Marrakech to Chefchaouen Desert Tour

Marrakech to Chefchaouen ( The blue city ) desert tour

OVERVIEW

Marrakech, The Sahara desert, Fes and the blue city of Chefchaouen are every one’s dream when they travel to Morocco. This 6 days Marrakech to Chefchaouen Desert tour is bursting with beauty and adventure, making the possibilities of cultural discoveries almost endless. On our 6-day road trip, you will see the best Morocco has to offer: Exploring the legendary imperial cities of Marrakech and Fes, spend a night at your luxury Sahara desert camp, and admire the striking blue city of Chefchaouen.

Marrakech to Chefchaouen Desert Tour highlights:

Visit Kasbah Ait Ben Hadou and Ouarzazate Film Studios
Walk along famous Morocco desert oases and canyons
Ride a camel in Erg Chebbi and sepend the night in a luxury desert camp
Step inside the magical city of Fes and its labyrinthine Medina
Take amazing photos of Chefcaouen gates, houses and blue-walled streets

Marrakech to Chefchaouen Desert Tour itinerary:

DAY 1 :
MARRAKECH – AIT BEN HADOU – OUARZAZATE – BOUMALNE DADES

6 HOURS

Expect your driver / guide at 7h30 am at the doors of your hotel or Riad and our first destination will be Kasbah Ait Ben Hadou. To get there, we will pass through Tizi Ntichka pass and the high Atlas Mountains. The view from your window will remind you of a painting you once admired about nature. No worries! We will be taking several stops for you to contemplate the beauty of what you are seeing, to take pictures, or just stretch your legs. From there, we will visit the UNESCO world heritage Kasbah Ait Ben Hadou, which was the filming set for several world known Hollywood movies. We carry on with our way to Ouarzazate and pay a visit to the Atlas film Studios before having lunch. In the afternoon, drive to the oasis of Skoura, where you will have the opportunity to visit one of the most preserved Kasbahs in Morocco: Kasbah Amridil, where you will learn a lot about the local architecture, unique irrigation systems, customs, and much more. From here, you continue to Boumalne Dades via the Valley of the Roses. Upon our arrival, we get ready to get settled for dinner and overnight in our lodge, which is located next to Dades Canyons.

DAY 2 :
BOUMALNE DADES – TINGHIR – RISSANI – MERZOUGA

4 HOURS DRIVE

After breakfast, we begin our day with a drive to Tinghir through the raod of 1001 Kasbahs. Once in Tinghir, which was a French military station during the times of the French colonization, we will take a detour and make a stop at another oasis. When you are there, please allow nature’s aesthetic voices freshen your souls, while you take a walk alongside the stream. At the end of your walk, another nature’s treasure is awaiting for you: Todgha Gorges. After lunch at one of the local cafes, we proceed to Rissani and feel the spirituality of the town, as it is considered one of the holiest places in Morocco. In fact, Rissani is the home origins of the ruling family in Morocco and the dynasty founder is buried there. Rissani is also famous for being the departure site for ancient caravan roads, which usually head all the way to the Sahara desert and Tomboctou. After a history lesson in Rissani, we will reach Merzouga after driving across some rocky terrain. Once there, we will meet our camel caravan for an exciting camel ride over Erg Chebbi dunes and watch the sky taking on shades of orange until it’s time for it to set. After the ride, we reach your Sahara desert camp nestled in the middle of nowhere. Once you are settled, feel free to walk up to one of the sand dunes to admire the views. Enjoy dinner on open air while entertained by our local nomads’ music.

DAY 3 :
MERZOUGA – FES

7 hours drive

After an early breakfast at you desert camp, we get ready for a long way to Fes passing by the Zizi Valley through Errachidia. We keep driving to Midelt where we will be having lunch before we resume driving across the Middle Atlas Mountains known for its cedar forests, Babrbary monkeys, and Berber towns of Ifran and Imouzzar considered famous ski resorts for locals in the winter. We arrive at Fes late in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at your Fes Medina Riad.

DAY 4 :
EXPLORE FES

Visit the spiritual capital of Morocco and one of the oldest cities in the Kingdom, Fes. The city is considered to be the “Athens of Africa” thanks to its rich cultural, religious heritage and educational institutions. You will take a guided tour of the ancient imperial city and start by visiting the broad esplanade of the Royal Palace, with its luxurious architecture. From then, you will continue to the 16th century Borj Sud and enjoy a dazzling view of the walled city. Then, you will delve deep Into the UNESCO world heritage Medina. Walk through narrow streets, charming bazaars, ancient madrassas and hillside shrines. Visit the bustling Nejjarine square, and discover Moroccan art in the Dar Batha Museum. Fes will not fail to capture you with its abundant places to see. After finishing your tour of the city, drive back to your hotel or riad and enjoy the rest of the evening.

DAY 5 :
FES – VOLUBILIS – CHEFCHAOUEN

4 HOURS DRIVE

After breakfast in your Riad, We will drive across the Saiss Plain to the archaeological site of Volubilis, one of the richest and most important world heritage sites in Morocco. This site covers an area of 42 hectares, and it showcases urban development at the frontiers of the Roman Empire. It has produced a significant amount of artistic material such as mosaics and marble and bronze statuary. This site is also considered to have been of great importance to various cultures such as the Libyco-Berber, the Mauritanian, the Roman, the Christian, and the Arabo-Islamic ones. It is a testimony to their history, beliefs, and artistic works. From here, we will drive across the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen. Enjoy the breath-taking views around every corner that the mixed scenery of the mountains together with the open countryside fields has to offer. When you arrive at Chefchaouen, the beauty of this gorgeous town will strike you. Dinner and overnight in your riad.

DAY 6 :
EXPLORE CHEFCHAOUEN – CASABLANCA

5 HOURS DRIVE

After breakfast in your Riad, get ready to enjoy the charming narrow streets of Chefchaouen with houses and artisans shops painted in different shades of blue and white colours, creating a marvellous picture. A photo in in front of one of its blue doors or walls makes a perfect Instagram picture. Apart from being the most photogenic destination in Morocco, it is also a calm, chilling and laid-back town. Walk up and down the tangled streets of the Medina. The latter’s architecture showcases an Andalusian influence. Enjoy a walk through its narrow blue streets, which also serve as a street market, displaying some of the Morocco’s finest handicraft and leather products, for which the town is best known. Because of the relaxed ambiance of Chefchaouen, which is hardly found in bigger cities, you will enjoy strolling at leisure in the maze-like streets until you reach the busy Plaza Uta El Hammam where the Kasbah is located. you will then take a lunch break at one of the lovely cafes located in one of the blue alleyways. Although Chefchaouen is a small city, its chilling vibes, great sense of local community, and a traditional lifestyle stuck between the past and the present, captivate your soul in a way that the town will always be engraved in your heart. In the afternoon, we will drive to Casablanca or Marrakech, where your tour will come to an end. PS: This tour can also end in Marrakech with no extra charge

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

- Pick up can be arranged from Marrakech airport or any hotel in the area
- Should you wish to tailor this Tour to your interests and timetable, please let us know.
- The above accommodations are not guaranteed on high season, the sooner you book the better chance we have to secure them.
- Tour price per person depends on how many participants there are in your party.
- Driving times above do not include stops for sightseeing, photos, lunch and cafe.
- Entrance fees to historical sites are not included. That way we do not charge you for sites you are not interested to visit.
- A 4x4 can seat up to 4 adult passengers comfortably if there are 5 participants and up, a van will be used for your tour
- Pick up time for your desert tour can be flexible. Between 07h30 and 08h00 AM is highly recommended.

Included

First night in Dades Valley hotel including dinner and breakfast
Second night in Merzouga Sahara desert camp including camel ride, dinner and breakfast
Third night at a Fes Riad including dinner and breakfast
Fourth night at a Fes Riad including dinner and breakfast
Fiifth night in Chefchaouen Riad including dinner and breakfast
A/C modern 4x4 or van driven by an English / French speaking driver / guide
Local guide in Fes, Tinghir and Kasbah Ait Ben Hadou

Not Included

Entrance fees to historical sites (That way we won’t charge you for sites you are not interested to visit)
Beverages for dinners included in your tour
Lunches during the tour
Tips to your driver