Can I do both in one trip?

Yes, most itineraries of a week or longer combine both rather than choosing one exclusively.

Which is better for families?

Both work well — the desert camp tends to be the most memorable single experience for kids, while the imperial cities offer more variety day to day.

Which requires more driving?

The desert tour generally involves longer driving days to reach Merzouga; the imperial cities route involves shorter hops between closer cities.

Morocco Desert Tour vs. Imperial Cities Tour: Which Should You Choose?

August 19, 2026 · 1 min read

Two of the most common ways to frame a Morocco itinerary are the desert tour and the imperial cities tour. They overlap more than the names suggest, but each has a different center of gravity worth understanding before you choose.

The Imperial Cities Tour

An imperial cities tour focuses on Morocco's historic former capitals — Fes, Meknes, Rabat, and Marrakech — built around medinas, palaces, and centuries of dynastic history. It suits travelers most interested in architecture, culture, and city life.

The Desert Tour

A desert-focused tour centers on reaching Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes, usually via the Atlas Mountains, the Ait Ben Haddou kasbah, and Todra Gorge. It suits travelers most drawn to landscape, camel trekking, and a night under the stars in a desert camp.

Most Tours Actually Combine Both

In practice, very few itineraries are purely one or the other — a "desert tour" almost always includes at least one imperial city, and an "imperial cities tour" often adds a short desert extension. The real question is which one gets more of your time.

How to Decide

If you only have a few days, lean into whichever draws you more — landscape and adventure, or history and architecture. With a week or more, there's no need to choose: our 9-day Casablanca Imperial Cities & Desert tour and the Grand 15-day Morocco tour both cover the full range.