8-Day Morocco Imperial Cities Tour from Fes

After breakfast, a local guide takes you through Fes el Bali, one of the oldest medinas still functioning as a working city rather than a museum piece. The day usually includes the Dar Batha museum, home to a strong collection of Moroccan ceramics and woodwork, the Attarine Madrasa with its carved stucco and cedar detail, and a walk past the Chouara Tannery, best viewed from one of the leather shop terraces above it.

You'll also stop at Borj Nord, an old fortress on the hill above the medina, for a wide view over the rooftops before heading back down into the old city for lunch and free time in the souks. Overnight in Fes.

Leaving Fes after breakfast, the road climbs continuously into hillier country. Ouezzane is the main stop along the way, a religious town built around a zaouia (a Sufi shrine and school) that's still an active pilgrimage site for Moroccans, and known locally for its olive oil rather than for tourism.

From Ouezzane, the road continues into the Rif Mountains toward Chefchaouen. The town's blue-painted alleys are well known from photos, but walking them in person is slower and quieter than most pictures suggest, especially once you're a few streets back from the main square. You'll have the afternoon and evening free to wander before settling into a riad for the night. Overnight in Chefchaouen.

After a morning in Chefchaouen, the drive to Tetouan takes about an hour and a half. Tetouan's medina carries a strong Andalusian character, brought by refugees who settled here after being expelled from Spain in the 15th and 17th centuries, and it's recognized by UNESCO for that layered history. It's smaller and less visited than Fes or Marrakech, which makes it worth an unhurried walk rather than a quick photo stop.

From Tetouan, the route continues to Tangier, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic. Tangier's history as an international zone in the early 20th century still shows in its mix of architecture and its long list of writers and artists who lived there at one point or another. Overnight in Tangier.

Before leaving Tangier, there's time to visit Cape Spartel, where the two seas meet, and the Caves of Hercules nearby, known for a cave opening shaped roughly like the African continent when seen from inside.

Heading south, Asilah is the first stop, a small coastal town known for whitewashed walls covered in murals repainted every summer for its annual arts festival. From Asilah, the road continues to Larache, a fishing port on the Loukkos River, and just outside town, the Roman ruins of Lixus sit on a hill overlooking the river mouth. It's a smaller and far less visited site than Volubilis, with mosaics and an old amphitheater still visible among the ruins. From Larache, it's a few hours south to Rabat, where you'll spend the night.

Rabat is Morocco's capital, and it has a calm pace than Fes or Marrakech, with wide boulevards and a strong sense of order to the city planning. Your guide will take you to Hassan Tower and the unfinished 12th-century mosque around it, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V next door, and the Kasbah of the Udayas, a walled quarter overlooking the river mouth with narrow blue and white streets inside.

In the afternoon, most tours also stop at Chellah, a walled necropolis built over an old Roman town, with storks nesting on the ruined minaret most of the year. It's one of the quieter historic sites in the city and a good contrast to the busier stops earlier in the day. Overnight in Rabat.

The last leg of the loop heads inland. Meknes, one of Morocco's four imperial cities, is known for its monumental gates and the scale of building Sultan Moulay Ismail carried out here in the late 17th century, including stables built to house thousands of horses.

From Meknes, it's a short drive to Volubilis, the largest Roman archaeological site in Morocco, with mosaic floors still in place after almost two thousand years and enough of the street layout intact to get a real sense of how the town was arranged. From Volubilis, the road returns to Fes for a final night. Overnight in Fes.

Depending on your flight, there may be a free morning before your driver takes you to the airport or another drop-off point. The 8-day Morocco imperial cities tour from Fes ends here, having covered imperial capitals, Roman ruins, a mountain town, and a stretch of Atlantic coast in one continuous loop.