We have about 7 days in Morocco in the beginning of May. Several of the tour itineraries that we've seen have too much driving for us. We want to avoid long drives on consecutive days, and we don't want days to be too packed with activities, so we've picked fewer places and spend a bit more time in them.. This is what we are thinking:

Day 1: Arrive Casablanca (we are flying from the USA so this is our only option for a direct flight). Drive to Rabat (1.25 hours)

Day 2: Rabat

Day 3: Drive Rabat to Meknes (2 hours)

Day 4: Meknes and surrounding areas. Volubilis, Moulay Idriss, what else should we consider around here? Should we stay somewhere other than Meknes?

Day 5: Drive to Fes

Day 6: Fes

Day 7: Fly from Fes

What we enjoy most when traveling is having maybe on morning activity and one afternoon activity, but otherwise just like having time to stroll aimlessly - are there parts of Rabat/Meknes/Fes where you can do that as a tourist without getting hassled constantly?

Morocco is fascinating!

Coming from the U.S., you will not be safe to drive for at least 36 hours. Not safe for you, and not safe for anyone else on the roads. Please don’t try! For your itinerary, you can easily travel by train, and the trains are quite comfortable.

It really depends on what you want to see and experience, but FWIW, I think your plan is overly ambitious. Rabat has a lot to offer – I spent two very full days there, and I was on the move all day each day. Meknes, too, is easily worth more than a day; plan ˝ day for Volubilis. (You can easily arrange a driver for that.) And Fez, well, I could have used more than the four very full days I spent there.

I was not hassled in Morocco. I found it welcoming and hospitable; the vendors were quite easy-going.

If you don’t already have it, the Moon Guide for Morocco is excellent. And here’s my trip report:
Memorable, magnificent Morocco!

Thanks for your reply. I should have been clearer - we don't plan on driving ourselves at all, this would all be with drivers arranged through a company. I've heard the driving is relatively easy in Morocco, but I just don't want the hassle of being responsible for a car.

Yes, 7 days is not long but it's all we have, and really it's 6 because the arrival day after an overnight flight is wash. So what would you change?

It's almost a certainty that you will get hassled in the Medina of any city. You can ignore, or decline politely, but it's often easier to take along one of the young "hasslers." Once you are hooked up with a "guide," the others should leave you alone, allowing you to wander around. Just tell him up front that you are not interested in shopping.... You can shop, but shop where you want, not at the guide's "uncle's" shop.

I think you are cramming a lot for a small amount of time.

Thanks for the feedback. It makes me realize how insane some of the itineraries are that we were seeing that included Rabat, Fes, the desert, and Marrakech all in 7 days!

I spent a fair amount of time in the medinas of each of these cities and, with the possible exception of the cart-handlers (who offer to take one's luggage into the medina) near the Batha Fountain in Fez, I was not hassled. Period. If you want to hire a guide to take you through the medinas, by all means, do, but I certainly did not find it necessary to hire anyone in order to avoid hassles.

As to how to trim your plans -- decide on your priorities!

FWIW, I found using the trains (and buses) to be an excellent way to interact with and observe Moroccans who have nothing to do with the tourism industry. To me, that was an invaluable part of my experience. YMMV.

Correction: I was not hassled at all in Fez, Meknes, or Rabat. The pushy card handlers I enountered were near the Place Bab Doukkala in Marrakech. And with them, "pushy" would be a better descriptor than "hassling." Sorry for the error!

I think your itinerary is very well paced for 7 days, especially since you’re trying to avoid long drives and overly packed days. You’ve chosen a relaxed and realistic route.
Personally, I might have skipped Meknes and gone to Chefchaouen instead, even though it’s a bit farther but it's absolutely worth visiting. Honestly, the longer drives in Morocco don’t feel that long once you’re on the road, enjoying the scenery and making a few stops along the way. Believe me, the time really flies.
If you’re planning to travel with a local agency, I wouldn’t worry too much about being hassled. When you’re with a guide, people generally leave you alone, and even if someone approaches you, a polite refusal is usually enough.
On our trip, we visited the Kasbah of the Udayas in Rabat and really loved it. In Meknes, we stopped at Lahdim Square, which is more like a small version of Jemaa el-Fna in Marrakech. In Fes, we explored parts of the medina since our riad was right in the medina, which made wandering around much easier.
The trip we did in Morocco was with Tours in All Morocco, and I highly recommend them.

@ meryjane: I'm curious -- how do you decide what is reasonable pacing for an itinerary? I know we all approach travel differently, and I think that's wonderful! -- but I've now seen you endorse several different itineraries that seem WAY too fast paced to me. Obviously, something really fast worked for you ... but I'm genuinely curious about how you evaluate the pacing of others' itineraries.

FWIW: What I do to plan my own itineraries is to start with extensive research using multiple guidebooks to identify what I want to see and experience. I then plot those things on a calendar to decide how much time I'll want in each location, and then I add in transportation times (and times for changing hotels, etc.).

The Kasbah of the Udayas is wonderful, but it's only one of Rabat's amazing sites. Lahdim Square in Meknes is interesting, but I certainly wouldn't have gone to Meknes just for that. Fez has SOoooo much to see and experience that I can't imagine a stay of less than 3 full days! But that's just me and my interests.

Yes, I've been to Fes a few times, always for minimum of four days. Would recommend spending as much time as possible, within your limited time frame.
If you are interested in pottery, go out to Ain Nokbi to watch it being crafted.

CAFE CLOCK is a good, modern place to eat in the Medina, and they give cooking classes.

I think there might be a small misunderstanding. When I commented, I was talking about the itinerary itself, whether it makes sense, is suitable and works well not about the pace of travel. I even discussed some of these itineraries with the travel guide I toured with to get hisopinion on what works nicely.
Also my experience in Morocco was actually very similar to these itineraries, and for me, spending one or two days in each city was more than enough. What mattered really most were the memories I made, and this kind of plan also lets you see and experience and see a lot in a short time.

@ meryjane: Interesting! To me, an itinerary is necessarily about pace: One can see and experience a lot in a short amount of time by staying in fewer places for longer times OR, in some cases, by moving about from city to city ... but moving takes time and whether that includes additional sights and experiences depends on the terrain and the mode of travel and how quickly one packs and unpacks and whether one needs a break to just sit and watch the world go by, etc. As a rule, more cities means less time to see and experience because of the time lost to relocating (packing / unpacking, checking in / out, and getting lost / oriented, not to mention the actual time required to go from one place to another). Whether the range of one's experiences is greater by including more places depends entirely on how similar or dissimilar those places are and how selective one is in choosing what to see and do in each place. But I'm glad you enjoyed your time in Morocco and that your fast pace worked for you. Thanks for responding to my question!

Trains between Casablanca and Fes ae very comfortable and run every hr from 7.30 until 21.30
Timetable:
Casa dp 7.30 -- Rabat Villle 8.36 - Meknes Amir 10.47 - Fes ar 11.34, and then every hr

You’re absolutely right, pace is really at the heart of any itinerary. But I think trips to Morocco or any other place, for many people are less about checking off sights and more about escaping from work and daily routines, taking a real break, and having new experiences and memories rather than trying to see everything.
For me, this trip worked because the places felt quite distinct and the route itself was part of the experience, but I can completely see how a slower pace would be more rewarding for others. Morocco offers so many ways to travel, which is part of what makes it special. Thanks for sharing such a thoughtful perspective, and for the kind words as well.

@ meryjane: I don't try to "see everything," but I do try to make the most of every moment and I do seek new experiences. I certainly end up with many treasured memories! But I think what you are suggesting is that one way to plan an itinerary is to find a way to sample a diverse array of the options an area affords, knowing that you are skipping a lot (and being OK with that) and viewing travel time as time to relax. I can imagine that approach being quite rewarding! I really appreciate that you've taken the time to help me understand and wish you many more enjoyable travels.

@ pash_roads: I hope this discussion of different ways to plan an itinerary proves useful to you!

kja Yes, of Course, no problem at all. I appreciate the thoughtful exchange and wish you many more enjoyable travels as well.