Imperial cities tour: Marrakesh, Rabat, Meknès, Fes, Chefchaouen

Morocco has four imperial cities: Marrakesh, Rabat, Meknès and Fes. They lie in an arc through the north of the country and each one is different. This tour strings them together, with Casablanca, the Roman city of Volubilis and blue Chefchaouen added in. Soukayna drives the whole route herself. You sleep in riads and have a local guide in Fes and Meknès. There is still room for plans of your own.

The program

The first two days you are in Marrakesh, to arrive and to see the city. On day three you drive to the coast. In Casablanca the Hassan II Mosque stands at the edge of the ocean. Then you continue to Rabat, the capital, with a quiet medina and the Kasbah of the Oudayas above the river.

Via Meknès, with the enormous Bab Mansour gate, and Volubilis, where the Roman mosaics still lie in the floors, you reach Fes. You stay there two nights. The medina of Fes is one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world and calls for a guide. We arrange someone who knows the neighborhoods and the crafts and who does not stop at every shop.

After that you head into the mountains. Chefchaouen is in the Rif, a town with blue walls where it is quiet after Fes. From there you go back to Marrakesh on the highway, or to Tangier for a flight.

Who it's for

For anyone who wants to see more than Marrakesh and the desert and who likes history and architecture. You need a week or more for it. You travel in a private car with a female driver, which is a different thing from a bus on a fixed schedule. If you want to add the Sahara to this, that is possible in a two-week trip; ask about a tailor-made trip.

Good to know

Riads in the medinas have stairs and sometimes no elevator. Tell us if that is a problem and we will look for other places. In Fes a day with a guide is really necessary; in the other cities it is easy to walk around on your own. Covered shoulders and knees are enough everywhere; the details per city are on our page about what to wear. The best months are March to May and September to November. You can read more about that under best time to visit.

You get a total amount up front that covers transport, riads, breakfast and guides. The tour can be shorter or longer, run in reverse, or start or end somewhere else. Put your preference in your message through the contact page.