12-day grand tour from Tangier to Essaouira

Trip overview

Twelve private days from Tangier to Marrakech: Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Fez, two nights in Erg Chebbi, the southern kasbahs and a night in Essaouira. Easy if you arrive by ferry.

• Duration12 days / 11 nights
• Starts inTangier
• GroupPrivate · 1–16 people
• DifficultyEasy
• LanguageEspañol
• DeparturesDaily departures all year round

Highlights

• Starts in Tangier, easy if you arrive by ferry from Spain
• The Andalusian medina of Tetouan
• A night in Chefchaouen
• Volubilis, Meknes and the Fez medina with a guide
• Two nights in the Erg Chebbi desert
• The kasbah route to Aït Ben Haddou
• Marrakech with a local guide
• A last night by the sea in Essaouira

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1: Arrival in Tangier

   We pick you up at Tangier Ville port, Tanger Med or Ibn Battuta airport, depending on how you arrive. You drop your luggage at your accommodation and head out with a local guide.

   We go up to the kasbah, where the old sultan's palace is now a museum, and walk down through the medina to the Petit Socco, surrounded by historic cafés. If time allows, we go to Cape Spartel, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, and to the Caves of Hercules, which open onto the sea. If the boat arrives late, that part gets dropped. In the afternoon, a mint tea in a café overlooking the Strait.

   Hotel or riad in TangierNo meals included

2. 2

   Day 2: Tangier – Tetouan – Chefchaouen

   We set off for Tetouan, an hour away at the foot of the Rif. Its white medina, of Andalusian heritage, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is much less hectic than others. We pass through Hassan II square, next to the royal palace, and the leather and woodworkers' quarters.

   After lunch we continue on a mountain road to Chefchaouen, just over an hour. You arrive mid-afternoon to walk the blue streets, the kasbah and Outa el Hammam square. At sunset you can walk up to the Spanish Mosque, about 30 minutes uphill, to see the town with its lights coming on.

   Riad in the Chefchaouen medinaBreakfast

3. 3

   Day 3: Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fez

   If you get up early, the Chefchaouen medina is empty and it's the best time for photos. Then we head south through hills of olive trees to Volubilis, about 3 hours away. At the Roman site you see mosaics, the Arch of Caracalla and the remains of the basilica and the capitol. Bring a cap and water.

   In the afternoon we stop in Meknes, the capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century. We see the Bab Mansour gate, El Hedim square and the royal granaries, with very thick walls. Fez is less than an hour away and we arrive in the late afternoon.

   Riad or hotel in FezBreakfast

4. 4

   Day 4: Guided tour of Fez

   Today you spend the day in Fez el Bali, the oldest medina of the imperial cities, with a Spanish-speaking local guide. We enter through Bab Bou Jeloud and pass the Bou Inania madrasa and the Nejjarine fountain, next to the museum of wooden arts.

   Al Qarawiyyin University and the shrine of Moulay Idriss II are seen from the outside. At the Chouara tanneries you look down on the dye pits from above; the smell is strong. Between visits we go into weavers', potters' and coppersmiths' workshops; they'll offer you something, but you don't have to buy. In the afternoon you can go to the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, or up to the Marinid Tombs to look out over the city.

   Riad or hotel in FezBreakfast

5. 5

   Day 5: Fez – Middle Atlas – Merzouga

   This is the long day of the trip: 7 to 8 hours with stops. We climb into the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest, where you can easily see Barbary macaques. We pass through Midelt and come down the Ziz Valley, with viewpoints over the palm grove and the mud-brick villages along the river.

   In the late afternoon we reach Merzouga. From there you ride by camel to the camp, close to an hour and a half across the Erg Chebbi dunes as the sun goes down. In the evening there's a Berber dinner and drums by the fire. Keep a jacket handy, because it cools down quickly once the sun sets.

   Desert camp in Erg ChebbiBreakfast and dinner

6. 6

   Day 6: Full day in Erg Chebbi

   If you want to see the sunrise, you need to climb a dune before breakfast. Then we set off by 4x4 around Erg Chebbi: nomad families who still live with their flocks, the village of Khamlia with its Gnawa music and the seasonal lake of Dayet Srji, when it has water that year.

   We have lunch in Rissani, where you can see the souk and try medfouna, a stuffed bread baked in a wood-fired oven. In the afternoon you return to the camp to rest, try sandboarding or watch the sunset from another dune. It's the quietest day of the trip and comes as a relief after the drive from Fez. Second night in the desert.

   Desert camp in Erg ChebbiBreakfast and dinner

7. 7

   Day 7: Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley

   We leave the desert heading west through Erfoud and Tinejdad. On the way we stop at the khettaras, old underground channels that still carry water to the oases.

   In Tinghir we walk through the Todra Gorge, a narrow canyon with sheer walls where there are sometimes climbers. Inside the gorge it's shady and cooler than outside. We continue to the Dades Valley, to the reddish rocks that locals compare to monkey fingers, and to the viewpoint over the Tisdrine bends. It's about 5 hours in the car with stops. Dinner at the hotel, with views over the valley.

   Kasbah hotel in the Dades ValleyBreakfast and dinner

8. 8

   Day 8: Dades – Valley of Roses – Skoura – Aït Ben Haddou

   We come down through the Valley of Roses, at Kalaat M'Gouna, where cooperatives make rose water and cosmetics from the local flower. We continue to the Skoura oasis, a palm grove with mud-brick kasbahs; you can go inside the Amridil kasbah.

   We pass through Ouarzazate, known for its film studios, and reach Aït Ben Haddou in the afternoon, after about 4 hours with stops. We prefer to sleep here rather than in Ouarzazate because you can explore the ksar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, once the day visitors have gone. In the late afternoon you climb to the fortified granary at the top to look out over the Ounila Valley.

   Hotel or kasbah in Aït Ben HaddouBreakfast and dinner

9. 9

   Day 9: Aït Ben Haddou – Tizi n'Tichka – Marrakech

   We cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at about 2,260 metres. The road has lots of bends; if you get car sick, ask to sit in the front and tell us when to stop. We stop at viewpoints over the Berber villages on the slopes and at an argan oil cooperative, where they explain how it's extracted by hand.

   We reach Marrakech in the early afternoon, after about 4 hours on the road. You have the afternoon free to settle into the riad and take a first walk around the medina. As the sun goes down, Jemaa el Fna square fills with smoke from the food stalls, musicians and storytellers.

   Riad in the Marrakech medinaBreakfast

10. 10

    Day 10: Marrakech

    In the morning you go out with a local guide. We start at the Koutoubia Mosque, seen from the outside, and continue to the Saadian Tombs, the Bahia Palace and the Ben Youssef madrasa, with courtyards of carved stucco and cedar wood. We finish in the souks, organised by guild: dyers, tanners, blacksmiths and spice sellers.

    In the afternoon you can visit the Majorelle Garden and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, book a hammam or a Moroccan cooking class. The driver helps you with bookings and tells you where to eat depending on what you're after, from simple stalls to terraces. In the souks people will call out to you from many doorways; a friendly no is enough.

    Riad in the Marrakech medinaBreakfast

11. 11

    Day 11: Marrakech – Essaouira

    We head for the Atlantic on a road of about 3 hours across plains and argan forests, where there are often goats up in the trees. We stop at a women's cooperative that makes cosmetic and culinary argan oil.

    Essaouira is a walled town of white houses and blue shutters, much calmer than Marrakech. For lunch, we recommend the grilled fish at the stalls by the port. Afterwards you can walk along the Skala ramparts and see the thuya-wood marquetry workshops. At sunset the beach fills with people out for a walk and with kitesurfers, so bring something warm for the wind.

    Riad in the Essaouira medinaBreakfast

12. 12

    Day 12: Essaouira – Marrakech – Departure

    Last morning by the sea. It's a good time to watch the blue fishing boats come into the port and the fish auction, with seagulls all around.

    Depending on your flight time, we set off for Marrakech, about 3 hours away, and drop you at Menara airport, with direct flights to Spain and connections to other countries. If your flight leaves early, the morning in Essaouira is cut short, so it's worth checking when you book. You can also fly from Essaouira, which has a small airport with fewer connections, or go back to Tangier for the ferry; in both cases we change this last day. End of our services.

    End of the tripBreakfast

What's included

Prices per person

The vehicle and driver are paid per day and shared between the travellers, so the price per person goes down the more of you there are. Accommodation is charged per person per night (11 nights).

• Standard: Comfortable hotels and riads, standard desert camp
• Superior: More characterful accommodation and a superior desert camp
• Children aged 3 to 11: 3% less than an adult.
• Groups of more than 7 people travel in two vehicles. The booking calculator takes this into account.

Payment and cancellation

You pay a 15% deposit when you book. The rest is paid on the first day of the trip, in cash or by bank transfer. You can also pay it by PayPal or card, with a 5% surcharge.

Private: free up to 48 hours before the start. If you cancel in time, we refund the full deposit.

Extras you can add

Chosen when you book and added to the total. You can also ask for them later, subject to availability.

Frequently asked questions

Destinations on this trip