Chefchaouen
The blue mountain town where your first night is spent.
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12 Days • Private Grand Morocco Tour
Our 12 Days Tour from Tangier covers the north, Fes, two nights in the Sahara, the kasbah road and Marrakech, then finishes with time by the ocean in Essaouira before your drop-off in Casablanca.
Duration
12 Days / 11 Nights
Departure
Tangier (hotel, airport or port)
Tour Type
Private tour
Destination
Chefchaouen, Fes, Sahara, Marrakech, Essaouira
Transport
Private air-conditioned 4x4 or minivan
Availability
Daily, flexible start date
Overview
The 12 Days Tour from Tangier is our fullest route from the north and suits travelers who want variety at a comfortable pace. After Asilah and a night in Chefchaouen, you visit Volubilis and Meknes and spend two nights in Fes. The road then crosses the Middle Atlas to Erg Chebbi for two nights at a desert camp, with a day for Khamlia and Rissani. Heading west, you walk in Todra Gorge, stay in the Dades Valley and sleep near Aït Ben Haddou, so you can see the ksar in the quiet evening light. Two nights in Marrakech follow, then two more in Essaouira, a relaxed walled port on the Atlantic.
Mountains, medinas, dunes and the Atlantic in one private trip with time to rest.
What to expect
Painted medina walls in Asilah
Two nights at an Erg Chebbi camp
Evening at the ksar of Aït Ben Haddou
Guided walks in Fes and Marrakech
Sea views from the Essaouira ramparts
Day by day
1
Tangier → Asilah → Chefchaouen
Approx. distance: 200 km
Your driver meets you at your Tangier hotel, the airport or the ferry port and follows the coast south to Asilah. Take a stroll along the Portuguese ramparts and through the white medina, where artists repaint the murals each summer.
In the afternoon you turn inland into the Rif mountains and arrive in Chefchaouen. Dinner and the night are at a riad inside the blue medina.
KEY STOPS: Asilah ramparts and medina, Rif mountains
STAY: Riad in Chefchaouen
MEALS: Dinner
2
Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Fes
Approx. distance: 270 km
Take the morning for a last walk in Chefchaouen, then drive south through farmland to Volubilis. The Roman town is known for its mosaics, its basilica columns and the arch of Caracalla.
Stop next in Meknes to see the Bab Mansour gate and El Hedim square, then continue to Fes and check in to your riad for two nights.
KEY STOPS: Volubilis, Moulay Idriss, Meknes (Bab Mansour)
STAY: Riad in Fes
MEALS: Breakfast
3
Fes → Fes el Bali → Fes
A licensed local guide spends the morning with you in Fes el Bali. You visit a madrasa, pass Al Quaraouiyine, watch craftsmen at work in the souks and look over the Chouara tannery from a terrace.
The afternoon is free to shop, rest or enjoy the view from the Merinid Tombs. Get a good night, as tomorrow is a long drive.
KEY STOPS: Fes el Bali, Chouara Tannery, Merinid Tombs
STAY: Riad in Fes
MEALS: Breakfast
4
Fes → Ifrane → Merzouga
Approx. distance: 470 km
You leave early for the Middle Atlas, with stops in Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest to look for Barbary macaques. Lunch is usually in Midelt before the road follows the palm groves of the Ziz Valley south.
In Merzouga a camel caravan takes you into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset. Dinner is served at the camp, where you stay for two nights.
KEY STOPS: Ifrane, Azrou cedar forest, Midelt, Ziz Valley
STAY: Desert camp in Erg Chebbi
MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner
5
Merzouga → Rissani → Merzouga
Approx. distance: 80 km
After sunrise over the dunes, spend a slower day around the desert. In Khamlia, a village with West African roots, local musicians play Gnawa music over mint tea.
Then visit Rissani, once a major caravan town, with its busy market and nearby ksour. You return to the camp for a second evening in the dunes.
KEY STOPS: Khamlia, Rissani market, Erg Chebbi
STAY: Desert camp in Erg Chebbi
MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner
6
Merzouga → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley
Approx. distance: 290 km
Heading west through Alnif and Tinejdad, you reach the palm groves of Tinghir and then Todra Gorge. Walk along the stream between cliffs that rise about 300 meters.
The drive continues to the Dades Valley, where you have dinner and spend the night at a family-run hotel above the river.
KEY STOPS: Tinejdad, Tinghir, Todra Gorge
STAY: Hotel in the Dades Valley
MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner
7
Dades Valley → Ouarzazate → Aït Ben Haddou
Approx. distance: 180 km
A shorter day along the kasbah road, passing Kelaat M'Gouna and the palm oasis of Skoura, where you can visit the restored Kasbah Amridil. You continue through Ouarzazate, home to film studios.
You arrive at Aït Ben Haddou in the afternoon and climb through the ksar to the granary at the top when the crowds have gone. Dinner and the night are at a kasbah guesthouse nearby.
KEY STOPS: Kelaat M'Gouna, Skoura, Ouarzazate
STAY: Kasbah guesthouse near Aït Ben Haddou
MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner
8
Aït Ben Haddou → Tizi n'Tichka → Marrakech
Approx. distance: 190 km
After breakfast you drive over the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at about 2,260 meters, with stops at viewpoints and Berber villages along the way.
You reach Marrakech around lunchtime and have the afternoon free in the city. Jemaa el-Fna comes alive in the evening with food stalls and musicians.
KEY STOPS: Tizi n'Tichka pass, High Atlas villages
STAY: Riad in Marrakech
MEALS: Breakfast
9
Marrakech → Medina Tour → Marrakech
A local guide leads you through the Marrakech medina, including the Bahia Palace, the souks, the Koutoubia Mosque from outside and the main square.
The evening is free. You might visit the Majorelle Garden, book a hammam or simply relax on your riad terrace.
KEY STOPS: Bahia Palace, souks, Koutoubia Mosque, Jemaa el-Fna
STAY: Riad in Marrakech
MEALS: Breakfast
10
Marrakech → Essaouira
Approx. distance: 190 km
You drive west across the plains into argan country, where goats sometimes climb the trees. A stop at a women's argan cooperative shows how the oil is made by hand.
You reach Essaouira by early afternoon and check in to a riad in the walled medina, with the rest of the day free by the sea.
KEY STOPS: Argan cooperative, Essaouira medina
STAY: Riad in Essaouira
MEALS: Breakfast
11
Essaouira → Skala → Essaouira
A free day on the coast. Walk the Skala de la Ville ramparts with their old cannons, watch the blue fishing boats come into the port and browse the woodwork shops built into the walls.
The wide beach is good for long walks, and the steady wind makes it a well-known spot for kitesurfing. Grilled fish at the port makes an easy lunch.
KEY STOPS: Skala de la Ville, fishing port, beach
STAY: Riad in Essaouira
MEALS: Breakfast
12
Essaouira → Casablanca
Approx. distance: 360 km
After breakfast you drive north along the Atlantic side of the country to Casablanca, a trip of around four and a half hours with a break on the way.
Time permitting, you can stop at the Hassan II Mosque before your driver drops you at Mohammed V Airport, the train station or your hotel.
KEY STOPS: Atlantic coast road, Hassan II Mosque
STAY: Not included (drop-off in Casablanca)
MEALS: Breakfast
The route
The blue mountain town where your first night is spent.
Discover →
Two nights at a camp among the tallest dunes in Morocco.
Explore →
A night beside the earthen ksar, seen in the quiet evening.
Explore →
Two relaxed nights in a walled port town on the Atlantic.
Explore →
Photography
Practical details
Pickup in Tangier and drop-off in Casablanca
Private vehicle, fuel and English-speaking driver
11 nights in riads, hotels, a guesthouse and a camp
11 breakfasts and 5 dinners
Camel ride plus guided tours in Fes and Marrakech
Lunches, drinks and other dinners
Entry fees for monuments and the mosque
Tips and personal expenses
Enquiry
Send us your travel dates and group size and we will confirm availability. We can remove Essaouira, add nights or change hotel levels.
Good to know
Why stay overnight near Aït Ben Haddou?
Sleeping nearby lets you visit the ksar in the late afternoon and early morning when it is quiet, and it splits the long drive to Marrakech.
What is the desert camp like?
It is a tented camp in Erg Chebbi with beds, blankets and dinner. Standard and luxury tents are available, with shared or private bathrooms depending on the camp.
Can I skip Essaouira?
Yes. We can end the trip after Marrakech and adjust the price, or use the extra days elsewhere.
How much driving is there in the 12 Days Tour from Tangier?
Most days have two to five hours on the road. The Fes to Merzouga day is the longest, at about 470 km with several stops.
Is a guide included?
Your driver speaks English and knows the route well. Licensed local guides lead the medina tours in Fes and Marrakech.
Can you collect me at Tangier Med?
Yes. We meet you at Tangier Med, the Tanger Ville port, the airport or your hotel.
What should I pack?
Bring layers for cold desert nights, a windproof jacket for Essaouira, sunscreen and modest clothes for towns and religious sites.
More journeys
Tell us your dates and we will send a clear plan and price. Each part of the route can be shaped around you.