Morocco Roadtrip | 16 Days from Tangier to Agadir

Sixteen days, a group of friends, one rental car and a route that had it all:
from the blue alleys of Chefchaouen and the ancient medina of Fès, over the Atlas mountains to the Saharan dunes of Merzouga, along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Marrakech, and finally out to the surf beaches of Taghazout on the Atlantic coast.

No AI slop, fully authentic, and all pictures taken by ourselves :)

For this vacation we planned a lot - days and weeks in advance - to find the perfect route, see as much of Morocco as possible and still stay within our limited budget. If you want to see this country yourself, I can only recommend the route we took, so I wrote it down here with some tips, experiences, cost calculation and recommendations ;)

Day 1 | Tangier » Chefchaouen

We flew from Germany (Düsseldorf Weeze) with Ryanair and landed at 5:50 PM local time in Tangier. The flight itself was cheap: at under 200€ per person for the round trip, including shared luggage. First impression after landing, it was warm, really WARM. Morocco was in some kind of heat wave (surprise, surprise, climate change is here), and instead of the milder temperatures we had seen online for this time of year (end of August) we were getting cooked.

Rental Car

Before the trip we had already booked a rental car (to hopefully make things easier). The 7-seat Van was booked with the german site "billiger-mietwagen.de" and we got a car from aircar on site. The advertised "Nissan Evalia or similar" turned out to be .... a Dacia Jogger. Technically it has 7 seats - but with 7 people on board, the trunk is basically gone. Not what we had in mind when we booked a “van”. Ironically, it was lucky that one of us couldn't come along because of work – with 7 people and luggage, there would have been no chance. At least the car was new (and only cost ~650€).

After discussing with the company (no luck), we could finally drive off at 7 PM. Our first stop was: Chefchaouen. We decided to skip Tangier, as it seemed like one of the less interesting stops, and wanted to spend more time elsewhere.

"Driving in Morocco is not that difficult" is what we would have said - if it weren't for Chefchaouen. We arrived on a Friday at 10:30 PM and all hell had broken loose in the city: so many cars, so many scooters, way too many people. We couldn't find a parking space at first and a steep hill in a new car with constant stop-and-go and hundreds of people around us was - a challenge.

Tired, but glad we made it without a crash, we checked into a nice riad and went into town to eat our first Moroccan food. (which was really good)

Day 2 | Chefchaouen and Akchour

Chefchaouen is known for its blue medina and mountain setting, so we spent the first half of the day wandering through the streets. You have to get used to constantly being asked if you want to buy weed, haha. The city is not that big, and after a few stops for coffee, tea and local souvenirs we got back to our car at 4PM to drive to Akchour and the God's Bridge trail.

If you go to Chefchaouen - go to Akchour. Not only was the trail packed with stunning views, there are restaurants and cafés right in or next to the river the whole way. While I might not eat at all of them, we found a good one and had a great time there.

The drive from Chefchaouen to Akchour takes around 1 hour, and we headed back just at sunset.

Day 3 | Chefchaouen » Volubilis » Fès

After a good breakfast at our riad we drove to the biggest Roman ruins in Morocco: Volubilis. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was definitely not the best choice at 43°C. It really is quite impressive (but also has no shade). In retrospect, I am not sure it's worth it if you're not a Roman history nerd (which I am not).

Police Checkpoint

The drive itself was stunning, but halfway there we were stopped at a police/military checkpoint. They showed us a picture of our car taken a few kilometers earlier (sent via WhatsApp), claimed we had been speeding and asked for around 40 € in cash. We had read about this beforehand, but were still intimidated by the big machine guns (although they stayed friendly and weren't aggressive). Our driver insisted on getting a receipt (a tip we got beforehand) - and suddenly the fine was a lot higher. The officer started writing, looked up at us one more time, asked "you sure?" - and then let us go with the words "first time in Morocco, I forgive you". Yeah, sure. Lesson: always ask for an official receipt.

Also, pack in enough food for lunch if you go here. The nearby restaurant is expensive and not that good, there aren't many options in the area, and Moulay Idris (a nearby town) was the only place on our whole trip where we didn't feel safe parking our car.

Then we headed to Fès, and evil tongues might say I accidentally missed a crucial exit while navigating, which gave us the... adventure route.

Parking

If you go to Fès or any other Moroccan city, pick a paid and guarded parking space beforehand. That saved us a lot of trouble: the 2–5 € you pay won't ruin you financially, but it might keep your car and your stuff from being robbed. And no, you can't drive into the medina - and where you technically could, you really wouldn't want to :) So a parking space a little outside is the way to go. We parked at Parking Ain Azliten.

We were all hungry and the mood was hitting rock bottom – and of course the host of our riad decided to take AGES for passport checks and check-in. But after that we (still completely overstimulated) finally got something to eat (and it was good).

Day 4 | Fès

Fès is a more traditional city and has one of the biggest and oldest medinas in Morocco. But don't be fooled by all the (sponsored) blogs telling you that you NEED a guide to find your way and that Google Maps is useless. We only used Google Maps and got around just fine 😇 I found Fès really beautiful, and it might even be my favorite city of the trip.

We visited a few special places in Fès:

• The Quran school (Medersa Al-Attarine) was nice (but it's not free)
• Jnan Sbil Garden was great for relaxing after running through the city all day
• the hustle around Chouara Tannery was a scam

I know many people go to Fès just for the tanneries, but we were constantly pestered by salespeople telling us it's forbidden to go there and that we have to use their terrace. Normally, even when someone tries to scam you, they stay nice and friendly and accept defeat 😅 - but not here. On top of that, it stinks REALLY bad (we knew that beforehand – just warning you). And the view isn't spectacular enough to be worth the trouble (or the money, if they do scam you onto one of their terraces).

What was really impressive is the souk – you can buy so many leather products here, and if you go a bit deeper, away from the touristy streets, there are some really good shops! The Fès medina is divided into craft quarters for leather, metal or textiles, and just exploring them was a lot of fun!

Day 5 | Fès » Ifrane » Azrou » Ziz Valley

The drive from Fès to our apartment in the Ziz Valley (above Aït Ifous) isn't that long at about 300 km, but there are some stops on the way that are worth it. We left Fès at 11:30 AM after a quick stop at the big shopping mall (Borj Fez), which also sells beer!

After ~1.5 h we arrived in Ifrane, also called “the Switzerland of Morocco”, as it was built during the French colonial era as a hill station to escape the summer heat. If you go there, definitely visit the restaurant “My Lil Rome” – SUCH good pizza and very friendly owners.

Then we drove ~30 min to Azrou, specifically to the Cèdre Gouraud Forest, which has a lot of free-roaming Barbary macaques.

Scam Warning

As usual in Morocco, someone in a yellow vest wanted money for parking (in a public parking spot). This will happen at almost every public parking space; most of the time it's 5–10 MAD. We usually just paid, because the money doesn't hurt (divided by 6) and we didn't want any mysterious dents or scratches on our car. Later on our route, one of the yellow-vest “parking chefs” told us “it's a business between you and me to keep the car secure”… make of that what you want (the police were ~20 m away from him, by the way).

The monkeys are everywhere, so watch your stuff 😉 But it's also great for a quick break, with benches, shade from the trees and great photo spots. There was also a lot of trash lying around, some tourist scams etc.

The last part of the route was definitely one of the most beautiful: really high up at ~2000 m and a completely different scenery than before! We stopped next to the road a few times to take pictures and take in the scenery. Here are a few photos from before we arrived at our apartment in the Ziz Valley.

We finally arrived at the Kasbah Hotel Camping Jurassique just at sunset and were welcomed really warmly (as usual) with fresh tea and some snacks! This day was really exhausting - just on the road. Without the stop in the Ziz Valley I don't think driving to the Sahara in one go would have been possible. We considered it, but thankfully booked this nice stay instead 😄

Day 6 | Ziz Valley » Merzouga

After another great breakfast we left at 11:30 AM for the next big driving day to Merzouga - but not without a stop to appreciate the stunning Ziz canyon!

At ~3 PM we finally arrived. We already knew these two days would be the most stressful, and that really was the case. We were tired, and I'm so happy we didn't book the desert camp for the same day. After something to eat we checked into our first more expensive stay, with a pool, nice rooms, working AC and great food! The host was really nice (again!). Small side note: I can say almost only positive things about the Moroccan people we met: they're mostly just incredibly warm-hearted!

Definitely plan some time to chill before heading into the dunes.

Day 7 | Sahara

After one of the best dinners of the trip, a great breakfast and some more time by the pool with a book, it was time for our next adventure: The Sahara

A few weeks before the trip we had booked a desert camp combined with a quad tour. Because we were such a big group, I had already paid a 40% deposit via Western Union. A friend of mine had stayed at this camp before, so I knew they were trustworthy -> ONLY do this if you're sure about the seller.

The quad tour was a lot of fun and I definitely recommend trying it. We were only allowed to drive in a line, one after another, but even so - driving up and down the dunes is awesome. Including a break, the whole tour took ~1 h, and then we were transferred by 4x4 to the desert camp. We decided against going by camel because the animals are often worked without enough water and care. And the 4x4 ride feels like a rollercoaster, I can assure you, haha.

The desert camps are some of the most touristy places you can visit in Morocco. I don't think anything there is authentic - but we knew that before we went. That said, I've heard a lot of really bad stories about other camps, so choose yours carefully. Ours was alright: we didn't get scammed, the price was good, the food and the rooms were okay. (apart from ~15 cockroaches we had to kill)

The camps have boards for sandboarding – like snowboarding, but down a dune (and you have to walk back uphill ;) ).

After some live music by the campfire, the desert really shines at night. I expected to see even more stars, but it was still impressive, with a cool atmosphere.
There are so many camps nearby that you hear music from the others and see lights everywhere.

My friends would describe the desert experience as mixed and might say it is not worth it. But I'd still say it's worth a visit. You pay a lot more than usual and it's full of other tourists, but it is also one of those moments you will remember. Also, I slept about 2 hours that night because it was around 35 °C in the tents.

Day 8 | Merzouga » Aït Benhaddou

The first part of the day was driving on long straight roads without much traffic. (AND looking at camels!)

Again, the landscape is stunning – I really enjoyed the driving, as there is always something to look at.

In Tinghir we took our first break at the Todgha Gorge, a series of limestone river canyons (and grabbed some food in town). The view is amazing, but there are also a lot of tourists.

Along the way we kept seeing cars with built-in espresso machines, and later that day we finally stopped at one. The espresso was always really good and cost around 70 cents - we made a few more stops like this along the route. I think the concept is amazing, and the scenery where you find these cars is usually nice too 😄

At 9 PM we arrived in Aït Benhaddou, a village known for its historic fortified ksar and as a filming location for many movies.

Day 9 | Aït Benhaddou » Ouzoud

It was (again) really hot that day – but not dry heat, a wet, sticky heat. After sweating for 2 hours exploring Aït Benhaddou, we had enough and moved on. The ksar is nice to look at – but that's also about it.

I feel like I'm stuck in a loop, but the drive to Ouzoud also had amazing scenery!

Our riad was really beautiful, and since I wasn't feeling too good, I can't tell you about the waterfalls - but I can tell you about the tea our host made to help me feel better (it was great, haha).

Day 10 | Ouzoud » Marrakech

After another espresso break and a thankfully short drive, we arrived at our apartment in Marrakech at ~3 PM. After relaxing for a while we went to a nice rooftop bar with almost German prices. Marrakech is definitely the most expensive city so far and also feels very different from the other stops: more western, younger and less strict.

Day 11 | Marrakech

It was 43 °C that day – we were BURNING alive.
To get into the medina we took an Uber (10 min from the apartment) for 50 MAD.

Our first stop was the Dar El Bacha museum, and it's so worth it. The garden inside is beautiful and the ticket isn't expensive.

The souk has everything from souvenirs to glasses, metal and leather. Just looking around and exploring the city was a lot of fun. And I can't agree with the blogs saying Marrakech only stinks, is ugly and is full of scammers. While it wasn't my favorite city, 2 days were just the right amount, with lots of positive moments.

In the evening we went to another rooftop bar where a cocktail cost… 16 €, yikes. At least we could watch the sunset from there.

Day 12 | Marrakech » Essaouira

The drive wasn't long, and the first thing we did in Essaouira was treat ourselves to a hammam massage 😆 It really isn't expensive and was worth the money! After that we explored the city, and I definitely underestimated it. Essaouira is SO NICE! A completely different feeling from everything we had seen so far! The fish we had at a restaurant was also among the top 3 dishes of the trip. After sitting on the beach for a while and enjoying the sunset, we went back to our riad.

Day 13 | Essaouira » Taghazout

After breakfast we left at ~11 AM for Taghazout, a place best known for its beaches and surfing. We wanted to take it easy for the last few days, so we could all go back to Germany more or less relaxed 😀

Taghazout itself is full of European tourists – probably because every influencer has been here posting pictures of themselves surfing (or trying to). The prices are high too, which is why we chose a surf hostel. The town is alright, but it doesn't feel like Essaouira, or very Moroccan at all.

We had our surf lesson in the midday sun – and in our wetsuits we got baked alive. After warming up on the beach with our instructor, we learned how to get up on the board, where to place our feet and what to watch out for. As expected, the first hour in the water was mostly the washing machine, in and out 😆 but by the end of the lesson some of us managed to (briefly) stand up! Our instructor was really nice, patient and did a great job – but don't expect to be alone in the water. The beach is packed with young people trying to surf (or just taking a picture for Instagram).

If you go surfing, choose a time before or after the midday sun – running along the beach in a wetsuit at 40 °C is not fun. Also bring a hat and water you can leave in a backpack on the beach. I got sunstroke after surfing and can't recommend it ;)

Day 14 | Taghazout

Surfing in bigger waves is indeed much harder - for most of us it wasn't any easier than the day before. But we went in at 10 AM, and that was much better! The fish tajine we had at Café Tayoughte was also amazing. We kept wandering through the streets and went to a bar in the afternoon (which had (expensive) drinks). And that's about it for the day: relaxing and not stressful.

Day 15 | Taghazout

Only one of us still wanted to surf; the rest just enjoyed lying on the beach with a book or music. On the beach you'll constantly be asked to buy tea, snacks etc., but if you keep your eyes closed, they mostly leave you alone, haha. So this was our final beach day, with good food, card games and relaxation.

Day 16 | Taghazout » Agadir

Our goal for today was the Souk El Had, where you can park for free at the “Grand Parking Souk”. The souk was something different again: less touristy, with a much wider variety of products. There are furniture stores and sellers of spices, cosmetics, glasses, kitchen utensils and much more! Definitely worth a visit.

The beach in Agadir was really crowded when we went, but good for an evening walk with an ice cream afterwards.

We had to get the car cleaned, which we did for 100 MAD, ate something and then checked into our last and cheapest stay of the trip. Maybe spend a bit more than we did - it was over 40 °C that day. The AC, a big 6 kW unit (that's cooling power, it actually draws more like 2 kW, but still), was plugged into a power strip of, let's say, very questionable quality. So our host kept checking that the cable didn't start burning the house down, and we had to turn off the AC half the time. I slept 0 h that night.

At 3:30 AM we walked to the airport, as it was close to our apartment, and landed in Germany at ~10:30. Then Deutsche Bahn did what it does best and completely messed up the rest of the trip: a 70-minute delay, a missed connection and another cancelled train. After 17 hours on our feet that day, we finally made it home.

Top 3:

• Merzouga & the Sahara: touristy, sure, but absolutely unique.
• The drives in between: the middle of nowhere, spontaneous stops, roadside espresso and nights in the valleys between huge mountain ranges.
• Fès: My favorite city.

What we'd skip:

Volubilis in the midday heat,
the Chouara Tannery,
and anything more than a short stop in Aït Benhaddou.

What we'd do differently:

go later in the year.
End of August / Start of September was simply too hot 40 °C+ is not nice.

What did it cost (very roughly)

For one Person in a group of six:
Flight 175€
Desert Camp (+quad) 100€ (insanely good deal)
Restaurants & Bars 300€ (we didn't hold back here)
Accommodations 200€ (we mostly booked cheap)
Car & Fuel 155€ (just for 1 of 6!)
Entertainment 70€ (massage & Surfing)
Shopping 100€ (sunglasses, mugs, tea pot...)
Groceries 70€
Other 70€
-------------
Total: ~1240€

Final thoughts

Morocco was a completely different vacation from what we've done the last few years. From a planning perspective, I don't think we could have done much differently. The kindness of the people really stood out, and we all came away with a very positive feeling. It wasn't exactly a relaxing vacation, but we saw so much, experienced so many different regions and were stunned by the nature, the (sometimes) food, the culture and the country itself.