MULTI-DAY MOROCCO TOUR
7-Day Tangier to Marrakech Tour via the Sahara Desert
Every Marvels of Morocco trip is private and fully customizable. This itinerary is a starting point — we’ll shape it around your dates, pace, and interests.
A private multi-day Morocco tour from Tangier in the north, through Chefchaouen and Fes, to the Sahara Desert and Marrakech.
DURATION
7 Days / 6 Nights
ROUTE
Tangier to Marrakech
GROUP SIZE
2-16 People
TYPE
Private Multi-Day Tour
Tour Overview
This 7-day private tour is one of the most complete ways to see Morocco from north to south, starting in Tangier and finishing in Marrakech. Along the way you will visit the blue-washed streets of Chefchaouen, the ancient medina of Fes, and spend two nights in the Sahara Desert before crossing the Atlas Mountains.
Traveling by private vehicle with your own driver, this multi-day Morocco tour is a popular choice among our Morocco tours from Tangier, ideal if you are arriving by ferry from Spain or flying into northern Morocco.
Tour Highlights
- Explore Tangier, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic
- Visit Chefchaouen, Morocco’s famous blue city in the Rif Mountains
- Guided walking tour of the historic Fes medina
- Drive through the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the Ziz Valley
- Camel trek into the Sahara Desert dunes at Merzouga
- Two nights in a private desert camp under the stars
- Explore the Todra Gorges and the Dades Valley
- Cross the High Atlas Mountains to finish in Marrakech
Day-by-Day Itinerary
DAY 01
Day 1: Arrival in Tangier — City Tour
On arrival in Tangier, a city where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic and where Africa and Europe are separated by just fourteen kilometers of water, take a guided walk through the medina and the Kasbah, with views out over the Strait of Gibraltar toward Spain on a clear day. Tangier’s history as an International Zone in the mid-20th century, home to writers, artists, and diplomats from around the world, gave it a cosmopolitan character that still sets it apart from other Moroccan cities.
You will explore the winding lanes of the Kasbah, visit the small Kasbah Museum housed in a former sultan’s palace, and take in views from the Terrasse des Paresseux, a lookout point popular with locals in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Tangier.
DAY 02
Day 2: Tangier to Fes — via Chefchaouen & Guided City Tour
Drive south into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen, Morocco’s famous blue city, where nearly every building in the old town is washed in shades of blue ranging from pale sky to deep indigo. Spend a couple of hours wandering its steep, tiled streets and stopping at Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the main square lined with cafés beneath the old kasbah walls, before continuing south to Fes.
Arrive in Fes by afternoon and head straight into Fes el Bali with a local guide, one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. Highlights include the Bou Inania Madrasa, an exceptional example of Marinid-era craftsmanship, the historic Chouara Tannery, where leather has been dyed by hand in stone vats for centuries, and the area around the University of Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859 and recognized as the oldest continuously operating institution of higher education in the world.
Overnight in Fes.
DAY 03
Day 3: Fes to Merzouga — via the Middle Atlas & Ziz Valley
Drive into the Middle Atlas Mountains through Ifrane, a mountain town with alpine-style stone chalets that feels distinctly different from the rest of Morocco, and Midelt, known for its apple orchards, before descending into the Ziz Valley, where the road follows a long ribbon of palm groves and traditional villages along the Ziz River.
In the late afternoon, you will arrive in Merzouga and leave your vehicle behind for a camel, riding into the dunes of Erg Chebbi as the sun sets and the sand shifts through shades of gold and rose. At your desert camp, you will be welcomed with mint tea, followed by a traditional dinner and an evening of Berber music around the fire.
Overnight in a private desert camp near Merzouga — the first of two nights in the dunes.
DAY 04
Day 4: A Full Day in the Sahara Desert
Rather than moving on after a single night, this itinerary builds in a full day to settle into the rhythm of the dunes. After a relaxed breakfast at camp, head out by 4×4 to visit a semi-nomadic Berber family living at the desert’s edge, and learn how daily life is shaped around water and the seasons in one of Morocco’s most extreme landscapes.
Spend the warmest hours of the afternoon back at camp — resting in the shade, trying your hand at sandboarding on the nearby dunes, or simply taking in the silence that makes the Sahara so different from anywhere else on this trip.
As the light turns golden in the late afternoon, climb a dune for a second sunset over Erg Chebbi before returning to camp for another Berber dinner and an evening of music around the fire, under the same exceptionally clear sky for stargazing.
DAY 05
Day 5: Merzouga to Dades Valley — via the Todra Gorges
After a final morning in the desert, return to your vehicle and head west toward the Todra Gorges, a dramatic limestone canyon with cliffs rising over 300 meters, popular with rock climbers from around the world and an easy, scenic stop for a walk along the canyon floor.
Continuing on, you will arrive in the Dades Valley, known for its terraced fields and dramatic wind-carved rock formations known locally as the “Monkey Fingers.”
Overnight in a guesthouse in the Dades Valley.
DAY 06
Day 6: Dades Valley to Marrakech — via Ouarzazate & Ait Ben Haddou
Drive through Ouarzazate, sometimes called the gateway to the desert, and stop at Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified UNESCO World Heritage kasbah built almost entirely from rammed earth, its dramatic silhouette having featured in numerous international film productions.
Cross the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n’Tichka pass, one of Morocco’s most scenic mountain roads, to arrive in Marrakech by evening.
Overnight in Marrakech.
DAY 07
Day 7: Departure from Marrakech
After breakfast, your private tour comes to an end. You will be transferred to Marrakech airport, or if time allows, take a final walk through the medina and Jemaa el-Fnaa before your departure.
What’s Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for 8 days
- Fuel and all transportation costs
- Accommodation for 7 nights (Tangier, Fes, desert camp x2, Dades guesthouse, Marrakech)
- Daily breakfast
- Dinners in the desert camp
- Camel trek in Merzouga
- Guided city tours in Tangier and Fes
What’s Not Included
- Flights or ferry crossing
- Lunches and drinks
- Entrance fees to monuments and museums
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and tips
Good to Know Before You Go
- This route is ideal if you are arriving by ferry from Spain or flying into Tangier.
- Best time to travel: spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) offer the most comfortable temperatures throughout the route.
- Desert nights get cold, even when the daytime temperature is warm — pack a warm layer for the evening in Merzouga.
- Chefchaouen is best explored on foot — comfortable, grippy shoes are useful on its sloped, tiled streets.
- Curious what an overnight stay in the desert is really like? Read our guide to a night in the Sahara Desert.
Frequently Asked Questions
START PLANNING
Ready to travel from Tangier to Marrakech?
Tell us your travel dates and group size, and we’ll help you plan this journey from northern Morocco through Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara Desert, and the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech.
What Our Travelers Say
“He accompanied us throughout the tour, telling us many anecdotes about each place and many curiosities of the place, making us live a truly authentic experience.”
“Our driver, Mohamed was simply the best! He was exceptionally kind, professional, and polite, not to mention a safe and highly skilled driver — just an all-around wonderful person.”