5 Days Desert Tour from Tangier to Marrakech

Private Tour From Tangier

5 Days Desert Tour from Tangier to Marrakech

This five-day tour travels from Tangier to Marrakech via the north and the Sahara, linking some of the most remarkable places in Morocco. Along the route you discover Cape Spartel and the Cave of Hercules, Chefchaouen, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, Meknes, Ifrane, the Merzouga desert, the Todra and Dades gorges, and Ait Ben Haddou.

You start in Tangier with Cape Spartel and the Cave of Hercules, then cross the Rif to Chefchaouen. Then you visit Volubilis and Meknes on the way to Fes, before crossing the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the Ziz Valley to the desert at Merzouga for a camel ride and a night in the Sahara. The final leg runs west through the gorges, Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou, and across the High Atlas to Marrakech.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Tangier, Cape Spartel and the Cave of Hercules
  • Chefchaouen, the famous blue city
  • The ancient Roman site of Volubilis
  • The imperial city of Meknes and Bab Al-Mansour
  • Ifrane and the Barbary macaques of the cedar forest
  • The Ziz Valley
  • A sunset camel ride into the Merzouga dunes and a night in a luxury desert camp
  • The Rissani souk and the fossil workshops in Erfoud
  • The Todra Gorge and the Dades Valley, with their red cliffs
  • The Roses Valley, the palm grove of Skoura and the Amridil Kasbah
  • Ouarzazate and its Atlas film studios
  • The UNESCO-listed Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou
  • Crossing the High Atlas over the Tizi n’Tichka pass

TOUR Itinerary

Your driver meets you at your accommodation, the airport or the port in Tangier, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic off Cape Spartel. First you explore the city, the Cave of Hercules and Cape Spartel. There is free time for lunch. Then the road turns inland via Tetouan and through the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen, with stops for the views. Night in a riad.

Approx. 2 hours driving · Overnight: Riad in Chefchaouen

Following breakfast, enjoy free time to wander the blue-painted lanes of Chefchaouen. Then you continue to Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its mosaics, columns and arches. After exploring the ruins, a drive of about 30 km brings you to Meknes to see Bab Al-Mansour, the Sahrij Souani basin, the royal stables and granaries, and the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum. The day ends in Fes. Night in a riad.

Approx. 4 hours driving · Overnight: Riad in Fes

Following breakfast, you travel south via Imouzzer to Ifrane, the Switzerland of Morocco, and then to the cedar forest near Azrou, home of wild Barbary macaques. After a lunch stop in Midelt, you cross the Tizi n’Talghamt pass and follow the Ziz Valley, with stops for the views.

In the late afternoon you reach the Sahara dunes of Merzouga. Camels carry you over the sand to a high dune for sunset, and then on to your desert camp for Berber drums around the fire under a sky full of stars. Night at the camp.

Approx. 7 hours driving · Overnight: Luxury desert camp, Merzouga

Wake up early to watch the sunrise over the dunes. Following breakfast, you leave the Sahara for Rissani, whose souk is busiest on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Next you visit a fossilised-marble workshop in Erfoud.

Then you drive through the Touroug and Tinjdad palm groves to the Todra Gorge, with free time to explore the canyon and have lunch. In the afternoon the road continues to the Dades Valley via Boumalne Dades, with stops at the “monkey fingers” rock formations and at a valley viewpoint. Dinner and overnight at the riad.

About 5 hours on the road · Night: Riad in the Dades Valley

Following breakfast, you drive to Kalaat M’Gouna to explore the Roses Valley. Then you drive through the Skoura palm grove to visit the historic Amridil Kasbah, before reaching Ouarzazate for a tour of the film studios.

Then you continue to the famous Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified village listed by UNESCO. Finally you cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, with stops for lunch and photos, and arrive in Marrakech, where we drop you at your riad. The tour ends here.

Approx. 5.5 hours driving

  • 5 days of private transport in an air-conditioned 4×4 or minivan, fuel included
  • English-speaking private driver
  • Nights in excellent hotels and riads
  • One night in a luxury desert camp with private bathrooms
  • Camel ride (one camel for each person), or a 4×4 transfer instead
  • Sandboards available at the camp
  • Pick-up anywhere in Tangier (airport, hotel, etc.)
  • Drop-off at your accommodation in Marrakech
  • 2 dinners in the camp and the Dades Valley
  • Daily breakfasts
  • Lunches, drinks, and a few dinners
  • Entrance fees to monuments (18€ per person)

Know Before You Go

  • This route is only a suggestion: if it is not exactly what you have in mind, get in touch and we will design a new itinerary around your interests and the days you have. We create private, tailor-made tours everywhere in Morocco.
  • Prices depend on the number of travellers, as the cost of the vehicle is fixed and shared by the whole group. The category of accommodation you choose also affects the price. Ask us for a precise quote.
  • You may also like a longer tour, such as the 7-day from Tangier (with a 4×4 desert excursion), or the 10-day or 13-day from Tangier. We also offer other 5-day tours: the 5-day in northern Morocco and the 5-day from Casablanca.

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The tour is fully private: only you and the people in your booking travel together, with no other guests added. We focus on quality, personal journeys, and that is why nearly all of our tours run privately.

Depending on the camp, the camel ride takes from 40 minutes up to about 1.5 hours. If you would rather not ride, a camp 4×4 can drive you and your bags to and from the camp. Quad bikes (ATVs) are also available at an extra cost.

Yes. Every tent at the luxury camp is just for you, with its own en-suite bathroom and hot water.

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the ideal seasons, with mild, comfortable weather across most of the country. Winter is also a good choice, especially for the south and the Sahara.

We use air-conditioned 4x4s and minivans. Our 4×4 is a Land Cruiser Prado for up to 4 travellers; our minivans are a Mercedes Vito Tourer, Ford Tourneo or similar for up to 8. Larger groups of more than 8 travel in a minibus with up to 18 seats.