The Best 9 Day Itinerary to Morocco

If you’re looking for an all-rounded adventure to Morroco, here is the best 9-day itinerary to Morocco that will give you a cultural aspect of this versatile country.

Please note that this itinerary will include spending 1 night in each of the locations, with 3-nights in Marrakech. This might not be ideal for everyone, but trust me, you will get to see everything you want to see in each location. We planned our trip with multi-city airport tickets, which meant we flew into Tangier, and out of Marrakech!

Day 1: Tangier

Tangier is located in the north part of Morocco, and is known as the ‘gateway to Africa.’ Whether this was true or not, I got to spend a good 10 hours exploring this beach town!

My first impressions from the airport in, was there was a lot of farmland and the only crop they were growing was plastic bags. Also, construction of new apartment buildings was everywhere, except they were not getting completed, so it was a lot of empty brick and concrete shells of future homes.

Cool things to see: the beach walk, medina (I didn’t spend time here because you see lots of medinas on your trip), Petite Socco (a cool square, but quite the hike to get to)

Where to stay:

Royal City Tulip Center: Staff is everything! Morocco has a notorious reputation for bad communication and hospitality that isn’t always top-notch. Based on the reviews and also just the look and location of the hotel, I wanted my #1 priority to be comfort. I couldn’t have chosen a better hotel for my 1-night stay! I layed by the pool, walked to the beach, and had a huge balcony to just hang out on. The beds were really comfy too!

Day 2: Chefchaoeuen (Blue City)

We took a comfortable bus from Tangier > Blue city (2.5 hrs, $5 per person), and had a full day of exploring this hidden gem in the Rif mountains! (Read more about Chefchaouen and how to get there) This place was Instagram-tastic! It reminded me of the Greek island buildings, but painted different shades of blue! There were so many children running around, and it was full of beautiful mountain views, a small river that intertwined through the cafes, and so many kittens. I was in heaven!

Where to stay:

I personally choose to stay in Riads when in Morocco. Riads are boutique hotels that only have about 5-12 rooms. It contains an inner garden and unique architecture.

Riad Gharnata in the Farida Suite – this was definitely not for someone that hates stairs or heights, because you had to climb steep stairs to get to the private balcony with an incredible mountain view. But this was my favorite view of the whole trip!

Day 3: Fes

We hired a taxi to take us the 3.5 hour journey because the bus times did not agree with our schedule. This was the more expensive route, as the bus is very cheap, but it worked for us. We used Tangier Taxi, which was really reliable and provided us with a kind and safe driver.

Fes is famous for the world’s biggest medina. It is about 14-km circumference and has about 9,000 narrow streets to explore. Yeah, you read that right. So hire a guide. We actually hated the guide we hired because of his condescending attitude, but at least he lead us around the streets and took us to the famous tannery.

Where to stay:

I wanted to try out a Dar, which unlike my favorite riads, is a house with high ceilings, intricate mosaic tiles instead of inner gardens. With this being said, I think I would stick to riads, but the Dar was interesting.

Dar Fes Tresor was really cheap and had interesting rooms. To be honest, it was our least favorite for a couple reasons. It was a bit far from sites, but since we were departing on our desert tour early the next morning, we didn’t spend much time at this accommodation. The bed was really big and comfortable, but the pillows sucked (and that makes all the difference!) Tip: there is a great hotel close that we’d check out next time which is more expensive, but had a fantastic restaurant we ate at twice: Palais Faraj.

Day 4, 5, 6: Desert Tour

We knew we wanted to go to Marrakech, which is quite far from Fes. We could have taken a night train to get there, and then the desert trip, but then we found a route that hit two birds with one stone: got us to Marrakech and experience the desert along the way!

Desert tours can be tough to plan, especially with so many options. But let me tell you: it can really be hit or miss if you chose wrongly. The word you might be looking for when searching is ‘luxury,’ because it could be the difference of staying in a shack held up with sticks or a nice, clean tent for the same price.

Tip: When booking a desert tour, speak with your hotel or riad to help you plan it. Also, make sure you see pictures and are able to know the names of any hotels you might stay at along the way in your desert tour!

Day 6, 7, 8, 9: Marrakech

Our desert tour ended by dropping us off around 7pm outside our Riad! Marrakech is such a vibrant city, and I recommend staying in the medina whenever possible because then you are in it. It is filled with thousands of small streets and shops where you can get lost in time and also curious items!

What to see:

Souks, Bahia Palace, Koutoubia Mosque, Hammam experience, Ben Youssef, Jemaa al-fnaa square

Where to stay:

Riad le Clos des Arts because I love it and it was my 2nd time staying. When you walk in off the busy streets, it’s like you are in an oasis filled with beautiful smells, impeccable architecture and very comfortable nooks for you to chill and relax. The staff and owners really treat you like family and are very helpful with recommendations during your stay in Marrakech.