Road Trip in Morocco: the 5 Best Driving Routes
Few countries reward driving the way Morocco does: one day on the road separates the Atlantic from the dunes, and the landscape changes every hundred kilometres. Here are five proven routes, with their real distances, a duration that leaves room to stop, and the car that suits each one.
Contents
The imperial cities (Casablanca to Rabat, Meknes, Fes and Marrakech, 7 days)
The road of the kasbahs (Marrakech to Ouarzazate, Dades and Merzouga, 5 days)
The Atlantic coast route (Tangier to Rabat, Essaouira and Agadir, 6 days)
The north (Tangier to Chefchaouen, Al Hoceima and Nador, 5 days)
The deep south (Agadir to Tiznit, Sidi Ifni and Dakhla, 7 days)
Practical advice for planning your Morocco road trip
The imperial cities (Casablanca to Rabat, Meknes, Fes and Marrakech, 7 days)
The beginner's loop, and the only one that runs almost entirely on motorway: a little under 100 km from Casablanca to Rabat on the A3, around 140 km on to Meknes, 60 km to Fes, then some 530 km back down to Marrakech via Casablanca. About 830 km in total, roughly 120 km a day over a week.
The stops need no arguing for: the Hassan II mosque, the Oudayas kasbah in Rabat, El Hedim square in Meknes, the ruins of Volubilis just up the road, the Fes medina, the Koutoubia in Marrakech. Allow two full nights in Fes and two in Marrakech.
An economy city car or a compact is plenty. The real issue is not the driving but the parking: you do not take a car into a medina, so you need accommodation with a space. An automatic gearbox earns its keep here for the traffic in Casablanca and Marrakech, not for the route itself.
The road of the kasbahs (Marrakech to Ouarzazate, Dades and Merzouga, 5 days)
The most spectacular route in the country. From Marrakech to Ouarzazate the N9 crosses the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 metres: only 200 km, but four and a half to five hours of driving. Then 116 km to Boumalne Dades, and 282 km to Merzouga via Tinghir and Erfoud. Around 600 km, and five days so you are not swallowing them whole. The trip starts in Marrakech, a city Loccor covers.
Not to be missed: the ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, 30 km before Ouarzazate, the Dades gorges and their corkscrew road, the Todra gorges. Reach Merzouga in the late afternoon, for Erg Chebbi at sunset.
Let us be precise about the car. The Tichka is surfaced all the way and can be driven in an ordinary saloon: what matters is an engine that copes with long climbs, not four-wheel drive. It can close for a few hours if it snows between December and February. The Merzouga road is surfaced too, but the last few kilometres to the camps out in the dunes are sandy track. Leave the car in the village and let the camp transfer you.
The Atlantic coast route (Tangier to Rabat, Essaouira and Agadir, 6 days)
A run of about 880 km down the ocean: 223 km of A1 motorway from Tangier to Rabat, some 480 km from Rabat to Essaouira via Casablanca, El Jadida and Safi, then 173 km from Essaouira to Agadir on the N1. Six days is enough if you accept two long driving days.
Along the way: the Portuguese city of El Jadida, the potteries of Safi, the ramparts of Essaouira, the argan trees and the beaches of Taghazout. The Essaouira to Agadir stretch is the finest and the slowest: a winding national road through villages where you crawl. A compact or a saloon does the job.
In fairness: Loccor has no vehicles in Agadir. So this route is taken from Tangier, a city we do cover, with a return by the north, or you reach Agadir under your own steam and rent there from another operator.
The north (Tangier to Chefchaouen, Al Hoceima and Nador, 5 days)
The Rif is the greenest region in Morocco and the least driven. The route comes to 475 km: 112 km from Tangier to Chefchaouen via Tetouan, 237 km on to Al Hoceima on the N2, then 126 km to Nador. Five days is a good pace: the N2 winds through the mountains and your average speed soon drops to 60 km/h.
The stops are worth the detour: the blue medina of Chefchaouen, Talassemtane park, the coves of Al Hoceima, the Marchica lagoon at Nador. Avoid an underpowered city car, the climbs are long; a well-engined compact or a small SUV is the right call. Drive in daylight, the N2 is unlit.
Tangier, Tetouan and Al Hoceima are among the cities Loccor covers, so both the start and the mid-point work with a car rented here. Nador is not served; plan to finish elsewhere or to drive back.
The deep south (Agadir to Tiznit, Sidi Ifni and Dakhla, 7 days)
The wide-open-spaces trip, and by far the longest: about 1,150 km heading south. The Tiznit to Dakhla expressway, the spine of the route, is 1,055 km on its own; add the hundred kilometres between Agadir and Tiznit and the coastal detour via Mirleft and Sidi Ifni. Seven days southbound is a minimum, and the return needs thinking through in advance.
The stops: the silversmiths of Tiznit, the cliffs of Mirleft, the art deco of Sidi Ifni, Legzira beach, then coastal desert all the way to the Dakhla lagoon. The road is surfaced, but south of Tan-Tan petrol stations can be 150 km apart. Take a recent car, saloon or SUV, and fill up every single time.
In fairness again: Loccor covers neither Agadir nor Dakhla. This route assumes you reach Agadir by air or by road and rent there from an operator based locally.
Practical advice for planning your Morocco road trip
Book early in high season: between July and August and during the holidays, availability dries up. On Loccor, the average observed price is 284 DH a day in Tangier, 348 DH in Marrakech and 506 DH in Casablanca, from 250 DH in all three cities. An economy car rents for 297 DH on average, an SUV for 476 DH: the gap is worth weighing against your route.
Check the gearbox before you confirm: it is the detail that ruins a trip. Out of 356 vehicles available, 245 are automatic and 111 manual.
Each agency sets its own conditions and displays them on the vehicle listing. Practice in Morocco is consistent: minimum age 21, licence held for at least two years, ID card or passport, with premium categories often reserved for drivers over 25. A national licence is enough if it is in the Latin alphabet. The deposit and the mileage policy appear on every listing before you book. Finally, avoid driving at night off the motorway.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car do you need for a road trip in Morocco?
For motorway and national-road routes, the imperial cities or the Atlantic coast, an economy car or a compact is enough. For the road of the kasbahs and the Rif, choose something with a decent engine; an SUV adds comfort on poor surfaces. A genuine 4x4 is only necessary if you leave the tarmac, which most rental contracts forbid: read that clause before you go.
Do you need a 4x4 to get to Merzouga?
No. The road is surfaced right into the village of Merzouga and an ordinary car gets there without trouble. Only the last few kilometres to certain camps out among the dunes are sandy track. The simplest approach is to leave the car in the village and let the camp transfer you, as they usually plan for that.
How much does renting a car for a Morocco road trip cost?
On Loccor, the average observed price ranges from 284 DH a day in Tangier to 506 DH in Casablanca, with 348 DH in Marrakech, 371 DH in Fes, 375 DH in Tetouan and 496 DH in Al Hoceima, and a floor of 250 DH a day in several cities. On top of that come fuel, tolls and the deposit left with the agency.
Further reading
rent a car in Marrakech for the road of the kasbahs
rent a car in Tangier for the northern route
rent a car in Casablanca for the imperial cities tour
choose an SUV for the mountain roads
Written by the Loccor editorial team, the platform connecting travellers with car rental agencies in Morocco.