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Tangier to Merzouga 4x4 Tour
Six days by 4x4 from Tangier to Merzouga, crossing Morocco from the Mediterranean to the Sahara in comfort.
Nador to Atlantic Coast Expedition
Seven days from Nador to the Atlantic coast, crossing Morocco from the Mediterranean through mountains and desert.
Tour Overview
The Nador to Atlantic Coast Expedition crosses Morocco from one sea to the other. It starts in Nador, a port city in the northeast, and over seven days runs through the Rif Mountains, the Middle Atlas, the Sahara and the Anti-Atlas. The finish is on the Atlantic coast at Essaouira. Few routes show you so many kinds of Moroccan landscape in one week.
Tour Highlights
- Cross Morocco coast to coast
- Mediterranean to Atlantic
- Rif and Atlas Mountains
- A stretch through the Sahara
- Essaouira on the Atlantic coast
- Six nights accommodation
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Nador to Fes
Your driver-guide meets you in Nador, on the Mediterranean coast near the Marchica lagoon. You leave the coast and head south through dry hills toward Guercif, then turn west along the Taza corridor, the natural passage between the Rif to the north and the Middle Atlas to the south that travellers have used for centuries.
A short stop in Taza lets you see the old town on its hill above the plain. If you like, your guide can take a detour toward the Tazekka National Park for a glimpse of its forests and views. In the afternoon you continue through farmland and olive groves to Fes, arriving in time to check into your riad and take an evening walk near the edge of the medina.
Day 2: Fes to Merzouga
This is the big day of the crossing from north to south. You climb out of Fes into the Middle Atlas, passing through Ifrane with its tidy streets and steep roofs, then into the cedar forest near Azrou, home to the Barbary macaques. A short stop gives you time to see them among the trees.
After the high plateaus, you reach Midelt for lunch with the Jbel Ayachi range behind the town. Beyond the Tizi n'Talghemt pass, the mountains give way to the dry south, and the road follows the Ziz Valley, where palm groves fill the floor of a deep red canyon. You pass Errachidia and Erfoud before the dunes of Erg Chebbi appear in the distance, reaching Merzouga in the early evening for dinner and a good night's rest.
Day 3: Sahara Adventure
Today belongs to the desert. In the morning you head into Erg Chebbi by quad, buggy or 4x4 with your guide, crossing the ridges and stopping on high dunes for views over the sand sea. On the stony plain beyond the dunes you look for fossils in the rock, the remains of sea creatures from a time when this was an ocean floor.
You share mint tea with a nomad family, then visit Khamlia to hear Gnawa music, whose rhythms came north across the Sahara from West Africa. After resting through the heat, you head to a desert camp in the dunes. In the late afternoon you climb a dune to watch the sunset, and the evening ends with dinner, drumming around the fire and a sky crowded with stars.
Day 4: Merzouga to Dades Valley
Wake early for sunrise over Erg Chebbi, then return to Merzouga for breakfast. The road west passes through Rissani and a chain of oases and earth villages, then continues through Tinejdad toward Tinghir, set in a long palm grove below bare mountains.
From Tinghir you drive into the Todra Gorge, where cliffs up to about 300 metres high close in around a clear stream. You walk along the bottom of the gorge, look up at the climbing routes on the rock and enjoy the shade. After lunch you continue to Boumalne and turn into the Dades Valley, lined with old kasbahs, almond and fig trees and narrow fields. The night is spent at a guesthouse in the valley, often with a view over the river and the rounded red rocks along it.
Day 5: Dades to Ouarzazate
A shorter day on the road, with time for stops. You follow the Dades River down to Kelaat M'Gouna, the Valley of Roses, where small pink Damask roses are picked each spring and distilled into rose water. Further on, the palm grove of Skoura hides several old kasbahs, and you can visit one to see how these fortified family homes were built and lived in.
After lunch in Ouarzazate, you drive a short way to Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified village of earth towers climbing a hill above the Ounila River. You cross the river and walk up through its lanes to the old granary at the top, with views over the valley and the desert beyond. In the late afternoon you return to your hotel in Ouarzazate for a relaxed evening.
Day 6: Ouarzazate to Essaouira
This is the longest drive of the tour, from the edge of the desert to the Atlantic. You leave Ouarzazate and climb into the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at around 2,260 metres, with views over terraced valleys and Berber villages clinging to the slopes. The road then winds down toward the plains around Marrakech.
Skirting the city, you head west across open farmland. Closer to the coast, argan trees spread across the hills, and you may see goats climbing in their branches to reach the fruit. A stop at a women's cooperative shows how argan oil is made by hand. In the late afternoon the air turns cool and salty, and you arrive in Essaouira, where your guide takes you to your riad in or near the walled medina.
Day 7: Essaouira & Departure
Your last morning is spent in Essaouira, a relaxed port town with a very different feel from the rest of the trip. Walk along the Skala ramparts, where old cannons face the Atlantic, then down to the fishing harbour to watch the blue boats come in and the catch being sold on the quay.
The medina is easy to explore on foot, with workshops of thuya wood carvers, small galleries and spice stalls. If you have time, a walk along the wide beach is a good way to end the journey. This is where the tour ends. Your guide says goodbye in Essaouira and can advise on onward travel to Marrakech or elsewhere, after a week that has taken you from the Mediterranean, across the mountains and the Sahara, to the Atlantic coast.
What's Included
- 4x4 vehicle with driver/guide
- Six nights accommodation
- All meals
- Fuel and insurance
- All activities
What's Excluded
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Flights
Equipment Information & Vehicle Details
Seven days from Nador on the Mediterranean to Essaouira on the Atlantic means our 4x4s cover mountain, desert and coastal terrain on one trip. They carry a full toolkit and spares throughout. The six nights are split between mountain towns, a desert camp and a coastal hotel in Essaouira. Learn more about our fleet.
Safety Information
You drive Rif switchbacks, Atlas mountain roads, open desert track and finally the coastal roads near Essaouira. Our drivers are experienced on all of it and change pace and technique as the terrain changes. Near Essaouira the coastal wind can be strong, and guides brief you on it. The usual rules on seatbelts and rest stops apply every day. Read our full safety standards.
Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
It ends in Essaouira. We can arrange a transfer to Marrakech airport.
Some days have long drives, but we break them up with stops and activities.
Book This Tour
To check dates or ask a question about Nador to Atlantic Coast Expedition, send us a message on WhatsApp, call us or use the booking form on this page. We reply within 24 hours to confirm your booking.
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