Night 1
Fes
Riad or boutique hotel
A traditional house built around a courtyard, in or beside the old town, with individually decorated rooms and breakfast served on the roof terrace or in the patio.
The fastest way to see Morocco from top to bottom.





Tour overview
The fastest way to see Morocco from top to bottom. In four days you travel from the Strait of Gibraltar through Chefchaouen and Fes to the dunes of Merzouga, then west along the kasbah route to Marrakech. The days are full, and it suits travellers arriving by ferry who are short of time.
Our 4 Day Tangier to Marrakech Desert Tour begins in Tangier and ends in Marrakech, covering about 1,370 km by road over four days. Along the way you will experience the Tizi n'Tichka pass over the High Atlas, the UNESCO-listed ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades Valley and Todra Gorge, a sunset camel trek in the dunes of Erg Chebbi, a night in a desert camp, the cedar forests and Barbary macaques of the Middle Atlas and the blue lanes of Chefchaouen. Each stop is a real visit on foot, with your driver-guide explaining what you are looking at and local people adding their own stories.
Accommodation is chosen for character and location rather than size: one night in a riad or boutique hotel in Fes, one night in a desert camp in the dunes of Erg Chebbi and one night in a kasbah-style guesthouse in the Dades Valley. You travel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle, a 4x4 or a minibus depending on the size of your party, with an English-speaking driver-guide who knows these roads well. Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese-speaking guides are available on request.
It suits travellers who have only a few days but still want to reach the real Sahara: couples, friends, solo travellers and families with older children who are comfortable with some time in the car. The longest day on the road is day 2, with 7.5–8 hours of driving; every other day is shorter, and all of them are broken up by visits and stops. Like all our tours it is fully private, so the plan below can be lengthened, shortened or rearranged to fit your dates.
Highlights
Detailed itinerary
An early pickup in Tangier, from your hotel, the port or the airport, starts a day that crosses the whole of northern Morocco. The road climbs into the Rif and by late morning you are in Chefchaouen.
You have around two hours in the blue city: enough for a guided walk through the medina's most photogenic lanes, the main square and the kasbah, and lunch on a terrace. It is a brief visit, and if you would like longer we can add a night here.
The afternoon drive runs south through the hills around Ouazzane and across open farmland to Fes, where you arrive in the early evening and settle into a riad inside the old city, with dinner included.
A long and spectacular day takes you from Fes to the Sahara. You start early, climbing to Ifrane, a tidy mountain town, and into the cedar forest of the Middle Atlas, home to Barbary macaques.
The road crosses high grazing land and the Col du Zad to Midelt for lunch, with Jbel Ayachi behind. Then the Ziz gorges and the palm-filled Ziz Valley appear, seen from a viewpoint on the cliffs.
After Erfoud the dunes of Erg Chebbi rise ahead. In Merzouga you ride a camel into the sand at sunset and spend the night in a desert camp with dinner and music.
After the night in camp, climb a dune for sunrise, then ride or drive back to Merzouga for breakfast.
The journey continues through Rissani, a historic market town on the site of Sijilmassa, where the souk fills on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. West of the town the road crosses a stony plain dotted with the craters of khettara, the underground canals of the oases.
In the afternoon you stretch your legs in Todra Gorge, a narrow canyon of orange cliffs and clear water, and then follow the road to the Dades Valley for dinner and the night.
Your last day takes you from the Dades Valley to Marrakech. You stop in Kalaat M'Gouna to see rosewater being made, then pass the kasbahs of Skoura.
Beyond Ouarzazate, you explore Ait Ben Haddou, the famous fortified village, and have lunch nearby.
The afternoon road crosses the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka, and you reach Marrakech in the early evening.
In the evening you reach Marrakech, where the tour ends at your accommodation. An extra night or the ride to the airport can be added to your plans.
Good to know
Before you go
We meet you at your hotel in Tangier, at Ibn Battouta Airport, at the Tangier Ville ferry port or at Tangier Med, whichever suits your arrival. Tell us your ferry or flight time when booking.
The tour ends at your accommodation in Marrakech or at Menara Airport. On tours that arrive in the evening, we recommend booking a flight for the following day.
A different start or end point is rarely a problem. Because every tour is private, we can begin in one city and finish in another; tell us where you are staying and we will adapt the route and the quote.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable seasons for this route. Days are warm and clear, nights are mild, and in April and May the valleys of the south are green and the roses of Kalaat M'Gouna are in bloom.
Winter is a good time for the desert if you bring warm clothes: skies are bright and the dunes are quiet, but temperatures after dark can fall to around freezing and the High Atlas passes occasionally close for a few hours after snow. In July and August the Sahara is very hot in the afternoon, so we shift the camel trek later, start driving earlier and can recommend a camp with air-cooled tents.
During Ramadan the tour runs as normal. Some restaurants close during the day in smaller towns, your driver-guide will know where to stop, and evenings are especially lively after sunset.
Questions and answers
Yes. You travel only with the people in your own party, in a private vehicle with your own driver-guide. That means you choose the departure date, set the pace and can stop wherever you like along the way.
It varies from day to day. The longest stretch is on day 2, with 7.5–8 hours on the road, and the other days are noticeably shorter. In total the tour covers about 1,370 km. All times are approximate and broken up by visits, lunch and photo stops.
Camps in Erg Chebbi have real beds with sheets and blankets, a dining tent and a fire circle. You choose between two options. Our mid-range luxury camp has private tents with en-suite bathrooms, hot showers and comfortable bedding. Our luxury camp has more spacious tents with air conditioning and heating, high-quality bedding and premium bathroom amenities. Dinner and breakfast are served at the camp.
No. The camel trek is included and most guests enjoy it, but if you prefer, we take you to the camp by 4x4. This is also what we suggest for very young children, pregnant travellers and anyone with back or knee problems.
Yes. The programme on this page is a starting point. We can add nights, swap stops, upgrade accommodation or finish somewhere other than Marrakech. Tell us what you have in mind and we will adjust the route and send a new quote.
March to May and September to November offer the most comfortable temperatures. Winter is clear and quiet but cold at night in the desert; in July and August the Sahara is very hot, and we adjust the timings accordingly.
Prices are always quoted on request: the price depends on the number of travellers, the season and the accommodation category, so we quote each request individually. Send us your dates and group size by WhatsApp or email and we will reply with a detailed quote. You can ask for as many changes as you need before confirming.
Accommodation
Carefully selected riads, guesthouses, hotels and desert camps. The exact properties are confirmed with your quote, in the category you choose.
Night 1
Riad or boutique hotel
A traditional house built around a courtyard, in or beside the old town, with individually decorated rooms and breakfast served on the roof terrace or in the patio.
Night 2
Desert camp in Erg Chebbi
A camp among the dunes with proper beds and bedding in each tent, a dining tent and a fire circle. We offer two options, both with private tents, en-suite bathrooms and hot showers: a mid-range luxury camp, and a luxury camp with more spacious tents, air conditioning and heating.
Night 3
Kasbah-style guesthouse
A family-run guesthouse or kasbah hotel built in the local earthen style, with en-suite rooms, a terrace over the valley and a home-cooked dinner.
Your night in the Sahara
We offer two camps in the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Tell us which one you prefer when you enquire.
Included in this tour
Upgrade on request
Gallery
The places you will stand in on this route, in the order you reach them.
Tell us your dates and group size, and we will send you this itinerary with a personal quote. You can change anything you like before confirming.
Quick answers for planning your 4 day Tangier to Marrakech desert tour with Magic Morocco Tours.
4 days in Morocco on this route means about 1,370 km by private vehicle from Tangier to Marrakech, with nights in Fes, Erg Chebbi dunes and Dades Valley. Spent this way, your 4 days in Morocco leave time to cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass and to walk through the UNESCO ksar of Ait Ben Haddou.
The 4 day Morocco itinerary, day by day: day 1, Tangier – Chefchaouen – Rif Mountains – Fes; day 2, Fes – Ifrane – Cedar Forest – Midelt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga; day 3, Merzouga – Rissani – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley; day 4, Dades Valley – Valley of Roses – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech. As the tour is private, this 4 day Morocco itinerary can be changed before or during the trip.
As a Tangier to Merzouga desert tour, this trip reaches the Erg Chebbi dunes on day 2. There you ride a camel into the dunes and spend a night at a mid-range luxury desert camp (luxury camp on request). Shorter and longer Tangier to Merzouga desert tour options are on our Tours from Tangier page.