Imperial cities – Fes, Meknes, Rabat, Morocco

Imperial cities tours

13 private trips · from a few hours to 24 days · starting from Rabat, Fès, Casablanca, Marrakech

Morocco's four imperial cities — Fes, Meknes, Rabat and Marrakech — have each served as the capital of the kingdom. Together they hold some of the finest monuments in North Africa, from the medina of Fes el-Bali to the monumental gates of Meknes and the Roman ruins of nearby Volubilis.

These tours combine the imperial cities with guided visits by licensed local guides, and most add the blue city of Chefchaouen and a night in the Sahara. Allow at least seven days, and ten for a relaxed pace. Start with our guide to visiting the Fes medina.

All trips (13)

Half day (4 h)

Rabat Guided Tour

Rabat · round trip

Clean streets, sea air and very few touts. A blue-and-white kasbah over the river, a tower that was never finished, and storks nesting in a Roman ruin.

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5 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

Full day (8–9 h)

Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknès Day Trip from Fès

Fès · round trip

Three very different places within half an hour of each other: Roman mosaics in a wheat field, a white town on two hills, and the walls Moulay Ismail built to rival Versailles.

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5 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

7 days / 6 nights

7 Days: Enchanting Trails of Morocco

Casablanca airport → Marrakech

A one-week loop that balances imperial cities, Roman history and the Sahara: Casablanca and Rabat, Meknes and Volubilis, a full guided day in Fes, a luxury camp in Erg Chebbi, the Todra and Dades gorges, then Ait Ben Haddou, Telouet and Marrakech.

Private car & driver-guide
Free quote · pay only once confirmed

≈ 1,740 km · 27 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

8 days / 7 nights

8 Days: Marrakech to Marrakech

Marrakech airport · round trip

A complete programme starting and ending at Marrakech airport: a Moroccan cooking class, a sunrise hot-air balloon flight, a guided visit of Marrakech, then across the Atlas to the desert and north to Fes and Chefchaouen before returning to Marrakech.

Private car & driver-guide
Free quote · pay only once confirmed

≈ 1,895 km · 21 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

9 days / 8 nights

9 Days: Discover the Wonders of Morocco

Casablanca airport · round trip

A full loop combining the north and the Sahara: Casablanca and Rabat on arrival, Chefchaouen, Volubilis and a guided day in Fes, then two nights of glamping in Erg Chebbi, the gorges and the Valley of Roses, and a guided day in Marrakech before flying home from Casablanca.

Private car & driver-guide
Free quote · pay only once confirmed

≈ 1,955 km · 24 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

9 days / 8 nights

9 Days: Immerse in the Beauty of Morocco

Casablanca airport · round trip

A nine-day circuit that departs daily from Casablanca: Rabat, the blue town of Chefchaouen, Moulay Idriss and Volubilis, a full day in Fes, a night by the Merzouga dunes, the Todra Gorge and the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou, and a guided day in Marrakech.

Private car & driver-guide
Free quote · pay only once confirmed

≈ 2,015 km · 24 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

10 days / 9 nights

10-Day Tour from Casablanca: Desert & Imperial Cities

Casablanca airport · round trip

A complete loop that starts and ends in Casablanca: Rabat, a full guided day in Chefchaouen, Volubilis and Meknes, a guided day in Fes, a night in a luxury camp in Erg Chebbi, the Todra and Dades gorges, the Valley of Roses, Ait Ben Haddou, and two days in Marrakech.

Private car & driver-guide
Free quote · pay only once confirmed

≈ 2,030 km · 25 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

10 days / 9 nights

10 Days from Casablanca to Marrakech

Casablanca airport → Marrakech airport

The one-way version of the 10-day loop: you arrive in Casablanca and fly home from Marrakech, which saves the long transfer back to Casablanca at the end.

Private car & driver-guide
Free quote · pay only once confirmed

≈ 1,785 km · 26 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

12 days / 11 nights

12 Days: Imperial Cities, Sahara & Chefchaouen

Casablanca airport · round trip

A 12-day private circuit that adds the Atlantic to the classic north-and-desert route: Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Meknes and Fes, two nights in the Erg Chebbi desert with a 4×4 and quad outing, a long crossing to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou, a day in the Ourika Valley, and a finale in Essaouira with a surf lesson and a free day.

Private car & driver-guide
Free quote · pay only once confirmed

≈ 2,560 km · 26 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

13 days / 12 nights

13 Days: A Marrakesh Fairytale – the Desert and its History

Marrakech · round trip

A grand tour covering almost every side of Morocco: Marrakech, the Atlas and the desert, Casablanca, Meknes and Volubilis, Fes, Chefchaouen and the Akchour waterfalls, the Atlantic coast at Asilah and Tangier, and a train ride back to Marrakech.

Private car & driver-guide
Free quote · pay only once confirmed

≈ 2,795 km · 21 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

15 days / 14 nights

15 Days: North & South via the Desert

Casablanca airport → Marrakech airport

A slow-paced grand tour that covers both halves of the country: the imperial north (Meknes, Volubilis, Fes, a day trip to Chefchaouen), the Sahara at Merzouga, the Road of Kasbahs, then a southern swing rarely found in other programmes — Taliouine's saffron and Taroudant, 'little Marrakech' — before the Atlantic at Agadir and Essaouira and a final stay in Marrakech with day trips to Ouzoud and Ourika.

Private car & driver-guide
Free quote · pay only once confirmed

≈ 2,920 km · 34 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

Asilah ramparts on the Atlantic coast, Morocco

20 days / 19 nights

20 Days: Exotic Treasures of Morocco

Casablanca airport · round trip

A three-week grand loop with plenty of extras: Casablanca, Rabat, Asilah and Tangier, Tetouan and Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Meknes and Fes, three nights around Erg Chebbi (including a free day at a hotel pool facing the dunes), the gorges and Ait Ben Haddou, Marrakech with a balloon flight, a food tour and Chez Ali, the Ouzoud falls, then Essaouira with a beach horse ride and a hammam before returning to Casablanca.

Private car & driver-guide
Free quote · pay only once confirmed

≈ 2,975 km · 32 stopsPriceOn requestShow details

24 days / 23 nights

24 Days: Moroccan Delights and Cultural Charms

Casablanca → Casablanca airport

Our longest programme: a grand tour of almost the entire country — Casablanca, Rabat, Asilah, Tangier, Chefchaouen, Meknes, Volubilis and Fes, the Middle Atlas and the Merzouga desert, Marrakech, the Ouzoud falls, the Ourika Valley, Essaouira, Agadir, Paradise Valley, Taghazout and the Atlantic coast back to Casablanca.

Private car & driver-guide
Free quote · pay only once confirmed

A respectful visitor's guide to the shrines of Moulay Idriss I in Zerhoun and Moulay Idriss II in Fes.

7 min read

Cedar Forest of Azrou and Ifrane, Morocco

Sight guide

The Cedar Forest of Azrou and Ifrane: Walking Among Ancient Trees and Barbary Macaques

Explore the Atlas cedar forests between Azrou and Ifrane: the trees, the endangered Barbary macaques, the Gouraud cedar site and hiking trails.

7 min read

Frequently asked questions

Can I combine the imperial cities and the Sahara in one trip?

Yes. Most of our tours from Casablanca and Fes combine the imperial cities (Fes, Meknes, Rabat, Marrakech) with a night in the Sahara, and many add Chefchaouen. Allow at least 7 days, and 10 days for a relaxed pace with guided visits in each city.

Related: Imperial cities tours

What are Morocco's four imperial cities?

Fes, Meknes, Rabat and Marrakech are the four imperial cities: each has served as the capital of the kingdom. Fes has the largest medieval medina, Meknes the monumental gates of Moulay Ismail, Rabat is today's capital, and Marrakech is famous for Jemaa el-Fna and its palaces.

Related: Imperial cities tours

What are the must-see sights in Marrakech?

The essentials are Jemaa el-Fna square, the Koutoubia mosque (seen from outside), the Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef madrasa, the Saadian Tombs, the souks and the Majorelle Garden. Go early to avoid crowds, and book Majorelle's time slot online in advance.

Do I need a guide in the Fes medina?

It is strongly recommended. Fes el-Bali is a car-free maze of thousands of lanes where it is easy to get lost and unofficial 'guides' approach visitors. A licensed local guide takes you straight to the madrasas, Al-Qarawiyyin and the Chouara tannery and explains what you see.

Why is Chefchaouen blue?

Nobody knows for certain. Popular explanations say the blue was brought by Jewish families who settled there, for whom it symbolised the sky, or that it keeps houses cool and mosquitoes away. Today residents repaint their walls regularly and the blue has become the town's signature.

All 100 questions →

Explore more

Other destinations

Sahara desert tours 24 Atlas Mountains tours 8 Chefchaouen and northern Morocco 13 Essaouira and the Atlantic coast 6

By departure

Private tours from Marrakech 9 Desert tours from Fes 6 Morocco tours from Casablanca 10 Day trips from Marrakech 7 Things to do in Marrakech 12 Guided city tours in Morocco 6

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