A Week in Morocco's Imperial Cities

Morocco punches far above its weight as a first-time destination. Here's the 7-day Imperial cities plan that balances the chaos and the beauty.

The route

Marrakech (3 nights) → Fez (2 nights) → Chefchaouen (2 nights)

Or reverse: start north and end south. Both work.

Days 1-3: Marrakech

Accommodation: Stay in a riad within the medina. Dar Zamora, Riad Dar One, or Riyad El Cadi are well-reviewed. ~$80-150/night.

Day 1: Jemaa el-Fnaa main square. Chaotic during day, transforms into food market + snake charmers + storytellers at sunset. Watch from a rooftop café.

Day 2: Bahia Palace (60 MAD), Saadian Tombs (70 MAD), Majorelle Gardens (150 MAD, book online to skip queue, houses the YSL museum).

Afternoon: Souks. Get deliberately lost. Leather, spices, carpets, babouches (slippers). Haggle hard — start at 40% of asking price.

Day 3: Day trip to Atlas Mountains + Ourika Valley (€40 small group) or cooking class at La Maison Arabe (€90/person).

Days 4-5: Fez

Train from Marrakech to Fez: 7 hours, 1st class ~$25. Long day, beautiful scenery. Or fly (~$80, 1 hour).

Fez el-Bali is the world's largest pedestrian urban area — 9,400 streets and alleys. You WILL get lost. Hire a guide for day 1 (~$30-50, ~5 hours). After that you'll have your bearings.

Must-sees:

Chouara Tanneries — Morocco's most famous. Get a rooftop view from a leather shop (they'll give you mint to mask the smell — they hope you buy a jacket after).
Al-Attarine Madrasa (50 MAD) — stunning 14th-century architecture
Bou Inania Madrasa (50 MAD) — the other major madrasa
Royal Palace exterior (interior not open to public)

Days 6-7: Chefchaouen

Transport: Bus from Fez (4 hours, ~$7) or private driver (~$100 for car).

The "blue city." Every surface is painted some shade of blue. It's touristic but still gorgeous.

Day 6: Wander. There are no "sights" — the town itself is the sight. Plaza Uta el-Hammam, Kasbah Museum, Spanish Mosque viewpoint at sunset (25-min walk uphill).

Day 7: Morning hike to Akchour waterfalls (60 min drive + 90 min walk). Bus back to airport city (Tangier, 2 hours) for flight home.

Optional extension: Sahara

Add 3-4 days for a Sahara overnight via Merzouga. Fly from Marrakech to Errachidia or drive 10 hours. Camel trek into Erg Chebbi dunes, overnight in luxury desert camp. $150-400/night for quality camps like Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp or Sahara Luxury Camp.

Costs (2 people, 7 days)

Flights (US): $900-1,300
Riads (7 nights): $700
Food: $40/day × 7 = $280
Sights + guides: $180
Domestic transport (train + bus): $80
Cooking class + mountain tour: $200

Total: $2,340-2,740 with international flights.

Practical realities

Alcohol: Available at tourist hotels and some riads. Not in most medina restaurants.
Dress code: Modest everywhere — shoulders covered for women is respectful.
Language: Arabic and French. Most tourist-facing people speak some English. Learning "la shukran" (no thanks) helps deflect sellers.
Scams: "This souk is closed today" or "let me show you a shortcut" are opening lines for shop touts. Smile and walk.
Photography: Ask before photographing people. Often they'll ask for money. It's not rude — it's the norm.
Carpets: The most aggressive sales pitch of any tourism anywhere. Only enter a carpet shop if you genuinely want to buy.