8-Day Imperial Cities & Chefchaouen Tour from Casablanca – Rabat, Meknes, Fes, Blue City & Marrakech

Your 8-day Morocco tour from Casablanca begins with airport or hotel pick-up by your driver, Houssam. Depending on arrival time, you may glimpse the Corniche or the exterior of Hassan II Mosque before heading north along the Atlantic coast to Rabat, Morocco’s political capital and an Imperial City.
In Rabat, you explore the Kasbah des Oudayas, with its white and blue lanes and Andalusian garden overlooking the ocean and Bou Regreg river. You visit the Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V, symbols of Morocco’s royal and spiritual identity, then continue to the Chellah necropolis, where Roman and medieval remains sit among gardens and birdlife. A stroll through Rabat’s medina and Rue des Consuls shows a calmer, cleaner old town—an ideal soft landing in Morocco before settling into your riad.

After breakfast, you drive inland to Meknes, the city of Sultan Moulay Ismail. You pass through or stop at Bab Mansour, the grand gate that leads toward the old city, and visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, which reflects the ambition and scale of his reign.
You continue to the medina and souks, where daily life and artisan workshops unfold at a more relaxed pace than in larger cities. When time and season allow, you also visit the Heri es-Souani royal granaries and stables, an impressive example of imperial engineering.
Optionally, you can include Volubilis, a remarkably preserved Roman city nearby, with mosaics and columns set in rolling countryside. The day ends in Meknes or nearby, giving you time to absorb this underestimated imperial capital before heading deeper inland.

In the morning, you travel to Fes, often called the spiritual and cultural heart of Morocco. On arrival, you meet Said or your Fes specialist guide for an orientation walk or panoramic viewpoints, depending on your arrival time.
You may view the imposing Royal Palace gates, pass through the Mellah (historic Jewish quarter) and start to feel the scale of Fes as a living, layered city. The afternoon is usually lighter to allow you to settle into your riad, enjoy a first rooftop view of the medina and prepare for a full exploration the next day.

Today is dedicated to Fes el-Bali, one of the world’s most complete medieval medinas and a UNESCO World Heritage site. With your local guide, you weave through narrow alleys lined with brassware, textiles, leather, spices and ceramics, visiting the Chouara tanneries to see traditional leather dyeing and drying.
You visit or admire the Bou Inania Madrasa, a masterpiece of carved cedar, stucco and zellij, and explore artisan squares such as Place Seffarine, where metalworkers and bookbinders still practise their crafts. Along the way you see mosques, caravanserais and fondouks from the outside, learning how knowledge, trade and religion intertwined here for centuries. The day blends major monuments with quieter corners so you experience Fes as both a “living museum” and a real, working city.

After breakfast, you drive north toward the Rif Mountains and Chefchaouen, the famous Blue City. The landscape shifts from plains to hills and wooded slopes before you arrive in a town where walls, steps and doorways are washed in shades of blue.
You stroll the blue medina, visit the Kasbah of Chefchaouen in the main square, and explore small lanes filled with local craft shops and cafés. Later, you can walk up to the Spanish Mosque above town for a panoramic view of the blue houses against the mountain backdrop—one of the most iconic sunset vistas in Morocco. Staying overnight means you experience Chefchaouen’s changing light and atmosphere, from tranquil morning to lantern-lit evening.

Today you travel south, descending from the Rif and crossing changing landscapes en route to Marrakech, the Red City. This is your longest driving day, but it is segmented with coffee stops, viewpoints and lunch breaks, and the countryside offers glimpses of rural life and farmland.
On arrival in Marrakech, you settle into your riad and, time permitting, enjoy an initial stroll through the medina or an introductory visit to Jemaa el-Fna, where food stalls, musicians and performers animate the main square at night. The contrast with Chefchaouen’s slow mountain rhythm is part of the experience: from quiet blue alleys to one of the busiest squares in North Africa.

A full day in Marrakech lets you focus on its most important sights. With your local guide, you visit the Bahia Palace with its painted ceilings, zellij floors and inner courtyards, and the restored Ben Youssef Madrasa, a jewel of Islamic learning and architecture. You may also visit the Saadian Tombs, rediscovered royal mausoleums with richly decorated chambers.
You explore the souks of Marrakech, where metalwork, lamps, leather, carpets and spices fill the alleys, and you spend time in Jemaa el-Fna, recognised for its intangible cultural heritage. At some point in the day you visit the Majorelle Garden, a cobalt-blue artistic oasis once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, and, if you wish, the YSL Museum. Evening is free to revisit the square, enjoy a rooftop dinner or relax at your riad.

On your final day, you may have free time for last-minute shopping, a hammam, café-hopping or an extra museum visit, depending on your flight schedule. Houssam then transfers you to Marrakech Airport or, if your departure is from Casablanca, drives you back via the highway with the option of a brief photo stop at Hassan II Mosque if timing allows.
If you have more time in Morocco, you can extend this itinerary with extra nights in Marrakech, a Sahara desert extension or Atlas Mountains & Atlantic Coast add-ons, building a wider Morocco trip around this core 8-day route.