The Ultimate 12-Day Tour From Tangier – Desert & Imperial Cities

Day 1TANGIER –> CHEFCHAOUEN

• We will start the 12 days from Tangier by meeting you at the port or airport or picking you up from any point in Tangier, a member of our team will greet you, If time permits, we will have a short tour around the city of Tangier and then head to Chefchaouen through the scenic landscape of the Rif Mountains.

• You will arrive in Chefchouen after a two-hour drive and check into your accommodations at Riad Chrifa/Riad Dar Hicham.

 

Day 2 EXPLORING CHEFCHAOUEN

• Chefchaouen is known as “the blue city,” with its blue-washed walls. You’ll have time to rest and leisurely explore this fascinating city and enjoy its charming people in their traditional dress.

 

Day 3 CHEFCHAOUEN -> VOLUBILIS –> MEKNES –> FES

• After an early breakfast in your riad, we’ll start driving to Fes via Volubilis and Meknes.

• Then it’s on to Meknes, which was the capital during the 17th century and one of the Imperial cities of Morocco. You’ll see the famous gate of Bab Mansour, the Sahrij, the Souani basin used for irrigation, and the Mouly Ismail mausoleum.

• After lunch overlooking the medina, we’ll head to Fes and overnight at Riad Yacout/ Riad Ahlam in the heart of the medina.

 

Day 4 CITY TOUR OF FES

• After breakfast in your riad, our local guide will take you on a journey into the oldest medina of Fes in Morocco that dates back to the 9th century.

• You’ll explore the narrow winding cobblestone streets of the medina, where donkeys are the main mode of transportation.

• Your tour will include historical sites of the medina, including the University of Al Karaouine, the oldest university in the world started in 851 by a woman (Fatima Fhriya), the Moulay Idriss mausoleum, the Nejjarine fountains, the famous (and odiferous) tanneries, as well as the King’s Palace and the Jewish quarter where, if you like, you can visit a synagogue in the Mellah.

• Lunch will be in the medina. The tour ends around 3-4 p.m. at your riad

 

Day 5 FES -> IFRAN-> MIDELT -> MERZOUGA.

• In the morning we’ll drive toward the Sahara desert, stopping first in Ifran, known as Little Switzerland.

• Then we’ll continue through the Cedar Forest where with luck you’ll see Barbary apes.

• Most of the drive will be through the scenic Atlas Mountains and the Ziz Valley.

• After lunch in Midelt, we continue the drive through the scenic Ziz Valley, stopping at scenic views along the way.

• We’ll arrive in the village of Merzouga on the edge of the desert by the afternoon and check into your riad, Riad Madu/Riad Nezha.

 

Day 6 EXPLORING THE AREA AND A CAMEL TREK

• After breakfast, you can explore Merzouga and see how the villagers irrigate their crops in an oasis.

• Then it’s on to the village of Khamila, home to the black people who were brought to Morocco as slaves decades ago.

• You’ll be treated to a performance of their unique Gnawa music and have lunch in the village.

• Return to your riad for a rest before heading out on camels into the Sahara Desert where you will become more than just a tourist. You’ll spend the night in tents in our comfortable desert camp, equipped with flush toilets and showers. Dinner will be served under the stars.

 

Day 7 MERZOUGA -> TODRA GORGES -> DADES VALLEY

• In the morning, your camel guide will awaken you to enjoy the beauty of the sunrise over the dunes. This experience is considered one of the trip’s highlights.

• After your breakfast in the middle of the Erg Chebbi dunes, you’ll ride your camels back to the village of Merzouga.

• Then it’s off for a drive to the Dades Valley via the Todra Valley and Gorges where we will stop for pictures of the kasbahs built by Berber Jews during the 17th century.

• You’ll have a chance to walk through and photograph the Todra Gorges before carrying on to the Dades Valley.

• Overnight accommodation will be at Paradise Dades or similar.

 

Day 8 DADES VALLEY -> ROSE VALLEY -> OUARZAZATE

• After breakfast at your riad, we’ll drive to Ouarzazate via the Dades Valley, with its dramatic rock formations and ancient kasbahs, and then on to the Rose Valley, known for its damask roses that are harvested in April.

• Continuing on our journey, we’ll head to Ouarzazat, known as African Hollywood, where you can see the Taourirt Kasbah and tour the movie studios.

• Check into your accommodations at Riad dar Chamaa.

 

Day 9 OUARZAZATE -> AIT BEN HADDOU KASBAH -> MARRAKECH

• After breakfast at your riad, we’ll travel to Marrakech via the Ait ben Haddou Kasbah, the largest Kasbah in Morocco where movies such as The Gladiator, Game of Thrones, Lawrence of Arabia, and The Jewel of the Nile were filmed.

• Then on to Marrakech through the Tichka Pass that is considered as one of the highest mountains in Morocco. We will arrive in Marrakech and overnight at Riad Princess du Desert /Ksar Anika.

 

Days 10 EXPLORING MARRAKECH.

• After breakfast, our local guide will take you through some of the historical sites of “The Red City,” including the Bahia Palace, the Saadienne tombs, Jamaa Lafna Square, and Ben Youssef Madrasa. Walking through the souks, you’ll enjoy the sights, sounds, and bright colors of the market. The city tour ends around 3 p.m.

• Then on to the new part of Marrakech and the beautiful Majorelle Gardens, created by Yves St. Laurent, before heading back to your accommodations.

• After sundown, we suggest you walk to Jamaa el Fna, the main square in the old city that comes alive at night with snake charmers, storytellers, merchants, and tourists enjoying the sights and sounds of Marrakech.

 

Day 11 DAY TRIP TO ESSAOUIRA

• After breakfast at your riad, you’ll leave for Essaouira and Mogador, the City of Wind where surfers from all over the world come to enjoy their favorite sport.

• Along the way, we’ll drive through the Land of Argan, the only place in the world where argan trees grow. You can visit one of the women’s cooperatives to see how the argan oil is made, by hand, the old-fashioned way.

• When we arrive in Essaouira you’ll have time to explore this blue and white city on the Atlantic Ocean, where, for centuries, many different cultures lived side-by-side.

• Enjoy lunch in one of the local restaurants before we head back to your accommodations in Marrakech.

 

Day 12 DEPARTURE

• We will transport you to the airport in Casablanca where the 12 days tour itinerary from Tangier with Legendary Morocco Tours ends. You’ll return home with a heart full of happy memories.