10 day Morocco itinerary from Tangier: day-by-day overview
Starting in Tangier means you travel south in one continuous line, from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Sahara and on to Marrakech, without doubling back. Here is how the ten days fit together.
| Day | Route | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tangier | Cap Spartel, Caves of Hercules, Kasbah | Tangier |
| 2 | Tangier – Tetouan – Chefchaouen | Rif Mountains, blue medina | Chefchaouen |
| 3 | Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes | Roman ruins, Bab Mansour | Fes |
| 4 | Fes (no driving) | Guided medina tour, Chouara Tannery | Fes |
| 5 | Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Midelt – Merzouga | Cedar forest, Ziz Valley | Hotel by the dunes |
| 6 | Merzouga and Erg Chebbi | Nomads, Khamlia, sunset camel trek | Desert camp |
| 7 | Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dadès Valley | Sunrise, Todra cliffs | Dadès Valley |
| 8 | Dadès – Ouarzazate – Aït Benhaddou – Marrakech | Valley of the Roses, Tizi n'Tichka | Marrakech |
| 9 | Marrakech (no driving) | Bahia Palace, Majorelle, Jemaa el-Fna | Marrakech |
| 10 | Departure | Free morning, airport transfer | – |
Want to see Tangier and the north in more depth first? Our Tangier and northern Morocco travel guide covers the medina, Asilah and Tetouan.
Arriving by ferry from Spain: why start your Morocco tour in Tangier
Tangier is the natural entry point if you are coming from Tarifa or Algeciras, or flying into Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport. Your driver-guide meets you at the port or the airport, so you avoid the busy taxi ranks and go straight into the city tour. From there the route flows south: the Rif Mountains and Chefchaouen on day 2, the imperial cities on days 3 and 4, and the desert by day 5.
The alternative many travellers consider is flying into Casablanca. The 10 day Morocco itinerary from Casablanca shares the southern half of this trip but starts with the Hassan II Mosque and Rabat instead of Cap Spartel and Tetouan. If you are combining southern Spain and Morocco, Tangier is usually the simpler choice.
Shorter or longer options from Tangier
- 7 days from Tangier: the same direction with fewer free days.
- 15 days from Tangier: adds more of the Atlas, the coast and extra nights.
Tangier to Marrakech in 10 days: driving and pacing
The country is long, and this tour crosses most of it. The two longest days are day 5, Fes to Merzouga, roughly 8 to 9 hours including stops in Ifrane, the Azrou cedar forest and Midelt, and day 8, Dadès to Marrakech over the High Atlas, roughly 7 to 8 hours including Aït Benhaddou. The other driving days are around 3 to 6 hours with visits along the way, and days 4, 6 and 9 involve little or no highway driving.
Travel is in a private air-conditioned vehicle with your driver-guide, who works in English, French, Spanish or Italian (Spanish and Italian depend on availability and are confirmed before booking). In Fes and Marrakech a local guide leads you through the medinas on foot. Because the tour is private, you choose how long to linger at each stop, and the route can be adjusted, for example ending at Casablanca airport, about two and a half hours from Marrakech.
Tangier to Sahara desert tour: the Merzouga days
After the long drive across the Middle Atlas you spend the first desert night in a hotel at the edge of Erg Chebbi, which means you start day 6 rested. The morning is for exploring by 4x4: a visit to a nomad family for mint tea and Gnawa music in the village of Khamlia. In the late afternoon you ride camels for around an hour and a half into the dunes, timed for sunset, and sleep at a desert camp. The camel ride depends on camel availability that day; if none are free, the transfer is by 4x4 with a sunset stop and the camel ride happens the next morning.
The comfort camp has private tents for two, each with its own bathroom and toilet, and a partner camp with air-conditioned tents is also used. You can find out more about the camps in a night in a Merzouga desert camp. Please note that we do not organise isolated wild bivouacs, as Erg Chebbi has many camps.
Practical tips for 10 days in Morocco from the north
- Season: spring and autumn are ideal for the whole route. In summer the north stays pleasant while the desert is very hot; in winter Chefchaouen can be rainy and desert nights cold.
- Packing: layers for the Rif, the Middle Atlas and the desert night, a warm jacket from November to March, a scarf against sun and sand and comfortable shoes for cobbled medinas.
- Money: the dirham (MAD) is a closed currency, so get it on arrival from cash machines or exchange offices. Carry cash for lunches, entrance fees and tips; lunches and most city dinners are not included.
- Ferry crossings: book your ferry separately and tell us the port and expected arrival time so pick-up can be planned.
- Etiquette: dress modestly in villages and ask before photographing people, especially in Chefchaouen.
International flights and ferries are not part of the package. The tour covers private transport, your driver-guide, local guides in Fes and Marrakech and nine nights' accommodation.