8 Day Morocco Sahara Desert Tour from Tangier to Marrakech

Day 1: Tangier, Chefchaouen

We will start our 8 day tour from Tangier by picking you up from the port or airport, We may visit Hercules Cave. After that, we will drive through the Rif mountains via Tetouan to Chefchaouen. There, we will enjoy the views of the lovely mountains and villages.

Upon our arrival in the blue city, we will check into the Riad. Then, we will tour to admire its beautiful walls and walk in the old medina.

We will head to the old first building at the heart of Ota Hamma Square before we visit the Ras El Ma waterfalls. Afterward, you have a free afternoon to watch the sunset from the Spanish mosque. Then, you will spend your night in a nice hotel to enjoy the breeze and the beauty of the Rif mountains.

Day 2: Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Meknes and Fes

On the second day of this eight-day from Tangier, after breakfast at your hotel, we will go to Volubilis. We will go via Ouezzane and other Rif villages. In Volubilis, we will see the Roman ruins. We will learn about the amazing Moroccan history of this archeological site.

After the ruins, we will go to 17th-century Meknes. We will stop for lunch and hang around the huge walls of the medina, Bab El Mansour. Then, we will enjoy a walk in El Hedim Square and Sehrij Es Souani. After that, we will drive directly to Fes City, where you will spend the night in a riad.

Day 3: Fes sightseeing tour

After breakfast in your riad or hotel, we will start to explore the oldest imperial city in Morocco. A local guide will go with us as we walk through its alleys and small streets. First, our visit starts at the Royal Palace gate.

We then walk through the Jewish headquarters, the first Mellah ever built in Morocco. They built it in the 16th century.

So, we will ensure that you visit all sites with cultural and historical interest. They include the famous Al Qaraouine University. It is the oldest in the region. They also include the tanneries, the Attarine Museum, and the Mulay Idriss mausoleum. After lunch, you will experience a wonderful panoramic view over the Medina of Fes. Accommodation will be in the riad/hotel.

Day 4: Fes, Ifrane, Midelt, Ziz Gorges, Erfoud and Merzouga camel trek

On the fourth day of these 8-days to Marrakech to Tangier, we will leave Fes for the Sahara desert. We will see and visit many sites along the way. To start with, we will have our first stop at Ifran, known as “Little Switzerland.”. Here we will make a quick stop to see the status of a lion and grab a coffee. Then, we will drive to the Cedar Forest to catch sight of wild monkeys.

After that, we will drive through Zaida and Midelt, where we may stop for lunch. After that, you will travel through the pretty Tizi N’Talghamt Pass and the Ziz Gorge. You’ll see the High Atlas plateau. You’ll notice the scenery change from the Middle Atlas to the High Atlas as we reach the desert. The next stop is Ziz Valley, where you can view the vast oases. After that, you will travel along the luxuriant Ziz Valley along the way to Erfoud and Rissani. Arrive at Merzouga Desert in the afternoon. You’ll get a glass of mint tea. Then, an experienced camel man will guide you. You will explore what is hidden in the tallest dunes by riding your camel. You will have dinner at the camp, where you will spend the night and listen to live traditional music.

Day 5: Merzouga Desert – Rissani – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley

On this day, we will get up early to see the Merzouga desert sunrise over the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Then, breakfast and a shower at the camp.

Afterward, you will ride the camels back to the meeting point. So, we’ll drive through Rissani and Erfoud to reach Todra Gorge. There, we’ll enjoy Rock Canyon and have a traditional Moroccan lunch. We take a short walk through the gorge. Then, we arrive at Dades Valley for dinner and a place to stay.

Day 6: Dades Valley, Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, and Marrakesh

After breakfast at Merzouga Desert Camp, we will continue our 8-day tour. We’re going from Tangier to Marrakech. Before, we will travel through the Dades Valley towards Kalaa M’Gouna and Ouarzazate. The route through Dades Valley is famous for its thousand Kasbahs. It also has attractive Berber villages. It offers many chances to take some of your best photos of the trip.

Afterward, we will stop at Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah for lunch, the largest Kasbah in Morocco. This kasbah used to be one of the main stops during the trading of camel caravans from the Sahara to Marrakech. Nowadays, the Kasbah is one of the UNESCO heritage sites. After lunch, we will change how we cross the High Atlas Mountains. We will stop at the top of Tichka Pass, at 2260 m, and stop again to relax. Later, we will keep driving along a road with panoramic views and pretty Berber villages. We are going to Marrakech. overnight in a fancy riad in Medina.

Day 7: Marrakech sightseeing tour

On this day, you will explore Marrakech. The Almoravid dynasty founded the second imperial city in the 12th century. After breakfast in the Riad, we explore Marrakech, ”the red city of Morocco,” with a local guided tour. But we will ensure that you see the most important historical and cultural sites. These include the Koutoubia Tower, the Saadian tombs, and the Bahia Palace.

After that, you will walk through the souks and view hundreds of handicrafts. Later on, we will drive outside of the Medina to visit the Majorelle Gardens. In the afternoon, you will have some free time to wander by yourself to the famous Jamaa El Fna Square. Overnight stay in a riad in the Medina.

Day 8: Marrakech: Transfer to airport

This would be the last day of our 8-day desert trip from Tangier.