7 Days in Morocco From Marrakech: The Ultimate Itinerary
Are you wondering how to spend 7 days in Morocco from Marrakech? Then you are in the right spot!
Marrakech is a popular destination for tourists when traveling to Morocco. While it most definitely is a top city, there are so many amazing places in Morocco that you should check out too.
I’ve been fortunate enough to visit several must-see places in this North African country. From riding camels across the Sahara desert to getting lost in Souk markets in Old Medinas in Fes, Tangier, and more – I have tried it all.
Knowing where to go and what to do in Morocco can be a daunting task as there are so many interesting sites in every direction from Marrakech.
In this blog post, I lay out my ultimate 7-day itinerary for Morocco from Marrakech, featuring unmissable cities and top activities in this most magical of countries.
Let’s get to it!
Table of Contents
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7-Day Morocco Itinerary (From Marrakech) At a Glance
🏜️ Day 1: Essaouira
🏜️ Day 2: Marrakech
🏜️ Day 3: Fes
🏜️ Day 4: Fes
🏜️ Day 5: Chefchaouen
🏜️ Day 6: Tangier
🏜️ Day 7: Tangier/Marrakech
After spending so much time in Morocco, these are my favorite places to check out. However, you can also switch out any of these trips with other day trips from Marrakech.
I can also recommend checking out Casablanca and Rabat – both cities have an amazing atmosphere.
Day 1: Essaouira
Not too far away from Marrakech is the beautiful seaside city of Essaouira. This is a charming fishing city full of history and it is the total opposite of Marrakech.
Marrakech is a busy place that can be quite overcrowded with tourists at times. Essaouira has a much more relaxed, quieter vibe. It offers a pleasant change of pace and scenery.
Essaouira from Marrakech is just under 180 kilometers away and your best option is to take a day tour or private transfer there.
We took a private tour and we stopped at the cute Goat Tree as well as an Argan Oil factory on the way, it was totally worth seeing.
This makes Essaouira a great option for a day trip from Marrakech. If you have more time, I would definitely recommend spending at least 2 days in this beautiful place to fully appreciate all that it has to offer.
Things To Do In Essaouira
So what makes Essaouira so special? Well, it lies on the Atlantic coast so you can spend time admiring the ocean views while strolling along the beach. That is such a nice thing to do after the madness of Marrakech.
The beach is also a popular place for windsurfing and kitesurfing. In general is a good spot if you’re a surfer as there are always strong winds in Essaouira.
We opted for a horseback ride along the beach and it was a blast!
Essaouira is a historical port city and its medina features ramparts dating back to the 18th century. I love that you can see cannons that still line the walls here.
The most special and interesting place to visit in Essaouira for me however was the fishing quarter. Every day you’ll see a flurry of activity here from fishermen unloading their hauls for the day.
The wooden blue boats of Essaouira are an iconic sight to see as well. There are plenty of them to see too. They were inspired by the city’s three thousand years of murex production (a dye substance found in sea snails in this part of the world).
With Essaouira being right next to the ocean there are plenty of fantastic seafood restaurants to visit too. I could honestly write about this magical city for days – it’s a beautiful place with a beautiful pace of life too – not to be missed on a 7-day itinerary through Morocco from Marrakech.
Day 2: Essaouira or Marrakech
If you choose to spend the night in Essaouira, then you’ll have the day to explore the cute coastal town some more.
If you returned to Marrakech in the evening, day 2 of this Morocco itinerary can be spent in the city. And there is a lot to do as well.
You can explore the Jardin Majorelle, or get check out the souks and spice markets. Plus, don’t miss a traditional hammam experience (we did ours in our Riad).
Also, make sure to check out the stunning Koutoubia Mosque and the historic Bahia Palace for a peek into the city’s architectural heritage!
Day 3 and 4: Fes
After a couple of days in Essaouira, I would next recommend a visit to one of Morocco’s UNESCO World Heritage cities; Fes.
Your best option is to travel by train to Fes. You can also book a private tour.
Fes is over 500 kilometres away and a train from Marrakech takes over 6 hours. Although that sounds like another long day of travel, the train ride is very scenic and a pleasant experience.
You can also catch a bus to Fes but this will take longer; around 8 hours.
Things To Do In Fes
Known as the oldest city in Morocco, Fes is a fascinating historical place to visit. It was originally the first city established in Morocco around 789 AD. It is one of the best-preserved Arabic cities in the world.
The old walled medina in Fes (Fes El Bali) is the largest in the world and is a massive labyrinth of alleyways. There are lots of shops selling everything you can imagine. It’s quite an overwhelming place which felt quite similar to Marrakech in some respects.
There are also lots of historical landmarks, museums, and stunning Arabic architecture to admire.
One of the top tourist attractions in Fes is the Chouara Tannery, which is one of three tanneries in Fes and also the oldest and the largest. It can be found in the old medina and is quite a sight (and smell!) to behold.
A tannery is where animal skins and hides are processed manually to produce leather, by being soaked in pigeon poo. Despite the bad odor here, it is definitely a unique insight into an ancient tradition that makes it worth visiting.
All in all, Fes is a really remarkable place full of culture and life that you’ll want to spend at least 2 days exploring here.
Day 5: Chefchaouen
Also known as ‘the blue pearl’, Chefchaouen in my opinion is the most magical, unforgettable city in all of Morocco.
Traveling to this relaxed, chilled-out place is quite a juxtaposition to the always lively, busy city of Fes. Chefchaouien is similar to how Essaouira is a welcome relief from the rushed places.
The entire city’s buildings are painted in light blue, which is what the city is famous for. It is a place where you can wander around in joyous wonderment, and I highly recommend putting this city on your 7-day Morocco itinerary.
However, Chefchaouen is not the easiest destination to reach in the country. Based over 200 kilometers north of Fes, there are no train options available so you have to rely on either taking a taxi or a really long bus ride.
A taxi may cost anywhere from 1,000 to 1,300 Moroccan Dirhams, which is around 90 to 120 Euros. A coach ride is far cheaper (around 10 to 20 Euros) but takes around 3 to 4 hours.
I prefer the cab since it is more comfortable.
Things To Do In Chefchaouen
As mentioned, you can easily spend several hours just wandering around the Medina of Chefchaouen and admire the beautiful blue buildings everywhere.
It is a photographer’s paradise and probably the most Instagram-worthy city in all of Morocco.
The city also has a beautiful square and plaza with very good restaurants and cafes available. There are also Mosques worth visiting, such as the Bouzafer Mosque which has a great view of the city.
I would recommend one full day in Chefchaouen – yes, it is a magical, mysterious place quite unlike anywhere else I’ve ever visited. But, it is a bit short on things to do and places to visit.
Day 6: Tangier
My final destination recommendation in Morocco is the port city of Tangier in the north of Morocco.
This amazing city is just over one hundred kilometers north of Chefchaouen. There are no trains available from Chefchaouen to Tangier.
You could take a taxi there, which will cost around 700 to 900 Moroccan Dirhams (around 60 to 80 Euros) and will take less than two hours.
If this is a little too expensive then there are buses available which are a lot cheaper (less than 10 Euros) and will take just less than three hours in total.
It’s also really easy to reach mainland Europe (Spain) from Tangier as well, as it is based on the Strait of Gibraltar. There are ferries leaving to and from Spain several times per day, and take around 1 hour for as little as 40 Euros.
Things To Do In Tangier
So why visit Tangier? Well, it’s known as an important trade city and is also famed for being one of the best cities to shop in Morocco.
Similar to other cities we’ve looked at in this blog post, Tangier is a beautiful place full of history.
What makes it special however is that Tangier is very multiculturally influenced, with historical landmarks and architecture that has been inspired by the Middle East. There are also lots of Grecian buildings and cobbled streets that date back to the Byzantine era.
I remember visiting Tangier’s old medina and various souks which was an absolutely overwhelming experience and an assault on the senses.
It does feel like you’ve stepped back into ancient times – Tangier is a special place where the old meets the new and makes for a magical, unforgettable time.
Day 7: Tangier or Return to Marrakech
You can either end this 7-day Morocco itinerary from Marrakech here in Tangier or travel back to Marrakech.
To get from Tangier to Marrakech, you have a few good options. You can take a flight, which is the quickest way, usually around an hour.
Or, if you prefer to see the scenery, you can hop on a train; it’s about 5 to 6 hours but really comfortable and scenic.
There are also buses available, which are more budget-friendly but take a bit longer, around 10 hours.
Renting A Car In Morocco
As you may have noticed in this blog post, I’ve focused on public transport or private tours in Morocco when traveling between all the places mentioned.
That’s based on my own personal experience, but you may wish to rent a car instead.
This is a very good option and saves having to worry about trains and buses, which are not always reliable. There are excellent tolled motorways in Morocco that are in very good condition and very well signposted too.
Renting a car in Morocco is a very straightforward process too, with plenty of rental car company options available at all the major airports and cities.
However, I also found driving in Morocco’s cities stressful and messy – so I would not recommend it.
Conclusion: 7 Days In Morocco From Marrakech
So that concludes my blog post on how to spend 7 days in Morocco from Marrakech. Morocco is such an interesting country with varied cities full of history and culture.
7 days is in my opinion just the right length of time to spend in the country after visiting Morocco. But you may wish to spend even longer; you could spend a few days traveling to the Sahara desert, the beach city of Agadir, or the famous Casablanca.
This itinerary was put together for you to explore the best of what Morocco has to offer, from relaxed, chilled-out cities such as Essaouira and Chefchaouen, to the historical medinas found in Fes and Tangier.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading through this itinerary and have now reached the same conclusion that I have; that Morocco is most definitely worth visiting.
It’s a magical place, one that you’ll want to return to time and time again.
About the Author
Sabrina is a passionate travel blogger and content creator, based in the Netherlands. She spends most parts of the year abroad at various destinations with her husband.
She provides slow-paced itineraries that focus on quality over quantity. Sabrina wants to help her readers to get more out of their travel experiences – while doing less. Read more.
