Morocco

Itinerary From My Trip

Marrakech, Merzouga Desert, Fes & Chefchaouen

Tip: Always walk around with a local guide and book walking tours during the day. It is very difficult to find your way around the médina as it is basically a labyrinth with high walls and no reference points like normal streets. Almost all tours, restaurants, spas etc will provide pick up and drop off for free, just tip them. It’s worth it. The front desk of our hotels kept asking if we’d like them to arrange pick ups to go to dinner/the spa etc because they know it is difficult to get around and often get hassled (and started taking them up on it). If you look lost or like a tourist, locals will try to lead you to places that don’t exist and then demand money. This is not to scare you from going to these places. Morocco is INCREDIBLE and we loved it, I just wish we knew this prior to arriving there!

Marrakech

Where To Stay (Marrakech)

Riad Al Rimal : hotel was cute, nothing overly fancy or special- free breakfast on the roof (overlooking the medina) every morning which was nice! Central located to all the sites and close to Jemaa el-Fnaa (not accessible by car, get airport pick up from hotel and porter will bring your bags and lead you to the Riad, definitely your best option!) There are some BEAUTIFUL luxury hotels that may be worth looking into as well.

Where To Eat (Marrakech)

Dar Chef : good lunch spot, $10 you get a soup, tanjine, dessert and tea. Restaurant is inside (which is nice for lunch, away from the heat)

Belly Dancing Show & Dinner ♡* : There are a few places you can go in Marrakech, we went to Comptoir Darna and loved it(in the new city near the clubs, I think they also own Azar which is popular). Belly Dancing show is at 10PM- excellent food, the lamb tanjine is incredible. The show is very fun and the dancers come around to the tables to get people to dance etc. Definitely a bit touristy but we really enjoyed it and the restaurant itself is really gorgeous. Great atmosphere for a nice dinner and for smoking room for hookah as well!

Cafe Kif Kif ♡: I don’t know why we loved this place so much but we went here twice. It’s near the main square- great for apps, coffee or dinner. Really cute patio upstairs overlooking the main Mosque. Went early in day for coffee/tea and then again for apps. They do serve full dinner as well, more low key.

Le Marrekechi : Romantic/cozy spot for hookah & wine (or dinner!). The ambiance and decor are amazing and looks over the main square. Dinner menu looked great.

Al Baraka ♡: Beautiful outdoor restaurant (also has a rooftop and indoor dining). Delicious food and great ambiance. A bit pricy but the food was great and restaurant was really nice. They also had a belly dancer perform during dinner which was really fun. Highly recommend.

Things to Do (Marrakech)

Guided Medina Tour ♡♡ : Definitely definitely do a guided médina (old city) tour while both in Marrakech & Fes. It is very difficult to find your way around the médina as it is basically a labyrinth with high walls and no reference point like normal streets. Also, if you want great local products (camel leather, jewelry, argan oil), you will get better pricing if you’re with a local guide. The tour linked above was a 1/2 day (4 hours) and was our favorite day in Marrakech. Our guide took us through the old medina and then a car picked us up to go see all of the sites you want to see (and can customize as you like). Our guide Ahmed Bouabid was really great and highly recommend him! He was very knowledgeable and made for a really fun day. Note: Admission to the gardens, palace etc. are an additional cost.

Jardin Majorelle ♡ : Really beautiful gardens just outside of the medina. It was so peaceful and scenic, away from the hustle & bustle from downtown. *Admission is an additional cost to your tour.
Bahia Palace ♡♡: This is definitely is a must do, very beautiful!! Walk around the big central Mosque in the center of the city, it is beautiful with gardens but cannot enter unless you’re Muslim. We also went to the best *Admission is an additional cost to your tour
Aragan Oil ♡♡ : Definitely load up on Argan Oil while you’re in Marrakech. There are a ton of cheap/fake options at the market/around the medina so make sure you go somewhere legit. Argan oil is great for your skin, anti aging, scars etc. and is very expensive in the US as we cannot grow argan trees/nuts here (they tried in Mexico as it is a similar terrain but were unable to). Our guide took us to Rosa Huile which we LOVE their products and use them daily. We bought argan oil for cosmetic purposes and cooking oil They also have different herbs, teas, lip balms, creams and spices which we also purchased. If you buy multiple products, they offer really great discounts too.
Saadian Tombs : The tour normally takes you do the Saadian Tombs however, they were closed during our tour.

Jemaa el-Fnaa : Very cool square & market with tons of shops, local vendors, food etc. It gets a bit chaotic and the vendors are very aggressive (especially at night). It is honestly better to look at the market from above in a restaurant (there are a ton of great restaurants around the square). While walking through the square, you will most likely get hassled to go to their restaurants / markets / lured in by snake charmers etc- just keep your head down if you’re passing through. We never went through with a guide, it may have been a more enjoyable experience had we been guided through with one.

Koutoubia Mosque : In the center of town is the Koutoubia Mosque which is really beautiful, especially at night. If you are not Muslim, you are not able to enter but can tour around the grounds/gardens (the only Mosque in Morocco that non-Muslims can enter is in Casablanca). We were in Marrakech during Ramadan and could see all of the families walking from all over the city to Koutoubia for prayer after breaking the fast once the sun went down. It was really cool and could hear the prayer all throughout the city.

Comptoir Darna (Belly Dancing Show) ♡ : As mentioned above, there are a few places you can go in Marrakech for a belly dancing show (this one is a restaurant/bar/hookah lounge). Definitely a bit touristy but we really enjoyed it and restaurant itself is really gorgeous. Great atmosphere for a nice dinner and for smoking room for hookah as well!

Merzouga Desert & Tour

Desert Tour: Marrakech to Fes ♡♡ : We did an awesome 3 day, 2 nights tour through the desert from Marrakech to Fes. We got to see a lot of the countryside, Berber Villages, desert and Atlas Mountains along the way. I will say, it was A LOT of driving (it would have been nice if we had more time to stretch it over 5 days or so instead of 3). Logistically, if you plan to do both Marrakech & Fes, I highly recommend starting your desert tour in 1 city and ending in another (we saved a ton of time not having to go all the way back to Marrakech). Our guide Mohammad was incredible and spoke perfect English. Mohammad was very knowledgeable about the areas and culture which made for a very educational 3 days. He was a Berber nomad with his family until he was about 13 years old. Below are the places we stopped along the way (but you can customize however you’d like)!

Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou ♡♡: This was one of our favorite stops and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. VERY cool and beautiful Berber village (where Game Of Thrones and parts of Gladiator were filmed). We got to go inside a typical Berber clay/mud home with a local which was very cool! You can walk to the top of the hill where the homes are situated in for some amazing views.
Ouarzazate : This was a cool village about 30 min from Ait Bin Haddou - Ait Ben Haddou was cooler though!

Dades Gorges : We stayed in this village the first night of the tour and stayed at Ksar Sultan Dades. The town is very beautiful with views of the Atlas Mountains (very rugged & rocky). Our hotel was included in our tour which also came with free dinner & breakfast and also had amazing sunset views & a pool. Food & rooms were decent but the stay was very comfortable and nice.
Todgha Gorge ♡♡: This was also one of our favorite stops on the too. This gorge plunges 300 meters down to a clear/blue river which you can walk along. Our guide dropped us off for an hour on one end and picked us up on the other. It was a great pit stop for a walk & for beautiful photos.
Merzouga/Sahara Dessert ♡♡: This was the absolute highlight of the entire Morocco Trip and is a MUST DO. We took a camel trek through the Sahara with a guide and ended at a very cool luxury desert camp called Akabar Luxury Desert Camp (the definition of glamping). The staff prepared a traditional Berber dinner for us under the stars and lit a camp fire while they played and taught us Berber music. They also woke us up to a full breakfast while we watched the sunrise over the Sahara, which was pretty amazing. The accommodations were very nice and had WiFi.
Ifrane : Ifrane is known as “Little Swizterland” as it is known for its Alpine style homes & architecture. We stopped here for a coffe & snack on our way from Merzouga to Fes. We also stopped near Ifrane National Park to look for Barbary Macaques (Apes) which was amazing! They are SO human-like with their mannerisms and will get very close to you if you give them nuts. One even pulled my hair from a tree above demanding nuts from me! They are a little aggressive & will jump on your car etc but was a super cool experience!

Fes

Where To Stay (Fes)

Algila Fes : We enjoyed our stay here, it was really nice, nothing overly fancy. They had a decent free breakfast every morning and location couldn’t have been better. Just a tip if you do stay here (or anywhere within the old medina) It is not accessible by car, get airport pick up from hotel and the porter will bring your bags and lead you to the Riad, it’s your best option, trust me! If you’re coming from a desert tour like we were, have your driver call the hotel and they’ll be waiting at the nearest street exit.

Riad Laaroussa Hotel & Spa : If I ever find myself in Fes again, I would stay at Riad Laaroussa. There are some BEAUTIFUL luxury hotels that are definitely worth looking into. We went to Laaroussa for massages/tea and the property and service were incredible! I wish we stayed here!

Where To Eat (Fes)

The Ruined Garden ♡ : Great spot for lunch! Patio/garden Is beautiful (bring bug spray though), some interesting food options not on typical Moroccan menus- great coffee and desert!

Darori Resto ♡ : great food & beautiful décor (all inside) – they didn’t serve alcohol (but wasn’t sure if that was just because it was Ramadan). We really liked this place!

Fes Cooking Class (Moroccan Food Tour) ♡ : We really enjoyed cooking our cooking class in Fes. The class is hosted in Riad Nazha with the local family that runs it (a husband, wife, daughter & son). We were in Morocco during Ramadan so we got to break the fast with them. We arrived about 2 hours before sunset, cooked the food & set the table with the family and waited for the cannons to go off. The cannons indicate the sun has set and everyone can eat. It was a really cool cultural experience. We made Rfissa with them and ate with our hands (no utensils!). Rfissa is a celebratory dish made with chicken, lentils, onion over a doughy pastry sheet -it was delicious.

Le Jardin Des Biehn : Perfect for a more low key dinner, beautiful garden. Menu changes daily, great if you want a break from Moroccan food (they also have Morocco food but also other international options)- decent pricing, great food

Things to Do (Fes)

Hammam & Massage (Riad Laaroussa) ♡♡ : Experiencing a Moroccan Hammam & massage spa experience is a MUST DO while in Morocco. I especially recommend the place we went to at Riad Laaroussa. You first start with the Hammam treatment where you lay in a steam room and then they bathe/scrub off all dead skin on your body. After that, they put a natural salt scrub all over you for about 15 minutes or so in the steam room and then go in to a private bathroom to shower. Your skin is incredibly soft after!! After the hamman, they brought us into a typical massage room and get an essential oils massage for 45 minutes. Start to finish was about 2 hours. Also, at Laaroussa, they give you tea and pastries after out in their beautiful courtyard/patio. This was a very enjoyable experience!

Guided Medina Tour (Fes) ♡ : Similar to Marrakech, definitely do a guided tour of the Médina! * it is very difficult to find your way around as it is basically a labyrinth with high walls! Again, if you want to customize aspects of the day and where you want to go, you can definitely let your guide know so you can make the most of your day! Our guide Said was amazing and wouldn’t take a tip/cash from us and instead, wanted us to tell other American’s to come to Morocco & not be scared to visit as their economy survives on tourism. Note: Admission to the gardens, palace etc. are an additional cost.

Walk around the Medina & Souks (Markets) : Our guide (Said) took us all around the Medina to some nice shops and showed us how to navigate the markets. It was really nice having a guide show us around as it can be extremely confusing. Within the Medina, we stopped at a tannery, University and main Mosque.
Chouara Tannery (camel leather) ♡♡ : The Chouara Tannery is an amazing and unique experience that you should definitely visit if you’re in Fes. It was built in the 11th century and is one of the oldest and largest in the city. Chouara is one of the very few tanneries still around that still use their old school, traditional leather making/staining techniques. It is still functional today and can watch them dye/make the leather in the giant clay tubs outside (warning though, it does smell awful!). I was advised to go with a guide, otherwise you won’t get as good of prices and may be hassled a bit. Definitely buy some camel leather here. I bought a few purses, a wallet, boots and flats. I love them and use them all the time!
Al-Qarawiyyin University+ Kairaouine Mosque ♡: Al-Qarawiyyin is in the middle of the Fes Medina built in 857 (one of the worlds oldest Universities). Kairaouine Mosque is part of the University and is the second largest Mosque in Morocco. We tour around the university which was really beautiful and peaked inside the Mosque (which was really amazing). Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the mosque, however, are able to see inside. The only mosque in Morocco that non-muslims are permitted is in Casablanca.
Ceramics Shops: There are tons of amazing, handmade ceramics shops in Morocco. Some of the cheaper ceramics shops within the medina are actually made from China so make sure your guide brings you to the legit spots made within Morocco!
Borj Nord (North Tower) & Borj Sud (South Tower) : Our guide took us to both the North & South Towers of the city which have spectacular views of Fes! Fes sits in a bit of a valley so it is very cool to see it from up high. I believe I recall liking the South tower better if you only have time for one.
Royal Palace of Fez (Dar al-Makhzen) ♡: Iconic old Moroccan Palace right next to the medina. It has massive golden doors and reminded me of something you’d see in Aladdin. You cannot enter the palace as it is still currently used by the King today, however, you can walk around the premise & gardens.

Chefchaouen “The Blue Pearl City”

Where To Stay & Getting There (Chefchaouen)

Lina Ryad ♡ : Beautiful hotel in the middle of the blue city (central to everything)! They had great service, really nice rooms/spa, and an excellent location. I highly recommend staying here if you visit Chefchaoen. I wish we ate dinner here. Cute rooftop terrace- no alcohol served (not sure if it was just because of Ramadan or not) - good breakfast in the morning (which was free).

Getting to Chefchaouen: Chefchaoen is about 2-2.5 hours from the nearest airport (Tangier) or 3.5 hours from Fes. We took a taxi from Fes to Chefchaouen and was about 3.5+ hours and $200 (it was our best option). To fly out of Chefchaoeun, we hired a taxi again through our hotel which was a little over 2 hours away and was $60.

Where To Eat (Chefchaouen)

Cafe Clock : Awesome food & view (I’m sure its incredible during sunset). They have a great rooftop terrace as well. We went for brunch and looked like they had a great dinner menu as well. Highly recommend!

Things to Do (Chefchaouen)

We were only in Chefchaouen for less than 24 hours. It’s a quiet/sleepy town and can walk the whole city in 3 hours. Everything is painted a beautiful blue color and is nice just walking around, shopping and taking photos!

Sunset at Jemma Bouzafar Mosque ♡♡ : At sunset, it’s really awesome to watch the sun go down from up at the Spanish Mosque (Jemma Bouzafar). It’s a beautiful view point where you can see the entire city from above and is only about a 1 mile walk from the center of Chefchaoen. I highly recommend doing this one night!

Hiking: If you stay for 2 nights, there are some really cool hikes about 1-2 hours away in the Rif mountains. I wish we had done this but didn’t have enough time.

* ♡ = a favorite

♡♡ = a must do