Six Days Casablanca to Sahara Tour 2025: A Real Review
So, you’re seriously thinking about this 2025 six-day adventure from Casablanca to the Sahara, right? We just did it, and honestly, it’s one of those trips that sort of sticks with you. At the end of the day, you get to see a huge slice of Morocco in a really short time. It’s a bit of a whirlwind, you know, but definitely a good one. I mean, you start in this big, modern city by the sea and, in just a few days, you find yourself on a camel staring at these massive sand dunes. It’s pretty incredible, really. The entire thing felt a little surreal, kind of like stepping through different worlds each day. The planning seemed like a lot, but once you were on the road, it just sort of flowed naturally. Anyway, this is basically our experience, what we saw, and what you might want to know before you go.
Day 1: Starting in Casablanca and Moving to Fes
Okay, so our first day pretty much started with our guide picking us up from the hotel in Casablanca. First up was the Hassan II Mosque, and seriously, this place is just huge. It’s right on the Atlantic coast, and parts of it have a glass floor so you can see the ocean below, which is a really neat touch. We spent a fair bit of time there, just taking in the size of it all. After that, we pretty much got on the road and headed for Rabat, which is actually the capital. To be honest, Rabat was a pleasant surprise; it’s a bit more laid-back than Casablanca. We saw the Kasbah of the Udayas, this really old fortress with these super charming blue-and-white painted streets. It was just a great spot for a walk. From there, it was a longer drive to Fes. By the time we got there in the evening, we were definitely ready to check into our riad, a traditional Moroccan house with a courtyard. The rooms were sort of unique and full of character, which was a very welcome change from a standard hotel.
Day 2: Getting Lost in the Medina of Fes
Frankly, Fes is an experience all on its own. The main event here is, of course, the old medina, Fes el-Bali. Our guide told us it’s one of the biggest car-free urban areas in the world, and I mean, you definitely believe it when you’re in there. It’s a complete maze of narrow alleyways, and you’re pretty much sharing the path with donkeys and people carrying all sorts of goods. We had a local guide for this part, which was absolutely the right call; we would have gotten lost in about five minutes otherwise. He showed us the famous Chouara Tannery, and you can smell it long before you see it, you know? They give you a sprig of mint to hold under your nose. It’s really fascinating, though, watching them work in these massive stone vats filled with dyes, a process that honestly hasn’t changed in centuries. We also visited a Koranic school, the Bou Inania Madrasa, which had some absolutely stunning tilework and wood carvings. At the end of the day, just wandering through the souks, seeing all the spices, lamps, and leather goods, was an incredible experience in itself.
Into the Mountains: The Road to the Desert
Basically, day three is when the scenery started to change in a big way. We left Fes behind and started driving south into the Middle Atlas Mountains. First, we passed through Ifrane, a town that they call the “Switzerland of Morocco.” It’s sort of funny because it looks completely different from the rest of the country, with these Alpine-style houses. It was a really clean and orderly little stop. Then we drove through these massive cedar forests, and our driver pulled over so we could see the Barbary macaque monkeys that live there. They’re really used to people and will come right up to you, which is pretty cool. As we kept going, the landscape just got drier and more dramatic. You could feel the air change, you know? It’s a long day of driving, there’s no getting around that, but looking out the window is a show in itself. We finally got to Midelt, a town that’s kind of a gateway to the desert, for our overnight stay. It was a more simple, functional stop, but perfectly comfortable and gave us a good rest before the big desert day.
Day 4: The Sahara Experience in Merzouga
Alright, so this was the day everyone was clearly looking forward to. After leaving Midelt, we drove through the Ziz Valley, which is just this beautiful green ribbon of palm trees cutting through the red-brown rock. It’s a pretty stunning contrast. We finally reached Merzouga in the late afternoon, which is a small town right on the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes. And honestly, the dunes are just breathtaking. They’re this sea of orange sand that stretches as far as you can see. There, our camels were waiting for us. I mean, riding a camel is a kind of awkward but totally fun experience. Our caravan trekked into the dunes for about an hour and a half, just in time to watch the sunset from the top of a huge dune. Watching the colors of the sand change as the sun went down was really something special. Our destination was a Berber desert camp. It was a lot more comfortable than you might think, with proper beds in big tents. We had a traditional tagine for dinner, and then the Berber guys played drums and sang around a campfire under a sky just filled with stars. You really feel a million miles away from everything out there.
You know, sitting around that campfire, listening to the music with literally no city lights anywhere, it just gives you this incredible feeling of peace. It’s sort of a core memory from the trip, I think.
Day 5 & 6: Gorges, Kasbahs, and the Road to Marrakech
Waking up for the sunrise over the dunes was definitely worth the early start. After breakfast, we rode our camels back to Merzouga to meet our driver again. From there, the journey back west began. First, we stopped at the Todra Gorge, which is this massive canyon with a river running through it. The cliffs are incredibly high on both sides; it’s a very popular spot for rock climbers, and you can see why. It was just a great place to walk around for a bit. After that, our route took us along the “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs.” You see all these old fortified villages, many of them just crumbling away, and it gives you a real sense of history. The most famous one, of course, is Aït Benhaddou. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and has been the backdrop for a ton of movies, like Gladiator. It’s a pretty amazing place to explore, climbing up through its old buildings to get a view from the top. We stayed overnight in a hotel with a view of the kasbah. The next day, our sixth day, was pretty much the final leg of the drive over the High Atlas Mountains through the Tizi n’Tichka pass. The views from the pass are pretty spectacular. Finally, we descended into Marrakech, where the tour officially ended in the afternoon. It was a very full six days, and you see so much that it’s almost a lot to take in.
A Few Key Takeaways from Our Trip
So, looking back, there are a few things that kind of stand out. It’s a fast-paced trip, so you should be prepared for that. But if you want to see a lot of the country in under a week, it’s a really efficient way to do it. Anyway, here are a few thoughts:
- The Private Driver is a Huge Plus: Honestly, having a driver/guide makes all the difference. You don’t have to worry about the roads, you get local insight, and you can just sit back and watch the country go by. It’s pretty much stress-free.
- Pack for All Climates: You literally go from the city to the mountains to the desert. We used layers pretty much every day. You’ll want something warm for the desert night and the mountains, you know, but light clothes for the daytime.
- Bring Cash: While you can use cards in the bigger cities and some hotels, a lot of the small shops, cafes, and places where you’d want to leave a tip are cash-only. It’s just easier to have some dirhams on you.
- The Desert Camp is Comfy: If you’re worried about “roughing it” in the desert, don’t be. The camps they use for these tours are actually very comfortable, more like glamping with real beds and private bathrooms in most cases. It’s a very civilized way to experience the Sahara.
- Embrace the Drives: Yes, there are some long driving days. But the scenery is so varied and fascinating that the drives are part of the adventure. Just treat it as a chance to see the real country between the big-name sights.
Read our full review: [Six Days From Casablanca To Sahara Full Review and Details]
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