13-Day Private Grand Morocco CircuitCoast, Mountains, Desert and Imperial Cities, Entirely Private
13 days / 12 nights·2–14 (private for your group)
About this journey
This is the private version of our most complete small-group circuit, with an extra day built in for flexibility and a private vehicle and guide for the entire thirteen days. It covers everything: the High Atlas, two nights in the Sahara, Fes and Meknes, and a proper two-night stay on the Atlantic coast at Essaouira. The route runs a wide private loop out of Marrakech — south to the Sahara, north through the Middle Atlas to Fes and Meknes, back down and west to Essaouira, then a final return to Marrakech. Unlike a fixed small-group departure, any day can flex: slow down, add a stop, or rearrange around weather or how your group is feeling. This suits travellers who've committed to giving Morocco real time — two weeks or close to it — and want the comfort and flexibility of private transport for the whole trip rather than switching between a group tour and independent travel. It's also a strong option for honeymoons, milestone anniversaries, and multi-generational family trips. With thirteen days, there's genuine room to build in requests that don't fit a fixed itinerary — an extra night in Essaouira, a private cooking class in Fes, a rest day if the pace has been full-on. Tell us what matters to your group when you enquire and we'll shape the route around it.
- All four Morocco regions, entirely private: Atlas, Sahara, imperial north, Atlantic coast
- Two nights in the Sahara region with a private bivouac camp
- Two full days in Fes plus a private Meknes and Volubilis day trip
- Two nights in Essaouira on the Atlantic coast
- An extra flexible day built in for slowing down or adding requests
Day by day
Your guide collects you on your own schedule and heads south over the Tichka Pass, Morocco's highest year-round mountain road. Ait Benhaddou, the UNESCO kasbah from Gladiator and Game of Thrones, is explored privately before the coach groups arrive. Overnight in Ouarzazate.
- Tichka Pass
- Private Ait Benhaddou visit
- Overnight Ouarzazate
A rose-water cooperative and the Dadès Gorge, at your own pace, before Merzouga's dunes turn gold in the late afternoon. Your private camel trek to the bivouac camp is timed for sunset.
- Dadès Valley and Gorge
- Private sunset camel trek
Sunrise from the dunes, then a slower second desert day — an optional stop in Khamlia for its Gnawa musical tradition, and Erfoud's fossil workshops cutting 350-million-year-old marine fossils from local rock. Overnight in a Merzouga kasbah hotel.
- Private sunrise viewing
- Khamlia Gnawa music (optional)
- Erfoud fossil workshops
The drive north follows the Ziz Valley's palm groves, with a stop at the Ziz Gorge viewpoint. Overnight in Midelt, a quiet Middle Atlas town most tours skip past entirely.
- Ziz Valley palm groves
- Ziz Gorge viewpoint
The Middle Atlas cedar forests near Ifrane get a proper stop, with Barbary macaques often gathering roadside. Arrival in Fes by afternoon, evening free before several unhurried days in the medina.
- Ifrane cedar forest stop
- Barbary macaques (weather dependent)
- Arrival in Fes
A private specialist guide leads you through Fes el-Bali — the Chouara tanneries, the Al Quaraouiyine exterior, and trade-organised souks — lingering wherever interests your group most.
- Private Fes medina walking tour
- Chouara Tanneries
Meknes, the smallest and most underrated imperial city, and Volubilis, Morocco's best-preserved Roman ruins, both seeing a fraction of Fes's visitor numbers. Back in Fes for the evening.
- Meknes imperial city
- Volubilis Roman mosaics
This day is left open by design — most groups use it for a cooking class, a hammam session, a deeper dive into the tannery district, or simply rest after a full week of travel. Tell your guide what you'd like and it's arranged.
- Open day for your priorities
- Cooking class or hammam (optional)
The return route crosses the Middle Atlas via Azrou and Khenifra, market towns most visitors never see, on genuinely different roads to the outbound route. Overnight in Beni Mellal.
- Azrou and Khenifra market towns
- Middle Atlas scenery
A shorter drive back into Marrakech, arriving by early afternoon with the rest of the day free before tomorrow's coastal leg — a hammam, the Jardin Majorelle, or simply resting.
- Short drive to Marrakech
- Free afternoon
A relaxed drive west to Essaouira, a walled Atlantic port town with a completely different rhythm — fishing boats, harbour seafood grills, and sea air after ten days inland. Afternoon free to explore the ramparts and medina.
- Coastal drive to Essaouira
- Free time in the Essaouira medina
A private guide walks you through the Essaouira medina — the Skala ramparts, the woodworking souks, and the fish market at the port — with the afternoon left open for a beach walk or a harbour seafood lunch.
- Private Essaouira medina walking tour
- Skala ramparts
- Free beach or harbour afternoon
The drive back to Marrakech takes around two and a half hours, timed to connect with your onward flight.
- Private transfer to Marrakech
- Flexible airport drop-off
Inclusions & exclusions
What’s included
- 12 nights accommodation across kasbahs, a desert bivouac, Fes riads, Essaouira and Marrakech
- Private air-conditioned vehicle sized to your group
- Licensed English-speaking guide for the full 13 days, exclusively for your group
- Private camel trek to and from the bivouac camp
- 12 breakfasts, 9 dinners
- Entry fees at Ait Benhaddou, Dadès/Todra Gorge, Volubilis and Meknes
- Private guides for Fes medina and Essaouira medina walking tours
Not included
- International flights
- Lunches (budget $10–$20/day)
- Personal travel insurance (required)
- Tips for guide and driver
- Alcohol and personal purchases
Choose your style
2 Travellers
- Private vehicle and guide
- Fully flexible schedule
- 12 nights accommodation included
4 Travellers
- Same private vehicle and guide
- Lower per-person cost
- 12 nights accommodation included
6+ Travellers
- Larger private vehicle
- Lowest per-person cost
- 12 nights accommodation included
What travelers say
“We used this as our honeymoon trip and the flexible day in Fes turned into an impromptu cooking class that ended up being one of our favourite memories.”
“Thirteen days privately sounds excessive until you're actually doing it — every region got real time and nothing felt rushed, even Essaouira at the end.”
“Having a genuinely free day built into the Fes stretch meant we could just stop and rest without feeling like we were wasting a paid day.”
Why choose AZA Morocco Tours
- Local expert guides — born and raised in Morocco
- Small groups capped at 10 people maximum
- All-inclusive pricing — no hidden fees
- Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure
- Weekly departures year-round (except desert tours Jul–Aug)
- Verified reviews on TripAdvisor
Questions about this tour
Two weeks of travel is a lot, even privately paced. Day 8 is left open deliberately so your group can rest, add an experience, or catch up on anything missed — without it eating into a fixed sightseeing day.
Same regions covered, but with a private vehicle and guide throughout, an extra flexible day, and the ability to adjust the itinerary as you go rather than following a fixed group schedule.
Yes — it's one of our most-booked private itineraries for exactly that, since the pace and privacy suit couples wanting a proper, unhurried trip.
Per-person cost drops significantly as your group grows, since the vehicle and guide cost is shared across more travellers. See the pricing tiers above.
Yes — most of our shorter private itineraries (5, 8 and 10 days) are drawn from the same regions. Tell us your available time and priorities and we'll adapt this route.
February to May and September to December for comfortable temperatures across the entire route, including the Sahara section.
As a guideline, $10–$15 per traveller per day for the guide and $6–$8 per day for the driver, given directly at the end of the tour.