Morocco & Tours ›
Trips ›
Chefchaouen City ›
12-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Tangier to Marrakech & Essaouira
12-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Tangier to Marrakech & Essaouira
Duration12 Days - 11 Nights
Group Size1-40 People
Tour TypeTours from Tangier
DifficultyEasy
Why go?
Our grand tour of Morocco starts on the Strait of Gibraltar and ends on the Atlantic coast. Over twelve days you travel through the white town of Asilah, the Andalusian medina of Tetouan, the blue lanes of Chefchaouen and the four imperial cities: Rabat, Meknes, Fes and Marrakech.
In the middle of the trip, the Middle Atlas leads you to the Sahara for two nights around the dunes of Erg Chebbi, with a camel ride, a desert camp and a day with nomad families. The road back west crosses the Todra and Dades gorges to Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou.
After two nights and a guided tour in Marrakech, you finish by the ocean with a night in Essaouira, before your transfer to Marrakech airport.
Tour Highlights
- Asilah, Tetouan and the blue town of Chefchaouen.
- Rabat, Volubilis and Meknes on the way to Fes.
- Two nights and a guided tour in Fes.
- Two nights in the Sahara: desert camp, nomads and Gnawa music.
- Todra Gorge, Dades Valley, Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou.
- Two nights and a guided tour in Marrakech.
- A night in Essaouira on the Atlantic coast.
Tour Plan
01
Welcome in Tangier and short drive down the Atlantic coast to Asilah, a whitewashed fishing town with ramparts and colourful murals. Enjoy the sunset over the ocean. Night in Asilah.
02
Visit Tetouan, whose UNESCO-listed medina keeps a strong Andalusian character, then climb into the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen. Free evening in the blue medina. Night in Chefchaouen.
03
Travel to Rabat, the capital, and discover the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Kasbah of the Udayas above the ocean. Night in Rabat.
04
Visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes with its Bab Mansour gate, then continue to Fes. Free time in the evening. Night in Fes.
05
A day in the medina of Fes with an official guide: medersas, fountains, the tanneries, the Karaouine area and the craft quarters. Night in Fes.
06
Cross the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and the cedar forest of the Barbary macaques, then follow the Ziz Valley to Erfoud. In Merzouga, ride camels into the Erg Chebbi dunes to your desert camp for dinner and the night.
07
Sunrise over the dunes, then a day by 4x4 on desert tracks to meet nomad families and the Gnawa musicians of Khamlia. Dinner and night in a hotel in Merzouga.
08
Visit Rissani, walk in the Todra Gorge and drive the road of the kasbahs through the Dades Valley and the Valley of Roses to Ouarzazate. Dinner and night in Ouarzazate.
09
Visit the ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, then cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka pass to Marrakech. Free evening on Jemaa el-Fna. Night in Marrakech.
10
Discover Marrakech with an official guide: the Koutoubia, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Ben Youssef Medersa and the souks. Free afternoon. Night in Marrakech.
11
Drive west through the argan country to Essaouira. Explore its ramparts, fishing port and relaxed medina, and enjoy fresh fish by the sea. Night in Essaouira.
12
Free morning by the ocean, then transfer to Marrakech airport according to your flight time. End of your grand tour of Morocco.
Included/Exclude
Cost Includes
- Pickup in Tangier and transfer to Marrakech airport on the last day.
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver for 12 days.
- 11 nights of accommodation: Asilah, Chefchaouen, Rabat, Fes (2 nights), Merzouga (2 nights, including 1 in a desert camp), Ouarzazate, Marrakech (2 nights) and Essaouira.
- Daily breakfast, and dinner at the desert camp, in Merzouga and in Ouarzazate.
- Guided city tours of Fes and Marrakech with official guides.
- Camel ride in Erg Chebbi and 4x4 day with nomad families.
Cost Excludes
- International flights to and from Morocco.
- Lunches and drinks.
- Entrance fees to monuments, museums and historical sites.
- Tips for drivers, guides and camp staff.
- Travel insurance and personal expenses.
- Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary (quad biking, sandboarding...).
