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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.
Tangier to Marrakech Adventure
Eight days from Tangier to Marrakech, taking in Morocco's cities, mountains, desert and coast.
Tour Overview
The Tangier to Marrakech Adventure is an eight-day trip from the northern tip of Morocco to Marrakech, the Red City. It mixes culture, landscape and off-road driving. You walk the blue streets of Chefchaouen and the old medina of Fes, sleep near the dunes of the Sahara and finish in the busy souks of Marrakech. For a first trip to Morocco where you want to see a bit of everything, this route covers a lot.
Tour Highlights
- Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fes, Merzouga, Marrakech
- Middle and High Atlas Mountains
- Time in the Sahara desert
- Tizi n'Tichka pass
- Seven nights accommodation
- Cities, mountains, desert and coast
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Tangier to Chefchaouen
Your driver-guide picks you up in Tangier and you set off south into the green north of Morocco. The road passes farmland and cork oak forest, and you can stop in Tetouan to walk through its white medina, built in large part by Andalusian families who arrived from Spain centuries ago.
From there the road climbs into the Rif Mountains, and you reach Chefchaouen by early afternoon. After checking into your riad, you have the rest of the day to explore the blue lanes, sit in the square below the kasbah and browse the small shops. Before sunset, a short walk up to the Spanish mosque gives a wide view over the town and valley. It is an easy start to a long journey, with time to settle in and adjust to the pace of the country.
Day 2: Chefchaouen to Fes via Volubilis
After breakfast you leave the Rif and drive south through rolling hills toward Ouezzane and the farmland beyond. By late morning you arrive at Volubilis, the most complete Roman site in Morocco. Your guide walks you through the remains of the basilica, the forum, the triumphal arch and several houses whose floor mosaics are still in place.
Across the valley you can see Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, a whitewashed town spread over two hills and an important place of pilgrimage. If time allows, there is a short stop in Meknes to see the great Bab Mansour gate before the final stretch to Fes. You arrive in the late afternoon and check into your riad, with the evening free to rest before a full day in the old city.
Day 3: Fes Exploration
Today is dedicated to Fes el-Bali, the old medina and one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world. With a local guide you walk through a maze of narrow lanes, past mosques, fountains and the doors of old madrasas, including the finely carved Bou Inania and Al-Attarine. You see the outside of the Qarawiyyin, one of the oldest centres of learning still in use.
The medina is organised by craft, so you pass streets of coppersmiths, weavers, woodworkers and leather workers. From a terrace above the Chouara tannery you look down on the dye pits, where hides are still treated much as they were centuries ago. In the afternoon you can rest at your riad or take in the view over the city from the Merinid tombs on the hill. Evening is free.
Day 4: Fes to Merzouga
An early start for the long drive to the Sahara. You climb into the Middle Atlas, passing Ifrane and then the cedar forest near Azrou, where Barbary macaques often appear beside the road. A short stop gives you time to see them and breathe the cool mountain air.
The road crosses high plateaus to Midelt, where you stop for lunch with the Jbel Ayachi range in the distance. After the Tizi n'Talghemt pass the land dries and turns red, and you follow the Ziz Valley, a deep cut lined with palm groves. Past Errachidia and Erfoud, the dunes of Erg Chebbi rise on the horizon. You reach Merzouga in the early evening, where dinner is waiting and the rest of the evening is yours.
Day 5: Sahara Adventure
Your day in the desert begins with a ride into Erg Chebbi by quad, buggy or 4x4, guided over the ridges to viewpoints high above the sand sea. You then cross onto the stony plain to see fossils in the rock and stop with a nomad family for tea and conversation about life at the edge of the dunes.
Later you visit Khamlia, where Gnawa musicians play rhythms with roots in West Africa, and, if you wish, the market town of Rissani with its old ksour. After a rest through the heat of the day, you head to a desert camp among the dunes. In the late afternoon you climb a dune to watch the sunset, then enjoy dinner, music around the fire and a clear night sky far from any town lights.
Day 6: Merzouga to Dades Valley
Rise early to watch the sunrise from the dunes, then return to Merzouga for breakfast and a shower. The road west follows a line of oases and earth-built villages through Tinejdad toward Tinghir, a large green palm grove set below dry mountains.
From Tinghir you drive into the Todra Gorge, where the river has cut a narrow passage between rock walls up to about 300 metres high. You walk along the floor of the gorge, watch climbers on the cliffs and enjoy the cool shade. After lunch, the drive continues to Boumalne and into the Dades Valley, lined with kasbahs, fig trees and small fields. You stay the night in a guesthouse in the valley, often with a view of the strange rock formations along the river.
Day 7: Dades to Marrakech via Tizi n'Tichka
After breakfast you follow the Dades River down through Kelaat M'Gouna, known as the Valley of Roses, where the flowers are harvested in spring for rose water and oils. Further on, the palm grove of Skoura shelters several old kasbahs, and you continue to Ouarzazate, the gateway to the southern valleys.
A short drive away is Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified village of earth towers rising from a hillside above the river, used as a backdrop in many films. You walk up through its lanes to the old granary at the top for the view. After lunch, the road climbs into the High Atlas and over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at around 2,260 metres, before winding down through Berber villages to Marrakech. You arrive in the evening at your riad.
Day 8: Marrakech & Departure
Your final morning is spent in Marrakech. Depending on your flight or onward plans, you can walk through the souks of the medina, where lanes of spice sellers, metalworkers and leather shops lead off the great square of Jemaa el-Fna. The Koutoubia minaret, the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs are all within easy reach.
If you prefer something calmer, the Jardin Majorelle and the gardens around the city offer a quieter start to the day. This is where the tour ends. Your guide says goodbye in Marrakech and can advise on getting to the airport or station, after a journey that has taken you from the Strait of Gibraltar, over the mountains and through the Sahara to the south.
What's Included
- 4x4 vehicle with driver/guide
- Seven nights accommodation
- All meals
- Fuel and insurance
- All activities
What's Excluded
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Flights
Equipment Information & Vehicle Details
Over eight days from Tangier to Marrakech, via Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara and the High Atlas, our 4x4s meet just about every kind of terrain Morocco has. That includes the mountain switchbacks of the Tizi n'Tichka pass, and they are equipped for it. The seven nights mix riads, a desert camp and city hotels, so the trip covers a lot without being uncomfortable. Learn more about our fleet.
Safety Information
The Tizi n'Tichka pass over the High Atlas is one of the best parts of the trip, and also the most technical driving. Our most experienced mountain drivers take this leg, at a measured pace on the switchbacks, and seatbelts are mandatory. The desert, plateau and city stretches get the same careful approach. Each long day has rest stops built in. Read our full safety standards.
Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, families with children aged 8 and over are welcome, and we can adjust the activities.
Yes, private tours can be fully customised. Contact us.
Book This Tour
To check dates or ask a question about Tangier to Marrakech Adventure, 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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