🏜 Welcome to our 10 to 12 days Central Morocco Itinerary. This is just one of our 5 recommended travel itineraries for Morocco.
Morocco is a big country and selecting places to visit, along with creating a travel itinerary is OVERWHELMING! We had the fortune of slow travelling Morocco for three months, so we’ve taken the challenge out of planning, and created 5 seperate itineraries for you to choose from.
Therefore, if this one isn’t what you’re looking for, be sure to check our other Morocco itineraries. We go into plenty of detail, including information like the best time to travel and how to get around for your Morocco itinerary. But most importantly, we explain ALL the regions and what to see where, including some of Morocco’s best hidden gems.
Read: Our Itinerary Master List & most popular 14 Days in Morocco!
In this post we share an itinerary, of 10 to 12 days, showcasing the best areas to visit in Central Morocco. From the Marrakech medina fun and games, to the dramatic landscape of the Atlas Mountains, to the lush countryside of the Roses Valley or the Todra Gorge. Then just a few hours, and you’re in the harsh but incredibly beautiful Sahara Desert.
Our Central Morocco itinerary is one of contrasts. Explore some of Morocco’s best kasbahs, mountain villages and of course all Marrakech has to offer. Read on for all the details, and I highly recommend you also click through to our in-depth city guides as you go!
* This post may contain affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks for your support!
Table of Contents
Central Morocco Itinerary Map: 10 – 12 Days
Marrakech is one of the easiest Moroccan cities to fly into and therefore a common start or end point for international travellers. It’s also located in Central Morocco and therefore is a convenient point in terms of getting a taste of, medinas, mountains, valleys and the desert.
Below is our recommended 10 or 12 days travel route, or road trip, for a Central Morocco itinerary. Save this map to your Google Maps and then read below for how we recommend you organise your timetable and locations.
🛑 The easiest way to see our Central Morocco Itinerary – book a tour, or self-drive. Public transport is possible, but certainly more of a challenge. See seperate itinerary at the end for travellers taking public transport.
Itinerary Overview & Where to Stay
For 10 days in Central Morocco we suggest the following itinerary. BUT you must read our master Morocco Itinerary post on what to see in each region, in order to tailor the itinerary to best suit your interests. Add or remove days, depending on what experiences you enjoy best.
In the following section we explain how to go about getting from A to B, some of the sights in each and the best places to stay. We also include the best tours for your Morocco trip!
| Riad Tizwa Marrakech | 2 nights in Marrakech |
| Tour – Trek Atlas | 2 nights in Aroumd Atlas Mountains |
| Todra Gorge – Dar Tawira Roses Valley – Kasbah Chems | 2 night Roses Valley or Todra Gorge |
| Merzouga – Luxury Camp Mhamid – Bivouac Amaya | 1 night Merzouga |
| Ouarzazate – Dar Kamar Ait Ben Haddou – Kasbah El Hajja | 1 night Ait Ben Haddou or Ouarzazate |
| Riad Dar-K | 1 night Marrakech |
Recommended Guided Tours of Central Morocco
Before I get into the itinerary! IF the idea of planning your own trip scare you, then consider a 10 day private or small group tour. Sit back, relax and have the journey planned on your behalf.
Browse the following travel tour operators – Morocco Travel, Intrepid Travel and G Adventures. If it’s booking local, sustainable, private or small group tours… the list below has you covered!
🧡 book a local tour with Morocco travel
Get in touch with our contact Mimoun, at Morocco Travel. This is the perfect option if you want to support local, but also want a private tour. He will be happy to put together an unforgettable Morocco holiday and itinerary just for you. Browse their multiple recommended itineraries, or get in touch to customise your trip. And say hi from My Free Range Family!
The 10 Day Tour from Casablanca, is one of their bestsellers, and comes with great reviews. You can click here to see the itinerary in more detail.
❤️ go sustainable with intrepid travel
For the sustainable travel lovers… go check out Intrepid Travel. These guys are B Corp Certified, which means they meet a benchmark of standards towards accountability, transparency and environment. And their 10 day tour around Central Morocco, might just be one of my favourites.
We recommend booking this tour through TourHub. That way you get a discount with their sign-up member’s rate. This adds an extra discount to your booking, which isn’t available through the Intrepid Travel website.
💜 for the 20 to 30 year olds check out g adventures
Last but not least on our list are the small group tours with G Adventures. If you’re aged from 18 to 30+ and you enjoy the social side of travel, then G Adventures are a very good option for you. We have friends who regularly travel with G Adventures and their tours are always excellent!
They offer a great 7 day tour for Central Morocco, see their Moroccan Desert Adventure: River, Canyons and Camels to find out more. Alternatively the 11 day Morocco: Deserts and Beaches tour is also worth looking at!
Central Morocco Itinerary Details
But back to a self-guided itinerary of Morocco! I’m going to do my best to share the following itinerary of Central Morocco objectively. To share all the options and to help you select and create an itinerary that works for you. I’m acutely aware that what suits one traveller may not suit the next. For this reason, I’ll simply give you the facts!
With this said, please be sure to read everything and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. I am more than happy to help via an email chat, if you prefer clarification or my suggestions.
Marrakech: Days 1 – 3
Fly into Marrakech and spend two or three days exploring the Medina, souks, history and culture of Marrakech. A word of warning, it’s hectic, but just lean in and go with the flow.
💎 Where to Stay: Midrange – Riad Tizwa Marrakech
We do recommend 8 beautiful riads to book for a Marrakech stay, from budget and midrange through to luxury. So read our post below for full recommendations and photos.
⚡️ Things to Do in Marrakech:
- Place Djemaa el-Fna by Day
- Place Djemaa el-Fna by night
- Ben Youssef Madrasa or Ibn Youssef School
- Jardin Majorelle
- Le Jardin Secret – The Secret Garden
- Bahia Palace
- El Badi Palace
Read: 3 Days in Marrakech
Atlas Mountains in Aroumd: Days 3 – 5
Head to the Atlas Mountains for 2 nights of hiking. We recommend booking this trip with our friend Ahmed – read our review below. It’s relevant to note here, that we are not an affiliate and do not receive any commission should you choose to book this tour.
Note: Hiking without a guide in the Atlas Mountains is not permitted.
🚀 Getting There: From Marrakech transport will be arranged if you choose to book with Trek Atlas. Otherwise you can take a collective taxi to Asni, followed by a taxi to Imlil. Travel time from Marrakech to Imlil is 1 hour 30 minutes.
💎 Where to Stay: As part of the booked tour with Trek Atlas you will stay in a guest house in the small berber village of Aroumd.
⚡️ Things to do in Aroumd and the Atlas Mountains:
- Take lunch beside the river in Imlil and walk the track to Aroumd
- Stroll around the non-touristy village of Aroumd and chat to the friendly locals
- Go hiking, swim in the rivers and waterholes
- Drink a freshly squeezed orange juice while admiring an incredible mountain view
- Enjoy the valleys, rivers or challenge yourself with a summit to Mount Toubkal
Todra Gorge or Roses Valley: Days 5 – 7
Enjoy the beautiful gorges and valleys of Morocco. Choose one or two nights stay between Ourika Valley, Roses Valley or Todra Gorge.
🚀 Getting There: If you’re self-driving, the journey takes you through the beautiful Ourika Valley linking onto the main highway at Ait Ourir. Then in Ouarzazate follow the N10 towards Tinghir.
Travel time from Imil to Ourika Valley is 1 hour 10 minutes; to Roses Valley is 6 hours; to Todra Gorge is 7 hours 20 minutes.
With a tour – this leg of the journey can also be arranged with Trek Atlas as part of a greater 10 day tour, that also includes Ait Ben Haddou kasbah and the Sahara desert.
If you’re taking public transport we advise you go back to Marrakech. In which case, you really need to spend another night in Marrakech before beginning the long journey East. From Marrakech take a 6 hour SupraTours bus to Elkelaa Mgouna (Kalaat M’Gouna), and a 40 minute taxi to Roses Valley (Bou Tharar) or a 90 minute taxi to Todra Gorge.
💎 Where to Stay: Roses Valley – Kasbah Chems is a superb option with a true feeling of being off the beaten track. Trust me, you’ll want to stay longer!
Todra Gorge – The beautiful family run Dar Tawira is a great option and good value for money. It’s a short 10 minute walk to the Todra Gorge and they are rated as a superb guest house on Booking.com.
⚡️ Things to do in Roses Valley and Todra Gorge:
- Take a local guided walking tour. They will show you the best of the area and take you to the best places to eat.
- Relax, drink mint tea and go with the flow!
- If you need a local guide in Bou Tharar, let us know and we can connect you with our friend Mohammed.
Merzouga or Mhamid: Days 7 – 8
After the lush green valleys and gorges, you must experience the Erg Chebbi sand dunes in the Sahara Desert. Merzouga is one of the most popular destinations for visiting the desert, but slightly further to the south is Mhamid and the Erg Chegaga sand dunes, another equally beautiful location.
🚀 Getting There: Follow the N10 and the R702 roads all the way to Merzouga. Travel time from Roses Valley (Bou Tharar) to Merzouga is 4½ hours; from Tinghir (Todra Gorge) is 3 hours.
If you are travelling by public transport, we recommend taking transport back to Ouarzazate. This way it’s easy to take the SupraTour bus 7½ hours to Merzouga, or the CTM bus 5 hours to Mhamid to see the Erg Chegaga sand dunes.
💎 Where to Stay:
Merzouga – Merzouga Sahara Luxury Camp is one of the best rated places to stay for location they score a 9.8 on Booking.com. What’s more, both dinner and breakfast are included in the accommodation price.
Mhamid – Stay with our friends at Bivouac Amaya in the Erg Chegaga dunes. Claire arrived from France, fell in love and set up a Berber camp in the desert with her partner.
⚡️ Things to do in Merzouga or Mhamid:
- Spend one or two days in the Sahara Desert dunes, one day may be enough, especially if you’re visiting during the summer months
- Camp under the stars in a traditional berber style tent
- Make music around an evening fire
🐪 Special Note: Many visitors to Morocco want to experience a camel ride. In all honesty, this is not something we chose to do and therefore I can’t comment. There is much discussion online regarding the ethics around the use of animals in tourism. Therefore we urge you to do your homework before booking a camel ride.
Ouarzazate & Ait Ben Haddou: Days 8 – 9
🚀 Getting There: From Merzouga or Mhamid make your way back to Ouarzazate. Travel time by car is 5 hours 20 minutes from Merzouga; 4 hours from Mhamid.
If you are travelling by public transport, SupraTours (7½ hours) from Merzouga to Ouarzazate is your best option, and CTM (5 hours) from Mhamid to Ouarzazate.
💎 Where to Stay: Stay the night in Ouarzazate, or book a nights accommodation in Ait Ben Haddou.
Ait Ben Haddou – Kasbah El Hajja is one of the only places to stay in the middle of the kasbah. As such this would be our recommendation – an experience like no other.
Ouarzazate – Dar Kamar is located in the heart of the Kasbah Taourirt and very non-touristy. The kasbah is beautiful and rustic, a photographers dream!
🚕 In the afternoon, visit Ait Ben Haddou by taxi or car. Walk around the ancient kasbah, take a mint tea, talk to the locals. We recommend that you visit the local artisan gallery and a late afternoon bite to eat from one of the kasbah’s terraces.
⚡️ Other things to do in Ouarzazate:
- Explore the Kasbah Taourirt of Ouarzazate
- Visit the film studios of Atlas Film Studios
Marrakech: Days 9 – 10
The adventure begins to come to a close if you have selected a 10 days itinerary for your visit to Morocco.
So time to make your way back to Marrakech. Tick off any destinations or sights that you missed the first time, or places you want to revisit before heading home.
🚀 Getting There: Driving from Ouarzazate to Marrakech is a 3½ hour car journey or a 4½ hour bus trip with CTM or SupraTours.
💎 Where to Stay: Try a luxury stay in the beautiful Riad Dar-K for a night.
Adjusting the 10 Day Itinerary of Central Morocco
Additional days can be added to our itinerary above, to slow down your travel, or to make your visit a 12 day itinerary. You might like to spend more time in destinations such as Merzouga, Ouarzazate or Todra Gorge for example.
Alternatively head to Essaouira for a couple of nights in the windy seaside medina.
💥 Or add on our 8 days itinerary of Morocco’s Atlantic Coast, or the 12 days in the Northern Cities itinerary.
Taking a Bus? Use this Alternative Itinerary for Central Morocco
If you’re travelling on a budget, or you like the adventure of exploring a country by public transport – we hear you! In which case, we’ve created the below alternative itinerary for 10 days in Central Morocco. This itinerary works better if you are relying on buses.
| Boho 27 Hostel | 1 night in Marrakech |
| Roses Valley – Kasbah Chems | 2 nights in Roses Valley |
| Mhamid – Bivouac Amaya | 1 night in Mhamid |
| Ouarzazate – Dar Kamar | 1 night in Ouarzazate |
| Boho 27 Hostel | 1 night in Marrakech |
| Tour – Trek Atlas | 2 nights in Aroumd Atlas Mountains |
| Boho 27 Hostel | 1 night in Marrakech |
We stayed in Boho 27 Hostel in Marrakech which was great for coming and going. It was also a clean and comfortable budget option.
Follow the travel details within our guide, but adjust the number of nights in each location to the itinerary above.
More Morocco Itineraries
As we mentioned above we have 4 other travel itineraries for Morocco. What are you waiting for, go take a look! Or jump to our master Morocco Itinerary and travel guide, and get planning your epic Morocco holiday.
- 8 days – Atlantic Coast of Morocco Itinerary
- 12 days – North Morocco Itinerary
- 14 days – The First Timer’s Itinerary to Morocco
- 1 month – Full Road Trip of Morocco Itinerary
And hey don’t forget to pin, or save this 10 day itinerary to Morocco for later!
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