8-Day Tangier Morocco Tour: Chefchaouen, Fes & the Sahara
A tighter week-long loop out of Tangier than our longer tours — the north, the Sahara, and Marrakech, with an airport transfer built into the final day.
Overview
A tighter week-long loop out of Tangier than our longer tours — the north, the Sahara, and Marrakech, with an airport transfer built into the final day.
This is a 8 Days / 7 Nights private tour for your group only, starting with pickup from your accommodation in Tangier and finishing back in Tangier. You travel in a private vehicle with driver-guide, so the pace, stops and photo breaks are set around you.
Gallery
Highlights
- ✓Chefchaouen's blue-washed lanes in the Rif mountains
- ✓Roman ruins at Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes
- ✓A guided day in the Fes medina, including its historic tanneries
- ✓Camel trek and overnight camp in the Merzouga dunes
- ✓Ait Ben Haddou and a full sightseeing day in Marrakech
Day-by-day itinerary
Tangier to Chefchaouen
We head south through Tetouan and climb into the Rif mountains, a range distinct from the Atlas both in geology and in the villages along its slopes, arriving in Chefchaouen by afternoon. Chefchaouen's medina is known for buildings washed in shades of blue, a look that developed over the 20th century and has since become one of the most photographed streets in the country. The evening is free to wander — most lanes are pedestrian-only and easy to explore without a set plan.
Chefchaouen to Fes
We stop at Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco, where mosaic floors, standing columns, and a triumphal arch remain from what was once a thriving provincial capital — worth about an hour on foot. From there we continue to Meknes, an imperial city largely built under Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century, known for the monumental Bab Mansour gate, before arriving in Fes.
Fes medina
A guided walk through the Fes el-Bali medina — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world, genuinely disorienting without a guide who knows its lanes. We pass the gates of the Royal Palace, the Jewish Quarter (Mellah), with its distinctive wrought-iron balconies, and the Chouara Tannery, where hides have been dyed by hand in stone vats since medieval times — the smell is strong, and a sprig of mint at the viewing terrace helps.
Fes to Merzouga
We cross the Middle Atlas cedar forest and a series of gorges on the long drive toward the Sahara, arriving in Merzouga by late afternoon. Camels take over for the final stretch, a roughly hour-long ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes timed for sunset, followed by dinner and an overnight stay in a Berber-style desert camp. It's worth packing a warm layer — desert nights cool sharply even after a hot day.
Merzouga to Dades Valley
An early climb up a dune for sunrise, then breakfast and departure. We drive through Todra Gorge, where canyon walls rise roughly 300 meters above a narrow, river-fed floor — a short walk in is worthwhile if time allows — before continuing to the Dades Valley for the night, known for its dramatic eroded rock formations.
Dades Valley to Marrakech
We follow the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs," the valley route lined with old fortified earthen structures once used to guard the region's harvests, to Ait Ben Haddou — Morocco's best-known ksar and a UNESCO World Heritage Site used as a backdrop in numerous film and TV productions. It sits on a hillside above the Ounila River with narrow lanes and uneven stone paths, worth 45-60 minutes on foot. From there we cross the High Atlas at the Tizi n'Tichka pass into Marrakech.
Marrakech sightseeing
A full guided day covers the Majorelle Garden, a landscaped botanical garden in vivid cobalt blue once owned by Yves Saint Laurent; the Koutoubia, Marrakech's largest mosque, whose minaret has served as an architectural model elsewhere in the region; the Saadian Tombs, a royal necropolis sealed for decades before being rediscovered; the Bahia Palace, known for its carved cedar ceilings; and the souks around Jemaa el-Fna, the city's main square, which shifts from a daytime market to food stalls and performers by evening.
Departure
A final breakfast before an airport transfer closes out the trip.
Want to change the pace or add a night?
Every tour is private and can be adjusted. Send us your dates and group size.
✓ Included
- ✓Pick-up in Tangier and drop-off in Tangier
- ✓Private trip — your group only
- ✓Private transportation in an air-conditioned, comfortable vehicle
- ✓Fuel and all vehicle expenses
- ✓Private English-speaking, well-experienced driver-guide for the whole trip
- ✓3 nights hotel/riad accommodation on the outbound route
- ✓1 night desert camp near Merzouga, including camel trek
- ✓Breakfast every morning at your hotel, riad or desert camp
- ✓2 dinners — 1 in Merzouga and 1 in the Dades Valley
- ✓Guided walk in the Fes medina
- ✓Sandboarding at the desert camp (optional)
- ✓Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel or riad every day
✕ Not included
- ✕Lunches, and dinners in Chefchaouen, Fes and Marrakech
- ✕Drinks and bottled water
- ✕Entrance fees, including at Ait Ben Haddou and the film studios
- ✕Tips and personal expenses
- ✕Travel insurance
Route map
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from your 13-day Tangier tour?
It's a shorter, more focused version of the same north-to-Sahara-to-Marrakech route, without the coastal Essaouira detour or the extra Marrakech day.
Do we fly out of Marrakech or drive back to Tangier?
This itinerary ends with an airport transfer after Marrakech rather than a drive back north — tell us your departure city and we'll confirm the transfer.
Is this a private tour?
Yes, fully private for all 8 days — your own vehicle, driver-guide, and pace, with a one-way finish in Marrakech.
Is the camel trek and desert camp included?
Yes — one night at a Berber-style desert camp near Merzouga with a sunset camel trek in and a sunrise dune climb the following morning.
Is a local guide included in Fes?
Yes — day 3 includes a guided walk through the Fes el-Bali medina, which is genuinely disorienting without one.
Is this trip suitable for older travelers or families?
It's a full week with a mix of driving and city days, so the main things to flag when booking are stamina for several consecutive travel days and any mobility limits for medina walking on uneven stone.
What should we pack for a route through the Rif, the desert, and Marrakech?
Layers for the range between the cooler Rif mountains and the hot desert days and cold desert nights, comfortable shoes for the medinas and Ait Ben Haddou, and a scarf for the camel trek.
Are entrance fees and lunches included?
No — entrance fees, including at Ait Ben Haddou and the film studios, along with lunches and drinks, are excluded; breakfast and dinner are included daily.
Customize your journey with Through Morocco
Want to add a day, skip a stop, or travel at a different pace? This itinerary is a starting point — tell us what you have in mind and we'll adjust the route.
Have a question?
We're here to help you plan your Morocco trip. Send us a message and our team will reply with availability, pricing, or a personalized itinerary just for you.
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12-Day Morocco Tour from Tangier: Fes, Sahara & Coast
A full loop from Tangier through Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara, and the Atlantic coast, back to Tangier — for travelers who want to see the north, the desert, and the imperial cities in one trip.
- Explore the blue-washed lanes of Chefchaouen
- Guided walks in Fes and Meknes
- Camel trek and overnight camp in the Merzouga dunes
- Cross the High Atlas and visit Ait Ben Haddou
13-Day Morocco Tour from Tangier
The full Tangier loop with the coast built in — Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara, Marrakech, a day trip to Essaouira, and a run down to Casablanca and Rabat before circling back north.
- A day exploring Tangier itself — the Kasbah Museum, the medina, and the Caves of Hercules
- Chefchaouen's blue streets and the Roman ruins at Volubilis
- A guided walk through the Fes medina, including its madrasas and tanneries
- Camel trek and overnight camp in the Merzouga dunes, plus a Berber family visit
14-Day Tangier to Marrakech Tour: Chefchaouen, Sahara & Essaouira
Our longest Tangier itinerary — the same north-to-Sahara route with room for the Akchour waterfalls, a choice between Ouzoud Waterfalls or Imlil, and two full days on the coast at Essaouira.
- Chefchaouen's medina and a hike to the Akchour waterfalls
- Roman ruins at Volubilis and a guided day in the Fes medina
- A full day around Merzouga, including a nomadic family visit
- Choose Ouzoud Waterfalls or a day trekking in the Imlil valley
8-Day Morocco Tour from Fes: Imperial Cities, Rabat & the Sahara
The full northern loop before the desert — Meknes and Volubilis, Rabat, Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque, and a full Marrakech sightseeing day, then south through the Sahara and back up to Fes.
- Roman ruins at Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes
- Rabat's Kasbah of the Udayas and Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque
- A full guided day in Marrakech — Jemaa el-Fna, Majorelle Garden, Bahia Palace
- Cross the High Atlas via Tizi n'Tichka and visit Telouet Kasbah and Ait Ben Haddou