Day 1: Arrival in Tangier

Upon your arrival at Tangier airport or port or Tangiers Med, you will be met and greeted by our guide who will transfer you to your accommodation.

Day 2: Tangier Sightseeing Guided Tour with a Local Guide

You will have a full-day morning tour of Tangier city, known as ‘the gateway to Africa,’ which has been attracting great writers and painters since the 19th century. Tangier sits to the east of Cap Spartel, the point where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean. A guided visit is optional, and there are several sites worth exploring, including the old medina and souks, the Tangiers kasbah and museum, the American Legation library and exhibition, many bookshops, contemporary art galleries, and cafes around the main squares of the Grand Socco and the Petit Socco. You can also visit the fishing port from where you can walk along the length of the beach on a boardwalk with its cafes, clubs, and ice-cream parlors. Depending on your arrival time, you can drive to the beach at Cap Spartel and visit the Hercules Caves before returning to your hotel in time for evening dinner.

Day 3: Tangier – Tetouan – Chefchaouen

You will depart from Tangier to head east towards the Hispano-Moorish medina of Tetouan. Here, you will stop for lunch and see the striking Andalucian architecture and white buildings, which have been restored to their former glory. At the edge of the medina and the new town, there is the small Tetouan with ancient artifacts from the Phoenician and Roman settlements of Tamuda. After a brief stop in Tetouan, the journey continues across the verdant landscape of the Rif Mountains, heading due south to reach the picturesque ‘blue’ medina of Chefchaouen. This evening, you are free to explore the small medina and choose your restaurant serving local Rif specialties, including locally produced goats’ cheese.

Day 4: Sightseeing Chefchaouen, the Blue City

After breakfast, the day is free for you to explore this charming blue city, Chefchaouen. Also known as, Achaoun, which means horns in Berber, the city is located in the Rif Mountains of northwest Morocco. It is famous for its buildings and alleyways painted in blue and white. You will stroll through its charming old Medina, which has many beautiful authentic blue doors. A guide can be offered if required. You can easily navigate the winding streets of the medina, and visit the 18th-century kasbah and museum, the 15th-century Grand Mosque, and the Plaza Uta el-Hammam. You will have free time for lunch, and finally, you can hike to the Spanish mosque, located on high ground, where you can see a spectacular view of the completely blue city. You will stay overnight in the same hotel.

Day 5: Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes

Our 14-day Desert Trip from Tangier to Marrakech begins with a delicious breakfast at the riad. We will travel to Volubilis via Ouazan and other Rif villages, where we will explore the Roman ruins and learn about Moroccan history. We will then head to Meknes, a 17th-century heritage city, where we will stop for lunch and visit the historical walls of the medina, Bab el Mansour, and the Moulay Ismail shrine. In the afternoon, we will continue our journey to Fes, where we will spend the night.

Day 6: Fes sightseeing tour with a local guide

On this day, we will enjoy a full-day private guided walking tour of Fes old Medina – Fes El Bali, accompanied by an English-speaking city guide. The guide will take us through the maze of souks and sights, including the famous Fes pottery souks, the musical instrument makers, metalworkers, carpet souks, and the Chaouwara tanneries. With over 9,000 cobbled medieval streets weaving their way through markets, mosques, Koranic schools, Riads, and hidden fountains, we will visit the Moulay Idriss Zaouia or shrine, Bab Bou Jeloud ornamental gate, Al-Kairaouine Mosque and University – the oldest university in the world, Al-Attarine Madrasa, Nejjarine fountain, King’s Palace, the Dar Batha Museum, Nejjarine Museum of Arts & Crafts, and the Jewish quarter or mellah. Later, we will drive to an ancient fortress to enjoy panoramic views of the medina before returning to our Riad for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Fes – Ifrane – Cedar Forest- Midelt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga Sahara

We will depart from Fes at 8 o’clock and travel via Ifrane, known for its low temperature, snow, and alpine-style houses, which is why it is called the Switzerland of Morocco. We will continue to the Cedar Forest, where the Barbary Macaques live, and we can feed them while wandering in the forest of the Middle Atlas forest of Azrou. Lunch will be in Midelt, “the apple capital,” at the foot of the Ayachi Mountain. We will continue our journey over the Tizi-n-Talremt pass and through the Ziz Valley until we reach Errachidia and then Erfoud, famous for its date festival and fossils. Our trip will continue to the dunes of Merzouga, where we will spend the night in a hotel.

Day 8: Explore the Merzouga– Nomads – Khamlia – Rissani – Palm Grove

After breakfast, we will start our journey in Merzouga by driving off-road to visit the nomads and learn about how they live while enjoying Berber tea. Our next destination will be the Khamlia village, where we will enjoy the Gnaoua music and dance performances. The inhabitants of this village originate from sub-Saharan countries like Mali, Sudan, and Niger. We will then continue to Rissani, where we will visit a traditional Souk Market and have free time for lunch in a restaurant. Later, we will return to Merzouga, where we will switch to camels and cross the sandy desert. We will make a stop for us to enjoy the magical sunset on top of a high dune before continuing to the desert luxury camp, where we can enjoy the Berber drums music while dancing around the campfire under the vast open sky of stars. Dinner and overnight in the camp.

Day 9: Merzouga – Erfoud – Tinghir – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley – Dades Gorges

If you wake up early enough, you can witness the spectacular sunrise over the dunes, where the interplay of colors and shadows is a breathtaking sight. After breakfast at the camp, we depart for Tinghir and the Toudgha Gorges. On the way, you will pass by the “khettarat” water channels, which you can descend into to appreciate the ingenious irrigation system that prevents evaporation in the summer heat. The channels start at a higher gradient at one end until they finally emerge at the surface of the soil, where they are fed into the fields. In the gorge and valley, there are opportunities to walk beyond the gorge itself or by the village gardens and fields before reaching it. Later, we continue our itinerary to the Dades Valley. The area that now forms the Dades Gorges was once at the bottom of the sea millions of years ago. Great quantities of sediment were deposited around giant coral reefs, which over time became compacted into a variety of sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone. Eventually, the movement of the earth’s crust caused the region to rise above the sea, forming the Atlas Mountains and the surrounding landscape. The night is spent in a hotel or Kasbah.

Day 10: Dades Gorges – Valley of the Roses – Skoura – Ouarzazate

After breakfast, a visit to the Dades Gorges and a short walk there is scheduled. Back at the car, the trip to Ouarzazate continues, going off-road along the Boutarar Piste to visit Berber nomads in their caves and share a cup of tea with them. This visit makes it clear to visitors just how challenging life is for these nomads in this very dry landscape as they try to feed their goats and raise their children. From here, we continue through the Valley of the Roses, famous for its Rose Festival in May. Cosmetics and toiletry items produced here are valued throughout the country. In Skoura and the oasis, Kasbah Amredhil awaits a very worthwhile visit. The kasbah has been beautifully restored and provides a clear idea of life within such housing. It is made entirely of adobe, an excellent building material that is warm in winter and cool in summer due to the thickness of the walls. 45 minutes later, you reach Ouarzazate, where you spend the night in a hotel.

Day 11: Ouarzazate – Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou – Ounila Valley – Telouet – Marrakech

On Day 11, we depart from Ouarzazate after breakfast and head towards Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, one of Morocco’s seven World Heritage sites. It is the most famous Kasbah in the country and has been featured in many Hollywood blockbusters. From here, we drive through the beautiful Ounila Valley, which is full of bends in the roads and surprises at the hues of the rock and soil, Berber villages and gardens, as well as smaller Kasbahs. We then continue to Telouet, a village set amidst the mountains and once the seat of the last Pasha of Marrakech, El Glaoui. We will be pleasantly surprised by the traditional interior decoration as we reach the farthest end of the Kasbah. In the afternoon, we cross the Tichka pass and arrive in Marrakech.

Day 12: Marrakech Sightseeing guided Tour with a local guide

Day 12 is a full-day morning tour of Marrakech with a local guide. Our English-speaking city guide will meet us at our hotel and take us through the souks of the medieval medina, introducing us to artisans, bakers, carpenters, spice merchants, and apothecaries, and visiting the landmark monuments of Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Bahia Palace, and the Koutoubia Mosque. Our tour ends at the famous Place Jemaa el Fna square where we can enjoy lunch from a roof terrace overlooking the bizarre activities of the acrobats, storytellers, musicians, and snake charmers. After lunch, we visit the exquisite Majorelle Gardens in the new town area of Gueliz, owned by Yves St. Laurent and originally the private home of the painter Jacques Majorelle. We suggest returning to the square in the evening, as the experience of Place Jemaa el Fna at night is an intoxicating one, with smoke swirling up from the grills and the pounding rhythms of the street musicians. Dinner will be served at our hotel or Riad.

Day 13: Marrakech – Essaouira

On Day 13, we leave Marrakech after breakfast and drive west to Essaouira city. Along the way, we will make stops to see the Argan trees and goats and for panoramic views. We will visit the fishing port, the ancient ramparts with cannons, and the old medina in Essaouira. Overnight stay will be in Essaouira.

Day 14: Essaouira – Rabat

After breakfast, we will depart from Essaouira and drive along the coastline, making stops for panoramic views. We will then reach Casablanca, the economic center of Morocco, where we will visit the Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in Morocco, and the Casablanca Corniche. After some free time for lunch, we will drive to Rabat, the capital of Morocco, where we will spend the night.

Day 15: Rabat – Tangier

After breakfast, we will explore Rabat, one of the imperial cities in Morocco and the current capital. It is located in the northwest of Morocco. We will visit the highlights of the city, including the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and the Kasbah of the Udayas. After some free time for lunch, we will head north through Assilah to reach Tangier in the afternoon, where we will spend the night.

Day 16: Tangier Airport or Tangier Port or Tangier Med

After breakfast, we will transfer you from the hotel to Tangier Airport or Tangier Port, marking the end of the 16-day tour from Tangier to Tangier.