10 days from Fes to Tangier
Fes medina · Cedar forests of the Middle Atlas · Ziz Valley · Erg Chebbi dunes · Rissani souk
Ends in TangierPrice on WhatsApp
Private tour · 10 days
10-day Morocco tour from Fes
A 10-day Morocco itinerary that starts and ends in Fes: imperial cities, the blue city, the Atlantic coast, the High Atlas and a night in the Sahara. Pick-up at Fes airport on day 1, Marrakech with a local guide, a sunset camel trek and a night at Tassili Luxury Desert Camp, and a transfer to Fes airport on day 10.
Tour highlights
- From the ruins of Volubilis to the blue town
- A full day in Chefchaouen’s blue medina
- The Kasbah of the Udayas in Rabat
- The Hassan II Mosque by the sea
- The souks of Marrakech and Jemaa el-Fna square
- Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, with time to explore them
- The Todra Gorge and sunset over the Erg Chebbi dunes
- The Ziz Valley and the cedars of the Middle Atlas
Day-by-day itinerary
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Day 1 · Arrival in Fes
Pick-up at the airport or station and transfer to your riad in Fes. The rest of the day is free for a first stroll.
Night: Fes
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Day 2 · Fes · Meknes · Volubilis · Chefchaouen
We leave Fes for Meknes and its Bab Mansour gate, visit the Roman ruins of Volubilis and climb into the Rif to Chefchaouen, where we spend the night.
Night: Chefchaouen
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Day 3 · A day in Chefchaouen
A full day in the blue town of the Rif: wandering its medina, Outa el-Hammam square and the kasbah, and walking up to the Ras el-Ma spring, where women still wash clothes. There is time for a short hike in the surrounding mountains.
Night: Chefchaouen
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Day 4 · Chefchaouen · Rabat · Casablanca
We leave for Rabat, the capital: the Kasbah of the Udayas above the Atlantic, the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, with time for the historic centre. In the afternoon we continue to Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city.
Night: Casablanca
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Day 5 · Casablanca · Hassan II Mosque · Marrakech
In the morning, the Hassan II Mosque beside the Atlantic: the visit depends on opening times and the guided-tour schedule. Then we leave for Marrakech, arriving in the afternoon with free time for the medina and Jemaa el-Fna square.
Night: Marrakech
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Day 6 · Guided tour of Marrakech
A day with a local guide: the Koutoubia mosque, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian tombs and the souks of the medina with their craft guilds. At dusk, Jemaa el-Fna square at its liveliest.
Night: Marrakech
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Day 7 · Marrakech · Ait Ben Haddou · Ouarzazate · Dades Valley
We pick you up from your accommodation in Marrakech at around 8:00 and cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, 2,260 metres up, stopping at the viewpoints. This is the sightseeing day: Ait Ben Haddou, the earthen ksar and UNESCO World Heritage Site where Gladiator and Game of Thrones were filmed, explored on foot, and Ouarzazate, the gateway to the desert, with time to discover both and take photos. In the afternoon we continue past the Skoura palm grove and the Valley of Roses to the Dades Valley. Night in a hotel or traditional kasbah, with dinner and breakfast.
Night: Dades Valley
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Day 8 · Todra Gorge · Tinghir · Erfoud · Merzouga
In the morning, the Todra Gorge: a narrow canyon with walls of around 300 metres, explored on foot beside the river. We pass the Tinghir palm grove and Erfoud, the town of fossils, on the way to Merzouga. At the end of the afternoon the Erg Chebbi dunes appear: you ride up on a camel for the sunset or, if you prefer, go by 4x4 to the camp. Night in the desert.
Night: Desert camp
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Day 9 · Sunrise · Rissani · Erfoud · Ziz Valley · Midelt · Ifrane · Fes
Sunrise on the dunes and breakfast before we leave. We head north through Rissani, cradle of the Alaouite dynasty, and Erfoud, then follow the Ziz Valley, a canyon of palms between mountains, through the Legionnaire’s Tunnel. We cross the Middle Atlas via Midelt, the apple town, and the Azrou cedar forest, home to Barbary macaques. We pass Ifrane, known as the Switzerland of Morocco, and reach Fes in the afternoon.
Night: Fes
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Day 10 · Transfer to Fes airport
Breakfast and transfer to the airport or station in Fes.
What’s included
Included
- Pick-up from your accommodation in Fes and return
- Private air-conditioned vehicle
- Multilingual driver for the whole trip
- Accommodation: 9 nights, including the night in the desert
- Breakfasts
- Dinner at the desert camp
Not included
- Lunches
- Other dinners (on request: ask when you book)
- Monument entry fees and local guides
- Tips
Places along the route
Volubilis
Volubilis is a large Roman archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set among olive groves, it preserves the Arch of Caracalla, columns of the basilica and many mosaics still in their original place, depicting mythological scenes. Its setting on a plain near Meknes makes the visit a real pleasure.
Chefchaouen
Tucked into the Rif mountains, Chefchaouen is famous for its medina of blue-washed walls. Its steep lanes, Outa el-Hammam square and kasbah are made for unhurried wandering, and from the Spanish Mosque on the hillside you get a sweeping view over the whole town.
Aït Ben Haddou
This earthen ksar, built on a hillside above the Ounila river, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Its mud-brick houses and towers, linked by lanes climbing to an old granary, have appeared in many films. Crossing the river and walking to the top rewards you with one of the south’s most photogenic views.
Dades Valley and Gorges
The Dades Valley opens out between the High Atlas and Jebel Saghro, lined with earthen kasbahs, small fields and strikingly shaped rock formations. Further up, the road squeezes into a gorge and climbs in tight hairpin bends to a well-known viewpoint, an ideal spot to stop and take in the scale of the landscape.
Todra Gorge
Near Tinghir, the Todra river has carved a narrow canyon between limestone walls that rise almost vertically. Walking along the floor of the gorge, beside the stream and beneath those cliffs, is genuinely awe-inspiring, and the valley leading up to it is dotted with palm groves and mud-brick villages.
Erg Chebbi Dunes
Erg Chebbi is the great sea of orange sand dunes rising beside Merzouga, on the edge of the Moroccan Sahara. At sunrise and sunset the light shifts colour across the ridges, making it the perfect place to walk barefoot on the sand, ride a camel or simply soak up the silence.
Imperial cities, the blue city and the Sahara in one tour
First the north: Meknes and the Bab Mansour gate, the Roman ruins of Volubilis and two nights in Chefchaouen, with a full free day for the blue medina, the kasbah and the Spanish Mosque viewpoint.
Then the coast and Marrakech: the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat; the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca; and Marrakech with a local guide, with the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Koutoubia from the outside and the souks.
And the south: the High Atlas over Tizi n’Tichka, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, the Skoura palm grove, the Valley of Roses and the Dades; the Todra Gorge and Erfoud; the sunset camel trek and the night at Tassili Luxury Desert Camp. The way back to Fes runs via Rissani, the Ziz Valley, Midelt, the Azrou cedars and Ifrane: it is the longest driving day, which is why you leave early.
Is this the tour for you?
A complete journey through Morocco: cities, mountains and desert in 10 days, with a driver just for you who adapts to your pace.
The night in the desert
You reach Merzouga in the late afternoon, in time for sunset over the dunes. The camel ride to the camp is optional: if you prefer, the transfer is done by 4x4 and you miss nothing.
At night, the desert sky with no lights around. In the morning it is worth getting up early: sunrise over Erg Chebbi is one of the best moments of the trip.
For a more comfortable night, we recommend Tassili Luxury Desert Camp, our sister camp in Erg Znaigui, with private-bathroom tents. Ask when you book and we will include it in the proposal.
Time on the road
Marrakech to Merzouga is about 560 kilometres across the High Atlas: with stops, 10 to 12 hours on the road.
Fes to Merzouga is about 470 kilometres via Ifrane, Midelt and Errachidia: 8 to 10 hours with stops.
It is a private tour: we stop for photos, meals or a stretch whenever you like, and you set the pace of each day.
Make it yours
As the tour is private, the itinerary can change: start on another day, add or drop a night, or finish in a different city. These are the most requested options:
How to book
Message us on WhatsApp or by email with your dates, how many you are and where you are starting from. We reply with a proposal, a fixed price and what it includes, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
Does the tour start and end at Fes airport?
Yes. On day 1 your driver welcomes you at Fes-Saïss airport and takes you to your riad or hotel; on day 10, after breakfast and depending on your flight, he takes you back to the airport.
How many nights are there in the desert?
One, at Tassili Luxury Desert Camp, in the quiet Erg Znaigui area, with dinner and Berber music beneath the stars. If you want two nights, see the 12-day tour from Fes to Tangier or the 8-day tour to Marrakech.
Which is the longest driving day?
Day 9, from Merzouga to Fes via the Ziz Valley, Midelt, Azrou and Ifrane: you leave early, after sunrise over the dunes.
Is Fes visited with a guide?
This tour uses day 1 for the arrival and leaves for Meknes on day 2. As it is private, a guided visit of Fes can be added with an extra day at the start or the end: let us know when you book.
Is the tour private?
Yes. The vehicle and driver are for your group only, with no other travellers, so stops and timings adapt to you.
Do I have to ride a camel?
No. The camel ride is optional: if you prefer, the transfer to the camp is done by 4x4.
Where do we sleep?
There are 9 nights: the first in Fes, the second in Chefchaouen, the third in Chefchaouen, the fourth in Casablanca, the fifth in Marrakech, the sixth in Marrakech, the seventh in the Dades Valley, the eighth at the desert camp and the ninth in Fes. The proposal tells you the exact accommodation for each night.
Which meals are included?
Breakfasts and dinner at the desert camp. Lunches are not, as we stop wherever you like along the way. Other dinners are on request: if you’d like them, tell us when you book and we’ll include them in the proposal.
What language does the driver speak?
Our drivers speak several languages, including English. If you need Italian, just ask when booking.
Can it be done in 9 days?
Yes: we have the 9-day Morocco tour from Fes tour. With fewer days there are more hours of driving in a row, which is why this itinerary spreads the journey better.
How much does the tour cost?
It depends on how many of you are travelling, the dates and the type of accommodation. The vehicle and driver are a fixed cost, so the more of you there are, the less it costs per person. Message us on WhatsApp and we’ll send you the price and availability the same day.
When is the best time to go?
Spring and autumn are the most pleasant; summer is very hot in the middle of the day, and winter nights in the desert are cold.
Where to sleep in the desert
A night in a private tent
If you want to stay longer in the desert, Tassili Luxury Desert Camp has ten tents with private bathrooms in Erg Znaigui, away from the main camp area.
- Ten private tents
- A private bathroom in every tent
- In Erg Znaigui, away from the main camp area