8-Day Tangier to Marrakech Tour with Two Desert Nights

This private eight-day journey is our most complete crossing of Morocco from the north. Starting in Tangier, on the Strait of Gibraltar, it takes you to the lighthouse at Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules, the blue town of Chefchaouen, the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes. After two nights and a full guided day in Fes, you spend two nights around the dunes of Erg Chebbi, one at our luxury camp and one at a riad on the edge of the sand, with a 4x4 day in between. Then you follow the gorges and kasbahs of the south to Marrakech for a night and a guided tour of the city before your flight home.

It’s the version of the Tangier to Marrakech route we recommend if you want the Sahara to be more than a single evening, and the great cities to be more than a quick stop.

The route at a glance

• Day 1: Tangier → Cap Spartel → Caves of Hercules → Rif Mountains → Chefchaouen (about 150 km)
• Day 2: Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fes (about 260 km)
• Day 3: Full day in Fes with a licensed guide
• Day 4: Fes → Ifrane → Middle Atlas → Ziz Valley → Merzouga, then by camel to camp (about 470 km)
• Day 5: Erg Chebbi by 4x4: nomads, Mfis and Khamlia, then a riad by the dunes
• Day 6: Merzouga → Rissani → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley (about 310 km)
• Day 7: Dades Valley → Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou → Tizi n’Tichka → Marrakech (about 350 km)
• Day 8: Full day in Marrakech with a licensed guide, then your airport transfer

The far north

Your driver meets you at Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport, at the Tanger Ville or Tanger Med ferry port, or at your hotel. Before heading south, you drive west to Cap Spartel, the headland at the north-western corner of Africa, where a lighthouse overlooks the meeting of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Nearby, the Caves of Hercules open onto the sea through an arch shaped like the map of Africa.

The road then climbs into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen. You arrive in the late afternoon, in time to explore its blue-washed lanes as the day cools, and to see the sunset from the Spanish Mosque above the town.

Volubilis, Meknes and Fes

On day two you head south through rolling farmland to Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco, where the houses of wealthy citizens still have their floor mosaics, and the triumphal arch stands against the sky. Nearby Meknes was the capital of the 17th-century Sultan Moulay Ismail, and its grand Bab Mansour gate is one of the finest in the country. You reach Fes in the late afternoon.

Day three is spent in the medina of Fes el-Bali with a licensed guide. You see the gates of the Royal Palace, the Mellah, the madrasas with their carved cedar and tilework, the Chouara tanneries and the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university, founded in 859. At the end of the day, the view from the Merenid Tombs takes in the whole medina as the sun sets.

Two nights around Erg Chebbi

On day four you cross the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the cedar forests, where Barbary macaques live, and follow the Ziz Valley south to Merzouga. There you meet your camels for the ride into the dunes at sunset, and spend the night at our luxury camp, with dinner and drums around the fire.

Day five is all about the desert. After sunrise, you set off by 4x4 around Erg Chebbi. You share tea with a nomad family in their tent, explore Mfis, a lead-mining village abandoned when its mines closed, and listen to Gnawa music in Khamlia, where the musicians descend from West Africans who crossed the Sahara with the caravans. In the afternoon, you relax at a riad at the foot of the dunes. If you feel like more adventure, you can try quad biking in the dunes, or simply walk out onto the sand for another sunset.

Gorges, kasbahs and Marrakech

On day six, you head west through Rissani, where the souk runs on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, to Tinghir and the Todra Gorge, and walk along the river between its towering walls. You spend the night in the Dades Valley, among red cliffs and the strange “monkey fingers” rock formations.

Day seven follows the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou, the fortified earthen village that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After exploring it, you cross the High Atlas via the Tizi n’Tichka pass to Marrakech. In the evening, walk to Jemaa el-Fna square, where food stalls, musicians and storytellers gather as night falls.

On day eight, a licensed guide shows you the highlights of Marrakech: the Koutoubia Mosque, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Ben Youssef Madrasa and the souks. Your transfer to the airport is timed to your flight.

Why eight days?

The 7-day version of this tour has one night in the desert. Here, the extra day gives you a second night around Erg Chebbi and a whole day in the desert with no long drive, which makes a big difference after the long crossing from Fes. It also adds a night in Marrakech and a full guided day in the city, so you end the trip with the Red City rather than just passing through it.

Where you’ll sleep

• Chefchaouen (1 night): a riad in the medina.
• Fes (2 nights): a riad in the medina.
• Erg Chebbi (1 night): our luxury desert camp, with a private tent for your booking, en-suite hot shower and flushing toilet, comfortable beds and electricity for charging. Heavy blankets are provided in winter, and family tents are available on request.
• Merzouga (1 night): a riad at the foot of the dunes.
• Dades Valley (1 night): a kasbah hotel.
• Marrakech (1 night): a riad in the medina.

Breakfast is included every day, and dinner at the desert camp, the Merzouga riad and the Dades Valley hotel.

Best time to go

The best months are March to May and September to November, when both the north and the desert are pleasant. In winter, the Rif and Fes can be rainy, and the desert nights are cold. In summer, the ferries across the strait are busy, and Fes, Marrakech and the desert are hot, so guided tours start early and desert activities are planned for the cooler hours.

Who this tour is for

Travellers arriving from Spain or flying into Tangier who want the whole country in one journey, with a proper stay in the Sahara and guided days in both Fes and Marrakech. It suits couples, families and friends on a first, complete visit.

Good to know

• Only one long drive: day four, from Fes to the dunes (about 7.5 hours). The desert day that follows is short and relaxed.
• Book your flight home for the afternoon or evening of day eight so you can enjoy the Marrakech tour.
• Best months: March to May and September to November, when both the north and the desert are pleasant.
• Driving your own car across? We can help you find secure parking in Tangier while you’re on tour.