Morocco Sample Itineraries
7 days · 5 stops · Solo-friendly
Marrakech to the Atlantic.
A self-guided field manual from the Red City through the windswept ramparts of Essaouira, down to the surf villages of the Atlantic coast — walked, vetted, and built for travellers who go their own way.
Built by Asmoon, Amghar & Izem — three locals, walked twice, vetted in the field. Day 1 is open below. The full plan unlocks after.
One of the most logical loops in Morocco: south from Marrakech through the argan forests to the coast, then a slow drop down the Atlantic to the surf villages. No painful backtracks, no high-altitude passes, and every leg has multiple transport options.
You finish at Agadir Al-Massira (AGA), which has direct flights to most of Europe — so you fly home from there rather than circling back.
What's inside this plan
Day-by-day route
Every leg, every transit, every honest timing — tuned for independent travellers.
Where to stay
The riads, guesthouses and surf villages we book ourselves — named picks, no booking sites.
Daily activities
Souks, palaces, ramparts, surf, gnawa nights — what to do, when, and what to skip.
Solo-traveller notes
Safety, prices, language, the quiet rules — everything we'd tell a friend before they fly.
The plan
Day 01.
A taste of the trip. Marrakech, the medina, the souks at sunset, and dinner at the food stalls of Jemaa el-Fnaa. Days 02–07 unlock below.
Arrival & the medina by night.
Land, settle into your riad, get pleasantly lost in the souks, and watch Jemaa el-Fnaa come alive at dusk. Day one is for the senses, not the schedule.
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Afternoon
Arrive at Menara Airport (RAK)
Petit taxi or pre-arranged riad transfer to the medina — about 70–100 MAD officially. Agree the price before you get in. Most riads sit inside the walls, so the driver will drop you at the nearest gate and a riad porter walks you the rest.
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15:30
Settle in — mint tea on the rooftop.
Choose a riad inside the medina, not Hivernage or Gueliz. You want to wake up inside the old city.
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17:00
First wander through the souks.
Don't try to navigate. Get pleasantly lost. Aim loosely toward the Madrasa Ben Youssef area. Resist buying anything on day one — you're scouting prices.
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Sunset
Jemaa el-Fnaa as it comes alive.
Climb to a rooftop cafe (Cafe de France or Le Grand Balcon) and watch the food stalls assemble below. Snake charmers leave at dusk; storytellers, musicians, and orange-juice carts take over.
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20:00
Dinner at the food stalls.
Stalls 14, 31, and 32 are perennial favourites — grilled fish, kefta tagine, harira soup. Pay 50–100 MAD.
Today's table
What to eat in Marrakech — from the carts to the rooftops.
Street — stalls
Jemaa el-Fnaa food carts
Stalls 14, 31, 32 — grilled fish, kefta tagine, harira soup, lamb skewers. Sit on the bench, order what looks busy.
50–100 MAD ~$5–10
Cheap & iconic
Snail soup & OJ carts
Babbouche (snail soup) by the bowl, boiled chickpeas, msemen with honey, fresh-squeezed orange juice (Jemaa carts).
5–30 MAD ~$0.50–3
Sit-down
Nomad or Le Jardin
Modern Moroccan, rooftop, calm. The pricier option when you want a proper sit-down with a view.
150–250 MAD ~$15–25
Tip Skip lunch on day one — a glass of fresh OJ at 4 MAD and a msemen on the way to Jemaa is enough. You'll want appetite for the stalls at sunset.
Insider
If a young man offers to "show you to your riad" — even if he insists you're going the wrong way — politely decline and use Google Maps or just follow your instinct. A small tip is fine if you accept help, but the guides at the souk gates work on commission and steer travellers to specific shops.
What you're paying for
What's inside the full plan.
An overview — the rest of the route, every stay, every honest note. No filler.
- Days 02–07 — the full day-by-day route through Marrakech, Essaouira, Taghazout, Imsouane & Agadir.
- Where to stay — named riads, guesthouses & surf villas we book ourselves.
- Transport — buses, shuttles & grand taxis. Routes, prices, which to pick when.
- Budget & money — a per-day cost sheet in MAD, cards, ATMs & tipping.
- Solo-traveller notes — safety, language basics & the quiet rules of the souks.
- Packing & visa cheat-sheet — what to bring & the apps to download before you fly.
- A printable one-pager — the whole plan on a single page. Fold it into your passport.
DIY in Morocco · Trip plan No. 01
Unlock days 02–07 + the field manual.
A 35-page PDF, walked twice, vetted in the field by Asmoon, Amghar & Izem — in your inbox within minutes.
- 6 more days, fully detailed
- All transport tables & bookings
- Named riads & surf villages
- Solo-traveller notes
- Budget per day, per category
- Packing & visa cheat-sheet
- Printable one-pager
- Free updates for 12 months
- Stripe-secured
- 7-day refund
- No subscription
One-time · PDF
$35.00 USD
One-time payment · yours forever
Unlock the planPDF emailed in minutes. Free updates for a year.
Trip plan
7 days · 4 stops · Mountain & desert
Red City, High Atlas & the desert.
A self-guided field manual through the Marrakech medina, into the Berber villages of the High Atlas, and out to the rocky plateau of the Agafay Desert — walked, vetted, and built for travellers who go their own way.
Built by Asmoon, Amghar & Izem — three locals, walked twice, vetted in the field. Day 1 is open below. The full plan unlocks after.
The classic seven-day Morocco shape, done independently: three days inside the Marrakech medina, then a grand-taxi south to the High Atlas, two nights in a Berber gite at Imlil (1,740 m), a full hiking day with a guide from the Bureau des Guides — optionally a summit push on Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak.
You come back through Marrakech and out to the Agafay Desert for a single sky-bright glamping night, then home from RAK Airport. No painful backtracks. No long bus days.
What's inside this plan
Day-by-day route
Every leg, every transit, every honest timing — tuned for independent travellers.
Where to stay
Marrakech riads, Imlil mountain gites and Agafay glamping camps we book ourselves — named picks, no booking-site clutter.
Daily activities
Souks, palaces, hammam, mountain hike, camel sunset, stars — what to do, when, and what to skip.
Solo-traveller notes
Safety, prices, language, the quiet rules — everything we'd tell a friend before they fly.
The plan
Day 01.
A taste of the trip. The Marrakech arrival, the cash & SIM at the airport, the first wander through the souks, and dinner at Jemaa el-Fnaa. Days 02–07 unlock below — the rest of Marrakech, the High Atlas, the Agafay desert and the ride home.
Arrival & the medina by night.
Land, settle into your riad, get pleasantly lost in the souks, and watch Jemaa el-Fnaa come alive at dusk. Day one is for the senses, not the schedule.
-
Before exit
First priority: cash & SIM at the airport.
Before you leave the arrivals hall: withdraw 1,000–1,500 MAD at a bank ATM (better rate than the Bureau de Change), and grab a Maroc Telecom or Orange tourist SIM with 10–20GB for 50–80 MAD. Almost everything in Morocco is cash-only, and your host, driver and guide will all reach you on WhatsApp.
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Arrival
Walk past the touts — the official taxis are outside.
Skip anyone offering "help" inside the terminal. The beige petit-taxi rank is signed and queued just outside, immediately to your right. Daytime fare to the medina: 100–150 MAD. After 8pm: 150–200 MAD (legal night supplement is +50%). Agree the price before getting in. Easier alternative: open kech.cab in your browser — fixed-fare, registered driver, 80–120 MAD.
-
15:30
Settle in — mint tea on the rooftop.
Stay inside the medina walls, not Hivernage or Gueliz. Best neighbourhoods: Mouassine, Derb Dabachi, Kennaria. Cars stop at the nearest gate — a riad porter walks you the last 5–15 minutes. Tipping a luggage-cart porter 30–50 MAD is normal with heavy bags.
-
17:00
First wander through the souks.
Don't try to navigate. Get pleasantly lost. Aim loosely toward the Madrasa Ben Youssef area. Resist buying anything on day one — you're scouting prices.
-
Sunset
Jemaa el-Fnaa as it comes alive.
Climb to a rooftop cafe (Cafe de France or Le Grand Balcon) and watch the 100 food stalls assemble below. Snake charmers leave at dusk; storytellers, musicians, and orange-juice carts take over.
-
20:00
Dinner at the food stalls.
Walk to the middle of the stalls, away from the entrance — that's where prices stay fair. Brochettes 20–30 MAD, harira 15–20, merguez sandwich 15. Or step into any side alley off the square for a sit-down tagine at 50–80 MAD.
Today's table
What to eat in Marrakech — from the carts to the rooftops.
Stall — cheap
Jemaa el-Fnaa food carts
Walk to the middle of the 100 stalls (not the edges) for fair prices. Brochettes, harira soup, merguez sandwich, kefta tagine.
15–30 MAD ~$1.50–3 each
Cheap & iconic
Snail soup, OJ & msemen
Babbouche (snail soup) by the bowl, boiled chickpeas, msemen with honey, fresh-squeezed orange juice from the Jemaa carts (4 MAD).
5–30 MAD ~$0.50–3
Sit-down
Side-alley tagine
Walk two minutes off the main square into any back alley — restaurants without photos or English menus on the outside always give better value. A full tagine with bread and tea.
50–80 MAD ~$5–8
Tip A glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice from a Jemaa cart costs 4 MAD (40¢). Squeezed in front of you, ice-cold, the best in Morocco. Have one before dinner.
Insider
If a young man offers to "show you to your riad" — even if he insists you're going the wrong way — politely decline and use Google Maps or just follow your instinct. A small tip is fine if you accept help, but the guides at the souk gates work on commission and steer travellers to specific shops.
What you're paying for
What's inside the full plan.
An overview — the rest of the route, every stay, every honest note. No filler.
- Days 02–07 — the full day-by-day route through Marrakech, Imlil, the High Atlas & the Agafay desert.
- Where to stay — named riads, mountain gites & desert camps we book ourselves.
- Transport — grand taxis, airport transfers, Marrakech→Imlil & Marrakech→Agafay. Routes & prices.
- Bureau des Guides & Toubkal — how the Bureau works, guide rates, the optional summit push (4,167 m).
- Budget & money — a per-day cost sheet in MAD, cards, ATMs & tipping.
- Solo-traveller notes — safety, language basics & the quiet rules of the souks.
- Packing & visa cheat-sheet — medina heat, Atlas altitude, desert nights — one bag.
- A printable one-pager — the whole plan on a single page. Fold it into your passport.
DIY in Morocco · Trip plan No. 02
Unlock days 02–07 + the field manual.
A 35-page PDF for days 02–07 plus our full field manual — vetted in the field by Asmoon, Amghar & Izem. In your inbox within minutes.
- 6 more days, fully detailed
- Imlil & the Bureau des Guides
- Optional Toubkal summit (4,167 m)
- Agafay desert glamping & transfers
- Named gites & camp picks
- Budget per day & cash strategy
- Solo-traveller notes
- Free updates for 12 months
- Stripe-secured
- 7-day refund
- No subscription
One-time · PDF
$35.00 USD
One-time payment · yours forever
Unlock the planPDF emailed in minutes. Free updates for a year.
Trip plan
12 days · 7 destinations · ~1,800 km
The full picture.
A self-guided field manual from the Atlantic coast to the edge of the Sahara — Casablanca, Rabat, the blue of Chefchaouen, the medina of Fès, the dunes of Merzouga, the kasbahs of Ouarzazate, and the red walls of Marrakech.
Day 01.
Landing in Casa.
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Arrival
Land at Mohammed V Airport (CMN).The airport train (ONCF) runs from inside the terminal up to Casa Voyageurs station in the city centre — 35 minutes, 45 MAD. Far better than the taxi scrum outside arrivals. Pre-booked private transfers also available at around 300 MAD.
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Afternoon
Hassan II Mosque.One of the largest mosques on earth, built on a platform over the Atlantic. Non-Muslim guided tours run several times daily. The scale and craftsmanship are genuinely humbling. 130 MAD, allow 1h30. Late-afternoon tours are quieter, and the building catches the golden hour beautifully.
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18:00
Walk the Corniche at golden hour.The coastal boulevard at dusk — Atlantic waves to the left, cafes and fresh juice stalls to the right. The light on the mosque at golden hour is something you'll remember. Bring a layer; the Atlantic breeze gets sharp at sunset.
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20:00
Dinner in Gauthier.La Sqala is traditional Moroccan inside a restored 18th-century bastion — courtyards, tagines, mint tea by candlelight. Or Le Cabestan on the corniche for fresh Atlantic fish with the lighthouse beam outside the window.
Casablanca eats — port city, French bistros, and Atlantic fish.
What's inside the full plan.
- Days 02–12 — the full day-by-day route through Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fès, Merzouga, Ouarzazate & Marrakech.
- Where to stay — named riads in every city, plus a desert camp in Merzouga & a kasbah in Ouarzazate.
- Transport — ONCF trains, CTM coaches, grand taxis & private drivers. Which to pick when.
- Sahara & the dunes — camp picks, camel logistics, the Atlas crossing to Merzouga.
- Budget & money — a per-day cost sheet in MAD, cards, ATMs & tipping.
- Solo-traveller notes — safety in every medina (each is different) & the quiet rules.
- Packing & visa cheat-sheet — coast, mountain, Sahara & medina — one bag.
- A printable one-pager — the whole 12-day plan on a single page. Fold it into your passport.
Unlock days 02–12 + the field manual.
- 11 more days, fully detailed
- Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fès
- Sahara & Merzouga camp picks
- Ouarzazate kasbahs & cinema
- All trains, coaches & transfers
- Named riads in every city
- Solo-traveller notes
- Free updates for 12 months
- Stripe-secured
- 7-day refund
- No subscription
Trip plan · Northern Morocco
9 days · 3 cities · Mediterranean & Atlantic
The northern coast.
A self-guided coastal field manual across the Morocco the south never tells you about — Tangier, Asilah and Nador. Mediterranean light, Atlantic breeze, whitewashed walls, Spanish on the menu, and the only stretch of road where you can stand with one foot on each ocean.
Built by Asmoon, Amghar & Izem — three locals, walked twice, vetted in the field. Day 1 is open below. The full plan unlocks after.
This is the Morocco the southern circuit never mentions — and the one we visit when we want quiet. Tangier because Paul Bowles wrote half of his work from a Café Hafa table. Asilah because the Atlantic light hits whitewashed walls the way it does nowhere else in North Africa. Nador because almost no traveller goes there, and that's exactly why we do.
The north is older, slower, and softer than Marrakech. Spanish gets you as far as Arabic. Fish replaces tagine. The riads cost less. The medinas are walkable in a morning, not a week. You'll hear three languages at every café table and feel two seas in the same week.
What's inside this plan
Day-by-day route
Trains, CTM coaches, grand taxis — every coastal leg with current MAD prices and the overnight Tangier→Nador bus we book.
Andalusian riads & sea-view rooms
Tangier kasbah riads, Asilah ramparts B&Bs, Nador's quietly modern hotels — the named picks we book ourselves.
Fresh fish & café maps
Where to eat fish off the boat (15–40 MAD), the historic cafés worth the splurge, the Spanish-Moroccan tapas culture nobody told you about.
Spanish-Morocco border notes
Crossing Ceuta from Tetouan, Melilla from Nador, the FRS ferry to Tarifa, what's worth it, what's not.
The plan
Day 01.
A taste of the trip. Land in Tangier, climb to the Kasbah at sunset, mint tea at Café Hafa with the Strait of Gibraltar laid out below, dinner at Petit Socco. Days 02–09 unlock below — the rest of Tangier, Asilah, Tetouan, Al Hoceima, Nador.
Land at the Strait. First night in the white city.
Land in Tangier, drop bags in the Kasbah, climb to the rampart wall for sunset over the Strait. Mint tea at Café Hafa as the lights of Tarifa come on across the water. Dinner at Petit Socco.
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Before exit
First priority: cash, SIM, and which Tangier you arrived to.
Withdraw 1,000–1,500 MAD at a bank ATM (BMCE or Attijariwafa — always better rates than the Bureau de Change). Grab a tourist SIM with 10–20GB for 50–80 MAD. If you arrived by ferry from Tarifa, you're at Tanger-Med port — 45km east of the city. If you flew, you're at Ibn Battuta (TNG) — 15km southwest.
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Arrival
Into the city — the right way, by route.
From TNG airport: the official airport taxi is fixed at 150 MAD into Tangier (don't accept 250+, walk past the touts). 25 minutes. From Tanger-Med port: the free shuttle bus to Tangier centre runs every hour, 80 minutes — or a grand taxi for 250 MAD. Tell your driver "Bab al-Bahr" or the name of your riad — not "the medina" generically. The medina is large, the kasbah is the upper part.
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15:00
Drop your bags — sleep inside the Kasbah, not below it.
The Kasbah quarter sits at the top of the medina with the best views and the quietest nights. Rooms 350–650 MAD; budget guesthouses 180–300. Our reliable picks: Dar Sultan, Riad Mokhtar, La Maison de Tanger, The Tangerine. All inside the kasbah walls, all with rooftops looking onto the Strait.
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16:30
First wander — Petit Socco and the cinema cafés.
Walk down through the Kasbah gate to Petit Socco — the small triangular square at the heart of the medina. Burroughs wrote here, Genet drank here, Tangier's literary century happened around four café tables. Order a coffee at Café Tingis (12 MAD) and just watch.
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Sunset
Café Hafa — the tea glass that hasn't moved since 1921.
Walk west along the Avenue Mohammed Tazi to Café Hafa. Built into the cliffside, with terraces stepping down toward the Strait. Order a mint tea (12 MAD) and a slice of cake. The view: the Atlantic on your right, the Mediterranean on your left, Spain straight ahead. This is the view the Beat writers came for.
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20:00
Dinner — fresh fish at the port, not a tourist plate.
Walk down to the port-side fish stalls behind the Grand Socco (look for "Le Marché Central"). Pick your fish from the ice (sardines, dorade, calamari), they grill it in 15 minutes. Whole grilled fish with salad and bread: 60–100 MAD ($6–10). Watch the Spanish-Moroccan crowd order in two languages.
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22:00
One more mint tea on the rooftop — the Strait at night.
Back at your riad rooftop, watch the lights of Tarifa flicker on across the water (12km away). Spain. Right there. This is the geography lesson the whole trip is built around — tomorrow you wake up in the only African city where Europe is a coffee away.
Today's table
Eating Tangier — three meals, three centuries.
Clifftop — classic
Café Hafa mint tea
A cliff café in operation since 1921, where the Beats wrote and Paul Bowles took afternoon tea. Mint tea, a slice of orange cake, and a view that hasn't changed in a hundred years. Pure simplicity.
12–30 MAD ~$1.50–3
Port — cheap
Marché Central fish stalls
Whole fish straight off the boat, grilled to order behind the Grand Socco. Sardines (cheapest, best), dorade, sole, calamari. Comes with bread and tomato salad. The Tangier locals' lunch.
60–100 MAD ~$6–10
Historic — splurge
El Minzah's Caid's Bar
The grand 1930s bar where Churchill, Hayworth and Bowles drank. A martini at the panelled bar, or fish in the courtyard restaurant. The one Tangier splurge worth doing — for the room as much as the food.
120–280 MAD ~$12–28
Coastal rule A glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice at the Grand Socco juice stalls costs 5 MAD (50¢). Two glasses fills you up before lunch. Have one with breakfast every day you're on the coast.
Insider
The "Caves of Hercules" at Cap Spartel are a famous photo-op — but they're a 20-minute tour and a 30 MAD entry for a small grotto. The view from outside (the cliff opening shaped like a backward Africa) is the only reason to go. If you have a half-day spare in Tangier, the same drive lets you visit Cap Spartel lighthouse — the actual meeting point of the Atlantic and Mediterranean — for free. That's the real attraction.
What you're paying for
What's inside the full plan.
An overview — the rest of the route, every stay, every honest note. No filler.
- Days 02–09 — the full day-by-day route through Tangier, Asilah, Tetouan, Al Hoceima & Nador.
- Where to stay — named kasbah riads, Asilah ramparts B&Bs & sea-view rooms east.
- Transport — ONCF trains, CTM coaches, grand taxis & the Tanger-Med port shuttles.
- Spanish-Morocco borders — Ceuta from Tetouan, Melilla from Nador, FRS ferry to Tarifa.
- Fish maps & historic cafés — Hafa, Tingis, El Minzah & the Spanish tapas culture in Nador.
- Budget & money — a real $40–65/day breakdown in MAD, ATMs & tipping.
- Northern-coast notes — Tangier safety, languages, hammam etiquette & the quiet rules.
- A printable one-pager — the whole 9-day plan on a single page. Fold it into your passport.
DIY in Morocco · Trip plan No. 05
Unlock days 02–09 + the field manual.
A 38-page PDF for the full northern coast loop — vetted in the field by Asmoon, Amghar & Izem. In your inbox within minutes.
- 8 more days, fully detailed
- Tangier kasbah & literary cafés
- Asilah ramparts & Paradise Beach
- Tetouan & the Rif drive
- Al Hoceima cliffs & coves
- Nador & Marchica Lagoon
- Ceuta & Melilla crossings
- Free updates for 12 months
- Stripe-secured
- 7-day refund
- No subscription
One-time · PDF
$35.00 USD
One-time payment · yours forever
Unlock the planPDF emailed in minutes. Free updates for a year.