written by Az-zddine Otmani

Founder of Morocco Classic Tours · officially licensed · in Moroccan tourism since 2012

The best 5 days in Morocco itinerary stays in one region. My route for first-time visitors is two nights in Marrakech, one night in Essaouira on the Atlantic coast and one night in the Agafay desert, and no driving day is longer than about 4 hours. A private trip costs from $700 per person for the driver and vehicle only, or from $950 per person fully arranged, for two travelers in the quiet season. Below are the days, the real drive times, what I leave out of five days and why, and what the trip costs.

I am Az-zddine. I plan and drive private trips in Morocco, and I have worked in Moroccan tourism since 2012. Five days is not enough for all of Morocco, and I tell every guest so. It is enough for one region done properly, and the most useful thing I can do is help you choose which one.

The 5-day route at a glance

That is about 9 hours in the car across the whole trip, with stops, and never more than 4 hours in a single day. If you land in a different city, the route changes, and I cover those options further down.

Why one region is the right answer for five days

Five days sounds like a lot until you count the road. Marrakech and Fes, for example, are too far apart to enjoy both in five days, and I would not sell you that trip. I would rather you leave Morocco wishing you had more time in a place you loved than with a list of towns you only saw through a car window.

I chose Marrakech, Essaouira and Agafay for first-time visitors for three reasons. There is little driving. The connections are simple. And you get three different places: the souks and history of Marrakech, the Atlantic coast, and a rocky desert landscape. If you have a strong wish for something else, such as the Sahara dunes or the blue city of Chefchaouen, that is possible too. It just changes the region, and I explain how below.

Day by day

Day 1: Arrive in Marrakech

My team meets you at the airport and takes you to your riad. A flight from the United States is long, so I keep this day light. Rest, and see the first lanes of the medina when you feel ready.

A riad courtyard on one of our trips.

Day 2: Marrakech with a guide, then the Agafay desert

You start in Marrakech with a local guide: the medina, the souks and the history of the city. In the afternoon we drive about 45 minutes to Agafay. Agafay is a rocky desert, not sand dunes. It gives you open desert landscape without the long drive of the Sahara.

The Koutoubia minaret in Marrakech.

In the evening there is a camel ride, then dinner and a music show at the camp. You sleep in a camp in the desert. If you want to know what a camel ride costs there, I wrote it down in how much a camel ride in Agafay costs.

The rocky Agafay desert at sunset, with a camp in the distance.

Day 3: Agafay to Essaouira

This is the longest day of the trip, up to 4 hours with stops. I make it part of the experience instead of rushing it: a café break, a lunch stop, photographs wherever you ask, and an argan oil cooperative if you are interested.

Essaouira is a different Morocco: the Atlantic coast, the wind, a compact historic medina you can walk in an afternoon, and fish and seafood. It has a surfing atmosphere too.

A stone gate on the old ramparts of Essaouira.

I recommend one night here and not a rushed day trip. A day trip from Marrakech means about 6 to 8 hours in the car for a few hours in town. A night lets you stay in the medina in the evening and leave without hurrying.

Seagulls and fishermen at the old port of Essaouira.

Day 4: Essaouira back to Marrakech

The drive back is about 3 hours, or 4 with stops. You are in Marrakech in the afternoon, and your evening is free. I can add a cooking class, a hammam and massage, or a hot-air balloon flight if you want to. You sleep in a riad in Marrakech, so your last morning is calm.

Day 5: Fly home from Marrakech

A short transfer takes you to the airport. I time the morning around your flight so you are never rushing.

What I leave out of five days, and why

Is the Sahara worth it on only 5 days?

Yes, if it is what you came for and you accept long days on the road. Before anyone books, I walk them through the departure times, the arrival times, the road sections and the stops. Guests tend to enjoy the whole experience: the landscapes on the drive, the camp, the food, the camel ride and the sunset. For many of them it is the trip of a lifetime.

But I will also tell you when to choose something else. If you dislike long hours in a car, if you travel with young children who need frequent breaks, or if you get motion sickness, five days with the Sahara is a lot of road. For those guests I suggest Agafay: it is a gentler way to spend a night in the desert, and it is only 45 minutes from Marrakech.

If you decide to go, there are two five-day versions:

• From Marrakech: Day 1 Marrakech. Day 2 the Dades Gorge. Day 3 the Sahara, with a night in the camp. Day 4 Ouarzazate. Day 5 Marrakech airport. The drive from Marrakech to Dades is about 6 hours and from Dades to Merzouga about 6 hours. Days 2, 3 and 4 are all long driving days. The route and the camp are on my Sahara desert tours from Marrakech page.
• From Fes: Day 1 Fes. Day 2 Fes. Day 3 the drive to Merzouga for the night in the Sahara. Day 4 the drive back to Fes. Day 5 fly out of Fes. That is two days of about 7 hours each. My Fes page explains how many days I recommend for the desert from Fes: desert tours from Fes.

The Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga, the real Sahara.

Other ways to spend five days

If you land in Casablanca: the northern route

From Casablanca I build a route through Chefchaouen, Fes and Rabat, with an optional stop at the Roman ruins of Volubilis for guests who like history. You fly home from Casablanca on day 5. Everything is flexible, and we adapt it after we talk about what you want.

If you sleep in Casablanca on the first night, everything moves one day: Chefchaouen on night 2 and Fes on night 3, and then the same last day. Casablanca to Fes is about 4 hours if you prefer to go straight there.

Chefchaouen, the blue city, is on the northern route and not on the Marrakech route.

If you want one base: four nights in Marrakech

Not everyone wants to change hotels. If you want to relax, or you are visiting Morocco for the first time and care most about culture, you can stay in the same riad for all four nights and I arrange the days around your interests: a hot-air balloon flight, a camel ride in the Palmeraie, camel rides or quad biking and a dinner show in Agafay, a Moroccan cooking class, a hammam, or a day in the mountains (see my Atlas Mountains day trip). You get culture and rest without packing every morning.

Other starting points

I can also start in Tangier or in Fes. Tell me your arrival and departure airports and I will fit the five days to them.

What a private 5-day trip costs

Two starting prices, per person, for two people traveling together in the quiet season, staying in the riads I normally use:

• Private driver and vehicle for the five days: from $700 per person. You book your own places to stay.
• Fully arranged: from $950 per person. Four nights of accommodation, including the camp in Agafay, breakfast every day, a local guide in Marrakech, dinner and a music show at the Agafay camp, the camel ride at Agafay, and the private driver and vehicle for the whole trip.

Not included: lunches (for example the lunch in Essaouira), drinks, entrance fees and tips. The price moves with the number of travelers, the season, the level of camp and riad, and the activities you add. Tell me your dates and what you want, and I will give you a real number.

If you land in one city and fly out of another, for example Casablanca in and Marrakech out, that adds about 4 hours of driving. I quote one total for the whole route, not a fixed surcharge. For more days, my 7-day Morocco itinerary and my 10-day Morocco itinerary show how the price and the route change.

The van we drive the route in. You are the only passengers.

Is 5 days enough for Morocco?

It is enough for one region: Marrakech and the places around it, or Casablanca with Rabat and Chefchaouen, or a Fes-based route, including the Sahara if you accept the drive. It is not enough to combine distant places without being tired. When guests tell me what they regret, it is almost always the same: they wish they had more time in the places they loved most, whether that was Marrakech, the Sahara, the Atlas Mountains or Essaouira. Very rarely do they wish they had seen one more city.

Casablanca or Marrakech: where should you land?

For a first trip of five days, I suggest Marrakech. The souks, the history, the Atlas Mountains, Agafay and Essaouira are all close, so you can see a lot without crossing the country. Casablanca is a good alternative if flights to Marrakech do not suit you. From there you do Rabat, Chefchaouen and Fes, which gives you a different, rich experience of markets and old streets.

Is Morocco safe for Americans?

In my experience, yes. I have had no security problems with my guests, and I find the country stable. That is my own view from working with guests every week, not an official assessment, so please check the current U.S. State Department travel advisory for Morocco before you book and again before you fly. For the practical side, such as cash machines and cards, read how cash and cards work in Morocco.

What to watch for in Marrakech

• Taxis: agree the fare before you get in.
• Directions: in the souks and narrow medina streets, do not accept unrequested help from strangers who insist. Ask your guide, your driver or your riad reception.
• Street food: do not pick a stall at random. Ask your guide or the riad where to eat.
• Evenings: stay on well lit streets with normal foot traffic, and avoid unfamiliar narrow alleys after dark.

These are precautions, not warnings. Most vendors and strangers you meet are friendly. They are what I tell my own guests so that the first day is relaxed.

What to wear

Morocco is open to modern clothing. In tourist areas, American women can generally dress as they would at home, including shorts and sleeveless tops, if that is comfortable. Bring a light scarf for sun, sand and wind, especially on a desert night. Dress more modestly at religious and historic sites and when you visit a Moroccan family. Access and dress rules differ from site to site, and a scarf alone does not get you into a mosque.

Five days with children

Yes, I take families with children and teenagers. I slow the trip down, keep it outdoors, and usually base it in Marrakech. I prefer places with a pool or a garden, so the children can play in the free time. Swimming, camel rides, quad biking, hot-air balloons and family bike tours around Marrakech are all possible, and I choose them for the ages and needs of your children.

When to go

September to early June. I advise against a desert night in July and August, because the heat in the desert is hard.

Common questions

Is 5 days enough for Morocco?

Five days is enough for one region, not for the whole country. I suggest Marrakech with Essaouira and the Agafay desert, or Fes with Rabat and Chefchaouen, or Fes with the Sahara at Merzouga. Adding a distant city makes the trip tiring.

How much does a 5-day trip to Morocco cost?

A private 5-day trip with me starts from $700 per person for the driver and vehicle only, or from $950 per person fully arranged. Both prices are for two travelers in the quiet season. The final price depends on the route, the season and the level of riad.

Should I land in Casablanca or Marrakech?

For a first trip of five days I suggest Marrakech: the souks, the history, the Atlas Mountains, the Agafay desert and Essaouira are all close. Casablanca works if flights to Marrakech do not suit you. Then I would plan Rabat, Chefchaouen and Fes instead.

Is Morocco safe for Americans?

In my experience, yes. I have had no security problems with my guests. That is my own experience, not an official assessment, so check the current U.S. State Department travel advisory for Morocco before you book.

Can women wear shorts in Morocco?

In tourist areas, American women can generally dress as they would at home, shorts and sleeveless tops included. Bring a light scarf for sun, sand and wind, and dress more modestly at religious sites or when visiting a Moroccan family.

Plan your 5 days

Tell me your arrival and departure airports, your dates, how many of you are traveling and what you enjoy. I send you a day-by-day plan with the drive times and a real price, and you change what you like. Message me on WhatsApp (+212 6 13 50 47 32) or through the contact page.