From our catalog of tours, this 5-day tour from Tangier to Marrakech is one that concentrates more attractions in less time. The list is very extensive and includes destinations in the north, center, and south of the country, even reaching the most desired part of the Sahara Desert: the Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga. Therefore, it is an ideal package for those who have less than a week at their disposal but do not want to miss out on discovering the highlights of Morocco.
Morocco is a country that is home to large monumental cities, but also countless charming towns. All of them are organized around the ” medina, which is the walled old town where a good part of the social life of its population still takes place: souks, street markets, craft shops, mosques, madrasas…
Some of those cities that are captivating on this tour are Fez, considered the cultural and religious capital of Morocco, and Tetouan, which combines Arab charm and Spanish contributions from the time of the Protectorate. In both cases, their medinas are declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. And among the charming towns are Chaouen, known as the ‘blue town’, and Rissani, at the gates of the Sahara Desert.
Between cities and towns, the appeal of the trip does not diminish. The landscapes that will appear before your eyes will leave you speechless, due to their exuberance in some cases and their austerity in others. This will happen, for example, in the mountainous environments of the High Atlas and Middle Atlas, the two mountain ranges that the route will cross, much more humid on their northern slopes and much more arid on their southern slopes.
And when the tour reaches its southernmost point, the desert will take center stage, in its most varied forms. For example, Hammadas with stones not without oases with palm groves. But above all, in the form of a field of dunes in Erg Chebbi, where the haima camp is located that will welcome you under a sky full of stars.
If you have the possibility of landing or disembarking in Tangier and, five days later, taking off from Marrakech, this tour is made for you. And the four nights included in the package will be spent in accommodations and surroundings of great charm. This is the detailed itinerary:
This tour begins in Tangier, at the place you indicate: it can be the port or the airport, if you have just arrived in the city, or your hotel if you have stayed there the night before. And after picking you up with one of our private vehicles and one of our professional drivers, we will start the road route.
The first stop will be Tetouan, a city with many faces, and all of them interesting. The most historic is that of the ‘White Dove’, in reference to the whitewashed houses of the medina, which seems to take flight from the top of the hill on which it sits. And the most Spanish is that of the Ensanche, as this was the capital of the Spanish Protectorate in the 20th century, with numerous Neo-Mudéjar and eclectic buildings.
After visiting Tetouan, we will head to the Rif, the mountain range in northern Morocco. Between two of its mountains lies Chaouen, known as the ‘blue town’, as this is the predominant color in the houses of the medina, where it is combined with white on the walls. You will spend the night of this first day in a charming riad located in the medina, which will be just an appetizer of everything that comes next.
On this second day, after breakfast in the riad, the route heads south to reach the most fascinating city in the center of the country: Fez. Considered by many to be the religious, spiritual, and cultural capital of Morocco, its corners are full of secrets and stories worth knowing. Therefore, the program includes a guided tour of its medina.
Mosques such as Karaouine, madrasas such as Bou Inania, squares such as Nejjarine, or neighborhoods such as the tanners’ quarter can be part of the tour, at the guide’s discretion. And what is left out of that tour can be visited in the free time of this day, dedicated entirely to the city. The Jewish Mellah, the Golden Gates of the Royal Palace, or museums such as the Borj Nord, in the middle of the wall, are just some of the possibilities.
And given the rich quality of Fassi crafts, getting lost in its souks will be quite an experience for lovers of traditional shopping. Everyone can organize that time to their liking, as dinner is free before going to the riad to rest.
On this third day, the odometer of our vehicle will increase considerably, as the route takes us to the other side of the Middle Atlas, to the desert.
After breakfast and completing the first kilometers, we will pass through Ifrane, a surprising mountain town that looks more Swiss than Moroccan, and through the National Park of Ifrane. The latter is one of the most important natural reserves in the country, not only for its centuries-old cedars but also for its numerous Barbary macaques, an endangered species.
Shortly after, already on the southern slope of the Middle Atlas, the endorheic Ziz River will lead us to where it dies, the Sahara Desert. And on the way, we will pass through Erfoud: some know it for its dinosaur fossils, others for its date palms, and others for having been a filming location for The Mummy.
But the key moment of the day comes a few kilometers further on, in Merzouga: it will be time to park the car and ride a dromedary to enter the dunes of Erg Chebbi, where the Berber haima camp is located where you will have dinner and sleep tonight.
The sunset is a magical moment in Erg Chebbi, and seeing it will depend on the time of year and the arrival time of your trip. But what no one can deprive you of is the sunrise of this fourth day: if you get up early, you will contemplate the birth of the sun, and the lights that it brings with it when it appears.
Breakfast in the haima camp will come later, and at its conclusion, we will return to Merzouga by dromedary to recover the car and continue by road. Rissani will be the first town to visit, with a picturesque walled medina and scenes that seem taken from another time, such as the donkeys parked at its doors.
The Dades River will accompany us from then on and we will only leave its valley full of kasbahs to deviate towards the Todra Gorges. This narrow gorge is one of the most breathtaking canyons in Africa and a good example of nature’s mastery in forming unique landscapes.
Back to the Dades Valley, we will continue to the section where it changes its name to Valley of Roses, for obvious reasons: its rose bushes are not only an important source of income but also a distinctive element of its landscape, which shines in spring.
And as if it had not been enough on this fourth day, we will arrive in Ouarzazate with the aim of visiting the kasbah of Taourirt, one of the largest, most beautiful, and best-preserved in Morocco. Therefore, the dinner and the night of rest that await you in the hotel of this city will be more than deserved.
The fifth day is the last of this tour, but it has some of its highlights, to ‘taste’ after breakfast at the hotel. The first is just over 20 km from the city: the ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and filming location for important films and series, such as Game of Thrones.
What seduces visitors and producers here is its huddled houses surrounded by high adobe walls, with battlements and decorated with the classic Berber style. At the top, the ruins of a kasbah. And once inside the village, the views that are enjoyed towards the oasis that surrounds it are also very evocative.
After visiting Ait Ben Haddou, we will ascend through the High Atlas to crown the port of Tizi n’Tichka, the natural passage on the route to Marrakech, which later descends between more fertile valleys. And in this city called Red for the color of its brick, or at the Marrakech-Menara airport, our services will end, with the hope of having satisfied expectations.
To make the tour complete, balanced, and leave nothing to chance, it includes the following package of services:
This 5-day tour also leaves freedom of decision on the following services, not included in the package:
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