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Gnawa musicians playing in the desert village of Khamlia near Merzouga Private

9-Day Morocco Tour from Tangier: Chefchaouen, Fes, Two Days in the Sahara and Marrakech

North to south at a gentler pace: Tangier, two nights in Chefchaouen, Fes, a full desert day in Merzouga, the kasbah road and Marrakech.

  • 9 days
  • Tangier → Marrakech
  • Private
  • From J$ 210,161 (€1,175) per person
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Overview

This 9-day Morocco tour from Tangier is the relaxed version of the great north-to-south journey. You begin with a city tour of Tangier, then give Chefchaouen the time it deserves with two nights and a free day. From there you visit Volubilis and Meknes, explore Fes with a local guide and cross the Middle Atlas to the Sahara, where you stay two nights at the edge of the dunes of Erg Chebbi.

The extra days change the feel of the trip. You can hike in the Rif or simply sit in a café on the blue square, and in Merzouga you have a full day for the desert: a 4×4 loop, Gnawa music in Khamlia, the market of Rissani or a lazy afternoon by the pool. Then the road leads through the Todra Gorge, the Dades Valley and Aït Benhaddou to a guided day in Marrakech.

Your private English-speaking driver stays with you from Tangier to Marrakech. For families planning this trip, see our family tours in Morocco.

Highlights

  • Tangier city tour: kasbah, medina and Cape Spartel views
  • Two nights and a free day in Chefchaouen
  • Volubilis, Meknes and a guided day in Fes
  • Two nights in Merzouga with a camel trek and desert camp
  • Full day in the Sahara: Khamlia, Rissani and the dunes
  • Todra Gorge, Dades Valley and Aït Benhaddou
  • Guided visit of Marrakech

Itinerary

  1. Day 1 Tangier city tour – Chefchaouen

    Pickup at your Tangier hotel, the port or the train station. Start with a morning city tour: the kasbah and its museum, the medina lanes and the Grand Socco, and mint tea with a view of the Strait at Café Hafa. If time allows, drive out to Cape Spartel, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. After lunch, head south into the Rif mountains to Chefchaouen, about two to two and a half hours away. Check in to your riad and enjoy a first evening stroll through the blue lanes.

    Overnight: Riad in Chefchaouen Meals: Dinner

  2. Day 2 Chefchaouen at leisure

    A day without driving. Wake early to photograph the lanes before anyone else, then explore at your own pace: the kasbah and its small museum on Outa el Hammam square, the Ras el Maa spring and the shops of woven blankets and local goat cheese. Walkers can hike up to the Spanish Mosque or, with a local guide, follow trails into the Rif mountains toward the Akchour waterfalls. In the evening, enjoy a tagine on a rooftop terrace and watch the town light up.

    Overnight: Riad in Chefchaouen Meals: Breakfast, dinner

  3. Day 3 Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes

    Leave the mountains and drive south through olive groves to Volubilis, the most complete Roman city in Morocco and a UNESCO site, famous for its mosaic floors and its triumphal arch. Continue to Meknes, the imperial city of Sultan Moulay Ismail, to admire the monumental Bab Mansour gate and the El Hedim square. Arrive in Fes in the early evening and check in to your riad in or near the medina in time for dinner. Lunch is usually in Meknes or in the hilltop holy town of Moulay Idriss, facing Volubilis.

    Overnight: Riad in Fes Meals: Breakfast, dinner

  4. Day 4 Fes guided visit

    Spend the day with a local guide in Fes el-Bali. Enter by the Blue Gate, Bab Boujloud, and discover the Bou Inania madrasa, the Nejjarine fountain, the doorway of the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university and the Chouara tannery from a terrace above the dye pits. Meet artisans working brass, cedar and silk thread, and stop for mint tea in a quiet courtyard. In the afternoon, visit the royal palace gates and the old Jewish quarter, then enjoy the view from the hills at sunset.

    Overnight: Riad in Fes Meals: Breakfast, dinner

  5. Day 5 Fes – Merzouga, desert camp

    An early start for the Sahara. Cross the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the cedar forests, where Barbary macaques often appear by the road. Have lunch in Midelt, then follow the Ziz Valley and its long canyon of palm trees. In the late afternoon, reach Merzouga and ride a camel over the dunes of Erg Chebbi for sunset. Arrive at your camp for dinner, drumming around the fire and a night under one of the clearest skies you will ever see.

    Overnight: Desert camp in Merzouga Meals: Breakfast, dinner

  6. Day 6 Merzouga full day

    Climb a dune for sunrise, then ride back to Merzouga for breakfast. Spend the day as you like. Popular choices include a 4x4 loop around Erg Chebbi to meet nomad families and see the seasonal lake, a visit to Khamlia to hear Gnawa musicians, and the historic market town of Rissani with its stalls of dates and spices. You can also try sandboarding or simply rest by a pool at the foot of the dunes. Second night in Merzouga. Your driver helps you book whatever suits you.

    Overnight: Hotel or camp in Merzouga Meals: Breakfast, dinner

  7. Day 7 Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dades

    Drive west through Erfoud and the oasis of Tinjdad, passing lines of khettaras, the ancient underground channels that water the palm groves. In Tinghir, walk into the Todra Gorge, where cliffs around 300 meters high close in over a clear river. After lunch, continue to the Dades Valley, with its strange rock formations, earthen villages and the hairpin road above the gorge. Dinner and the night in a guesthouse overlooking the valley. If you enjoy walking, your driver can suggest a short stroll through the palm groves of Tinghir.

    Overnight: Hotel or guesthouse in the Dades Valley Meals: Breakfast, dinner

  8. Day 8 Dades – Aït Benhaddou – Marrakech

    Follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through the Rose Valley, Skoura and Ouarzazate. Visit Aït Benhaddou, the fortified village listed by UNESCO and featured in many films; cross the river and climb to the granary for the view. After lunch, cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass at about 2,260 meters, stopping at viewpoints and Berber villages along the way. Arrive in Marrakech in the early evening and check in to your riad. Lunch is often in a kasbah restaurant near the ksar.

    Overnight: Riad in Marrakech Meals: Breakfast, dinner

  9. Day 9 Marrakech guided visit, end of tour

    Meet your local guide for the highlights of Marrakech: the Koutoubia mosque, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian tombs and the souks, where each lane is dedicated to a different craft. Learn how to bargain fairly and where to taste the best street food. The tour ends after the visit. Spend the evening in Jemaa el-Fna square among musicians, storytellers and food stalls, or ask us to add extra nights or an airport transfer. Many travelers add a night to visit the Majorelle Garden or relax in a hammam.

    Overnight: — (tour ends in Marrakech) Meals: Breakfast

Prices

Price per person by group size
TravelersStandard Superior
1 traveler J$ 363,086 (€2,030) J$ 427,476 (€2,390)
2 travelers J$ 210,161 (€1,175) J$ 274,551 (€1,535)
3 travelers J$ 159,186 (€890) J$ 223,576 (€1,250)
4 travelers J$ 133,788 (€748) J$ 198,177 (€1,108)
5 travelers J$ 118,406 (€662) J$ 182,795 (€1,022)
6 travelers J$ 108,211 (€605) J$ 172,600 (€965)
7 travelers J$ 101,056 (€565) J$ 165,446 (€925)
8 travelers J$ 133,788 (€748) J$ 198,177 (€1,108)

Prices in euros per person. The amount in your currency is an estimate; payment is processed in USD. Some peak-season dates carry a supplement; you will see it when you pick a date.

Included

Included

  • Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver for 9 days
  • Pickup in Tangier (hotel, port or station) and drop-off in Marrakech
  • 8 nights in riads, hotels and a desert camp (standard; superior on request)
  • Breakfast and dinner daily (except dinner on day 9)
  • Camel ride and night in a desert camp
  • Local guides for Fes and Marrakech
  • Fuel, tolls and parking

Not included

  • Flights, ferries and trains
  • Lunches and drinks
  • Entrance fees (Kasbah Museum, Volubilis, monuments)
  • Optional activities in Merzouga (4x4, quad, sandboarding)
  • Local guide for Tangier and Rif hikes (on request)
  • Tips
  • Travel insurance

Planning your 9-day Morocco tour from Tangier

Pickup: in the morning in Tangier. Pace: comfortable, with two free days balancing three long drives (Fes to Merzouga, Merzouga to Dades, Dades to Marrakech). What to bring: hiking shoes if you plan to walk in the Rif, warm layers for desert nights, a scarf and sunglasses for the dunes, and modest clothing for medinas.

Who it suits: couples, families and older travelers who want the full route without rushing. Unsure about the climate in your travel month? Our guide to the best time to visit Morocco covers each region.

What our travelers say

Highly recommended!

We had an amazing 4-day overland trip from Fes to Marrakech with Morocco Excursions, and I can’t recommend this company highly enough — especially our guide and driver, Hassan. From the moment he picked us up, we felt completely safe and taken care of. Hassan is a fantastic driver — something we appreciated even more after meeting other t…

Spencer R

Moroccan journey

My family and I planned our own 10-day itinerary in Morocco. We hired a car with a driver to travel with us and enjoy everything Morocco has to offer. Salem, our driver, was a great person: kind, always available, and not just our driver — he suggested things to do, places to see and where to stay, and explained his traditions and culture…

Translated from Spanish · See original

Viaje marroquí

Mi familia y yo organizamos nuestro propio itinerario durante 10 días en Marruecos. Alquilamos un coche con conductor para acompañarnos en el camino y disfrutar de todo lo que Marruecos tiene para ofrecer. Salem, nuestro conductor, era una gran persona: amable, siempre a disposición, y no solo era nuestro conductor, sino que fue capaz de sugerirnos cosas que hacer, lugares para ver y dónde dormir, y de explicarnos su tradición y cultura. El vehículo era espacioso y cómodo, y la ruta fue genial. Realmente recomiendo esta agencia para viajar por Marruecos de la manera más fácil posible.

Luca B

Amazing trip in Morocco

We are 4 of us joining a 6-day private tour with our driver Hassan from Morocco Excursions, exploring from Marrakesh, desert, Fez, Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen and Tangier. Hassan is our super driver, he is professional, smart, patient and full of fun. He was on time and took us to wherever we liked to explore and he provided us good su…

Escape31939768217

See all reviews (9) →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between this tour and the 7-day version?

The route is the same, but this one adds a Tangier city tour, a free day in Chefchaouen and a full day in Merzouga with a second night there. It is ideal if you prefer fewer early starts.

Can we hike to the Akchour waterfalls from Chefchaouen?

Yes, on the free day. Your driver can take you to the trailhead, about 45 minutes away, and arrange a local hiking guide. The vehicle extra is quoted on request.

Where do we sleep the second night in Merzouga?

You choose: a second night in the desert camp, or a hotel with a pool at the foot of the dunes. Tell us when you book.

Can we end in Casablanca instead of Marrakech?

Yes, with a private transfer from Marrakech to Casablanca or Mohammed V Airport, about 2.5 to 3 hours. This is handy for nonstop flights back to New York, Washington or Miami.

Any questions about this tour?

Send us a message, no commitment: we reply personally, usually within 24 hours. We can also adapt the route to your dates.

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