Morocco, such a magical land filled with enchantment, dazzling Moorish architecture, and striking landscapes, is a country everyone needs to visit at least once in their life.

Here is the exact route we took during our two week trip through this exotic country:

Casablanca (1-2 days)

Casablanca is one of the main entry points to Morocco, so you’ll most likely start here when you fly in.

The main attraction here is the Hassan II Mosque, the second largest mosque in the world and one of the few open to non-Muslims through guided tours. If you take one of the tours, you’ll see the gigantic glass praying floor - suspended over the ocean.

But you don’t need to take a tour to see the eye-popping architecture in the courtyard.

Overall, the mosque can fit over 100,000 worshippers at a time!

We stayed at the wonderful Hotel & Spa Le Doge!

Hotel Le Doge

Rabat (2-3 Days)

The capital of Morocco, this sometimes overlooked city has much to offer in terms of architecture and history.

Hassan Tower and the tomb of King Mohammad V are great places to see some intricate architecture and carvings.

The Abul Hassan Madrasa, built in the 13th century as a school, is full of dazzling mosaics and hand-carved ceilings. It’s a great intro to the Medersas of Morocco, but not as big as the one in Fez.

The Medina Gates was a place for vendors to gather in weekly markets. Now it’s the main hangout area for locals and a good place to see the hustle and bustle of life.

If you don’t make it to Chefchaouen to see the blue painted alleyways, the Kasbah of the Oudayas is a decent alternative.

Chefchaouen (optional add-on) (2-3 days)

We didn’t make it to Chefchaouen due to time constraints, but if you have a few extra days, we’d definitely recommend checking out the famous ‘Blue City.’

You’ll want to take some time walking around the Old City and Medina so you can soak in all the blue-tinged, maze-like streets. The market here is also a bit more relaxed than other cities, so you’ll feel less pressure from vendors in bigger cities like Marrakech.

After that, definitely check out Plaza Uta el-Hammam which is the main square of the town. There is a nice fusion of Arab and Spanish influence which you’ll see in the food. It’s also a great place to people watch and soak in the mountains which overlook Chefchaouen.

Fez (2-3 Days)

Fez, one of the most interesting cities in Morocco, is rich with culture and history.

Chouara Tannery

One of the oldest tanneries in the world, this one still operates much the same way since medieval times. The smell is intense to many, so make sure to accept the mint leaves that you’ll rub under your noses to smother the scent. If you want, you can go down into the tannery to check it out up close, but I was happy from the higher-up viewing platform.

Madrasa Bou Inania

An architectural wonder built in the 13 century by sultan Bou Inan - it’s also a functioning mosque today. The craftsmanship of the medersa has been very well preserved - especially in the courtyard. You can especially see the Moorish wood carvings on display here.

Al-Attarine Madrasa

Located inside the Medina, this beautiful madrasa will wow you with its well-preserved courtyard. It’s fully adorned with intricately carved wood and tile work from floor to ceiling. I especially loved all the geometrical patterns all over the walls and the tiles on the floor.

Dar El Makhzen

The Royal Palace of Fez isn’t open to the public, but you’re free to admire the lovely golden doors with its amazing tilework and carved wood. It makes for a perfect backdrop for photos, too!

Merzouga (1-3 days)

The immense sand dunes of the Sahara Desert are one of the highlights of any trip to Morocco. To see them, you’ll need to head over to Merzouga. Along the way you’ll pass through the beautiful Atlas Mountains.

You can choose to stay in Erfoud, which is a town right on the outskirts of the Sahara Desert, and then take a 4x4 into the Sahara, ending with a sunset camel ride into the dunes. We did this option with La Rose du Desert. Also, we used to carry an inflatable red heart around with us for pictures. The guy leading the camels insisted on carrying it - this is how it looked like from our view haha! (pictured below)

stay at erfoud

They arranged to have us stay in a tented luxury camp overnight after the camel ride. There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by the stars and silence of the desert at night. Also, sunrise in the desert is quite the spectacle. If you wake up early enough - you can watch as the dunes and shadows change color with the rising sun. There are many great options for luxury camps in the Sahara.

Ouarzazate (1-2 days)

The site of many Hollywood movies and TV Shows (Game of Thrones, Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy, Kundun, Kingdom of Heaven) you’ll definitely want to spend time at a couple of places here.

Ait Ben Haddou

One of the most picturesque cities in the area - this is still a town where locals live and breathe, making it even more movie-like. Try to catch sunrise or sunset here for the dramatic colors of the town and surrounding landscape. If you hike to the top, there is a lovely cafe where you can have tea and views of the whole area.

Film Studios

If you’re into any of the movies mentioned above, definitely swing by the Film Studios so you can walk through and see some of the locations where they filmed everything.

A favorite area of mine (at CLA studios) was where they filmed the Game of Thrones scene when Daenerys got her army in exchange for the baby dragon.

Fint Oasis

This palm-tree lined oasis is a great side trip to see what an actual desert oasis looks like. You’ll need a 4x4 car to get here, though. We had a set of afternoon tea and light snacks set up for us by the family here.

Marrakech (2-4 days)

Another essential stop in any Morocco trip - Marrakech, one of the most beautiful cities in Africa - has so many things to see, taste, and smell!

Marrakech Medina

Did you really go to Morocco if you didn’t wander the Marrakech Medina and haggle with shopkeepers over rugs, handbags, and spices?

The Medina is a literal maze with so many twists and turns - you should try to walk around for a while to get a grasp on what’s on offer and what a fair price is. Most vendors will start at a staggeringly high price (double or triple fair price) which you’ll need to negotiate down.

We bought a couple of rugs here which started at about 3x the price we ended up at.

Pamper Yourself

La Mamounia and Royal Mansour are two of the most beautiful hotels in the world. Pamper yourself by booking a spa day at either one of these fabulous hotels.

stay at royal mansour

stay at La Mamounia

Riad BE Marrakech

In a city full of beautiful riads, this one really takes the cake. The owners are part Swiss, part Moroccan and have really made the whole place Insta-worthy.