The ideal 12-day tour from Tangier to experience the country’s top attractions from north to south All those who have the time to discover Morocco’s secrets should take this journey. The Sahara Desert is the ideal complement to the natural scenery, culture, and imperial cities.
We will get the chance to visit Marrakech during our 12-day journey and learn about the majestic imperial cities of Morocco, the turquoise city of Chefchaouen, the lovely coastal city of Asilah, how to cross the Middle Atlas, and more.
We will also explore a variety of magnificent, contrast-filled natural landscapes, including palm trees, oases, Berber communities perched atop mountains, old adobe forts, and the stunning Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga.
You will be picked up by our driver/guide today at the port or airport. After that, we will take you to your hotel, where the rest of the day is free for you to do as you please.
We’ll travel to Tetouan after breakfast. We will stop at a few traditional villages throughout the Jbala region on the way. The area offers a lot, including the scent of the breeze and the clean air near the hills.
After arriving in Chefchaouen, we will explore the medina by strolling through the area’s bustling marketplaces and iconic square. We stay the night in a local hotel.
Today, we get back on the road through the Rif Mountains to arrive the city of Fes. On the way, we will have a stop in Volubilis for a visit to the Roman ruins in the area. Volubilis was one of the famous Roman cities in north Africa. Before that the city was the capital of the Berber kingdom of Mauretania.
After learning about Volubilis, we drive shortly to Meknes city where we stop for lunch. In the evening, we take the highway for an hour to get to Fes where we spend the night.
Today is devoted to explore the city of Fes. Fes city is the first imperial city in Morocco. Built in the 8th century by Idriss Il, it is the cultural and scientific capital of the kingdom. Accompanied by a local guide, you will start the sightseeing tour by a visit to the 7 golden gates of the Royal Palace in the new medina. In the same place, you will see the Jewish quarter.
Next, drive up to southern fort to catch a panoramic view over the city of Fes. Capture some amazing photos of the old medina and descend back to the 9th century medina to start the walking tour.
Through the old medina you will travel back in time to visit the world’s oldest university: Al Qaraouiyyin University. Moreover, visit the leather tanneries where you can see the natural process of leather dying. Additionally, after lunch in a local restaurant you will walk through the narrow alleyways of the medina which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Considered one the world biggest pedestrian zones, you will continue through the historical monuments and through the merchants and traditional craftsmanship.
Finally, meet the driver again and drive back to the riad and enjoy leisure and dinner.
Early in the morning, we leave Fes behind and make our way to the Sahara Desert.
The first stop will be after an hour from departure in Ifrane. Referred to as Switzerland of Morocco, Ifrane got an alpine style of architecture and surrounded by cedar and pine trees.
20min drive from Ifrane, we will another quick stop at the cedar forest to see the monkeys that live in this part of the forest.
Next, we drive through the scenic Middle Atlas Mountains. We will see different Berber Villages and herds of sheep along the way.
Situated between the Middle and High Atlas Mountains, Midelt city is the ranked the first producer of Apple fruit in Morocco.
Crossing the mountain pass of Tizi N’Talghemt, you will clearly see the transmission from the green Middle Atlas to flat dry landscapes.
After lunch in Midelt or Errich town, we continue through the majestic Ziz Gorge.
Enjoy the picturesque drive of the gorge with date trees all over the road. Speaking of dates, we will have a stop at Ziz Valley. It is a panoramic view over thousands of palm trees and Berber villages along the valley.
Through the valley, we continue our route to Erfoud. It is the last the city before the desert and famous for fossils digging and dates production.
40 min from Erfoud, you will be able to see the golden high sand dunes of Merzouga.
In the edge of the dunes, ride your camel through the changing colours of the Sahara to make it into a high dune to attend a magical desert sunset. Captured some memorable pictures, continue to the desert camp. The hosts will welcome you with open arms offering mint tea. After that, check in to your well-equipped tent to rest.
Enjoy a tasty dinner in the camp and watch the shining stars of Milky Way.
Overnight stay in the middle of the desert.
After breakfast, we’ll begin our exploration of the area by going to a community of people with dark skin who are originally from Mali to take in their music and way of life.
Then, after visiting Miffis Mines to learn more about how they operate, we’ll travel through a gorgeous desert behind the dunes, where we’ll stop for a warm beverage with some Bedouins before heading back to the hotel.
Your local guides will provide you with mounting and dismounting instructions as well as other useful safety advice before you start exploring the enigmatic Erg-Chebbi Sand Dunes. After all around, we will take your accommodation near the desert dunes, where is a swimming pool to relax in and spend the night.
After having breakfast at your hotel, we depart toward the city of Rissani to see its vibrant souk if we are lucky enough to be there in market day. After visiting the market, we head to Tinghir passing through many Berber villages and beautiful landscapes of the small Atlas mountains till we get to Tinghir valley and its gorge. Then, we travel to Boumalne Dades.
You will stay the night in Dades before you cross the High Atlas Mountains. Dinner will be served at the Kasbah.
You start the day with breakfast at the hotel before heading through the Dades Valley to Kalaa M’gouna and then to Ouarzazate. There will be many chances to capture some of your favorite travel photos along the Dades Valley route, including the rose-loving valley and the movie city of Ouarzazate.
After passing through the Hollywood of Morocco, we will get to the Kasbah of Ait Ben-Haddou that was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it hosted many international movies.
Following lunch, we will start our journey via the high Atlas mountains passing through picturesque Berber villages and a variety of panoramic landscapes, all the way to Marrakech.
After breakfast today, we continue our 12 days tour from Tangier by traveling to Essaouira, a coastal city and historically significant location in Morocco.
As soon as you arrive, you’ll see historic buildings, museums, castles, and bronze cannons. We return to Marrakesh in the late afternoon, where we spend the night in a Riad.
In Marrakech, we will be exploring the old medina to gain more sight in the history of Marrakech. Accompanied with an expert local guide, you will go through the historical and cultural monuments of old medina. Marrakech was the second imperial city after Fes. It was the capital of great dynasties that have ruled Morocco including Almoravid, Almoahd and Saadian dynasties.
Starting with the gorgeous Bahia Palace, you will be surprised with the amazing mosaics and decoration of this palace in the middle of the old medina. Another historical site you are visiting is Ben Youssef Medrassa which was the largest Islamic school in north Africa. Furthermore, you can go deeper in the history of Marrakech and the Saadian dynasty especially when you visit El Badi Palace and the Saadian Tombs.
The sightseeing tour will take you through the narrow alleyways of the medina. Jemaa el-Faa square is the busiest part of the city. snake charmers, monkey trainers, magicians, juice sellers and musicians gather all for the evening show. Located in front of the famous Koutoubia Mosque, it is a lively square.
In the evening, you can enjoy a drink in a rooftop cafe watching the busy square on a Marrakech sunset.
As we travel today toward Rabat, we will pass through key cities including Casablanca and Rabat, Morocco’s capital, where we will see the Hassan II Mosque. We spend the night in a hotel here.
After breakfast, we’ll drive to Tangier to finally end our 12-day tour from Tangier and see some of the sights before escorting you to the ferry terminal or airport in time for your flight.
Note:
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During our 12-day adventure, we will get the opportunity to see Marrakech and learn about the royal towns of Morocco, the turquoise city of Chaouen, the gorgeous seaside city of Asilah, and more.
