Hello all – My husband and I are semi-adventurous travelers; we like to keep busy on a vacation - the more to do the better! Even if we say we’re going to sit on the beach for the next vacation – the reality is, we cannot execute. My preference is to travel high-end; my husband would hit a hostel or put up a tent if I was a willing participant. Having said that, I’m cheap – so, I like high-end travel, but I am also looking for a bargain – this made Morocco a perfect destination!

Timing – we went in November and couldn’t have picked a better time. Very few crowds, and the weather was perfect. Cooler in the evenings, but, still ideal for outdoor dining at night.

Rental Car – Driving in Morocco is as easy as they say. We didn’t select a hybrid car, but that is what we got (maybe that’s all they had?) Seldom filled up on gas; pleasant surprise that it was so cheap. And, we did get a navigation system; not sure if we needed it. At times the navigation system gave us routes alternate to the signs posted; we always wound up at our destination, but the roads were rough – probably best to stick with the paved roads and signs as posted.
You’ll rely on the teenagers that surround your car when you get to the big cities; you’ll need them to find you parking and to get to your hotel. It’s worth the tip you give them; don’t even try to find the hotel on your own. Car return at the airport in Marrakesh is beyond confusing; not marked at all – we did many loops before we figured out that you leave the car in the public lot like any other guest.

Overview:
Land in Tangier - Chefchaouen (1 night) – Fes (2 nights) – Merzouga (1 night hotel/1 night tent) – Todra Gorge (1 night) – Skoura (1 night) – Marrakesh (2 nights) – depart from Marrakesh.

<b>Day 1 – Tangier to Chefchaouen – Lina Ryad & Spa</b>
We rented a car at the airport and set out to explore Tangier. I wanted to see the ocean, so, Tangier was the only logical spot – but, travel by car is chaotic in Tangier. To do it again, we would skip Tangier. Big city; lots of traffic. Lots of buildings half built; hard to tell if they’re falling down or being built up. When we got to the ocean, it was somewhat surreal. There were vendors selling used toddler cars that kids sit and drive in - literally dozens of them! Now we know where all these used plastic cars go! Chefchaouen was beautiful – we loved it! Don’t miss it, especially if photography is important to you; no other place like it on our trip. Not a whole lot to do there though – 24 hours was perfect. I attempted to get a henna tattoo; for whatever reason it didn’t turn out (stayed really light). I had a really good experience though; someone brought me to a relatives’ house in the center of town, and a woman did the tattoo. It took about an hour, and the entire time, her two year old daughter entertained me. She was so cute, but, zero common language between us. Didn’t matter – she spent a lot of time showing me her picture book and told me the names in her native language while I repeated back in English. They also brought my husband some mint tea while he waited (he had to wait outside). The hospitality and friendliness of the locals was wonderful.

<b>Day 2 – Fes – Riad Le Calife</b>
Riad Le Calife in Fes was our favorite hotel of the entire trip; the location was ideal and the proprietors were perfect hosts. Unfortunately, I spent more time than I wanted doing homework, but, my husband explored and said at the end that Fes was his favorite town. It is a bustling city. The young vendors are pushy, whereas the older vendors are past that – if you need to ask someone a question, ask an older vendor and they’ll be very happy to give you a straight answer. In general, the younger vendors were more apt to send you the long route – which happens to go past a store owned by a relative.

<b>Day 3 – Merzouga – Dar Poublanc</b>
This was the longest drive of the trip; we were told – and I think I read somewhere – it was 7 hours between Fes and Merzouga. It took us 10 hours. Everything took longer than we expected and it’s harder to drive at night so plan for rest stops and meals accordingly. It was scenic; hairpin turns most of the way through the mountains – but beautiful. As long as your driver is ok with white-knuckle driving, you’re good. My husband was a pro! Stopped in Ifrane along the way – would do that again; maybe spent 90 minutes walking around and went to the Michlifen Hotel for tea. It was like a ski resort with no snow or skiers! Glad we drove straight through to Merzouga, as we read on this site that there isn’t a great place to stay for the night, and we would agree. To do it again, we would have left Fes earlier so as to arrive in Merzouga in daylight, as it was tricky to find our Merzouga hotel in the dark.
We spent the first night in a small hotel where we had the best home cooked dinner of our trip, at Dar Poublanc. During the day we did a four wheeler tour of the dunes – loved it! Only got stuck once (trick is to accelerate over the hills!)
Over lunch – a completely unexpected experience. We stopped at a café in Merzouga for lunch. We were the only tourists in the place, sitting outside, with many local men at the other tables. We then see three vehicles heading down the street; very expensive, unique, customized vehicles. None of the locals flinch; I though, am smart enough to know that these cars aren’t like all of the others. I ask the locals who it is; my husband attempts to slide under the table in embarrassment. The locals tells us that it is a Saudi Prince, who has an auto museum in a nearby town. Then they tell me that when he circles back around that we should go up and talk to him. Sure enough, he does circle back around. But, no one is moving. The locals start telling me to go stop his car. Before I know it, the locals grab my camera and are pushing me in front of this (very slowly) moving car. Sure enough, the driver gets out and starts talking to us – lets us take photos with him. He was very, very nice. He’s got two younger boys in the car who were so excited to hear that we were from Chicago. In ten minutes, it’s all over. Further research shows that it was Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, aka “The Rainbow Sheikh”. If we had known earlier, we definitely would have made time to go to his auto museum.

<b>Day 4 – Merzouga – Kam Kam Dunes</b>
We loved our tented camp experience – definite glamping! To get to the tents, we took a camel ride, and watched the sunset. The sunsets in Morocco have to be seen to be believed; colors like you seldom see anywhere else. Unfortunately, we were the only guests that evening so, it was quiet. But, our host was young and comical. We were their first guests from America, so, we were given a complimentary bottle of wine for the honor. We had a local cat join us as a dinner guest, so don’t be taken back if you notice stray cats by your table in a tent or in open air restaurants.

<b>Day 5 – Todra Gorge – Auberge le Festival</b>
We didn’t spend much time in Todra Gorge; wished we would have allowed time to hike – the canyon is amazing. Our hotel was way back in the canyon, so, it was beautiful to see it all at least by car; took some really great pictures. Note to self to spend more time here next time.

<b>Day 6 – Skoura – Les Jardins de Skoura</b>
Beautiful hotel; the dinner was so cozy and romantic. Would love to replicate that ambiance in my own home. The set-up is such that you’ll really get to mingle with the other guests at mealtimes, so it was really nice to exchange travel tips. Bring a good book and relax. No massages offered here – per the hotel owner, it’s hard to find therapists outside of the big towns that know what they’re doing. There isn’t much to do in the town; my husband did a walking tour that he really enjoyed (I did homework ….) The walking tour was given by a guide arranged for by the hotel; it was not expensive and you get a lot of history about how they still tend the fields and share the water that comes down from the Atlas Mountains. The tour through the town also includes stops by older riads abandoned by their owners, some of which were several hundred years old.

<b>Day 7 & 8 – Marrakesh – Riad 72</b>
On our drive to Marrakesh we stopped at Ait Ben Haddou; didn’t spend a lot of time there, but I was glad we stopped (husband was neutral). There was a movie being filmed; an alleged British film – but, everyone spoke Italian, so, hard to say. You might consider visiting Ait Ben Haddou and going back the way you came to get on the main road. The road beyond Ait Ben Haddou was very primitive and there was not much to see beyond the movie set. A fellow traveler recommended to drive through salt flats between Ait Ben Haddou and Marrakesh, but, we didn't have a 4x4 so she recommended we didn't try it.

We dropped our rental car off at the airport before checking into our hotel in Marrakesh; no need for a car in Marrakesh.

Read different reviews of Marrakesh; even had friends who left after 24 hours – so, wasn’t sure what to expect. But, I’ll say – it definitely grows on you, and we will go back one day! It is all about the hustle and bustle. While you can probably find quiet spots, if that is what you’re after, you’re better off picking a different destination. We spent two days roaming through the city – and loved it all. We had gotten quite good at rebuffing the local merchants, so that helped. Dinner in Jemaa el Fna was a highlight; amazing lamb skewers for $3 – yes! You do have to have the ability to overlook the set up; if you require cleanliness, then, wear dark shades – you may question what you see. But, no issues for us – the food and the experience was amazing – very lively, and you can’t beat the price.

I also had my first hammam experience at the hotel – I am sold.

Would love to go back to Morocco one day!

"...travel by car is chaotic in Tangier. To do it again, we would skip Tangier. "

Rather than skipping Tangier, I suggest skipping the car in Tangier.

The best parts of most cities (if not all) in Morocco are the streets for pedestrians only. For anyone reading this who hasn't been to Tangier, it's a lovely place and best seen on foot. If you're in the area, definitely don't skip Tangier.

I'm glad you liked Morocco. I considered my first trip there reconnaissance and my best experiences have been on slower subsequent visits. I hope you do have a chance to slow down, revisit your favorite spots and add new ones, maybe next time try it without a car.

Great TR, thanks for the details on driving, as that was one of my concerns about Morocco. We are planning a trip next year, with a very similar itinerary, only a little bit slower, with more time in Chef, Fes and Marrakesh, a 2 days drive Fes-Merzouga and 3 days drive Merzouga-Marrakesh.
Do you speak French? Any language barrier issue?
Are you suggesting an extra day in Todra Gorge/Dades area? I guess that's for hiking in the area, right? How strenuous? Thanks.

@ xyz99 - My husband and I each took French in high school 30 yrs ago - so, with the exception of a few recognizable words on menus, we don't speak French. But, generally no issues with language barriers. At some gas stations outside of town we would ask about landmarks and would have language issues, but, as soon as we pulled out our travel guides and showed pictures, we were fine; everyone was very helpful.
We did not research hiking in the Dades area, as we knew we didn't have time. In Todra Gorge, it is definitely canyons; while there were some locals walking along the canyons, we would have tumbled right down the side! There were long stretches of palm trees through the canyons that appeared to be suitable for walking - very flat. We drove into Todra Gorge at dusk and drove out at 9am the next morning; at least a full morning to walk along the palm tree areas would have been nice.
You'll appreciate the luxury of extra time; we were a little rushed.
While MmePerdu has a different opinion, I would still skip Tangier. It is a big city; much like cities you'll find anywhere else on your travels. We skipped Casablanca for that same reason.
Additional note re: car rental companies. When we returned our car in Marrakesh, the Hertz lines were insanely long and slow moving. We used Avis and didn't have any line at pick-up or drop-off; BUT - AVIS completely lied about the taxes on the estimate they provided at booking time.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!

I try not to express an opinion about places I haven't seen, in this case the OPs condemnation of Tangier as "a big city; much like cities you'll find anywhere else on your travels", the view from their car. It isn't, the heart of the city is small, historic and delightful with views from the high edges over the Mediterranean. Because so many have bought the notion that it "isn't worth" visiting, it can be a quiet & tourist-free zone, especially after the day-trippers leave in the afternoon.

I hope anyone seeing this trip report will realize the impressions put forth are those of a first-time visitor who was going at what I consider break-neck speed. I don't feel it's the best way to see anywhere, although I know many enjoy it. It is not, however fun, the best way to get to know a country.

I want to add that I hope the OP enjoyed their trip enough to return to see things they missed this time around. No one sees everything on 1 short trip, I didn't, and I'm in no way criticizing their way of travel, just disagreeing with a particular opinion. Morocco is a very unique place and worth any amount of time one can set aside to be there.

Well, Tangier is not part of our itinerary, so worth it or not, it will have to wait for a 2nd trip. We accept that we won't be able to see everything in only 1 trip. But we'll visit Casablanca instead, and plan to spend a full day there to get over jet lag. That's another city with polarized opinions...we'll see.

Sheryl, glad to hear we'll manage with no French. We visited other countries where we did not speak the local language, and always managed. It's amazing how people can still communicate, even though they don't speak the same language

Sheryl,
I just 'discovered' your trip account! Thank you for writing it down - just terrific. It also mirrors the one we are about to embark on in 4 days - with not alot booked. I'd love to avoid sitting in my riad planning the next day's logistics - which I've done before.
Wondering if you'd be so kind to share:
-how long was your trip
- would you have stayed 2 nights in the desert - did you read about Ali & Sara's in Erg Chebbi
- where did you stay near Ait Ben Haddou
-how many days did it take you from Merzouga to Marrakesh

Lots of questions if you can. We're going to pick up car in Tangier but not until our way out.
Again, your writing has great energy and descriptions and it's a hoot to read.
All things good to you.
Kathleen
Onward!