The perfect combination between north and south, between culture and nature, between roadtrip and urban walks. This is the 8-day proposal, which invites you to discover the most spectacular destinations in Morocco, concentrated in just over 8 days but at a more leisurely pace than other tours in our catalog. Take a look at this tour from Marrakech to Tangier, through the desert and with guided tours in Marrakech and Fez. And if you want to enjoy it with your loved ones as a private tour, book it with a single click on this website.
The great road trips imply some freedom, disconnection, adventure. And that is what you can feel with this 8-day tour, but with the indispensable component of security and confidence provided by the staff of our agency, who will accompany you during the route. From the departure from Marrakech to the arrival in Tangier, with the only exception of the dromedary ride through the dunes of Erg Chebbi, we will travel kilometers together on the asphalt, through high mountains and deep valleys, between farmlands and cedar forests, at the foot of peaceful villages and castles in ruins. All this configures a mythical roadtrip that you will remember for a lifetime.
But in addition to the fascinating road trip that this tour entails, there are several days where we will put on the brakes and enjoy the corresponding destination as it deserves: calmly and with the help of an official guide, who will show you the most interesting corners. It will be in Marrakech and Fez, two of the most monumental cities in Morocco, with historic medinas declared World Heritage by UNESCO and full of attractions. On the one hand, iconic constructions; and on the other, popular life in its souks and markets, where you can take the pulse of a society that still gives great importance to crafts and face-to-face treatment. In addition, Chaouen and Volubilis add a plus of culture and history to the program, although they are visited independently.
Departure: Marrakech. Arrival: Tangier. And between one and the other, a spectacular 8-day and 7-night travel program that is carried out in a private vehicle with a driver, except for the obligatory parenthesis of the dunes of Erg Chebbi, which must be crossed by dromedary or 4×4 vehicle. This is the complete itinerary:
On the first day of this tour you will get in touch with your new destination: Marrakech, where your flight will land. Upon arrival, you will meet with the staff of our agency to carry out the transfer to the hotel in a private vehicle. And after carrying out the pertinent check-in, there may be free time for a first exploration of the city. Everything will depend on the scheduled time of the flight. The hotel will be a charming riad in the medina, so the main points of interest will be close at hand.
On the second day of this tour you will become cultural tourists, as we will put at your disposal an official guide to take you through the most beautiful and interesting corners of the medina of Marrakech. In addition to discovering monuments and historical constructions, your ‘cicerone’ will tell you about other aspects related to local culture and lifestyle.
There are many attractions that are spread throughout the historic center and its surroundings, and their interior visits will depend on the hourly availability, your preferences and the guide’s criteria, such as the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Saadian Tombs or the Bahia Palace. In other cases, such as the Koutoubia Mosque, the visit to the interior is restricted to Muslims, but it can also be admired from the outside. And in places like Jemaa el-Fna Square and the souks of the medina, the mere hustle and bustle of merchants and passers-by will already be an attraction in itself.
In the afternoon you will have free time. And the proposals to fill this moment of the day are many: museums (Yves Saint-Laurent, traditional crafts in the Mehdi Palace), gardens (Agdal, Majorelle), gastronomy and shopping (in the medina, in the Gueliz neighborhood) and a long etcetera.
And at night, again rest in the riad of the medina, in a typically Marrakech atmosphere.
On the third day of this tour the real roadtrip begins: the road route begins that will take us from south to north, passing through the Merzouga desert. For this, our driver will pick you up at the agreed time, which should be early to make the most of the morning.
After leaving Marrakech and ascending through the High Atlas, we will arrive at the Tizi n’Tichka pass, a place where it is worth stopping and taking photographs of the surroundings. It is the natural passage between both sides of the mountain range and is located at an altitude of approximately 2,260 meters. If the route is carried out in winter, the peaks that can be seen from here will appear snowy.
The descent will be through more arid valleys, with less presence of vegetation, a sign that we are entering the distant Moroccan south, closer and closer to the desert. This is a route very used in the past by caravan routes, and precisely here, at the foot of the route and next to a small palm grove of the Ounila River, is located Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified town that grew giving service on the mentioned route. Hence its high walls and its kasbah, today in ruins. The town can be visited and is presented as one of the best examples of traditional Berber architecture, based on adobe.
With those same materials and a similar style, the kasbah of Taourirt was built, located on the outskirts of Ouarzazate, the next city on the route. Here lived the powerful Thami El Glaoui, who governed the south of the country with the acquiescence of the authorities of the French Protectorate, and with the titles of Sultan of the Atlas and Pasha of Marrakech.
After contemplating that spectacular residence-fortress, we will go to the hotel, located in Ouarzazate and where you will also have dinner. In case of free time, we will indicate what can be done in this city, which has gained fame and prestige for its Atlas Studios, a large enclosure for film shoots, of the stature of Lawrence of Arabia.
The route continues on the fourth day of travel, and it will do so in style, as the goal is one of the most anticipated: the dunes of the Merzouga desert. But until that moment, there will be many kilometers to travel and many interesting corners to discover.
In the first section of the day we will get to know the Valley of the Roses, green all year round and colorful in spring thanks to the many rose bushes that have been cultivated here since the times of the French Protectorate. Its flowers are used as raw material in different industries, including cosmetics, and are a source of pride for its inhabitants.
The road that will serve as the axis on this day is that of the Dades Valley, which is part of the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs, due to the presence of Berber castles flanking the road. But it will be necessary to take a detour to reach the next stop: the Todra Gorges. It is a surprising gorge created by the erosion of the Todra River, which is currently a simple trickle of water. You can walk along its banks, as we will. In addition, the most daring climb its vertical walls, as it is a place of reference for this sport throughout the world.
After leaving behind charming towns, such as Tinjdad and Touroug, we will arrive at the gateway to the desert: Erfoud. This city is famous for its fossils and minerals, and we will have the opportunity to learn about its riches by visiting a workshop that is dedicated to the conservation and sale of these treasures.
Shortly after we will arrive at Merzouga, a small town that gives its name to this part of the Sahara desert. Here we will change means of transport: dromedaries await us (one per person, exchangeable for 4×4 vehicles) to travel the dunes of Erg Chebbi, which begin here.
The walk, during sunset, will conclude at the jaimas camp, located in the heart of the dunes. And despite the remoteness of the place, there will be no shortage of anything to enjoy the night: welcome tea, community bonfire, typical Berber dinner, sky full of stars and accommodation in traditional tents, with full comfort.
To fully enjoy the desert, there is an experience that can be lived at the beginning of the fifth day: watching the sunrise over the dunes, which is a spectacle of light and silence only present in places like this, without pollution or artificial lighting or constructions that obstruct the view.
A good breakfast and a refreshing shower will be next. The first, in the camp. And the second, according to the contracted package: in a hotel in Merzouga after returning by dromedary or in the camp itself, before said return ride.
Whatever the option, in Merzouga we will return to the car and with renewed energy, we will return to the asphalt. Rissani will be the first stop: its historic medina deserves it, and even more so if it coincides with the weekly market that is organized here, with donkey parking and traditional stalls.
After that, we will take the road of the Ziz Valley, which we will go up to the mountains of the Middle Atlas. The landscape changes significantly when passing to the north side of the mountain range, such as that of the next stop: the Ifrane National Park, better known as Monkey Forest. We will surely enter with Barbary macaques, which populate this place made up of cedars.
Ifrane, the city that gives its name to the park, is very close to here and will surprise us with its houses topped with gabled roofs, as if it were the Alps. And it has an explanation: the abundant rains and even snowfalls that occur in winter and that give greenery to its surroundings.
Finally, we will continue the route to Fez, the city where the riad of the next two nights is located. After checking in, the rest of the day will be free.
On the sixth day, our vehicle will remain parked for a good reason: to explore the medina of Fez, the largest and oldest in all of Morocco and, therefore, named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. To explore it, nothing better than having the services of an official guide, capable of selecting and explaining the best places.
As in Marrakech, the itinerary will depend on different factors, as well as the possibility of entering certain monuments. In any case, there are unavoidable places that you will discover in one way or another: the mosques of the Andalusians and Karaouine, the madrasa of Bou Inania, the tanners quarter of Chouwara, the Nejjarine fountain…
Fez is considered the cultural and religious capital of Morocco, so after the guided tour of the morning there will be corners to discover, which you can go to freely. The Jewish Mellah , the Plaza de los Alaouitas in front of the Royal Palace, museums of all kinds… And whoever prefers it, can visit the souks of the medina to buy some piece of crafts, which are also the most recognized in the country: ceramics, wooden objects, textile sets, jewelry…
Without a doubt, it will be a day squeezed to the maximum and key to understanding Moroccan society, where deeply rooted traditions and customs persist.
We return to the road on this seventh day and the planned stops for today have a special charm, especially for lovers of history and culture… if they did not have enough with everything visited the day before.
The first stop will be in Volubilis, an archaeological site of the most unique in Morocco: it is the best preserved Roman-era site, and gives us a sample of the importance that the province of Mauritania Tingitana had, of which this city was the capital. Mosaics, triumphal arches, remains of religious temples, thermal baths, oil mills… Without a doubt, a city that had nothing to envy to others of the Roman Empire and that was progressively abandoned after the Arab conquest.
From Volubilis we will head north, and among the Mediterranean mountains of the Rif we will discover the next stop of the day: Chaouen, where you will spend the night. This small town has a sign of identity: the blue color in which most of the houses of the medina are painted. From the Plaza de Uta el-Hammam, where its kasbah is located (today an ethnographic museum), your feet will make you climb the slopes and nooks of this picturesque historic center, which also gives fascinating panoramic views of the surroundings.
Eighth and last day of tour. And, like most of the previous days, it is presented as a road trip through characteristic landscapes, in this case from the north. The route ‘flows’ into the Strait of Gibraltar, bridge between two continents. The destination will be Tangier, and more specifically its airport or its port, depending on the means chosen to return home. It is also possible to finish in a hotel or another point of the city, if your idea is to visit it in the following days.
Whatever the option, we will take you punctually to the final point of the route and we will say goodbye with all our gratitude for making us participants in your trip.
Transportation, accommodation, diets, guided tours. This tour has everything to discover Morocco and enjoy each of the 8 days to the fullest. Here you can check all the included services:
Some services are outside the package, so the customer can decide on them at any time:
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