Do you want to discover the best of Morocco in 10 days? It’s a complicated mission, but not impossible. And above all, exciting. This is what this tour from Marrakech is like, through the desert, the mountains, and the most charming cities in the country, ending in Tangier. In short: a tour that takes you from south to north, without forgetting any first-class destination along the way, including two full days in the Sahara. Discover everything in detail and book it as a private trip on this website.
When talking about the vast territory that opens on the other side of the High Atlas, the poetic nickname ‘distant south’ is often used. However, with Tenere Tours, everything is much closer: not only because we take you there with the best means of transport (car, dromedary, all-terrain vehicle), but also because you will always be in the best company. On the one hand, our driver-guide; and on the other, the people who populate this sector of the desert, whom we will introduce you to in confidence.
In addition, associated with the desert are other natural spaces of enormous interest, such as the valleys that lead to it, with spectacular palm groves as oases. Or the mountains (High Atlas and Middle Atlas) that act as a natural barrier and contribute to its dry climate. Without a doubt, a contrast of landscapes that will give us unique images every day we spend in southern Morocco.
In the center and north of Morocco, the tourist attractions are no less numerous, and in many cases are cities with a rich historical-artistic heritage. This tour visits the most important and monumental ones, among which Marrakech and Fez stand out strongly. For this reason, we will dedicate guided visits to their medinas, which are declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
But other places full of charm and interest are not far behind, such as Chaouen, in the Rif mountains. Or Volubilis, the most important Roman site in the Maghreb. And also other places located in the south, but interesting from an architectural and artistic point of view: Ait Ben Haddou and other Berber kasbahs, as well as Rissani or other small towns en route.
With start in Marrakech and end in Tangier, this 10-day and 9-night travel program will be an unforgettable experience. Here we present the stages day by day, which we will complete by road and by desert tracks:
The first day of the trip is designed for adequate acclimatization to southern Morocco, which has a very warm climate at certain times of the year and a very different culture. But it will be a simple acclimatization thanks to the fact that our staff will pick you up at the airport and transfer you in a private vehicle to the riad that will welcome you in the medina. From there, after checking in, you can go out for the first tour of the city, if the arrival time of your flight allows it.
Marrakech is, for many, the ‘tourist capital’ of Morocco, due to its numerous monuments and interesting plans for those who visit it. For this reason, the second day of this great tour is dedicated entirely to discovering this city, which was created and enlarged by the Almoravid, Almohad and Saadian dynasties, and for whom it was their ‘imperial capital’.
During the morning, you will take a guided tour with an accredited professional, which is the best way to get to know the most charming corners of the medina. Among them may be the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs or the Ben Youssef Madrasa, depending on availability and the preferences of each case. As open spaces, you will pass through the nerve centers of the center, such as Jemaa el-Fna Square and the Koutoubia Mosque.
There won’t be time to see everything during the morning, as is logical, so you can continue on your own in the afternoon. The list of places to visit is equally extensive: Majorelle Garden, El Badi Palace or the many interesting museums in the city. And craft lovers have an appointment with the souks of the medina.
Without a doubt, the proposals are extensive before returning to the riad to rest this second night of travel.
The third day of the tour takes us to the expected ‘distant south’, since we will depart early from the riad in Marrakech to cross to the other side of the High Atlas. This mountain range is an attraction in itself, not only for the suggestive ascent ramps at the beginning, but also for the fantastic viewpoint that the Tizi n’Tichka pass represents, at more than 2,200 meters above sea level.
After the descent, we will come across the imposing ksar of Ait Ben Haddou: this is the name of this town fortified by the Berbers centuries ago and which was a strategic stop on the caravan routes that came from the other side of the Sahara. So characteristic and so well preserved that UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site… and many production companies use it as a filming set, for example in Game of Thrones.
After getting to know this special enclave, we will arrive at the nearby Ouarzazate, where the hotel will be for dinner and rest tonight. But before that moment there will be time to get to know two other unique places. First, the kasbah of Taourirt, an old fort and palace of the powerful El Glaoui family. And secondly, the Atlas Studios, the most important in the film industry in Morocco. They are open to visitors, which is an option to consider for many travelers.
We spend the fourth day of the tour in its entirety to get to know a section of the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs. In reality, we will have already sensed it during the third day: this area of the country is full of fortresses made of adobe to protect the caravan routes of yesteryear, and many of them are still standing for the delight of travelers.
In addition to Berber kasbahs, in this section there are large areas of vegetation, which arise almost miraculously on both sides of the small rivers, such as the Dades. We will circulate through its valley during the day, as well as through another complementary one, with different charm: that of the Roses. The damascena variety is cultivated here, for its benefits to the cosmetic industry, among others… and for becoming a tourist attraction for locals and foreigners.
But the most spectacular palm grove of the day will be that of Skoura, which according to some estimates is made up of more than 70,000 palm trees. Without a doubt, an oasis that is not only natural but also mental, to be able to escape and clear the mind.
In a charming town in the Dades Valley, in Boulmane Dades or its surroundings, we will stop for dinner and to rest, always in a most welcoming and characteristic riad.
On this fifth day of the route, we leave the Dades Valley, but not without first entering other spectacular corners that are located in its vicinity. Specifically, at the height of the picturesque town of Tinghir: here another road arises that, between curves and detours, will take us to the Todra Gorges, a deep and narrow canyon through which you can walk in a pleasant way.
From here, the atmosphere around the road becomes increasingly arid. In Erfoud, the desert is already a reality, but this city is known for another very different reason: the richness of its subsoil, with fossils of animals that populated this territory millions of years ago. In many workshops and shops you can delve into the subject.
After Erfoud, we will arrive at Merzouga, and here it is mandatory to set foot on land: we cannot continue with our car because the asphalt turns into fine sand, a surface that can only be traveled by dromedary (or 4×4, whoever prefers this alternative). Thus, in this special way, we will travel the dunes of Erg Chebbi to the haima camp.
These traditional Berber tents are located in the heart of the dunes, in the middle of silence and around a bonfire. The lights of sunset will color our arrival, and the stars will spread brightness across the night sky during dinner and sleep.
On the sixth day we will continue discovering the charms of the desert, which are many despite its apparent inhospitable character. The first of the charms arises every day with the first lights of dawn, so getting up early on this day is highly recommended so as not to miss this spectacle.
Then, after breakfast, we return to Merzouga by dromedary to start a route through the desert of Merzouga, on more stony and hard terrain, but no less interesting than the softness of the dunes. The first stop is to visit the musicians of Khamlia: all or almost all of them have very dark skin, a sign that they descend from people brought from the other side of the Sahara, by force: they were slaves who did not want to abandon their tribal rhythms, forming over time the gnawa genre, today Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. They will perform for us and that will make us see their skill and uniqueness.
From Khamlia to other corners of the desert, in this case along tracks that years ago hosted offroad motorcycles and cars, in stages of the Paris-Dakar Rally. Other disused and abandoned places will mark the route, such as Berber villages and the French Protectorate, the latter linked to the kohl mines that are already inactive, as we will see.
What does maintain its validity, as surprising as it may seem, are the customs of nomadic families who still lead a partly itinerant life, although they are adopting certain advantages of modern and sedentary life. In any case, the people who will receive us will share their day-to-day life and their vision of the world with us, in a most enriching time.
And on the way to the accommodation (a picturesque hotel-kasbah in Merzouga, with dinner included), stops to take photos, especially from a panoramic viewpoint from which the dunes of Erg Chebbi can be seen in all their magnitude.
Seventh day of the tour and time to leave the desert, heading to the north of the country and the fertile territory that extends to the other side of the Middle Atlas. On the way, shortly after leaving Merzouga, we will pass through Rissani, a small and beautiful city where people still travel by donkey on market days and life goes on as it used to within the walls of the medina.
We will go up the Ziz Valley to the mountains of the Middle Atlas, abandoning the aridity of the desert to come across, almost head-on, the most humid Morocco. For example, in Ifrane, a town at 1,700 meters of altitude where the abundant rains and snowfalls have influenced its architecture: its gabled roofs are a nice rarity in the country.
In the nearby Ifrane National Park, green is predominant, in this case due to the countless cedars that populate it. And among its branches and trunks, the largest community of Barbary macaques in the country: in honor of them, this reserve is also known as Monkey Forest. And these primates will surely have no problem making an appearance.
Today’s route is long in mileage, so we will arrive in Fez in the last stretch of the day, with time for check-in at the riad in the medina and perhaps some free time for a first contact with the city.
As with Marrakech, it is almost inevitable to organize a guided tour in Fez, accompanied by an official guide to discover in depth the most interesting of the city. Not in vain is it the cultural and religious capital of the country, with the largest medina in all of Morocco, the result of its capital in the past, with the Idrisid, Merinid and early Alawite dynasties.
Among the most iconic places in Fez are the mosques of Karaouine (with one of the oldest universities in the world) and that of the Andalusians, the madrasas of Attarine and Bou Inania or the Nejjarine fountain. For its part, the tanneries of Chowara are not the most monumental place, but they are shocking because they seem like an image taken from another century. And as the afternoon will be free, you can dedicate it to other essential places, such as the Plaza de los Alauitas with the Royal Palace or the Jewish Mellah.
No less essential are the souks where the Fassi artisans continue to sell their creations, as in the past. Their style is unmistakable and their quality, beyond any doubt, especially their bluish-toned ceramics, their cedar wood pieces or their detailed textile works.
If you let yourself be carried away by the souks of the medina, you will surely return to the riad at night with something under your arm.
The penultimate day of the trip has several surprises in store, which you will discover shortly after leaving Fez: near this city is Volubilis, the largest archaeological site from the Roman era in the entire country. Despite having been uninhabited for many centuries, important vestiges still stand, attesting to its importance at the beginning of our era, when northern Morocco was dominated by that Mediterranean civilization: mosaics, columns, and arches that formed part of noble residences, religious temples, or commemorative monuments.
After visiting this site, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, we will travel to another place that does not have that designation, but can be considered a jewel in the middle of the Rif Mountains: we are talking about Chaouen, a small city whose medina is labyrinthinely beautiful, with nooks, crannies, and alleys carefully painted in blue.
The riad where you will sleep tonight will be located in the heart of the medina or near it, so that spaces as symbolic as the Uta el-Hammam Square or the kasbah of said square will also be very close.
The tenth is the last day of this great tour that left Marrakech and traveled through desert, mountains, and charming cities, until reaching today’s destination: Tangier. To do this, we will leave Chaouen in good time and travel by road to this city on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar.
The exact times of the day will depend on the time of your return home, but what is certain is that we will drop you off on time wherever you prefer: the airport, the port, or any other point in the city. And right there we will say goodbye, with emotion and gratitude for having entrusted us with such a special trip.
Every detail is taken care of on this 10-day tour. And to ensure that the entire program flows smoothly, the following services are included:
These other services are excluded and, therefore, each person must reserve or pay for them on their own:
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