I知 planning a 10-day trip to Morocco and I知 trying to decide where to start my tour. Would it be better to begin from Casablanca or from Marrakech?

I want to make the most of my time visiting the imperial cities, the desert, and ending somewhere relaxing.

Has anyone done a similar trip and can share their advice on which starting point is better?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I was not enamored with Casablanca. In contrast, there is a great deal to see and do in Marrakech. SO.... unless you need to spend a night in Casablanca because of a flight, I'd opt for Marrakech.

BTW, the Moon Guide to Morocco is excellent IMO.

I agree that Marakkech is better than Casablanca. I also enjoyed visiting Fez.

I think you'll get more information by posting this question in the Africa forum. Don't be surprised if the Mods move it for you.

I missed that!

richard4: When you have a chance, click the orange triangle beside one of your posts on this thread. You'll get a screen you can use to communicate with the moderators and can use it to ask that this thread be moved to the Africa forum.

Moved to the Africa/Middle East Forum and tagged for Morocco

Hi, Richard,
You might find my trip report helpful for ideas. I didn稚 go to Casablanca but Marrakech and Fes are must-visits!
Here is my trip report - you値l get a good flavor of the cities since I take lots of photos!
Morocco, A Visual Journey

We were there in 2018 and I worked with a small company who provided a driver, Salem Karaoui, who has since started his own company. He was fantastic and I know several people on this board who have used his services and were very happy with him.
Salem痴 company (pronounced Sah-leem)
https://moroccan-family.com

And the family is really involved!

I'm pleased that progol had a good experience with her tour company. But in case it merits mention, I should note that I found it very easy to visit Morocco without a tour. I traveled as a solo woman and was welcomed warmly everywhere I went.

+1

I致e had 6 or 7 month-long stays in Morocco & thoroughly enjoyed both self-planned & spontaneous travel around the country. I think tours can be a detriment to curiosity in travel, though of course if one really likes to have everything arranged for them then it could be worth it. A question of travel style really.

Hopefully, it痴 not too late when I知 posting this, but I did a similar 10-day trip in Morocco and had the same question at the start. From my experience, beginning in Casablanca worked out really well because it gave me time to ease into the trip, a quick stop at the Hassan II Mosque, then heading to Rabat, Meknes, and Fes before making my way to the desert. From there, finishing in Marrakech felt like the perfect ending, with a few days to relax and soak in the atmosphere before flying out.

Starting in Marrakech is possible too, but I found it a lot more hectic as a first stop, especially after a long flight. Casablanca gave a smoother start, and Marrakech made a great finale.

Hi! I recently did a 12-day, 11-night trip to Morocco with a local travel advisor who planned everything for us. We started in Marrakech, exploring the medina, souks, and gardens, which was a great introduction to the country.

From there, we went to the Atlas Mountains and then to the Sahara Desert, where we rode camels and spent a night in a desert camp. It was a very peaceful experience.

Next, we visited Fes, where we took a food tour around the medina, then spent a couple of days in Chefchaouen, enjoying its calm, blue streets. We finished in Tangier and took the high-speed train back to Casablanca for our flight.

Along the way, we also tried quad biking and other local activities. Having a travel advisor made everything easy, from transportation to planning the right pace. It was a full but manageable trip, and we got to see a lot of Morocco without feeling rushed.

Hello: What company did you use? Thank you.

We use a local travel guide who runs a small, family-owned business. We usually communicate via email and WhatsApp. This is his email address : [email protected].

We traveled with a local company called Tours in All Morocco, and everything was very well organized.
I had such an excellent experience with my family with our guide/driver, Balied, who was friendly, knowledgeable, and extremely reliable.
I highly recommend asking for him.

Hello,

For a 10-day trip, it痴 better to start in Casablanca and end in Marrakech. This way, you can move smoothly from the north to the south without backtracking.

You can start with Casablanca for a quick city tour, then visit the imperial cities like Rabat, Meknes, and Fez. From Fez, you can go to the desert for a night or two in Merzouga.

Finally, you can relax in Essaouira or Marrakech at the end of your trip. This route saves time and makes travel easier.