Overview
This 15 day Morocco tour from Tangier is built for travellers who arrive in the north — by ferry from Spain or by plane — and want to cross the whole country to Marrakech without living out of a suitcase. Most stops get two nights: Chefchaouen, Fes, Merzouga, Marrakech. In between, the driving days stay at or under about eight hours, and several are much shorter.
The route runs from the Atlantic cliffs at Cap Spartel through the Rif and the imperial cities, over the Middle Atlas to the dunes of Erg Chebbi, then west through the gorges, palm groves and kasbahs of the south. You cross the High Atlas on the Tichka pass, spend two nights in Marrakech and finish by the sea in Essaouira before a short last drive back to Marrakech. Read our Merzouga and Erg Chebbi travel guide to see what the desert days look like.
It is a private tour: your own vehicle and driver for all 15 days, and the order, pace and stops can change around you. If you would rather design a route from scratch, our private driver service in Morocco works the same way.
Highlights
- Stand at Cap Spartel where the Atlantic meets the Strait of Gibraltar
- Two nights in blue Chefchaouen, with a day out to the Akchour waterfalls
- Roman mosaics at Volubilis, the gates of Meknes, then two nights in Fes
- Two nights in Merzouga: a full day around the dunes and a camel ride to camp
- Todra, Dades, Skoura and the Draa valley at an easy pace, ending at Aït Ben Haddou
- The Tichka pass, two nights in Marrakech and a last night by the sea in Essaouira
Itinerary, day by day
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1
Tangier → Cap Spartel → Caves of Hercules → Tangier
Your driver meets you at your hotel around 8:00, or at the port or airport when you land. Drive out along the coast to Cap Spartel and the lighthouse, then down to the Caves of Hercules, whose sea opening is said to look like a map of Africa. Back in town, walk up through the medina to the kasbah and its terraces over the Strait.
About 2 hours of driving · Overnight: a hotel in Tangier
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2
Tangier → Asilah → Chefchaouen
South along the Atlantic to Asilah, a whitewashed fishing town inside Portuguese-era walls, where the murals change after each summer arts festival. After a coffee on the ramparts, the road turns inland into the green hills of the Rif and climbs to Chefchaouen for the evening.
About 3.5 hours of driving · Overnight: a guesthouse in Chefchaouen
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3
Chefchaouen and the Akchour waterfalls
A short drive takes you to Akchour, where a path follows the river upstream to pools and falls; walk as far as you like and turn back. The afternoon is free in Chefchaouen's blue lanes. Climb to the Spanish mosque on the hillside for the view as the town lights up.
About 1.5 hours of driving in total · Overnight: a guesthouse in Chefchaouen
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4
Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fes
Through olive country to Volubilis, the Roman town whose floor mosaics still lie where they were laid. A local guide at the site is worth it. Then to Meknes for Bab Mansour, the great gate of Moulay Ismail's city, and a walk around the old stables and granaries before the last hour to Fes.
About 5.5 hours of driving · Overnight: a riad in Fes
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5
Fes medina
A day on foot in Fes el-Bali. With an optional local guide you will find the madrasas, the tanneries and the craft quarters far faster than alone. Your driver can also take you up to the Merenid tombs for the view over the old city at the end of the day.
No long drive · Overnight: a riad in Fes
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6
Fes → Ifrane → Azrou → Midelt → Ziz valley → Merzouga
The longest day of the trip, about 470 km. Up through Ifrane and the cedar forest near Azrou, where Barbary macaques wait by the road, then across the high plateau to Midelt for lunch. The Ziz gorges and the long palm valley lead down to Erfoud and, at dusk, to the edge of the dunes.
About 8 hours including stops · Overnight: a hotel or guesthouse in Merzouga
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7
Merzouga: Khamlia, Rissani, camel ride to camp
A slow morning, then a loop around Erg Chebbi: Gnawa music in the village of Khamlia and the market and old ksour of Rissani. In the late afternoon you mount the camels and ride into the dunes as the sand turns red. Dinner and a night at camp; our guide to a night in a Sahara camp tells you what to pack.
Short drives · Camel ride about 1 hour · Overnight: standard desert camp in Erg Chebbi (luxury upgrade available)
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8
Sunrise in the dunes → Todra gorge → Dades valley
Climb a dune for sunrise, ride back for breakfast and a shower, then head west. At Tinghir you walk into the Todra gorge, where the walls rise to about 300 m. The road continues through Boumalne to the Dades valley and its layered red cliffs.
About 6 hours including stops · Overnight: a hotel in the Dades valley
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9
Dades gorge → Rose valley → Skoura
An easy day. First up the Dades gorge to the hairpins, then through Kelaat M'Gouna, the rose town, to the palm grove of Skoura. Spend the afternoon walking the shaded paths between irrigation channels and old earthen kasbahs.
About 2.5 hours of driving · Overnight: a kasbah guesthouse in Skoura
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10
Skoura → Ouarzazate → Draa valley (Agdz)
Morning in Ouarzazate, the "door of the desert": the Taourirt kasbah and, if you like, a tour of the film studios. Then south over the Anti-Atlas to Agdz, where the Draa valley opens into a long ribbon of palms below the Jbel Kissane.
About 3 hours of driving · Overnight: a guesthouse in the Draa valley near Agdz
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11
Agdz → Tamnougalt → Aït Ben Haddou
Walk through the old kasbah of Tamnougalt and the palm grove before the heat, then drive back north and west to Aït Ben Haddou, the fortified ksar listed by UNESCO in 1987. Sleeping here means you can climb to the granary at the top in the soft evening light, after the day visitors have gone.
About 2.5 hours of driving · Overnight: a guesthouse near the ksar of Aït Ben Haddou
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12
Aït Ben Haddou → Tizi n'Tichka → Marrakech
Across the High Atlas on the Tichka pass, about 2,260 m up, with stops for the views and the Berber villages on the way down. You reach Marrakech by early afternoon, with time to settle into your riad and find your way to Jemaa el-Fna for the evening.
About 4 hours including stops · Overnight: a riad in Marrakech
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13
Marrakech
A full day in the city: the Bahia palace, the souks behind the square, the Koutoubia gardens. Take a local guide for the morning and keep the afternoon free, or ask your driver for a trip out to the Majorelle garden or the palm grove.
City day · Overnight: a riad in Marrakech
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14
Marrakech → Essaouira
West across the plains and through argan country, with a stop at a women's argan cooperative. In Essaouira, walk the ramparts, watch the boats come into the harbour and eat grilled fish from the stalls by the port. The wind off the Atlantic is a welcome change after the south.
About 3 hours of driving · Overnight: a riad or hotel in Essaouira
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15
Essaouira → Marrakech, end of the tour
A last morning on the seafront and in the medina, then the drive back to Marrakech. We drop you at your accommodation or at the airport. If your flight leaves from Essaouira instead, we can end the tour there.
About 3 hours of driving · Drop-off in Marrakech
Hotels and desert camps on this tour
Standard accommodation is included in the price. You can upgrade to superior hotels and camp for €35 per person per night; choose it in the booking panel.
| Night | Place | Standard | Superior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Night 1 | Tangier | Fredj Hotel or similar | Hotel Marina Bay or similar |
| Nights 2–3 | Chefchaouen | Hotel Casa Hassan or similar | Hotel Dar Ecchaouen or similar |
| Nights 4–5 | Fes | Riad Palais Houyam or similar | Riad Palais Houma or similar |
| Night 6 | Merzouga, at the edge of the dunes | Hotel L'Homme du Désert or similar | Hotel Riad Chebbi or similar |
| Night 7 | Desert camp, Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) | Mouhou Standard Desert Camp or similar | Mouhou Luxury Camp or similar |
| Night 8 | Dades valley | Hotel Maison d'Hôte Argana or similar | Hotel Ksar Sultan or similar |
| Night 9 | Skoura | Hotel Chez Leila or similar | Hotel Lam Lodge or similar |
| Night 10 | Agdz (Draa valley) | Dar Qamar or similar | Dar Janane or similar |
| Night 11 | Aït Ben Haddou | Riad Maktub or similar | Hotel Caravane or similar |
| Nights 12–13 | Marrakech | Riad Marana or similar | Riad Bahia Salama or similar |
| Night 14 | Essaouira | Riad Maison du Sud or similar | Hotel Suite Azure or similar |
Included
- Pickup in Tangier (hotel, port or airport) and drop-off in Marrakech
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for 15 days
- Fuel
- 14 nights in hotels, riads and guesthouses, including 1 night in a desert camp
- Dinners and breakfasts
- Camel ride to and from camp
- Free time to explore
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Local guides in Tangier, Volubilis, Meknes, Fes and Marrakech (optional)
- Entrance fees
- Tips for driver and camp staff
- Flights and ferry tickets
Good to know before you go
What to bring
Pack for three climates: a windproof layer for the coast, warm clothes for the Middle Atlas and desert nights, light covering clothes for the south. Keep a small overnight bag for the camp so the main luggage stays in the vehicle.
Best season
March to May and September to November suit the whole route. In winter the north is often rainy, snow can slow the cedar road near Ifrane, and desert nights can approach 0 °C. In July and August the south often passes 40 °C.
The camp
The standard camp has tents with electricity and shared bathrooms (no Wi-Fi). The luxury camp adds a private bathroom with hot water, charging outlets and Wi-Fi.
Travelling with children
Most days are short, which suits families. Only day 6 is long; we break it with extra stops. Children pay 5% less than the adult price.
Route map
Tangier → Cap Spartel → Asilah → Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fes → Ifrane → Midelt → Merzouga → Todra → Dades → Skoura → Ouarzazate → Agdz → Aït Ben Haddou → Tizi n'Tichka → Marrakech → Essaouira → Marrakech
Questions about the 15 day tour from Tangier
Can you meet us off the ferry from Spain?
Yes. Tell us your ferry and arrival port (Tangier city port or Tanger Med) and your driver will be waiting. We do the same at Tangier airport or at your hotel.
How much does the private tour cost?
A private tour is priced per group: €175 per day for your vehicle and driver plus €40 per person per night for accommodation. For 2 travellers over 15 days and 14 nights that comes to €3,745 in total (€1,873 per person). Children pay 5% less. A 20% deposit confirms the booking.
Is there a small-group version?
Small-group departures for this route are on request. If you want to join others for the desert part only, look at the Fes to Marrakech desert tour, which has daily group departures.
Does the driver guide us in the cities?
Your driver knows the road and the country well, but inside the medinas and at Volubilis a licensed local guide will show you far more. We can book them for Tangier, Volubilis, Meknes, Fes and Marrakech; they are optional and paid on the spot.
Can we change the order or add nights?
Yes. Common changes are a second night in Essaouira, a night in Rabat on the way south, or ending in Casablanca. Each extra day adds €175 for the vehicle and driver plus €40 per person for the night.
How long is the camel ride, and can we skip it?
About 1 hour each way, at walking pace. If you would rather not ride, we take you to camp by 4x4.
What travellers say about our tours
Rated 4.9/5 by 64 travellers on Tripadvisor, across all the tours we run.
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