At a glanceThree nights in a Marrakech riad, two in a kasbah hotel near Aït Benhaddou, two at Merzouga including a night in a desert camp, then three in Fes. A private driver carries you over the High Atlas, through the gorges and up through the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas. It suits couples who want culture, scenery and one night under Sahara stars. Go from March to May or October to November.
This is the classic Morocco honeymoon, done at a pace that leaves room to breathe. You start in Marrakech with its riads, hammams and rooftop sunsets, cross the High Atlas to the earthen ksar of Aït Benhaddou, sleep in a camp among the apricot dunes of Erg Chebbi, then finish in Fes, the oldest and most absorbing medina in the country.
The drives are long. That is the honest trade-off. But Morocco's roads pass through some of the most dramatic scenery in North Africa: the switchbacks of the Tizi n'Tichka pass, palm oases, the Dades and Todra gorges and the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas. With a good private driver and the right overnight stops, the road becomes part of the trip rather than an endurance test.
The structure gives you two slow anchors. Three nights in Marrakech at the start and three in Fes at the end let you unpack, take a hammam and wander without a schedule. The middle is the adventure, built around a kasbah night and a night in the Sahara that most couples remember longest.
The route
- MarrakechMorocco · 3 nights
- Aït Benhaddou and OuarzazateMorocco · 2 nights
- Merzouga and Erg ChebbiMorocco · 2 nights
- FesMorocco · 3 nights
- Best months
- March to May and October to November
- Trip length
- 11 days
- Budget
- About $250–1,200 a night for two in riads, kasbah hotels and good desert camps, with the grand hotels above that (approximate)
Day by day
Days 1–3: Marrakech
There are no nonstop flights from the US to Marrakech. Connect through Paris, Madrid, London or Lisbon, or fly Royal Air Maroc nonstop to Casablanca and take a short flight or a train of about three hours. Your riad will send someone to meet you at Marrakech Menara (RAK) and walk you through the lanes with your bags.
Spend the first afternoon doing almost nothing. Book a private hammam for two: steam, black soap, a scrub and a slow argan oil massage. Then watch the sun set from your rooftop as the call to prayer drifts over the medina.
On day 2, go early to the Majorelle Garden with timed tickets, then the Yves Saint Laurent Museum next door. Spend the afternoon in the souks with a licensed guide who can teach you the layout and fair prices. Eat at the food stalls of Jemaa el-Fnaa that night.
Day 3 is the splurge: a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the plain toward the Atlas, or cocktails in the gardens of La Mamounia and a lantern-lit dinner in the Agafay desert, 40 minutes outside the city.
Days 4–5: Aït Benhaddou and Skoura
Your private driver collects you on day 4 for the drive over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, about three and a half to four hours to Aït Benhaddou with stops. Detour to Telouet for the painted rooms of the Glaoui kasbah if you have the energy.
Arrive at Aït Benhaddou in the late afternoon, after the day-trippers leave. Cross the river and climb through the lanes of the mud-brick ksar to the ruined granary at the top. Watching the honey-colored walls turn gold at sunset is the romantic moment of this leg. Then drive about an hour east to Skoura, a palm grove of restored kasbahs turned into hotels.
Keep day 5 slow. Wander the palm grove on foot or by bike, swim and nap through the heat. One of you might want to see the Taourirt Kasbah and the Atlas Studios film sets in Ouarzazate, half an hour away, while the other stays by the pool. Spend the night stargazing from your terrace. You will need the rest for tomorrow.
Days 6–7: Merzouga and Erg Chebbi
Day 6 is the big drive, about six hours east through the Valley of Roses and the Dades and Todra gorges, with stops for lunch and photos. Walk into the narrow, high walls of the Todra Gorge for half an hour to stretch your legs. Arrive at a hotel on the edge of the dunes in Merzouga in the evening, swim and sleep in a real bed.
On day 7, visit the village of Khamlia in the afternoon for Gnawa drumming, then ride a camel into Erg Chebbi as the shadows stretch long across the sand. Your camp waits among the dunes, with private tents, proper beds and en suite bathrooms at the better operators. Dinner is a long candlelit affair, followed by a fire and music, then complete silence.
This night is the reason to come. Pack a small overnight bag and leave the suitcases with your driver. Wake before dawn and climb the dune nearest your camp for sunrise. It takes 20 to 40 minutes of hard work in soft sand. It is worth every step.
Days 8–11: Fes
On day 8, drive about eight hours north through the Ziz valley and the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, stopping at Midelt or Ifrane, to Fes. Check into a riad inside Fes el-Bali and eat dinner in the courtyard.
On day 9, spend the morning with a licensed guide in the medina, founded more than 1,200 years ago and still a working town of artisans. See the Bou Inania and al-Attarine madrasas, the courtyard of the University of al-Qarawiyyin through its open doors and the Chouara tannery from a leather shop terrace. At sunset, take a taxi up to the Merinid Tombs and watch the city spread out below as the call to prayer begins. That view is the romantic moment of Fes.
Day 10 is yours. Take a hammam, a cooking class or a day trip to the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes. Have pastilla for your last dinner. On day 11, fly home from Fes-Saiss (FEZ) through Europe, or take the train to Casablanca, about four hours, for a nonstop to the US.
Getting Between Stops
Hire a private driver for the whole loop from Marrakech to Fes. It is the safest and most relaxing option, since the mountain roads are winding with steep drops and night driving is not advised. Your driver can stop wherever you want for photos and knows the good lunch places. Self-driving is possible on good roads but distances are long.
Approximate drive times: Marrakech to Aït Benhaddou three and a half to four hours, Aït Benhaddou to Skoura about an hour, Skoura to Merzouga about six hours with stops, Merzouga to Fes about eight hours.
If you want to cut a long drive, Errachidia airport, about two and a half hours from Merzouga, has limited domestic service through Casablanca. In Marrakech and Fes you walk inside the medina, so ask your riad to meet you at the nearest gate.
Where to Stay
Marrakech: El Fenn is a stylish riad hotel in the medina with a rooftop and several pools. La Mamounia sits just inside the ramparts with famous gardens. The Royal Mansour, built by the king as a medina of private riads, is one of the most lavish hotels in North Africa.
Aït Benhaddou and Skoura: guesthouses across the river from the ksar let you see it at sunrise and sunset. In Skoura, Dar Ahlam is the best known luxury kasbah hotel in the palm grove, with several simpler kasbah guesthouses nearby.
Merzouga: Merzouga Luxury Desert Camps has tents with king beds and private bathrooms and a separate five-tent private camp. Read reviews of any camp closely for bathrooms and heating.
Fes: stay inside Fes el-Bali in a riad near Bab Bou Jeloud or Batha, with a rooftop terrace if you can.
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When to Go
March to May and October to November are the best months for this route. Days are warm in the cities and the desert, nights are cool and the light is soft. Spring brings green oases and, usually in May, the rose harvest in the Dades Valley. Snow often still sits on the High Atlas peaks in early spring.
June to August is very hot. Afternoons top 100°F in Marrakech and Fes and 105°F in the desert. If summer is your only option, choose hotels with pools, sightsee early and late and choose an air-conditioned desert camp.
December to February has bright, mild days but cold nights near freezing in the desert and the mountains. Snow can close the Tizi n'Tichka pass for short periods. Good riads and camps have heating, but ask before booking. During Ramadan, restaurants change hours and the rhythm of cities slows.
Budget and Booking
Morocco covers a wide price range. Good riads in Marrakech and Fes run about $200–600 a night for two, kasbah hotels in Skoura and the south about $200–800 and top desert camps about $300–700 with dinner. The grand Marrakech hotels cost more, often well above $1,000 a night. A private driver for the four-day loop adds a daily rate. All figures are approximate.
Book the desert camp and your Marrakech riad first, since the best fill early for spring and autumn. Ask whether dinner, breakfast and the camel ride are included at the camp. Hire licensed guides for your first morning in each medina through your riad.
Carry small dirham notes for tips, juice stands and musicians. Alcohol is served in licensed hotels and restaurants but rarely in small cafes or some desert camps, so ask if it matters to you.
Make It Shorter or Longer
For eight days, skip Fes and loop back from the desert to Marrakech over two days, or drop the Skoura rest day. You keep the riad, the ksar and the dunes.
With 13 or 14 days, add two nights in Chefchaouen, the blue mountain town about three and a half to four hours from Fes, then fly home from Tangier. Or add two nights in the High Atlas near Imlil, about 1.5 hours from Marrakech, for hiking and mountain views before the drive south.
For a beach finish, fly from Fes or drive back to Marrakech and continue to Essaouira on the Atlantic, about two and a half to three hours by car, for three nights of sea air, seafood and a relaxed walled medina. It is a soft way to end after all the driving.
Honeymoon Tips
- Dress modestly outside the hotels. Both of you should cover shoulders and knees in medinas and villages; light, loose clothing helps in the heat.
- Pack warm layers for desert nights and mountain passes, even after hot days.
- A smile and a clear la, shukran (no, thank you) handles most sellers. Be wary of anyone saying a street is closed.
- Tell your riad and camp it is your honeymoon. Many add a rooftop dinner or a private tent position at no charge.
- Ask before photographing people.
- Morocco carries a Level 2 State Department advisory for terrorism. This tourist route is well traveled, but read the current advisory before you book.
- Entry and visa rules depend on your citizenship and can change at short notice, so check the official government website before you book.
FAQPlanning this trip
Is 11 days enough for Marrakech, the Sahara and Fes?
Yes, if you accept two long driving days. Eleven days gives you three nights in each city, a rest day in the south and two nights near the dunes. Shorter trips usually rush the desert into a single night after a ten-hour drive, which is the version couples regret.
Is a night in the Sahara worth the drive?
For most couples, yes. A good camp in Erg Chebbi gives you a sunset camel ride, a candlelit dinner, music by the fire and a sky full of stars in near silence. The drive passes the gorges and mountains, so it is scenic rather than empty. Choose a camp with private bathrooms.
Should we drive ourselves or hire a driver in Morocco?
Hire a driver for the desert loop. The roads are good but long, winding and tiring. Night driving is not advised. A driver lets you both enjoy the views, stop anywhere and avoid navigating Ouarzazate or Fes. In Marrakech and Fes you will not need a car at all.
Riad or hotel in Marrakech for a honeymoon?
A riad, for most couples. Staying in a restored courtyard house with a handful of rooms, a plunge pool and a rooftop feels private and very Moroccan. If you want big gardens, large pools and full resort service, the grand hotels such as La Mamounia and the Royal Mansour are worth it.
What is the best month for a Morocco honeymoon?
April, May and October are the sweet spots. Cities are warm but not hot, desert nights are cool rather than freezing and the light is beautiful. March and November are also good. Avoid July and August unless you love heat. Check Ramadan dates, which shift each year.
