In this travel blog on Morocco, you will find the ultimate itinerary for a road trip in South Morocco. Morocco is a beautiful and versatile country. It attracts many tourists every year, who visit the beautiful imperial cities. The south of Morocco is not yet discovered by mass tourism, there are many peaceful and quiet places. In June, one of the hottest months, we made a road trip and drove following a 10-day itinerary from Taghazout to Merzouga and then up to Marrakech. In this blog, I’ll tell you more about this itinerary through Morocco!
Morocco itinerary for a 10 days road trip in the South and surfing!
Morocco is a big country, which certainly can not be seen in 12 days. When we were preparing this trip, we had to make a number of choices. Eventually, we decide to explore the south and make a 12-day road trip through the southern part of the country. However, if you have less time, spend two days less in Taghazout and you will have the perfect itinerary for 10 days in Morocco:
Agadir – Taghazout – Tamnougalt – Merzouga – Gorge du Dades – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech
Road trip: from Taghazout to Merzouga
We didn’t find much information about the first part of our itinerary, from Taghazout to Merzouga. Apparently, this is not a standard itinerary for tourists. This made us extra curious, what would we encounter and see? In retrospect, we were very happy with our decision to visit this relatively unknown part of Morocco. The beautiful foothills of the Atlas Mountains, the endless winding roads we drove surrounded by nothing more than stone and some grass.
Road trip: from Merzougha to Marrakech
From Merzouga to Marrakech is a travel itinerary and road trip that is much more famous. Here we came along many highlights and of course buses full of tourists. This part is also nice to see, but a completely different side of Morocco.
We covered many kilometres during these 10 days road tripping, sometimes driving for more than 7 hours. However, it was perfect and all part of the journey!
Map of Morocco with the itinerary
Click here or on the map of Morocco to see the itinerary of our 12 days in Morocco. In this itinerary, we also state our travel hours, hotels and activities we did. Our itinerary was the following:
Searching for nice hotels and kasbah’s for your itinerary through Morocco? In this Morocco hotel guide, we write about our favourite hotels in Morocco!
Itinerary Morocco day 1 to 4: surfing in Taghazout
We arrive around 07.00 PM in Agadir, a city in the southwest of Morocco. Here we pick up our car (rented via Sunny Cars) and then drive in an hour to Taghazout, a small surfing village north of Agadir. The next three days we spend surfing, reading and eating, click here to read more about our time in Taghazout.
Taghazout is very small and in three days you can see everything. Do you want to learn how to surf? Then a multiple-day surf camp might be something for you. We also made a trip to Paradise Valley, nice but a bit overrated.
Tip: do you want to go to Paradise Valley? Then rent a car and leave very early in the morning (departure at sunrise). You arrive before the tourist mass and can leave again when it starts to get busy.
Curious about what to do in Taghazout? Read our travel guide for Taghazout here.
Road trip Morocco day 5 and 6: Taghazout – Taroudant – Tamnougalt
On day five we want to leave at 06.00 because since we have seven hours of driving ahead. Unfortunately, my food poisoning throws a spanner in the works. Finally, we leave at 08.00 AM and arrive at 10.00 AM in the town of Taroudant. Here we stop so that Ries can have breakfast. The intention was to spend a few hours here, the city is beautiful, medieval with almost no tourists. However, after half an hour, we get into the car again to make up for some of the time lost this morning.
The rest of the morning and afternoon we drive through a varied landscape. First along cornfields. Slowly the landscape changes and becomes more hilly, wilder and drier. We hardly encounter any traffic on our way. Our route goes first via the N10, and then on the R108. Around 3 pm we arrive in Tamnougalt, a tiny village in the middle of a small oasis. It’s beautiful. We stay at Ecolodge Bab el Oued, where we are warmly welcomed. In the end, we are so happy here, that we decide to stay a day longer.
Tip: Be sure to stop in Taroudant. Walk through the winding streets, across mosaic squares and buy fresh fruit at one of the many market stalls. The city is really worth it!
Read here what our time at Ecolodge Bab El Oued made so special.
Itinerary Morocco day 7: Tamnougalt – Merzouga – Sahara
After having been well rested at Ecolodge Bab El Oued, we leave for Merzouga around noon. Merzouga is the last city before the Erg Chebbi Sahara begins, and is located in the southeast of Morocco. We drive here in five hours (via the N9, the R108, the N12 and the N9). Our surroundings give us the impression that we are already in the desert.
When we suddenly see the orange and mountains, we realize that the desert is really different from the dusty road we have been driving over the last few hours. We booked with a guide who we meet at the post office in the scary town of Merzouga. During the day it is 45 degrees, but when we are sitting on a camel around 7 pm, the temperature has already dropped to 38 degrees. Still warm, but the Berber clothes protect us well from the sun.
Our camel ride and our stay in the Sahara is spectacular, something you will never forget! Read more about our experiences of the Merzouga Sahara and how we booked our stay here.
Tip: In advance, contact one of the many organizations that offer desert tours, don’t do this on arrival Merzouga. We did not like how we were attacked and pushed in Merzouga and were very happy that we had already arranged everything! We booked our tour with Omar Camel Trekking.
Road trip Morocco day 8: Sahara – Gorges du Dades – Ait Ben Haddou
After a beautiful sunrise in the Sahara, we are back at our car in Merzouga around 9 AM. Today again, we have a long day of driving ahead, but we take it easy because we have time enough.
First, we drive from Merzouga (via the N13, N12 and the R113) to Tinghir. Actually, we would stay here at Riad Dar Bab Todra, but because we stayed a day longer at Ecolodge Bab El Oued, we only stop here for lunch. Tinghir is close to the Gorges du Dades, a huge gorge between the mountains. We drive here and stop to walk through the cool water that goes through this gorge for miles. This used to be a wild river, now a calm babbling brook surrounded by families who are picnicking.
Ait Ben Haddou: the famous movie set
After a few hours chilling at the water, we get back in the car to drive in 2.5 hours via the N10 to Ouarzazate. This city is known as a film city with two large, well-known studios where for instance Game of Thrones is filmed. We don’t stop here but drive to Ait Ben Haddou, where we sleep tonight. At sunset, we walk towards the famous Kasbah, which is the setting for many films. The old medieval town is built on a hill, along which a river runs. Inside the town, there are many vendors trying to sell you something, however, do walk onwards to the top of the city. There you will find an amazing view!
Tip: Visit the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou at sunrise. There is almost no one and you can wander through the narrow streets in peace during this magical moment.
Itinerary Morocco day 9: Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – the Atlas Mountains – Marrakech
The next morning we drive to Ouarzazate, where we visit the CLA film studio’s. The studios don’t seem to be that popular by tourists anymore, we are the only ones. When we enter, a guide approached us to give us a tour of the studio. The price is just a few dirhams and we are more than happy to pay this since otherwise we wouldn’t know what we are seeing here in the studios. After the film studios that we do not find very special, they are a bit run down, the guide directs us to a large castle that has been specially built for filming. This is much more impressive and really worth a visit.
Road trip Morocco: passing the Tizi n’ Tichka Pass!
Around noon we start driving towards Marrakech: a trip that goes straight through the Atlas Mountains over the Tizi n’ Tichka pass, one of the most dangerous roads in the world. This danger is confirmed when we drive across an accident which just happened a few minutes before we passed. It takes five hours, and we come across at least 100 hairpin bends. Nevertheless, this route is beautiful and there is a great view after every turn!
In the evening we arrive in Marrakech where we hand in the car.
Tip: if you have a bit more time (and a car with which you can drive on unpaved roads), drive in an hour from Ouarzazate to Fint Oasis, a beautiful little oasis in the middle of the arid mountain landscape.
Road trip Morocco day 10-12: Marrakech
Our last three days we spend in Marrakech (also called Marrakesh), where we mainly relax and rest. Since this was our last stop of your itinerary through Morocco! We slept in a wonderful hotel, Riad la Parenthèse, an oasis of tranquillity in this busy city. Marrakech is known for the crowded Medina and the beautiful palaces. The city is really beautiful and enormously photogenic.
Click here for the photo gallery of Marrakech! And make sure you add Marrakech on your travel itinerary of Morocco!
Three days is just enough for Marrakech, we have the time to see everything we want, without having to rush. A perfect end to this great road trip through Morocco.
A travel guide to Marrakech: Here you can read all our tips for Marrakech.
Which destinations to add to this Morocco itinerary?
In 10-12 days you can see a lot of the country, provided you are willing to make kilometres. For us, this varied journey was the perfect mix of relaxation and exciting activities! On the road you see so many beautiful spots, it is just one big scenic tour as soon a the big traffic disappears.
But, we certainly wouldn’t mind doing this itinerary in two or two and a half weeks. This would give us more time to stop along the way. Other things to add to this Morocco itinerary to make it a complete itinerary for the whole country is to add on Essaouira, Fez, Rabat, Casablanca and Chefchaouen (the blue city).
Tips for a road trip through Morocco!
Road trip tip 1: rent your car from a reliable party!
Many car rental companies in Morocco are known as shady … you will not get your deposit back, the car is not well maintained or they try to get you double or extra insurance. An annoying start (or end) of your holiday. We paid close attention ourselves (made videos, photos and watched the damage notes) before we took the car. And we rented via Sunny Cars, which is known as a pleasant party that arranges any damage or hassle for you.
Road trip tip 2: bad roads
In advance, we heard bad stories about the quality of the roads in Morocco. However, we found the roads in very good condition, except for a few roads through the Atlas Mountains. However, it is wise to take into account extra travel time, delays or possible car breakdown.
Road trip tip 3: don’t drive in the dark!
Do not drive before sunrise or after sunset: Morocco has no street lights and driving is dangerous after dark.
Road trip tip 4: pay close attention to police checks!
Pay close attention to police checks. If you see a number of stop signs somewhere next to each other, this often means a police check, so drive at a walking pace! We came across dozens of checks and were fined once for stopping just after the stop line. Do not drive too fast anywhere and really follow the traffic rules, otherwise, it can be an expensive holiday! A fine generally costs +/- 45 euros.
Road trip tip 5: air conditioning is a must!
Arrange a car with good air conditioning. It can get very hot in the interior of Morocco.
Click here for all my Morocco blogs!
Like this post? Pin it!
From the desert to the coast, is one of the amazing Itinerary at all, good choice, but the northern side also contain some beautiful views and different cultures of the south side
We would love to visit the northern side one day too!
Here is all on itinerary Morocco with the facts we must keep it in our mind are discussed over here. So, anyone searching for same topic may find their shelter over here. This is a great article and you are banged on with your points about it.
absolutely wonderful, thanks for sharing this. I love reading your info.
Awesome! This was an amazing post. I will always bookmark your blog and
will come back in the future. Thank you for sharing.
Amazing blog, Thank you so much for sharing with us, you Morocco travel experience looks, Also, your pictures are awesome, Best regards Mustapha
10 days in Morocco is a great itineraries to discover all the major sightseeing of this fascinating country. Atlas Mountains, Sahara Desert, bleu city and the medina of Fes and Marrakech.
10 days in Morocco is a great itineraries to discover all the major sightseeing of this fascinating country. Atlas Mountains, Sahara Desert, bleu city and the medina of Fes and Marrakech.