Once in Morocco, there are trains connecting the main cities of Cassablanca, Fes, Meknes, Tangier, Rabat, Marrakesh, and a few others.  Coach bus companies like CTM and Supratours operate buses from major cities to smaller tourist destinations like from Marrakesh to Essaouira and Fez to Chefchaouen. Tickets for the train and bus can be purchased through Morocco's national railway operator ONCF that includes bus tickets for the other operators too. There are also cars available for rent with an international drivers license and private transportation providers.

 

I choose to book a complete 10 day tour named Epic Morocco through a UK based company called Culture Trip.  It was my first time on a small group tour and it did not disappoint! Epic is the best word to describe it.  The tour started in Casablanca and ended in Marrakesh with nights in between in Chefchaouen, Fes, Merzouga, the Sahara Desert, and the Dades Gorge. Other stops included: Rabat, Volubilis, Ait-Ben-Haddou, and a few others along the way. Every minute was planned and taken care of with a great variety of activities, accommodations, restaurants, and local guides.  The tour covers about 1,000 miles over the course of 10 days and not all days include driving. So there are a few long days of driving, but is broken up with interesting stops along the way to make each day memorable.  

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The Dades Gorge and Sahara Desert were highlights of my trip for their stunning landscape, located a 6 and 9 hour drive east of Marrakesh, respectively.  Chefchaouen, known as the Blue City was my favorite small city visited for its picturesque blue painted buildings mountainside. Chefchaouen is located a 2+ hour drive north of Fes and a 4 hour drive northeast of Rabat with buses available to reach. Fes, known as the cultural & spiritual capital of Morocco, was my favorite big city for its bustling medina, beautiful architecture, and handmade local goods. While Fes is the second largest city in Morocco by population after Casablanca, it has one of the smaller airports with most flights through Ryanair.

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The 10 day tour was the perfect amount to see a good variety of Morocco's scenery and cities. If presented with less time to visit Morocco, shorter trip variations could include: 1) Northern Morocco: Tangier, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Fes, Meknes, Rabat, Casablanca or 2) Central Morocco: Marrakesh, Dades Gorge, Merzouga & the Sahara Desert, and Essaouira.  The hotels and activities included below are for those planning extra time in Morocco before or after a tour or visiting Morocco on their own. 

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Other Tidbits: 

*Morocco consists of native Amazigh or Berber people with roots in Morocco, and other North African countries, dating back to the 3rd century. Muslims brought the Arabic language and Islamic religion to Morocco starting in the mid-7th century. After many attempts to conquer by various countries and civilizations throughout its long history, Morocco became an independent country on April 7, 1956. Morocco has a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary national legislative system under which ultimate authority resides with the king. King Mohammed VI became king after his father's passing in 1999 and set out to modernize and improve human rights for Morocco. 

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*The total population of Morocco is 37 million. Casablanca is by far the largest city in Morocco with just over 3.3 million people and has the largest airport.  Fes is the second largest city in Morocco with 1.1. million people and Tangier and Marrakesh each have just under 1 million people.  Rabat is the capital. 

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*Standard Arabic and Standard Moroccan Berber (or Tamazight) are the official language of Morocco. Moroccan Arabic (or Darija) is spoken by many Arabs in Morocco. French is spoken by about one-third of Moroccans due to France's protectorate of Morocco during the first half of the 1900s. Some Moroccans may also speak Spanish, particularly in places like Chefchaouen with previous Spanish influence. People working in hospitality typically speak English too.  

 

*Morocco is a sovereign Muslim state with Islam as the religion shared by Moroccans with both Arab and Amazigh / Berber ancestry. As a Muslim state, there is the Call to Prayer announced from mosques 5x a day. The only mosque in Morocco available for non-Muslims to visit is the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.  

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*Moroccan currency is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD), which is a closed currency meaning it is not available outside of the country.  Euro bills are also often accepted and a general 10 x 1 exchange rate is loosely applied for MAD to Euros and USD. Small coins (typically 5 MAD) are often needed as payment / tip to use restrooms even in restaurants.  Credit cards are accepted in larger restaurants and stores.