8 Days Desert Tour from Tangier to Marrakech

Tour Overview

Cover the highlights of Morocco: Tangier, Asilah, the blue city of Chefchaouen, the spiritual city of Fes, the Sahara of Erg Chebbi, the kasbahs and finally Marrakech.

• Chefchaouen & Fes
• Sahara camel ride
• Todra Gorge & Dades Valley
• Marrakech

Day-by-Day Itinerary

1. 1
   Day 1

   Tangier – Asilah – Chefchaouen

   Pick-up in Tangier and drive to Asilah, a tranquil town of painted walls. Continue to the blue city of Chefchaouen and wander through the alleys of its medina.

   AsilahChefchaouen medina

   Overnight in Chefchaouen
2. 2
   Day 2

   Chefchaouen – Fes

   A scenic drive through the Rif to Fes, with the afternoon to settle into your riad.

   Rif MountainsArrival in Fes

   Overnight in Fes
3. 3
   Day 3

   Full-Day Exploring Fes

   A full day with a local guide in Fes el-Bali, the world's largest car-free medina and a UNESCO World Heritage Site: its madrasas, the Chouara tanneries, the artisan souks and the Royal Palace gates.

   Fes el-Bali medinaChouara tanneriesMadrasas & souks

   Overnight in Fes
4. 4
   Day 4

   Fes – Ifrane – Midelt – Merzouga Desert

   South through Ifrane and the Middle Atlas cedar forests, lunch near Midelt, then across the High Atlas and the Ziz Valley to the dunes of Merzouga for a sunset camel ride and a night in the desert.

   IfraneCedar forestCamel ride

   Overnight in Merzouga Desert
5. 5
   Day 5

   Merzouga Desert – Erfoud – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley

   Watch the sunrise over the dunes, then drive through Erfoud, the gateway to the desert, to the towering walls of the Todra Gorge. Continue along the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs" to the Dades Valley, where you spend the night in a riad.

   Dunes at sunriseTodra GorgeKasbah road

   Overnight in Dades Valley
6. 6
   Day 6

   Dades Valley – Ouarzazate – Ait Benhaddou – Marrakech

   Leave the Dades Valley through the Valley of Roses and the palm grove of Skoura, then cross Ouarzazate, the "Hollywood of Africa" (Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Lawrence of Arabia were filmed here). Take a guided walk around the UNESCO-listed Ait Benhaddou kasbah, then cross the Atlas Mountains over the Tizi n'Tichka Pass (2,260 m) to Marrakech.

   Valley of RosesOuarzazate studiosAit Benhaddou (UNESCO)Tizi n'Tichka Pass

   Overnight in Marrakech
7. 7
   Day 7

   Full-Day Exploring Marrakech

   Discover the Ochre City with a local guide: the Koutoubia Mosque, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the souks of the medina and the lively Jemaa el-Fna square at sunset.

   KoutoubiaBahia PalaceJemaa el-Fna

   Overnight in Marrakech
8. 8
   Day 8

   Airport Transfer

   Transfer to Marrakech airport (or onward travel) at the time that suits you.

   Airport transfer

Tour route on the map

1. 1TangierDay 1
2. 2AsilahDay 1
3. 3ChefchaouenDay 1, 2
4. 4OuazzaneDay 2
5. 5FesDay 2, 3, 4
6. 6IfraneDay 4
7. 7MideltDay 4
8. 8Ziz ValleyDay 4
9. 9Merzouga DesertDay 4, 5
10. 10ErfoudDay 5
11. 11Todra GorgeDay 5
12. 12Dades ValleyDay 5, 6
13. 13SkouraDay 6
14. 14OuarzazateDay 6
15. 15Ait BenhaddouDay 6
16. 16MarrakechDay 6, 7, 8

Important Information

• This tour is not suited for wheelchair users.
• We pick you up right at your riad/hotel. Some accommodations inside old medinas are not reachable by car: we then arrange a meeting point in advance, so please give us accurate contact details of your hotel.
• Every itinerary can be customised (dates, hotels, extra nights, stops): contact us and we adapt it to you.