12 Day Tangier Imperial City, Desert, Gorges and Coastal Tour

We will pick you up from the airport when you arrive today.

Depending on your flight arrival time, today you can explore the old medina, or explore some of the beautiful spots along Tangier’s coastline, including the Caves of Hercules and Cap Spartel. Located in the Cape Spartel nature reserve, a beautiful natural site in northern Morocco overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the most north western point of Africa. The Battle of Cape Spartel took place here, one of the first confrontations at the start of the Spanish Civil War, in September 1936.

This panoramic lookout point provides beautiful views of the deep blue sea where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean and of the green and rugged coastline.

Overnight in Tangier.

Today we will head through the stunning Rif mountains to the ‘Blue Pearl’ of Chefchaouen. Uniquely located in a natural reserve high in the Rif Mountains, this blue and white painted village is a haven of peace and serenity.

You will spend today exploring this mountain village in the heart of the Rif, known for its Moorish architecture and blue and white painted homes. With our guide Hicham, you will visit the medina to enjoy its cultural and historical heritage, wander the streets, see the picturesque Uta el Hammam square and, of course, the colorful shops filled with local crafts.

After your guided tour you can do some shopping, stroll the medina alone or drink traditional mint tea at a cafe terrace while relaxing and watching people come and go.

We also recommend taking a walk up to the Rass el Maa Waterfall and the Spanish Mosque that offers a spectacular view of the town, particularly at sunset.

Accommodation in a local riad.

We will leave the culturally rich world of Chefchaouen and drive to Fes, one of Morocco’s imperial cities which proudly is home to one the world’s oldest universities.

Along the way we will visit the well preserved Roman ruins of Volubilis. In the afternoon we will arrive in Fes. Fes served as the capital of Morocco for more than 350 years and is home to the University of Al Karaouine, the oldest operating university in the world.

Overnight in your riad.

Breakfast in your riad, before your day of exploration in the old medina of Fez where you will visit the many hidden treasures that only the inhabitants of the place know about. Fes served as the capital of Morocco for more than 350 years and is home to the University of Al Karaouine, the oldest operating university in the world.

Your guided tour will take you to Moulay Idriss mausoleum, the Nejjarine Fountains and the Tanneries. After lunch you will also view the exterior of the Royal Palace and walk through the famous Jewish quarter “the Mellah,” where you will have the option to visit one of the few living synagogues in Morocco. Your tour of Fes includes a short visit to the famous ceramic factory, and then you can enjoy a wonderful panoramic view over the whole Medina of Fes. Overnight accommodation at your riad.

We will leave Fes stopping first in Ifrane. Situated in the northwestern slope of the Middle Atlas at 1630 meters above water level. With its broad avenues, wooden ski-style chalets and manicured gardens, this city is called ‘the Switzerland of Morocco.’ It was built by the French during the colonial period to mimic the ski resorts back in Europe.

As we continue through the Middle Atlas, we will reach Azrou. Stopping at the Cedar forest of Azrou, the largest one in Morocco, if we are lucky we will see some Barbary apes. Here you can take a walk through the forest with our mountain guide Salah.

Overnight in a beautiful chalet-style lodge in Azrou, with stunning countryside views.

This morning we will drive through the fascinating Tiz n’Talghamt pass and the Ziz Gorge, taking in views of the High Atlas plateau. You’ll notice how the scenery changes to reveal hints of the desert as we approach the city of Errachidia. Here we will have lunch.

Afterwards, we will travel along the Ziz Valley, stopping for panoramic views along the way to Erfoud and Rissani. Arrive at Merzouga in the afternoon.

Here, we will swap our motorized transportation for a 4-legged one (camel!) to enter inside the heart of the desert. Your camel ride will last around 1.5 hours, during which you will stop on top of a big dune to catch the sunset. Here you can also have a go at sandboarding (included).

When you reach the camp, you will find your luggage waiting for you and enjoy dinner before spending the night in the dunes, listening to traditional Amazigh music, or stargazing. Our luxury desert camp has cosy beds, hot water, showers and private bathrooms in each tent.

This is a complete ‘desert day.’ This morning you have a ‘date with the sunrise.’ When you are in the middle of the desert, waking up early is a must to watch the spectacular sunrise from the top of a dune close to the camp. After breakfast we will return to Merzouga. Then, we will skirt Erg Chebbi, a great extension of sandy desert where we can find the Big Dune of Morocco, more than 250m high.

We will continue by the former ‘Paris-Dakar Rally Road,’ stopping at the Tissardmin oasis where we can find fossil quarries still present in the area. We will continue by road, passing nomad settlements, where we can stop and enjoy tea with the families living there to learn more about their way of life. The next stop will be a high viewpoint where you can see the whole of Erg Chebbi.

It is worth waking up early again to catch the sunrise over the dunes.

After breakfast, we will head to Rissani, where we will visit the traditional market (market days are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday).

Next we continue to Erfoud, where many fossils have been found, before making our way to the Touroug and Tinjdad palm groves. One hour later we will best the Todra Gorges. The course of the river has carved out a cliff-sided canyon. You will have some free time to walk through the gorge to better appreciate the beauty of the landscape, before having lunch.

In the afternoon we continue to the Dadès valley, also known as the fig valley. We will have dinner and spend the night in Dades.

After breakfast in our hotel we will drive through the Dades Valley towards Kalaat Mgouna and Ouarzazate. The route through Dades Valley is ‘the way of the thousand Kasbahs’ – providing numerous opportunities to take some of your best photographic shots of the trip. We’ll stop at Kalaat Mgouna, “the rose city,” to purchase rosewater, which will make your linen smell good a long time after your trip is over!

Continue to Ouarzazate via Amridil Kasbah, one of the last Berber chieftains during the 18th century. We will spend the night in Ouarzazate, the city known as the ‘gateway to the desert.’

After an early breakfast in the riad, we start our journey to reach the ksar (fortified village) of Ait Ben Haddou, where we will visit the famous Kasbah (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Famous films have been shot in this spectacular stage, including Gladiator, Sahara with Penélope Cruz and Game of Thrones.

After visiting the kasbah we will head to Marrakech through the Tizi n’Tchka pass. At 2.260m we can enjoy spectacular views. We will enjoy beautiful landscapes from the viewpoints along the way, before arriving to Marrakech at early evening.

Full day in Marrakech: after breakfast in the riad, you will enjoy some of Marrakech’s historical and cultural sites, including the Koutoubia Minaret; the Saadian tombs; the beautiful Palace of Bahia and the Ben Youssef Quranic School. Finally, end the morning by walking through the medina alleys -getting a chance to admire the different artisans performing their crafts before arriving at the famous Jamaa El Fna Square.

Lunch at a restaurant near the square, and then in the afternoon visit the gardens at Majorelle. After dinner you will have the option to walk through the square entertained by magicians, story-tellers, tooth-pullers and food sellers. Overnight accommodation in your riad.

Today we will drive you to the airport (or your onward travel) and end our journey together.