8-day imperial cities tour from Casablanca

This is where the Rabat city tour part of the trip happens. Rabat doesn't get the attention Marrakech or Fes does, which is part of why it's a nice surprise. You'll see the Hassan Tower and its unfinished minaret, the Mohammed V Mausoleum next door, and the Kasbah of the Oudayas, a walled quarter of blue and white houses above the river mouth. If time allows, the Chellah, an old Roman site later turned into a Merinid necropolis, is worth the detour. It's usually far quieter than the main landmarks. Overnight in Rabat.

The Casablanca to Chefchaouen tour continues today, heading north through Ouezzane and into the Rif Mountains. The drive itself is scenic, with the landscape turning greener and hillier the closer you get. Chefchaouen's blue-painted medina needs no introduction at this point, but photos rarely capture how quiet and slow-paced the town actually feels once you're inside it. Spend the late afternoon wandering without a fixed plan. It's that kind of place. Overnight in Chefchaouen.

A short morning walk through Chefchaouen in better light, then the drive continues to Tangier. This city sits where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet, and it has a different character from anywhere else on the trip, part European port town, part old Moroccan medina. Visit the Kasbah, the American Legation Museum if you're curious about the city's odd diplomatic history, and Cape Spartel for the view over both seas. Overnight in Tangier.

Before leaving the coast, stop in Asilah, a small town known for its whitewashed walls and the murals painted across them each summer during its arts festival. It's a slower, art-focused counterpart to Chefchaouen's blue streets. From there, the drive turns inland toward Meknes, one of Morocco's four imperial cities and often the most overlooked. Bab Mansour, the enormous gate at the edge of the old city, and the royal granaries at Heri es-Souani are both worth the stop. Overnight in Meknes.

The Fes and Meknes exploration continues this morning with a visit to Volubilis, a UNESCO-listed Roman site with some of the best-preserved mosaics in North Africa. Olive trees now grow where the forum once stood. From Volubilis, it's a short drive to Fes, where you'll check into a riad inside or near the medina walls and have the evening free. Overnight in Fes.

A full day with a local guide inside Fes el Bali, one of the largest car-free urban areas anywhere in the world. Expect narrow alleys, donkeys carrying goods where cars can't fit, and centuries-old craft traditions still in daily use. Stops typically include the Bou Inania Madrasa, the Nejjarine Fountain, the tanneries viewpoint, the Mellah, and a panoramic overlook above the medina rooftops. Overnight in Fes.

On the final leg, the route runs south through Ifrane, an oddly alpine-looking town for Morocco, and the cedar forest near Azrou, where Barbary macaques often wait right by the roadside. Depending on your flight, you can either continue to Marrakech for a look at the Koutoubia Mosque and Jemaa el-Fna before the final drive to Casablanca, or end the tour in Marrakech if that's where your trip continues. Drop-off is arranged at your hotel, riad, or the airport.