Morocco Travel Itinerary: 7 Epic Days in Marrakech + Sahara Desert
A 7-day Morocco travel itinerary is possible without feeling like you’re rushing to every city. One week in Morocco is enough time to experience two completely different worlds: the sensory overload of Marrakech’s medina and the vast, humbling silence of the Sahara Desert. My boyfriend and I spent a week doing exactly that. This Morocco travel itinerary covers everything from where we stayed to what we ate to what we’d do differently. If you’re trying to figure out how to structure a Morocco trip that actually makes sense, this is your guide.
A few things to know before you go: Morocco is a cash-heavy destination, so plan to pull cash out from an ATM or plan to exchange at the airport. There was an ATM near our hotel so we didn’t have any issues and it seemed like ATMs were everywhere in touristy areas. Tipping is expected almost everywhere. And if you’re visiting the Sahara, build the 3-day excursion into the middle of your trip so you have recovery time on both ends. Trust me, it’s one of the best structural decisions you can make when planning your Morocco travel itinerary.
👉🏾 Read: 12 Epic Things to do in Marrakech, Morocco
Where to Stay: Morocco Accommodations
Riad Aslal (Days 1–2)
Centrally located in the heart of the medina, this is where we started the trip and it set the tone immediately. The tiles, the limewash walls, the courtyard pool — gorgeous. Breakfast is included and genuinely good. Never judge a riad by its exterior because from the outside you’d have no idea what’s waiting inside. Highly recommend.
🛌 Book your stay at Riad Aslal
Riad Serai (Day 3)
Our base for the first night of the Sahara excursion. Modern comforts, warm Moroccan design, and the desert right outside your door. A solid landing spot after a 9-hour drive.
Luxury Desert Camp (Day 4)
Glamping in the truest sense. Real beds, private bathroom with hot water, and a bonfire under a sky full of stars. Bring layers because desert nights in February are cold.
Les Palmiers Boutique Hotel (Days 5–7)
A beautiful property with a hammam and a courtyard pool. The one caveat: it sits about 20–30 minutes outside the medina, so factor in transportation costs. Getting taxis from here was difficult and we ended up booking hotel transport at around $22 each way. Worth it for the spa experience, but not ideal if you’re constantly on the go.
🛌 Book your stay at Les Palmiers Hotel
Day-by-Day Morocco Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Marrakech
After a long travel day, we landed in Marrakech and checked into Riad Aslal in the medina. The jet lag was real, but we were not about to waste our first night in Morocco.
Dinner was at Comptoir Darna, one of the city’s top restaurants. Think intimate lighting, plush seating, live performances, and a menu that leans into Moroccan luxury with a contemporary twist. Dinner for two came to about $200, which is a lot by Marrakech standards, but you get a lot of food and a full experience. I’d recommend coming here on Day 1 specifically to set the tone for the trip.
Day 2: Eat your way through the Medina
Come hungry. We booked the “Eat & Drink as a Local” street food tour through Airbnb Experiences and it was easily one of the best food tours we’ve done anywhere. Our guide took us through local neighborhoods to spots tourists genuinely never find. We tried about 11 different things total.
Standouts: msemen (square-folded Moroccan pancakes that I ate every single morning for the rest of the trip), chebakiya (flower-shaped pastries deep-fried and soaked in honey and orange blossom water), and yes, snails. They taste like whatever they’re cooked in and the texture is not as scary as you’d think. We rated this tour a 9.5 out of 10.
Pro tip: Book your food tour on Day 2. If you fall in love with something, you have the rest of the trip to keep eating it.
Tomorrow, the Sahara.
Day 3: Drive to the Sahara Desert (9 Hours)
Day 3 is where most Morocco itineraries split into two camps. This is the day that separates the committed from the casual. We left Marrakech early for the 9-hour drive to Merzouga with our private driver through Eco Desert Morocco. We opted to drive straight through rather than stop at Todra Gorge or Dades Gorge, so it was a full day in the car. The Atlas Mountain scenery keeps it from feeling like a slog, but pack snacks, download a playlist, and settle in. I started reading Children of Blood and Bone and omg what a story!
We arrived and checked into Riad Serai for the night. Dinner was included with the tour package.
For full details on how we planned the Sahara excursion and how to choose the right tour, check out my detailed 3-Day Marrakech to Sahara Desert itinerary post.
Day 4: Full Day in the Sahara
This was the day we’d driven 9 hours for and it delivered completely.
The day started with a stop at Khamila village, home to Morocco’s Gnawa community. The Gnawa are descendants of Africans brought to Morocco centuries ago from places including Senegal, Chad, and Sudan.
From there: ATV riding on the dunes for an hour (helmets and goggles provided, no experience needed), lunch at Chez Ibrahim where I had a berber eggplant tagine with stewed tomatoes, cheese, and basil that honestly tasted like pizza without the crust and I have not stopped thinking about it, then a sunset camel ride across the dunes with our guide Mohamed. Getting on a camel is less graceful than it looks.
We ended the night at the luxury desert camp with a bonfire and live traditional music. The tent was bigger than expected with a real bed, hot water bathroom, and USB charging only so bring a power bank. The stars out there are something else entirely.
Day 5: Drive Back to Marrakech
Another 9 hours on the road. We were tired but full of stories. Back in Marrakech, we checked into Les Palmiers Boutique Hotel and had a quiet dinner at the hotel.
Day 6: Spa Day
We dedicated this entire day to doing nothing except getting pampered at the Les Palmiers hammam, and honestly, it was the right call after days of desert dust and long drives.
We started with a traditional hammam. If you’ve never done one, you will be in a steam room while someone scrubs your entire body down, and you will emerge feeling completely reborn. Pro tip for my Black women specifically: they wash your hair during the hammam, so plan accordingly or tell them prior to not wash your hair.
We followed that with a 90-minute massage, which I slept through without a single apology. The rest of the day was spent by the pool.
Dinner was at BlackChic, a restaurant serving dishes inspired by cuisines from across the African continent. The beef and chicken empanadas were the highlight. We’d give it a 7.5 out of 10.
Day 7: Photoshoot + Perfume Making + Last Dinner
Our last full day was intentional. No rushing, just experiences worth remembering.
We started with a photoshoot through the souks booked via Airbnb Experiences with @marrakech_photoshoots. I talk about the full experience in: How to get stunning photos in Marrakech.
Then we headed to the Museum of Perfume for a 3-hour custom fragrance workshop. You learn the science behind perfume making, test dozens of essential oils, and ultimately blend your own signature scent to take home. Our instructor told us that in 20 years of doing this, we were the first couple to independently choose the exact same scent profile. Clearly, we’re soulmates lol.
We closed the trip with dinner at Nouba. The food leans on the pricier side but the atmosphere makes up for it with live performances throughout the night. A solid send-off.
I hope you find this Morocco travel itinerary helpful! If you don’t plan to go to the Sahara Desert, 3-4 days will be more than enough time in Marrakech. If I were to do it again, I’d add at least one more day in Marrakech on the front end and consider routing through Fes on the return from the Sahara rather than backtracking.
Be sure to pin this post for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
Con cariño, Eileen 💛
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