6 Days Tour from Tangier to Marrakech via Chefchaouen, Fes & Merzouga

Your 6 days tour from Tangier to Marrakech starts with pick-up from your accommodation, the airport, or the port in Tangier. Located in the far north of Morocco, Tangier is a fascinating city where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean.

Depending on your arrival time, begin by exploring some of the city’s highlights, including Cape Spartel, a scenic headland with beautiful coastal views, and the legendary Hercules Cave, one of Tangier’s most famous natural attractions.

After free time for lunch, continue inland through the Rif Mountains toward Chefchaouen. Along the way, pass through the Tetouan area and enjoy scenic stops for panoramic views. Arrive in Chefchaouen in the late afternoon and check in to your hotel or riad.

Overnight in Chefchaouen

After breakfast, enjoy some free time to explore the charming medina of Chefchaouen, known for its blue-painted walls, peaceful atmosphere, and mountain setting. It is one of the most photogenic towns in Morocco and a favorite stop for many travelers.

Later, depart for Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, you can admire ancient arches, columns, and beautiful mosaics that reflect the importance of this once-thriving Roman city.

Continue to Meknes, one of Morocco’s imperial cities and the former capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail. Depending on time, visit some of its main landmarks, including Bab Mansour, the granaries, the royal stables, and the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum.

In the late afternoon, drive to Fes, where you will spend the night in a traditional riad.

Overnight in Fes

After breakfast, enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Fes, Morocco’s spiritual and cultural capital. This historic city is home to one of the oldest and most fascinating medinas in the country.

Begin with a visit to the exterior of the Royal Palace gate, famous for its impressive golden doors. Then head to the old medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you will explore its narrow streets and lively souks with a local guide. Enter through Bab Boujloud, the Blue Gate, and visit important sites such as the Bou Inania Madrasa, Nejjarine Fountain, the tanneries, and the Al Quaraouiyine Mosque and University, considered the oldest university in the world.

You will also visit the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, before heading to a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the medina and the city of Fes. After the tour, return to your riad.

Overnight in Fes

After breakfast, leave Fes and travel south through the Middle Atlas Mountains. Your first stop is Ifrane, a neat and peaceful town known for its alpine-style architecture, cool climate, and clean streets. Because of its European feel, it is often called the Switzerland of Morocco.

Continue to the cedar forest, where you may have the chance to see Barbary macaques in their natural habitat. Then drive on to Midelt, a town surrounded by mountains, where you will stop for lunch.

In the afternoon, continue through the Tizi n’Tilghmt Pass and along the scenic Ziz Valley, known for its palm groves, ksars, and striking desert landscapes. By late afternoon, arrive in Merzouga, at the edge of the Sahara Desert.

Here, switch to camels and begin a memorable trek across the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Stop to admire the sunset from the dunes before reaching your desert camp. Spend the evening enjoying dinner, the peaceful desert atmosphere, and, depending on the camp, traditional music around the campfire.

Dinner and overnight in a desert camp

Wake up early if you wish to experience the sunrise over the dunes, one of the most magical moments of the trip. After breakfast, leave the desert and travel toward Rissani, the ancient capital of Tafilalet and an important traditional trading town. If your visit matches one of the market days, you may have the opportunity to see its lively souk.

Continue to Erfoud, famous for its fossil workshops and desert stone products. Then drive through palm groves and small villages on your way to the spectacular Todra Gorges.

These impressive canyon walls, carved by the Todra River, are among Morocco’s most dramatic natural sites. Enjoy time to walk through the gorge and admire the towering rock formations. Lunch is usually taken nearby.

In the afternoon, continue to Dades Valley via Boumalne Dades. Along the way, stop to see the unusual rock formations known as the monkey fingers and enjoy panoramic views over the valley. Check in to your hotel, have dinner, and relax for the evening.

Dinner and overnight in Dades Valley

After breakfast, begin the last day of your tour by traveling through the beautiful Rose Valley, known for its damask roses and locally made rose products. During the rose season, the valley is especially lively and colorful.

Continue through the oasis of Skoura, famous for its palm groves and kasbahs, before reaching Ouarzazate, often called the gateway to the desert. Depending on timing, enjoy a short stop in the area.

Next, visit the legendary Ait Ben Haddou, one of the most famous fortified villages in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known for its striking earthen architecture, this ksar has appeared in many well-known films and television productions.

After exploring Ait Ben Haddou, continue across the High Atlas Mountains via the scenic Tizi n’Tichka Pass, with stops along the way for panoramic views and photos.

Arrive in Marrakech by late afternoon or evening, where your 6 day Tangier to Marrakech desert tour comes to an end with drop-off at your riad or accommodation.