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-   -   Narrowing down my 10 day itinerary (https://www.fodors.com/community/africa-and-the-middle-east/narrowing-down-my-10-day-itinerary-1425837/)

CRSoyla Jun 22nd, 2017 12:31 PM

Narrowing down my 10 day itinerary
 
I will be travelling to Morocco in late September and would like some help. I'm a solo woman with rental car and this is my loose itinerary so far.

Day 1 - Tuesday Sep 19: Noon arrival to Marrakech with PM and evening to explore
Day 2 - Wed Sep 20: Explore Marrakech
Day 3 - Thurs Sep 21: Day Trip to Essouria + overnight in or near Marrakech?
Day 4 - Friday Sep 22: Early a.m. drive to Ait Benhaddou / Ouarzazate + overnight
Day 5 - Saturday Sep 23: Dades Gorge, Todra Gorge, Mergouza + overnight in desert camp
Day 6 - Sunday Sep 24: Drive to Midelt + overnight
Day 7 - Monday Sep 25: Azrou > Fes + overnight
Day 8 - Tuesday Sep 26: Fes
Day 9 - Wed Sep 27: Chefchaouen ??? ( I may skip this)
Day 10 - Thursday Sep 28: Day trip to Volubilis > Meknes ?????
Day 11 - Friday Sep 29: Fes
Day 12 - Saturday Sep 30: Fly to Madrid from Fez

The question is am I packing too much in? Should I add a day to Marrakech? Have I got too much time in Fes?
Thanks in advance.

MmePerdu Jun 22nd, 2017 07:10 PM

IMO...yes, way too much.
Yes add dayS to Marrakech.
You don't have too much time in Fes.

I suggest you forget the car and with only 10 days you can do a great trip by public transport (train, bus, grand taxi) and not have the hassle of driving and messing around with a car. The itinerary you have now seems a nightmare to me. But that's me. It may be perfect for you, we all travel differently.

thursdaysd Jun 23rd, 2017 05:09 AM

Agree, that seems awfully rushed to me. Have you timed those drives? (And added time if using google maps.)

I would ad an overnight in Essaouira and one full day in Fes.

MinnBeef Jun 23rd, 2017 05:04 PM

A 3rd vote for yes, WAY too much.

I would also do an overnight in Essaouira. Re. Chefchaouen, I LOVED it but it is time consuming to get to. I would leave it in if it calls you but I would definitely do it as an overnight. (I arrived late in the evening there and spent 2 nights, which allowed me one full day +. )

MmePerdu Jun 23rd, 2017 06:02 PM

The biggest time-waster, not essentially but with so little time, is driving yourself over hell & gone, through the mountains & gorges & desert...unless that's what you want most. If so, do just that, a stop in Marrakech to pick up the car, drive your heart out and go home from Fes. That way you could at least have a sensibly paced visit. You'd drop Essaouira, Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Meknes, and just have perfunctory stops in Marrakech & Fes.

On my first trip 20 years ago I did a small group tour and the mountains & gorges were among my favorite places. But I had 3 weeks to see what you're doing in 10 days and I had someone to drive. I still felt pretty rushed.

There's also the issue of a tourist alone in some pretty desolate country, some way from services and if you need help, how's your Moroccan Arabic? You can't count on English or French being spoken in the boonies, though I suppose a car out of gas, etc. could be conveyed without language. I travel alone to some pretty removed places where there are no English-speakers but I don't drive myself. Just a thought.


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