Morocco is close enough to Europe for a long weekend and different enough to feel like another continent entirely. This guide covers the classic loop — Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara — with realistic costs and the itinerary I'd actually recommend over the rushed 3-day desert tours sold in every riad lobby.
When to go
March–May and September–November avoid both the summer heat in Marrakech (often 40°C+) and the winter cold in the desert at night. I've done the Sahara in both November and April — November's clearer skies made for a noticeably better night of stargazing.
Realistic costs
Budget $35–45/day traveling independently with guesthouses and street food, or $60–90/day with a private driver and riad stays. A 3-day/2-night Sahara tour from Marrakech runs $90–160 depending on group size and camp quality — pay a little more for the camp, it's worth it.
A 10-day route
Marrakech (3 nights) → Ait Ben Haddou & Dades Gorge (1 night) → Merzouga / Erg Chebbi dunes (2 nights) → back via the Atlas Mountains (Imlil, 1 night) → Marrakech (2 nights). This avoids the single most common mistake: trying to do the desert as a rushed round trip from Marrakech in 3 days.