Can I do the imperial cities and the desert in 10 days?

Yes, and ten days is genuinely the sweet spot for this exact ambition — it's the length where 'imperial cities plus the desert' stops being a stretch and becomes comfortable. Morocco has four imperial cities (Marrakech, Fes, Meknes and Rabat), and while you may not give every one a full day, ten days lets you experience the two great ones properly and brush the others, with the Sahara woven into the middle. The trick, as always with multi-region Morocco, is to run it one-way so you're never backtracking.

Here's how it flows. Start with two days in Marrakech — the red city's medina, souks, palaces and gardens. Head into the High Atlas (a night around Imlil is lovely) and then onto the three-day desert journey: Aït Benhaddou, the Dades and Todra gorges, the palm oases, and out to the Merzouga dunes for camels, a camp and a desert dawn. This is the part that anchors the trip, and ten days means you can do it without the rushed feeling that plagues shorter versions.

Coming back north, you cross the Middle Atlas and arrive in Fes for two days in the spectacular medieval medina — the densest, oldest-feeling city in Morocco, full of tanneries, artisans and labyrinthine lanes. On the way between regions you can fold in the imperial highlights of Meknes (its monumental gates and granaries) and the Roman ruins of Volubilis nearby, and if your route ends via the capital, a half-day in Rabat adds the elegant fourth imperial city — its kasbah, royal tombs and walkable, relaxed centre.

So the answer is a confident yes. Ten one-way days give you Marrakech and Fes in depth, a taste of Meknes and Rabat, and a real Sahara experience, all at a pace that leaves room to enjoy rather than endure. If you tried to also loop back to your start airport you'd lose a day, so book open-jaw flights (in one city, out another). Do that, and ten days delivers the imperial cities and the desert beautifully — it's one of the most satisfying ways to see the country on a single trip.