Morocco. Your Ten Day Itinerary
Morocco was the most pleasantly surprising addition to my adventure last year. A four day visit, turned into a month of amazing people and memories that I will forever cherish. It is a big country with a lot to see though, so you’ll have to be picky. A lot of the main attractions and tours leave from Marrakech, so if you don’t plan well, you could end up wasting a lot of time and money taking yourself back and forth to the city unnecessarily.
Considerations:
It’s worth noting that Morocco can be a little bit of a culture shock, especially for women. I was quite overwhelmed by the constant attention from local men, but found once I got used to it, and stopped to chat to some of them, that they were completely harmless and had some fascinating stories to tell! In terms of clothing, it isn’t ‘compulsory’, but I would recommend wearing long pants and covering your shoulder where possible - both out of respect to their culture, and also to minimise some of the unwanted attention.
Day 1-3: Marrakech
Marrakech is a great starting point for your trip, and is filled with so many incredible people and places that are worth checking out. The Medina is the place to be, try to organise your accomodation within the walls as most of your activities will take place here! It is always bustling, with a million things to keep you entertained.
Activities
There really is a lot to do in Marrakech. I spent hours just roaming the streets and looking at all the beautiful handcrafted rugs and pottery etc. If you’re looking for some organised tours and things to do, I would recommend one or a few of the below.
Day trip to Atlas Mountains and Ourika Valley. I did this as a private tour with a driver, but found this to be a waste of money as the driver didn’t speak very good English so was unable to give us much information about the sites. As an alternative, you can find a number of day trips on sites such as GetYourGuide.
Local cuisine cooking class. For as little as 20 bucks you can do a great cooking class with some of the locals, becoming an expert at tagines, couscous dishes, and other delicious Moroccan favourites.
Desert quad bike tours. I saw many of these on my trip out to Atlas Mountains and they looked like a lot of fun!
Street food and souk tours.
Food & Bevs
Moroccan cuisine is my new favourite, you’ll often find me trying (and not yet succeeding) to create my own tagine. The best places to get a real authentic (and cheap) taste is going to the street markets and local stalls, but you can find some great options on any budget.
$$$
El Fenn Restaurant
Le Bistro Arabe
$$
Kabana Rooftop Food & Cocktails
L’mida Marrakech
$
Souk Semmarine
Accomodation
$$$
El Fenn Hotel
$$
Hotel & Spa Riad Al Jazira
$
The Central House Marrakech Medina
Day 3-5: Tour to Sahara
There are so many tour options once you’re in Morocco. I booked through GetYourGuide, finding a cheap two night group tour to Merzouga, via Ouazazate. On this tour we spent a night in the desert, road camels, made argan oil, and so much more… it was worth the long journey and every penny. One of the main benefits of doing these guided tours is that you are able to get a glimpse into Berber villages and homes, learning a lot about their traditions and lifestyle.
My favourite parts of this tour were Ait Ben Haddou and Tinghir. Definitely check to see if these are included in your tour when booking!
Day 5-7 Taghazout
I had no idea what incredible surf there was in Morocco until I spent some time in Taghazout at a surf camp. The town and the surf are fantastic, and most of the camps are all-inclusive! Surf & Travel is where I stayed, and I had an amazing time there - the staff were great, the accomodation and location were good, and I met so many incredible people who I’m still in touch with whilst I was there. Each day we would drive to a beach where we would basically spend the entire day surfing and napping on the beach. The locals loved having surf groups around, and I got to meet and chat to a lot of lovely people.
While in Taghazout, you should definitely take a day trip to Imsouane, known for having the longest wave in Morocco. On a good day you could be on a single wave for over two minutes!
In terms of recommendations for food spots, accomodation and such, Taghazout is generally a very affordable place to visit, and most of the accomodation (especially the surf hostels) are inclusive of meals, surf gear, transport to beaches etc.
Food & Bevs
$$
DFrost Almugar
$
Restaurant Windy Bay
Accomodation
$$
DFrost Boutique Hotel
Radisson Blu
$
Surf & Travel Hostel
DFrost Surf & Yoga
World of Waves
Day 7-9: Tangier
This may be a surprise to some, but Tangier ended up being my favourite place in Morocco. There’s not that much to do, and it’s quite a busy holiday spot for locals in the new parts of the city, but I settled in here for about 10 days and really immersed myself in the town and people. The Medina is stunning, and full of marketplaces for fresh fruit and vege, as well as beautiful clothing and homewares and more!
Activities
$$
Kasbah Museum
Villa Perdicaris
$
Try a local hammam! This one was as authentic as it gets, and was definitely taking me out of my comfort zone a bit. If you would rather a more touristy version, try a hammam at a Riad or hotel in town. The women at this hammam were so lovely, but there was a definitely a language barrier which made it a very interesting experience!
Hercules Caves
Cape Spartel
Bab Kasbah
Food & Bevs
$$
Cafe Hafa
Restaurant al Maimouni
$
Restaurant Port de Tanger Medina
Le Bistrot du Petit Soco
Accomodation
$$$
Saba’s House
$$
La Maison de Tanger
$
Bayt Alice
Day 9-10: Chefcheoun
The Blue City is one of the most magical places I have experienced in my travels. I would only recommend a day or two here though, as there’s not that much to do other than walk around and explore the town. Many fellow travellers I met went to Chefcheoun as a day trip from Tangier which is also an option, but I quite enjoyed having a night there to try the local cuisine and experience more of the town. One of the great things to do from Chefcheoun is to go hiking in the Rif Mountains so be sure to pack a good pair of shoes!
Activities
$
Ras el Ma
Bouzafer Mosque
Rif Mountains
Food & Bevs
$$
Coffee Clock
$
Cafe Restaurant Marisco Twins
Bilmos
Midos
Accomodation
$$
Dar Echchaouen Maison d'hôtes & Riad
Lina Ryad and Spa
$
Dar Blue Pearl
Hotel Aymane Rooftop
Additional Resources:
Check out my extensive Google Maps List for location specific recommendations while you’re travelling!