The 6-Day Marrakech to Tangier Tour is Morocco's great diagonal — a one-way journey from the terracotta south to the blue north that crosses nearly every landscape and culture the country has to offer. Beginning in Marrakech, the first two days follow the classic southern route over the High Atlas, through Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades Valley, and Todra Gorge to the Saharan dunes of Erg Chebbi.
From the desert, the tour pivots north through landscapes that most visitors never reach: the lush Ziz Valley with its vast palm groves, the aromatic cedar forests and Barbary macaque colonies near Azrou, and the cool alpine town of Ifrane, before arriving in the ancient medina of Fes. A full guided day in Fes follows, then onward to the blue-washed alleys of Chefchaouen, and finally the cosmopolitan port of Tangier — or a drop-off in Casablanca or a return to Marrakech, depending on your onward travel.
No other six-day tour in Morocco covers this range of geography, history, and culture in a single unbroken journey. Every day introduces a landscape and atmosphere entirely unlike the day before.
Your tour departs early from Marrakech, heading south on the road that climbs steadily into the High Atlas Mountains. As the city gives way to olive groves and the altitude rises, the landscape transforms into a dramatic world of peaks, hairpin bends, and deep river valleys. The route approaches the summit of the Tizi n'Tichka Pass at 2,260 metres — the highest paved mountain pass in Morocco — with panoramic views across the High Atlas in every direction.
The road descends through Berber villages toward Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the finest examples of southern Moroccan earthen architecture — used as a filming location for Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and Lawrence of Arabia. Time to walk through the village and climb to the granary for views across the Ounila Valley.
After passing through Ouarzazate, the route heads east along the Dades Valley through the Skoura Oasis and the Route of a Thousand Kasbahs. Ancient mud-brick fortresses appear against deep red cliffs all the way to the guesthouse. Overnight in the Dades Valley.
After breakfast, an optional early morning walk in the Dades Gorge itself — the narrow canyon cut into the red rock behind the valley floor. The route then heads northeast through the pre-Saharan landscape toward Todra Gorge, where sheer walls of pale limestone rise approximately 300 metres on either side of a riverbed that narrows to just a few metres across. A walk of twenty to thirty minutes along the canyon floor leaves a lasting impression.
From Tinghir, the road crosses the pre-Saharan plateau toward Merzouga and the orange dunes of Erg Chebbi. You arrive in time to mount a camel and set off into the dunes as the afternoon light turns golden. Dinner is served around the fire, and traditional Gnawa musicians play late into the evening. Overnight at traditional Berber desert camp, Erg Chebbi.
Rise before dawn and climb the nearest dune. The Erg Chebbi dune field at sunrise is completely still and silent — the colours progress through pale gold, warm amber, and deep ochre in a matter of minutes. This is the moment travellers consistently describe as the highlight of the entire tour.
After breakfast, the tour departs northward on roads few visitors travel. The Ziz Valley unfolds as a near-continuous ribbon of date palms cutting through the arid hammada — one of the most striking natural corridors in North Africa. The road continues through Er Rachidia and into the Middle Atlas, where the temperature drops and the landscape transforms completely.
A stop in the cedar forest near Azrou offers the chance to encounter Barbary macaques in their natural habitat — the only wild primate population in Africa north of the Sahara. A short detour through Ifrane, Morocco's alpine town with its Swiss-inspired architecture and green parks, before arriving in Fes. Overnight in the medina.
Fes el-Bali is the largest car-free urban area in the world and one of the best-preserved medieval cities on earth — a place where the 9th century is genuinely still present in the streets, the trades, and the rhythms of daily life. Today is given entirely to exploring it properly with an experienced local guide.
Highlights include the Chouara Tanneries, where leather has been dyed in the same stone vats for over a millennium; the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University, founded in 859 AD and considered the world's oldest continuously operating university; the ornate Bou Inania Madrasa; the fragrant Henna Souk; and the labyrinthine covered souks where artisans work in copper, brass, leather, and ceramics exactly as they have for centuries.
The afternoon is free to explore independently, revisit favourite corners, or return to rest at the riad. Overnight in Fes (2nd night).
Departure from Fes in the morning, driving northwest through the hills of the Rif towards one of Morocco's most beloved towns. Chefchaouen sits in a bowl between two peaks of the Rif Mountains and has painted its streets, staircases, and doorways in every shade of blue for centuries. The effect is unlike anything else in Morocco.
The afternoon is free for unhurried exploration: the Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the Kasbah, the photogenic alleyways of the medina, the Ras el-Maa waterfall, and the Spanish Mosque at sunset. Overnight in Chefchaouen.
A final morning in Chefchaouen to catch the blue city in the soft early light before departure. The tour offers three drop-off options to match your onward travel:
Day 1 ⇢ Marrakech to Dades Valley
Early start ⇢ Tizi n'Tichka Pass (2,260 m) ⇢ Ait Ben Haddou UNESCO ⇢ Ouarzazate ⇢ Skoura ⇢ Route of a Thousand Kasbahs ⇢ 1 night Dades Valley
Day 2 ⇢ Dades Valley to Merzouga Desert
Dades Gorge ⇢ Todra Gorge (300 m walls) ⇢ Tinghir ⇢ Merzouga ⇢ camel trek at sunset ⇢ Gnawa music ⇢ 1 night Berber desert camp
Day 3 ⇢ Merzouga ⇢ Ziz Valley ⇢ Cedar Forest ⇢ Ifrane ⇢ Fes
Sahara sunrise ⇢ Ziz Valley palms ⇢ Er Rachidia ⇢ Azrou cedar forest & Barbary macaques ⇢ Ifrane ⇢ 1 night Fes
Day 4 ⇢ Full Day Guided Tour of Fes
Chouara Tanneries ⇢ Al-Qarawiyyin ⇢ Bou Inania Madrasa ⇢ Henna Souk ⇢ Nejjarine ⇢ artisan souks ⇢ 2nd night Fes
Day 5 ⇢ Fes to Chefchaouen
Fes ⇢ Rif Mountains ⇢ Chefchaouen ⇢ Plaza Uta el-Hammam ⇢ Kasbah ⇢ blue medina ⇢ Spanish Mosque at sunset ⇢ 1 night Chefchaouen
Day 6 ⇢ Chefchaouen ⇢ Tangier / Casablanca / Marrakech
Morning in the blue city ⇢ departure ⇢ drop-off at your chosen destination (Tangier ~2 hrs, Casablanca ~4.5 hrs, Marrakech ~6–7 hrs)
Day 1 travels south over the High Atlas to the Dades Valley. Day 2 continues to Merzouga and Erg Chebbi. Day 3 pivots north through the Ziz Valley, cedar forest, and Ifrane to Fes. Day 4 is a full day in Fes. Day 5 heads northwest to Chefchaouen. Day 6 completes the journey to Tangier, Casablanca, or Marrakech.
South: Marrakech — Ait Ben Haddou — Dades Valley — Todra Gorge — Merzouga · North: Ziz Valley — Er Rachidia — Azrou — Ifrane — Fes — Chefchaouen — Tangier
Pricing varies depending on the accommodation category you choose. Contact us and we will provide a full price breakdown for your group size and preferred dates.
Not sure which option suits you? Message us on WhatsApp and we will recommend the best fit for your budget and travel style.
Most Morocco tours are loops. This one is a diagonal — a genuine journey across the country from the deep south to the far north, ending at a port or airport with onward options to Spain or Europe. Every day of the six is categorically different from the one before, and no road is ever repeated.
The route connects Morocco's most extraordinary landscapes in a logical, unhurried sequence: the Saharan south on Days 1–2, the transition through the Ziz Valley and Middle Atlas forests on Day 3, the medieval depth of Fes on Days 3–4, the intimate beauty of Chefchaouen on Day 5, and an open-ended Day 6 that puts Tangier, Casablanca, or a return south within reach.
For anyone spending a week in Morocco who wants to travel through the country rather than circle within it, this is the definitive itinerary.
"Six days, six completely different Moroccos. The desert on night two and the blue medina of Fes on day four were unlike anything I had ever seen. The transition through the Ziz Valley was the surprise of the trip."
"We ended the tour in Tangier and took the ferry to Spain the same day. Perfect. The guide in Fes was exceptional — we spent hours in corners of the medina no tourist ever reaches."
"Chefchaouen at sunrise on the last morning. I had seen thousands of photos of the blue city and thought I knew what to expect. Nothing prepares you for the reality of standing in those streets in the quiet morning."
Prefer to stay in the south? If Fes and the north are not on your agenda, the 5-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour covers the same first two days — High Atlas, Ait Ben Haddou, Dades Valley, Todra Gorge, Erg Chebbi — and returns to Marrakech via the spectacular Draa Valley and Ouarzazate. A complete southern loop with no repeated road and no rushed day.
Private and shared departures available. Pick-up from your Marrakech accommodation on Day 1. Drop-off in Tangier, Casablanca, or Marrakech on Day 6. No commitment needed to enquire.
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