10 days tour from Tangier to marrakech via CHECHAOUEN, FES, AND merzouga
10 days tour from Tangier to Merzouga Sahara desert end in Marrakech. Join us on an unforgettable excursion with Berber natives and experience the desert in a way you’ve never seen before.
TOUR DETAILS
| Period | Departure | Return | Tour Type |
|---|---|---|---|
10 Days/9 Nights |
Tangier |
Marrakech |
Private |
overview
Ten days From Tangier to Marrakech, experience northern Morocco and the Sahara Desert on an outstanding Morocco tour where you can explore imperial cities and learn about Moroccan lifestyle, culture, and traditional customs. Discover the magnificent country of the Moroccan Sahara desert by driving across the Rife Mountains and the Atlas Mountains (Middle and High), going through numerous interesting spots such as valleys, gorges, Kasbahs, and Berber settlements.
highlights
- Tangier sightseeing.
- Visit Tetouan and crossing the Rif Mountains.
- Chefchaouen sightseeing.
- Visit Meknes and Volubilis.
- Fes sightseeing (“Fes El Bali-Old Fes”, Al Qaraouine University, the Tanneries, and the Attarine museum).
- Crossing from Ifrane, the Switzerland of Morocco.
- Visit Azrou cedar forest and view the local apes.
- Traversing the Ziz Valley.
- Taking a camel ride across the dunes.
- Enjoy the sights of Erg Chebbi and its magnificent sunset from the back of your camel.
- Spend the night in the Merzouga desert camp after enjoying a Berber meal under the stars.
- Promenade along the Todra oasis’s stream to the beautiful gorges.
- Spend time in Ait Ben Haddou’s Casbah and discover the Berber village.
- Crossing through the High Atlas Mountains and the Tizi N’Tichka pass.
- Marrakech sightseeing.
Includes
- PICK UP AND DROP OFF AT YOUR ACCOMMODATION.
- AC PRIVATE FUELED TRANSPORTATION (4WD VEHICLE, VAN, MINIBUS).
- A DRIVER WHO SPEAKS ENGLISH OR A DRIVER ACCOMPANIED BY AN ENGLISH-SPEAKING GUIDE.
- OVERNIGHT IN A HOTEL OR A RIAD.
- OVERNIGHT IN A DESERT CAMP (PRIVATE TENTS).
- MERZOUGA CAMEL TREKKING.
- BREAKFASTS AND DINNERS.
Excludes
- LUNCHES
- DRINKS
- MONUMENT FEES
- TIPS AND GRATUITIES
10 days tour from Tangier itinerary
On the first day of our ten-day Tangier to Marrakech through the Merzouga desert tour, we’ll start by exploring Tangier, dubbed “the Bride of the North.” This trendy metropolis is ideal for unwinding and having a good time. We will visit numerous locations, such as Cape Spartel or the lighthouse where the Atlantic and Mediterranean shores converge in a spectacular landscape.
We will also visit nearby Hercules’ famed caves, where the Greek God of Strength sleeps after completing the ultimate 12th labor. Additionally, we will take you to the Kasbah Museum, Bab Ha-ha, and the medina’s walls to appreciate its spiritual magnificence. Its mesmerizing mix of Arabic, Andalusian, and European architecture captivated the eye. We will try to show you the Bride of the North’s most significant monuments and areas. Dinner and overnight in the hotel or Riad.
Following a lovely brunch, The excursion continues north: we will pass via Tetouan City and into the high Rif Mountains on our way to Chefchaouen. On this trip, we’ll take a few moments away from nature’s enchantment to take in the sights of the majestic mountains and take photographs. We’ll have some free time to enjoy a delectable meal. We’ll then arrive in the afternoon at our objective, the Blue City (Chefchaouen). Dinner and lodging will be in a hotel or riad in the medina’s blue alleys.
Following breakfast, you’ll explore Chefchaouen, or Chaouen, affectionately known as “the Blue Pearl.” It is a very unique and traditional Moroccan town located in the northwest of Morocco, surrounded by the Rif Mountains. It is famed for its ancient town’s outstanding buildings in various shades of fading blue, which give the impression of a clean and lovely world.
It earned its name due to the distinctive blue color that all residents use to paint their homes. According to these traditions and beliefs, the color blue symbolizes the sky, which reminds people of heaven and God. This color scheme imparts an incredible charm to the city, as well as a mood and atmosphere of relaxation, warmth, and tranquility.
You’ll begin your Chefchaouen sightseeing tour by strolling through the blue streets, taking in the beautiful blue walls, doors, windows, and amazing side shops of the old Medina, which boasts an abundance of incredible photo opportunities around every corner. You will have a break to sample the north’s delectable Moroccan cuisine. Visit the ancient Kasbah Ali Ben Rachid and the Plaza Uta El-Hammam in the evening. Our lovely day concludes in the same riad, or hotel, located in the blue alleys of Chefchaouen.
After breakfast, we’ll continue our journey to Volubilis, passing through numerous Rif villages, including Ouazzan and several more breathtaking Rif villages. The first stop is in Volubilis, one of Morocco’s best-preserved Roman monuments. We’ll tour and learn about this Moroccan history archeological site, which features an astonishing display of columns, abandoned houses, and stunning mosaics going back to the third century BC.
Following our visit to the ruins, we will continue our journey to Meknes, the Ismaili capital and one of Morocco’s four imperial cities, where we will stop for lunch and then begin exploring the city’s interesting sites, including the fascinating Bab Mansour Gate, built by Sultan Moulay Ismail; the tranquil courtyards of the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail; and Sahrij Swani, a water reservoir used for irrigation and plantation. Stroll through the old medina of Meknes and take in the bustle of El Hedim Square. In the afternoon, we travel to Fes to unwind, eat, and stay in a traditional riad or hotel in the medina’s core.
Following breakfast in your riad, you will be able to visit the country’s spiritual capital and oldest city. Walking through its bustling souks, epic alleyways, and historical structures, the magnificent Royal Palace gate connects the modern and old Fes.
Following that, we’ll begin touring all of the cultural and historical landmarks, including Al Qaraouine University (one of the oldest universities in the world), the Tanneries, and the Attarine Museum.
Following lunch, you will visit the greatest place to stay in Fes (Fes El Bali), a UNESCO World Heritage site. With its lanes and legendary Moroccan monuments like Babb Boujloud (the medina’s main entrance), this is the city’s most exotic and historic region. Fes el Bali is a fantastic souk for local hand-made items in vibrant Moroccan styles such as leatherwork, metalwork, etc. We’ll go out for a drink in the afternoon in the new city. Spend the night in a hotel or riad.
After breakfast, we’ll continue the journey over the Middle Atlas Mountains. We’ll make a pit stop at Ifrane, Morocco’s “Switzerland.” Then we continue our journey to Morocco’s largest cedar forest, near Azrou, where we will observe barbarian monkeys. Following that, we will head to Midelt for lunch. Later in the afternoon, we’ll drive to the Sahara desert, over the Tizi N’talghoumte pass (1907m), passing through wonderful Berber settlements and taking in the panoramic view of the Ziz Valley, which is densely forested with thousands of palm trees.
Following that, we will arrive at Merzouga’s wonderful land of dunes (Erg-Chebbi), where you will begin your Camel Trekking Adventure to the desert camp, crossing the stunning, unique orange-colored dunes. This is a magnificent experience where you may feed your spirit while watching the sunset from the middle of the dunes. Dinner and nights will be in camp, with local music playing by drums, under zillions of stars.
After breakfast, we will begin our excursion around the Erg-Chebbi dunes. We will visit several interesting places in Merzouga. We’ll stop in Khamliya village to listen to African music (Gnawa) performed by people who are originally from the south of Africa. Then we’ll continue our desert road trip to the desert behind the Erg-Chebbi dunes. We’ll visit an abandoned village to witness the functioning fossil minerals, then drive to a nomadic Berber family to learn about their lifestyle.
We’ll return to Khamliya for a delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant. We’ll take a ride to Merzouga Lake in the afternoon. If we’re lucky, we’ll find it full of water and see some birds, such as ducks and flamingos. If not, we’ll have to find it even if it’s dry because we can see camel pasture. While we’re there, we can observe and learn about local palm farms, then we will drive back ahead riad.
We have to get up very early in the morning to see the sunrise. If you want to see the best sunrise you’ve ever seen from the top of a nearby dune in the middle of the desert, you have to get up early. After breakfast, we rode back to Merzouga on camels or in a vehicle to go back through Marrakech. Leaving towards the town of Rissani. We’ll walk around the area’s most famous traditional and largest market, looking for locally manufactured goods and arts and crafts. Later, we proceed to Tinghir via the Tafilalt Oasis, where we can stop to observe the ancient irrigation system discovered there.
After arriving in Tinjdad town for lunch, we will go to Tinghir to experience the breathtaking views of the Todra valley and walk through the Todra Gorge with its orange towering cliffs. Todra Gorge’s canyons are about 1,000 feet deep, making it a popular climbing destination. We’ll finish the day in the verdant valley of Boumalne Dades. Consider staying in a hotel or riad, Dinner and an overnight.
After breakfast, we can enjoy one of the best views of the Dades valley from one of the strategically located viewing points in the mountains. From there, we can enjoy a large number of kasbahs as well as the aesthetic features of each one. Then we travel along a road lined with tourist-friendly kasbahs. After enjoying the “One Thousand Kasbahs Road,” the Rose Valley, and the large Skoura palm forest, we’ll go to Ouarzazate to see the Kasbah of Taourirt, the historic house of the Glaoui or Marrakech pasha.
We can also go to the cinema studios and the TUE cinema museum if you’re interested. We will halt half an hour from Ouarzazate at the ksar (fortified village) of Ait Ben Haddou, where we will explore the iconic Kasbah (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Gladiator, Obelix, The Mummy, The Jewel of the Nile, Sahara with Penélope Cruz, and other famous films have been shot on this outstanding stage.
Lunch break in town, then we continue our journey to Marrakech, passing through the mountain port of Tizi Ntichka and making a few photos stops along the way. We leave the scenery behind to reach another colorful view. We’ll arrive in Marrakech at 6 p.m., and transfer to the hotel for the overnight.
Marrakesh may be the town that best exemplifies Morocco’s distinctive culture and attractiveness. you may see the 12th-century Koutoubia mosque, the Majorelle Garden, which is densely packed with cacti, palms, and ferns and is the creation of painter Jacques Majorelle.
Following that, we’ll explore other monuments, including the Saadian Tombs. This 16th-century cemetery is strewn with mosaic tiles.
Following a lunch break, you may have time to visit the enthralling souks (native markets). It is the town’s primary draw. You must visit the Babouche (shoes) Souk, the Chouari (carpenter’s) open-air market, the El-Attarine (perfume and spice) souk, the Cherratine (leather) souk, and the narrow alleys surrounding the Djemâa El-Fna square, where you will be charmed by snake charmers, singers, and musicians in the evening, and conclude our services.
Tour Map
tour gallery
know before you go
- The cost of the tour is based on the number of people in your group and the kind of accommodation you stay in during the trip.
- The drive back from Erg Chebbi to Marrakech on the last day is somewhat lengthy. Please prepare yourselves for it.
- A 4×4 vehicle can easily seat up to four adult guests. However, if your tour has more than five individuals, a van will be used.
- Local guides and (if applicable) entrance fees are not included. You make direct payments to suppliers for those.
- The pick-up time for your desert tour is negotiable. Between 07:30 and 08:00 AM is the best time.
- The 3-day itinerary can be customized to be a 4-day Marrakech to Merzouga excursion with an additional night at Erg Chebbi, or halfway between Merzouga and Marrakech.