12-Day Morocco Tour from Tangier: Grand Round Trip with the Sahara, Marrakech and the Atlantic

Overview

Highlights

• Round trip from Tangier: no one-way flights or ferries needed
• Two nights and a free day in Chefchaouen
• Volubilis, Meknes and a guided day in Fes
• Two nights in Merzouga with a camel trek and desert camp
• Todra Gorge, Dades Valley and Aït Benhaddou
• Guided Marrakech and a night in Essaouira
• Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and the capital, Rabat

Itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 Tangier – Chefchaouen

   Pickup at your Tangier hotel, the ferry port or the train station. Drive south through the green hills of the north, with an optional stop in Tetouan's white medina, then climb into the Rif mountains to Chefchaouen, about two to two and a half hours away. Check in to your riad and spend the afternoon exploring the blue lanes and the Outa el Hammam square. At sunset, walk up to the Spanish Mosque for the view over the whole town and the valley below.

   Overnight: Riad in Chefchaouen Meals: Dinner

2. 2

   Day 2 Chefchaouen at leisure

   A free day in the blue city. Photograph the empty lanes early in the morning, visit the kasbah and its garden, and browse shops of wool blankets, leather and local goat cheese. The Ras el Maa spring, at the edge of the medina, is a pleasant spot to watch daily life. Hikers can arrange a local guide for the trails of the Rif or the Akchour waterfalls. In the evening, enjoy dinner at your riad or a tagine on a rooftop terrace overlooking the town.

   Overnight: Riad in Chefchaouen Meals: Breakfast, dinner

3. 3

   Day 3 Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes

   Drive south through olive country to Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with mosaics, columns and a triumphal arch. Continue to Meknes, the imperial city of Sultan Moulay Ismail, to admire the Bab Mansour gate and the lively El Hedim square. Arrive in Fes in the early evening and check in to your riad in or near the old medina. Dinner at the riad and a good night's rest before tomorrow's walk. Lunch is usually in Meknes.

   Overnight: Riad in Fes Meals: Breakfast, dinner

4. 4

   Day 4 Fes guided visit

   Discover Fes el-Bali with a local guide. Enter through Bab Boujloud, visit the Bou Inania madrasa and the Nejjarine fountain, glimpse the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university through its doorway and look down on the Chouara tannery from a terrace above the dye pits. Meet coppersmiths, weavers and potters in their workshops, and pause for mint tea in a hidden courtyard. In the afternoon, see the royal palace gates and the old Jewish quarter before sunset from the hills. Evening at leisure in the medina.

   Overnight: Riad in Fes Meals: Breakfast, dinner

5. 5

   Day 5 Fes – Merzouga, desert camp

   Leave early for the Sahara. Cross the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the cedar forests, where Barbary macaques often gather near the road. After lunch in Midelt, follow the Ziz Valley and its canyon of palm trees. Reach Merzouga in the late afternoon, swap the vehicle for a camel and ride over the dunes of Erg Chebbi for sunset. Dinner, drums around the fire and a night in a desert camp beneath an extraordinary sky. Pack only a small bag for the camp; your luggage stays in the vehicle.

   Overnight: Desert camp in Merzouga Meals: Breakfast, dinner

6. 6

   Day 6 Merzouga full day

   Watch the sunrise from the top of a dune, then ride back for breakfast. Spend the day exploring the desert your way: a 4x4 loop around Erg Chebbi to meet nomad families and see the seasonal lake, Gnawa music in the village of Khamlia, and the historic market of Rissani with its dates and spices. Sandboarding and quad bikes are available too, or you can simply relax by a pool at the foot of the dunes. Second night in Merzouga.

   Overnight: Hotel or camp in Merzouga Meals: Breakfast, dinner

7. 7

   Day 7 Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dades

   Drive west through Erfoud and the oasis of Tinjdad, past khettaras, the ancient underground channels that still water the palm groves. In Tinghir, walk into the Todra Gorge, where limestone walls around 300 meters high frame a clear river. After lunch, continue to the Dades Valley with its rock formations, earthen villages and the hairpin road above the gorge. Dinner and the night in a guesthouse with views over the valley. If you like walking, ask your driver about a short stroll through the palm groves of Tinghir.

   Overnight: Hotel or guesthouse in the Dades Valley Meals: Breakfast, dinner

8. 8

   Day 8 Dades – Aït Benhaddou – Marrakech

   Follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through the Rose Valley, Skoura and Ouarzazate to Aït Benhaddou, the fortified earthen village listed by UNESCO and used in many films. Cross the river and climb to the granary for the view. After lunch, cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass at about 2,260 meters, with stops at viewpoints and Berber villages. Arrive in Marrakech in the early evening and check in to your riad near the medina. Lunch is often in a kasbah restaurant near the ksar.

   Overnight: Riad in Marrakech Meals: Breakfast, dinner

9. 9

   Day 9 Marrakech guided visit

   Spend the morning with a local guide: the Koutoubia mosque, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian tombs and the souks, where each lane is dedicated to a different craft. Your guide shares tips on bargaining fairly and on the best street food. The afternoon is free: visit the Majorelle Garden, relax in a hammam or browse the souks again. In the evening, watch Jemaa el-Fna square come alive with musicians, storytellers and smoking food stalls. Your guide adapts the pace to your group.

   Overnight: Riad in Marrakech Meals: Breakfast, dinner

10. 10

    Day 10 Marrakech – Essaouira

    Drive west across the plains, about three hours, to Essaouira on the Atlantic. On the way, look for goats balancing in argan trees and stop at a women's cooperative that produces argan oil. Essaouira is a relaxed port with a UNESCO-listed medina, white and blue houses and the Skala ramparts facing the ocean. Watch the fishing boats in the harbor, have grilled fish for lunch and enjoy the sunset from the walls. The wind makes Essaouira pleasantly cool even in summer, so bring a light jacket.

    Overnight: Riad in Essaouira Meals: Breakfast, dinner

11. 11

    Day 11 Essaouira – El Jadida – Casablanca

    After a morning walk in Essaouira, follow the coast north. Stop in El Jadida, a former Portuguese fortress town and UNESCO site, to visit its underground Portuguese Cistern, where a single shaft of light falls onto a shallow pool. Continue to Casablanca, Morocco's largest city, arriving in the late afternoon. In the evening, stroll the Corniche of Aïn Diab or enjoy seafood by the ocean before dinner at your hotel. It is your last evening by the ocean on this trip, so take your time on the seafront.

    Overnight: Hotel in Casablanca Meals: Breakfast, dinner

12. 12

    Day 12 Casablanca Hassan II Mosque – Rabat – Tangier, end

    Start with a guided visit of the Hassan II Mosque, built over the Atlantic with a minaret about 210 meters high and one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims. Then drive about an hour north to Rabat to see the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V Mausoleum. Continue to Tangier on the coastal highway, arriving in the evening at your hotel, the port or the train station. End of the tour. We hope to see you again.

    Overnight: — (tour ends in Tangier) Meals: Breakfast

Prices

Prices in euros per person. The amount in your currency is an estimate; payment is processed in USD. Some peak-season dates carry a supplement; you will see it when you pick a date.

Included

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