12 Days Tour from Tangier to Marrakech

Day 1: Tangier – Asilah

On the first day of this tour from Tangier, where our staff will welcome you in a private vehicle, whether you enter the country by plane or by ferry from the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar. After the welcome, our driver will begin this 12-day tour of the main attractions of Morocco .

And one of those attractions is very close, less than 50 km away: the small town of Asilah. Located on the Atlantic coast, it is for many the secret gem of the area. Its waters here acquire a special color and its urban center has a genuine charm, thanks to the picturesque streets of the medina and the imposing military buildings from the Portuguese era. Its beauty is also amplified by the cleanliness of its streets and the whiteness of its houses, decorated with evocative blue tones.

For all these reasons, it will be worth spending the rest of the day here: after enjoying free time to visit the town, you will rest in a charming riad in the heart of the medina.

Day 2: Asilah – Tetouan – Chefchaouen

If you found the white and blue notes of the Asilah medina beautiful, then you will be fascinated by the other two cities that you will see on this second day. The first, Tetouan, and the second, Chaouen. We will leave for Tetouan after breakfast at the Asilah riad. Tetouan is often known as the ‘White Dove’, since that is the predominant color of its old town, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Furthermore, a visit to this city is surprising due to the Spanish influences that can be seen in it, and not by chance: it was the capital of the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco in the 20th century.

After freely visiting Tetouan, we will leave for Chaouen, also known as Chefchaouen. More evocative is its nickname of ‘blue city’, since the medina of this town is dyed by this suggestive color. Its inhabitants contribute to creating an unparalleled atmosphere, with very well-kept homes and establishments. For this reason, despite its small size, it is considered by many to be one of the main attractions of Morocco .

On this day you will be able to make your first contact with Chaouen, full of slopes and twisted streets, as it is located between the Rif mountains. And after that free walk, you will rest in a charming riad located in the medina.

Day 3: Explore Chefchaouen

After having breakfast at the Chefchaouen riad, the day ahead is also a free visit, ideal for visiting the most emblematic places of this picturesque town. Its kasbah stands out, which houses a museum that can be visited. Its souks can also occupy your time, where artisanal items made by the locals are sold. Getting lost aimlessly through the medina will be a pleasure, even though many of its streets are steep. And if you reach the different viewpoints that are spread throughout the surroundings and the highest points, you will discover panoramic views full of charm, both of the crowded hamlet of Chefchaouen and of the Rif mountains that rise next to it.

At night, you will sleep again in your riad in the medina, which will be very close to your walks on foot through the center of this small city.

Day 4: Chefchaouen – Rabat

On the fourth day of this trip we will experience an important contrast: after breakfast at the riad, we will go from a small and picturesque town like Chaouen, to one of the largest and most populous cities, the capital of the country, Rabat.

Although it is not always included in major tourist tours, the truth is that Rabat has reasons to be considered one of the main attractions of Morocco. At a monumental level, large buildings stand out such as the Kasbah of the Oudayas, the mausoleum of Mohamed V or the Hassan Tower, which many will see similarities with the Giralda in Seville, and not by chance, since they are from the same period and architectural school. These and other buildings were key to the city’s listing as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

These are the main monuments that should not be missed on your free visit to the city, but its museums, its souks and even its beach are also very interesting, which, along with that of neighboring Salé, is always overflowing with local bathers in the summer season.

Such a wide range of proposals ‘obliges’ you to spend the night in the city, and for this you will stay in a riad in the historic center of Rabat.

Day 5: Rabat – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes

Rabat is considered an ‘Imperial City’, as it has been the capital of the kingdom since 1912. And on this fifth day of the circuit we will discover two others: Meknes and Fez. But until then, the program will hold other surprises.

After breakfast at the Rabat riad, we will head out by road to the archaeological site of Volubilis, a city from Roman times when this territory was part of the Mauritania Tingitana province. This complex, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, preserves ruins of great historical value and, in some cases, of great monumental beauty, such as the columns of the Temple of Jupiter, the extraordinary mosaics and the Arch of Caracalla.

After visiting this archaeological site, we will leave for Meknes. It is another of the Imperial Cities and, therefore, one of the main attractions of Morocco . It earned this consideration in the time of Sultan Moulay Ismail, at the end of the 17th century and beginning of the 18th century, when this monarch made Meknes his capital. That is why his imposing mausoleum is here, as well as a beautiful medina and the remains of a great wall, with monumental gates such as Bab Mansour. For all these reasons, its classification as a World Heritage Site is more than deserved.

After freely visiting Meknes, we will leave for another Imperial City recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This is Fez, which we will reach at the end of the day. For this reason and because of its enormous interest, we will wait until the next day to get to know it in depth, since it is one of the main attractions of Morocco on a tourist and cultural level. Therefore, after some free time to get in touch with the city, you will spend the night in a charming riad to recharge your batteries.

Day 6: Visit Fes with a Local Guide

As on the rest of the days of this trip, your riad includes a breakfast that you will enjoy before setting out to discover this fascinating city. To do this you will have the help of an official local guide, who will organize the best possible visit to make the most of your time together.

The list of monuments that can be visited in the old town of Fez is very extensive, highlighting its Karaouine mosque, its prestigious medersas or Koranic schools, such as Bou Inania, or its artisan neighborhoods, such as the tanners’ neighborhood. The Mellah or Jewish quarter, which welcomed a large Sephardic population after its expulsion from Spain in 1492, is another of the possible stops, as well as the exterior of the Royal Palace, where the golden doors of the complex shine.

If you do not have time to see some of these or other places of interest, the afternoon may be the right time to do so: you will be free to configure yourself according to the tastes of each group, for example to shop, visit monuments or get to know life better of this city, considered the cultural and spiritual capital of the country. And at the end of the day, the riad from the night before will welcome you again to rest a stone’s throw from the great monuments and places of interest.

Day 7: Fes – Ifrane – Monkey Forest – Ziz Valley – Merzouga Desert

On this seventh day of the 12 days tour from Tangier, we tour some of the main attractions of Morocco at a natural level and we will arrive at the long-awaited desert. It will be a long mileage day, which will begin after having breakfast at the riad and returning to our vehicle.

On the way to the desert, we will discover surprising places. The first of them, Ifrane, a town located in the Middle Atlas. It is popularly known as ‘Moroccan Switzerland’, since it receives abundant rain and snow in the wet season, causing its buildings to have gable roofs, something very rare in Morocco.

Between Azrou and the town of Ifrane is the National Park of the same name, although it is also known as Cedars National Park or Monkey Forest. Its attraction is easy to imagine: it is a huge natural area full of these trees so characteristic of the country, where the largest population of Barbary macaques, a species of native primate, lives.

After crossing the Middle Atlas, our road heads south along the Ziz Valley. In Erfoud we will already notice the presence of the desert, although the fame of this small city comes from its wealth of fossils and marbles, as we will discover during the route. And about 50 km further south, we will reach Merzouga, a town that gives its name to one of the most beautiful portions of the Sahara Desert.

In Merzouga we will change means of transport: we will get out of the 4×4 and get on the backs of camels (one per person), as they are the best way to explore the immense sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. In them is the tent camp where we will have dinner and spend the night, all after having a welcome tea, delighting in the sunset in the desert and admiring the overwhelming starry sky of the Sahara.

Day 8: Tour around Merzouga Desert

Among the main attractions of Morocco is, of course, its popular culture and its ancestral traditions. And on this eighth day of the circuit, we will find ourselves involved in them. It will be after watching a beautiful sunrise over the dunes of Erg Chebbi, after having breakfast at the camp, returning by camel to Merzouga and taking a refreshing shower (in the camp or in the hotel in Merzouga, depending on the package).

Our first ethnographic visit will take us to Khamlia, also called the ‘black town’, since the majority of the population has skin of this color because their ancestors were slaves and came from distant Sudan. For this reason, they have sub-Saharan rhythms in their blood, as we will see in a performance of gnawa, an indigenous musical genre declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

After that, we will travel in 4×4 on tracks that used to be part of the Paris-Dakar rally, adding a touch of adrenaline to the day. We will also visit Khol mines and remains of ancient desert towns. We will find the ideal place to scan the horizon and delight in an immense panoramic view of the Erg Chebbi dunes.

Shortly after, we will have a new meeting with the local population, in this case a group of desert nomads in the process of sedentarization. We will have tea with them and get to know their lifestyle. And after this pleasant time, we will head back to our accommodation. There will still be some free time in the afternoon. Dinner and night rest will be in a hotel.

Day 9: Merzouga Desert – Rissani – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley – Ouarzazate

At the beginning of this day we will be lucky enough to repeat one of the main attractions of Morocco : the sunrise in the dunes of Erg Chebbi. We will also repeat breakfast at the tent camp and the camel excursion to the town of Merzouga.

Now, our car route will take us through other landscapes of great beauty and through towns that maintain a special charm. This is the case of the city of Rissani, which preserves a beautiful medina, a traditional market and a unique donkey parking lot.

The next stop will be the Todra Gorges, a rocky canyon well known among climbers for its vertical walls of nearly 200 meters. But they are also admired by any type of traveler, since their appearance is overwhelming, both from the road and on foot.

The road itinerary continues through the Dades Valley, the Valley of the Roses and what is usually known as the Route of a Thousand Kasbahs: palm groves and Berber fortresses will flank the road until arriving at Ouarzazate. At the end of this day or at the beginning of the next, we will visit the Kasbah of Taourirt, which in the past was the residence of the Lord of Atlas and Pasha of Marrakech. And if the program allows it, we will visit the famous film studios of this city, which have earned it the nickname ‘Hollywood of Morocco’. The accommodation will be a hotel, where dinner will also be taken.

Day 10: Ouarzazate – Ait Benhaddou – Marrakech

On the morning of this tenth day, of the 12 days tour from Tangier, we will visit one of the main attractions of Morocco : the ksar of Ait Benhaddou. We will arrive at this walled town after having breakfast at the hotel in Ouarzazate and traveling a distance of about 25 km by road. This crowded and picturesque conglomerate of homes and walled structures looks spectacular from its surroundings, while its interior holds corners full of magic, as we will discover during the visit. For all this and because it is one of the best examples of Berber adobe architecture, this complex was declared World Heritage by UNESCO. And that is also why it is often chosen for the filming of movies and series, as happened in the third season of Game of Thrones.

After this visit, we will return to our vehicle and head to the High Atlas. On our ascent, we will visit a new kasbah: Telouet, closely related to Taourirt, as it also belonged to the Pasha of Marrakech, Thami El Glaoui. After that, we will cross the High Atlas through the Tizi n’Tichka pass: this natural pass is one of the main attractions of Morocco for lovers of high mountains and will give us spectacular panoramic views of the surroundings (more than 2,200 meters above sea level), with small Berber villages during the ascent and descent. And shortly after, we will arrive in Marrakech: in this city you will have the afternoon free, which will serve as contact for the in-depth visit that will take place the next day. And at night, you will stay in a charming riad in the medina.

Day 11: Visit Marrakech with a Local Guide

The penultimate day of this tour of the main attractions of Morocco is dedicated entirely to Marrakech. After breakfast that will be served at the riad, you will meet our official local guide, who will take you to see the best monuments of the city and discover the most charming corners of its historic medina, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This route will surely include such emblematic places as the Koutoubia Mosque, the Saadian Tombs, the Ben Youssef Medersa or the Bahia Palace. There will also be no shortage of the most populous neighborhoods and streets of the medina, as well as the Jemaa el-Fna Square, the authentic nerve center of the ‘Red City’ and declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO thanks to the characteristic hustle and bustle of its traditional stalls.

In the afternoon you will again enjoy free time, which you can use to visit other places of interest in Marrakech, such as its museums or its gardens. You can also take the opportunity to make purchases in its artisan stores or in the modern stores in other neighborhoods outside the medina, such as Gueliz. And at the end of the day, you will spend the night in the same charming riad.

Day 12: Transfer to Marrakech Airport

Our tour of the main attractions of Morocco comes to an end on this twelfth day, which will begin with the mandatory breakfast in the medina. After that and depending on the time of the flight back home, you may have free time for last minute shopping or you will travel to the city airport. Whatever the choice, our driver will arrive punctually at the agreed location for the transfer to the airport. And at the terminal we will say goodbye with gratitude and hope for a future reunion to discover other tourist destinations of interest, different from those visited on this tour but which are also among the main attractions of Morocco .