7 Days Morocco tour from Tangier to Marrakech

Day 1: Tangier – Chefchaouen

After visiting Tangier’s highlights — the Cape Spartel lighthouse where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, and the legendary Caves of Hercules — we drive south through the green Rif Mountains to the blue-washed city of Chefchaouen, arriving in time to explore its painted lanes at dusk. Overnight: Riad Hicham (or similar).

Day 2: Chefchaouen – Fes

After a morning in Chefchaouen’s blue medina, we travel south through scenic countryside to the imperial city of Fes, settling into a traditional riad in the medina. Overnight: Palais Houyam (or similar).

Day 3: Full Day in Fes with a Local Guide

Spend a full day discovering the UNESCO-listed Fes medina with an expert local guide: the Al-Qarawiyyin University, the Chouara tanneries and the ornate madrasas, finishing at a hilltop viewpoint over the endless sea of rooftops and minarets. Overnight: Palais Houyam (or similar).

Day 4: Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Ziz Valley – Merzouga

We depart Fes and cross the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest, then follow the Ziz Valley past Erfoud to reach the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes near Merzouga. In the late afternoon a camel trek carries you into the sand for sunset, dinner and a night in a desert camp. Overnight: Tawada Luxury Desert Camp (or similar).

Day 5: Explore Merzouga Desert and Nomad Life

After a magnificent sunrise over the dunes and breakfast, the day is dedicated to the desert around Merzouga: visit the village of Khamlia for its Gnawa music, an old mineral mine and a dry desert lake, and share tea with a nomadic family for a genuine glimpse of their way of life. Overnight: Kasbah Le Berger (or similar).

Day 6: Merzouga – Todgha Gorge – Dades Valley

Wake early for sunrise over the dunes, then ride back by camel for breakfast. We travel west to Todgha Gorge, walking beneath its 300-metre canyon walls, then follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to the Dades Valley for the night, beside its winding river and ‘Monkey Fingers’ rock formations. Overnight: Riad Gabse Dades (or similar).

Day 7: Dades Valley – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech

After breakfast we travel through the Dades and Rose valleys to Ouarzazate, the ‘Hollywood of Africa’, with an optional stop at the Atlas Film Studios. The highlight is the UNESCO-listed kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou. We then cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, arriving in Marrakech in the late afternoon.