6 Days Nomad Desert Trip - Tangier > Merzouga > Tangier
This 6-Day Berber Culture Tour from Tangier to the Merzouga Desert will allow you to discover some of the cultures of the Berber Nomads and the Moroccan culture at large. Enjoy amazing scenery, old Kasbahs, see the Dades Gorge and Toudra Gorge and a camel trek and overnight stay in the Sahara Desert.
Tour overview
6 Days in Morocco trip from Tangier is the finest option for those looking to discover the real Morocco. Enjoy the stunning views of the Rif Mountains and the teeny-tiny village of Chefchaouen, often known as Morocco’s blue city.
Visit the famous, ancient, cultural, and religious city of Fes. On your tour, you will also see the middle and high Atlas highlands, Ifrane, which is famed for its alpine-style architecture and neighboring ski slopes and is a popular summer resort for Moroccans, and Azrou, which is home to wild Barbarian apes.
Ziz Valley, one of the most beautiful rivers in the kingdom, and of course, a camel ride to spend a night out at desert camp, featuring breathtaking sunsets and sunrises over Erg Chebbi’s golden sand dunes. This private Tangier 6-day journey will allow you to spend lots of time in the Sahara, see the Merzouga desert, and meet Berber nomad families…
During this 6-day Tangier desert tour, you’ll see the local Rissani weekly market, the picturesque Todra valley and canyon, Dades Valley and Taourirt Kasbah, Ouarzazate film studios, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of ksar Ait Benhaddou…
Tour itinerary
Day 1 : Tangier – Chefchaouen - Fes {305 km} 5 Hours
You will be picked up by your driver from your hotel, airport, or seaport and begin our 6-day journey from Tangier, traveling through the gorgeous Rif mountains and continuing to the picturesque blue city “Of Chefchaouen,” where we will have free time to explore this enchanting small town.
Going through its small lanes painted in blue and white that will allow you to snap some stunning images, seeing its historic medina, Ras el Ma “head of the water” here is the spot at which the fresh mountain cascade seeps its way into town… A superb lunch will be served at a neighborhood restaurant.
In the morning, we will visit the famous Plaza Uta el-Hammam, and in the afternoon, after your visit, we will travel directly to Fes while enjoying wonderful views of the Rif mountains and green landscapes of northern Morocco, arriving in Fes in the late afternoon, and staying overnight at a decorated hotel/riad.
Day 2: Sightseeing visit of Fes
Following breakfast in your riad, the local guide will start the tour of Fes to discover this beautiful city, the oldest, wealthiest, cultural, religious, spiritual, and mystical of the four imperial capitals of Morocco, which you will observe has not suffered the passage of time.
You will tour the historic Jewish district of Mellah as well as the Royal Palace gate yard, where you will learn about Moroccan Jewish history. The tour includes the tile art factory and a breathtaking panoramic view of the town.
Following that, you will begin with a walking tour through the small alleys, seeing the famed ancient tanneries, and then the Quaraouine Mosque and the University, the world’s oldest university, the Attarin Medersa, and the Najjarin Fountain, before being driven back to your riad.
Day 3 : Fes – Middle Atlas mountains – Tiz'n Talghamt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga Desert {470 km} 7 Hours
Your 6-day vacation from Tangier to Merzouga continues into the Merzouga desert via the middle Atlas highlands, with a pleasant drive via Berber settlements.
Pause at the picturesque city of Ifrane (dubbed “Moroccan Switzerland”), then proceed to Azrou, the famous cedar forest where you may observe monkeys, and finally to Midelt, where you can stop for lunch.
After that, we’ll head south to Erfoud, known for its fossils and its yearly festival dates market, via the beautiful Ziz Valley, where we’ll stop to admire a nice panoramic view of the oasis scenery. In the afternoon, we’ll arrive at the impressive Erg Chebbi dunes for dinner and an overnight stay at Hotel in Merzouga.
Day 4 : Explore Merzouga area – Erg Chebbi - Camel Trek and Night at desert Camp {50 km} 3 Hours
After breakfast at your hotel, we’ll begin our Merzouga 4×4 excursion to explore different and interesting sites around the Erg Chebbi dunes. We’ll visit Hassi Labied oasis to see its irrigation canal and land agriculture, then head south to the seasonal Sriji lake (if there’s water in it). After that, we’ll go to the M’ifis mines. Apart from tourists, the Merzouga desert is well-known for its minerals and fossils.
We’ll enjoy a drink of mint tea with a nomad Berber family that is still living in their tent in the midst of the Sahara on our Merzouga 44 desert trip. We’ll stop at many panoramic viewpoints to take photographs and enjoy the landscape… We’ll return to the settlement after lunch at a local restaurant, and from there you’ll undertake camel trekking to our Berber Camp in Merzouga. The camel ride lasts 1 – 1:30 hours, with a pause on top of the dunes to watch the sunset, try sandboarding if that’s an activity you’re interested in, enjoy the views, snap photographs, and then after these lovely moments, return to the hotel.
You’ll proceed to the camp, where you’ll be greeted with a drink of tea and may rest until dinner time. After dinner, there will be some traditional Berber drumming music, and you’ll sleep beneath a nomadic tent.
Day 5 : Merzouga - Todgha Gorge - Dades Valley {270 km} 4 Hours
Today, because you’re already in the desert, it’s worth getting up early to witness the sunrise near the camp. After this magnificent moment, you’ll have breakfast and take a shower at the camp before riding the camels or transferring by 4WD back to the original starting point, where you’ll meet your driver.
Continuing your 6-day Morocco itinerary, you will visit Rissani’s weekly market if it is one of the market days (Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday), and we will pass through small Berber villages such as Touroug, Tinjdad, and Tinghir where we will stop to admire its beautiful Todra valley full of palm trees and vegetation.
We proceed to Todra Gorge, which is located at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains and is a popular destination for rock climbers. We will have free time to stroll around its high valleys… We’ll stop for lunch, then proceed to Boumalne Dades in the afternoon, arriving in Dades Valley for supper and an overnight stay at a hotel/riad.
Day 6 : Dades Valley – Ouarzazate – Ait ben Haddou- High atlas mountains - Marrakech {330 km} 7 Hours
Our Tangier desert journey concludes today. Our journey to Marrakech continues for another 6 days, passing through Kalaat M’gouna, Rose Valley, and Skoura Palm Grove. At Ouarzazate, we visit Kasbah Taourirte and the film studios (optional).
Later we’ll go to Ait Benhaddou to see its famed and oldest kasbah (declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Gladiator, Obelix, the Mummy, the Jewel of the Nile, Sahara starring Penélope Cruz, and other famous films have been shot in this stunning location. A lunch break is available.
We continue our journey by traversing the High Atlas Mountains through Tizi N’tichka, Morocco’s highest road pass at 2260 meters above sea level, which provides spectacular views of valleys, mountains, and several Berber communities nearby. Arriving in Marrakech in the afternoon/evening, transfer to your accommodation, and your 6-day journey from Tangier concludes.
Includes:
- Camel Trek & Desert Camp Overnight.
- Dinner.
- Lunch and beverages are included.
- Gratuities.
Excludes:
- Lunches.
- Drinks.
- Fes has a diner.
- Monumental entrances (optional).
Testimonials
Tour highlights
- The Rif Mountains are breathtaking.
- Chefchaoue's blue pearl.
- Splendid middle & high atlas mountains.
- The oldest, cultural, religious city of Fes.
- Camel trekking in the desert is an unforgettable experience.
- Sunset and dawn over the Erg Chebbi dunes.
- A magical night in the desert camp of Merzouga.
- Pay a visit to the Berber nomads.
- Rissani's traditional market.
- The Todra Gorge.
- Dades Valley is breathtaking.
- Ait ben Haddou is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Important details
Point of convergence:
- You can either walk to the meeting spot or seek a ride.
Tangier.
Morocco, Tangier.
Hotel/Riad Pick-up and drop-off services are available.
Before you go, be aware of the following:
- When you book, you will receive confirmation.
- Babies must sit on their parents' laps.
- Service animals are permitted.
- Near public transit.
- Accessible for strollers.
- Wheelchair access is not available.
- The majority of passengers are able to participate.
- There will be a maximum of 17 people on this tour/activity.