A five‑day private journey from Tangier to Fez through the Rif Mountains, the imperial cities, and the Sahara. Wander the blue streets of Chefchaouen, walk the Roman mosaics of Volubilis, explore the medieval medina of Fez, and ride camels into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset. Sleep in a deep‑desert camp, cross the Middle Atlas, and end in Fez. Meals, accommodation, camel trek, and a private driver throughout. No group pace, no rushed stops.
Day 1: Tangier to Chefchaouen
Leave Tangier in the morning and drive southeast into the Rif Mountains. The air cools as the road climbs, and the landscape shifts from coastal hills to jagged peaks. By midday you reach Chefchaouen, the blue city tucked into a valley. The medina is small and walkable, its walls painted in layers of blue that change with the light. A natural waterfall feeds the city with fresh water, and the pace is slow. Shopkeepers are relaxed; nobody calls for your attention. You can wander the cobbled streets, climb the stone staircases, and settle into a café on Plaza Uta el‑Hammam as the afternoon light turns the walls cobalt. Spend the night in a traditional riad inside the medina.
Day 2: Chefchaouen to Meknes and Volubilis
After an early breakfast, drive south through the Rif. The morning fog often hangs in the valleys, breaking into shafts of sunlight as you descend. By late morning you reach Volubilis, the Roman city spread across a plateau of olive trees and wheat fields. The floor mosaics are still set into their original houses; you can walk straight onto them. The House of Orpheus, the basilica, and the olive presses stand open to the sky exactly where they were abandoned.
From Volubilis, continue to Meknes for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Heri es‑Souani granaries, a vast complex of thick‑walled chambers and arched corridors built to store grain for twelve thousand horses. Nearby, the mausoleum of Sultan Moulay Ismail offers a quieter moment of intricate zellij and carved stucco. In the evening, drive to Fez and settle into your riad for the night.
Day 3: Fez and Its Surroundings
Spend the day inside Fez el‑Bali, the oldest part of the medina and the largest car‑free urban area in the world. Begin at the Bab Boujloud, the Blue Gate, and walk into the narrow alleys where donkeys haul goods past workshops that have operated for centuries. Visit the Chouara Tannery, where leather is cured in stone vats using methods unchanged since medieval times. A guide leads you through the key madrasas, past the Al‑Qarawiyyin mosque and university, and explains the different neighbourhoods: Fez el‑Bali, Fez Jedid with its royal palace, and the old Jewish quarter. The day ends with a sunset view from the Marinid Tombs on the hill above the city.
Day 4: Fez to Merzouga – Into the Sahara
Leave Fez early and drive south through the Middle Atlas. The first stop is Ifrane, a small town of alpine houses and cedar forests where Barbary macaques gather around ancient trees. The road continues through the Ziz Valley, past palm groves and fortified villages, until the landscape flattens into the pre‑Saharan plains. By late afternoon you reach Merzouga, where a line of camels waits at the edge of the dunes. You ride into Erg Chebbi as the sun sets, the light turning the peaks from amber to rose. The trek takes about an hour and a half, arriving at a deep‑desert camp after dark. Dinner is a slow‑cooked tagine around the fire. Sleep in a canvas tent or under the stars.
Day 5: Merzouga to Fez – Sunrise and Return
Wake before dawn to climb a dune and watch the sunrise. After a short camel ride back to the lodge and a proper breakfast, the drive back to Fez takes most of the day. You’ll stop for lunch in Midelt and a final break in the cedar forests near Ifrane before arriving in Fez by early evening. The tour ends where it began, carrying a lot of sand and the quiet of the desert.
Excluded:
Pickup: From your hotel or Riad.
Drop off: in your hotel/Riad or at the airport.
You’ll travel in a private, air‑conditioned 4WD or spacious minivan, late‑model Mercedes, Toyota, or similar, kept very clean and serviced regularly. Your driver is a licensed Moroccan professional with years of experience on mountain passes and Saharan pistes. Friendly, attentive, and discreet, they know every fuel stop, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the journey so you feel safe, comfortable, and never rushed.
Infant seats and baby cribs are available upon request — please reach out and request them in advance.
Free cancellation up to 14 days before your tour starts. If you cancel within 14 days, you’ll receive a full refund minus a 20% fee.
When you travel with us, your money stays in the places you visit, the medinas, the mountain towns, and the family‑run businesses that make each city what it is.
Family‑run riads and desert camp – your nights in Chefchaouen, Fez, and Merzouga are at locally owned accommodation managed by families we’ve known for years.
Local guides and drivers – every guide, driver, and camel handler you meet is from the region. They earn fair wages, and we never use commission‑based stops.
Artisan cooperatives – when you buy pottery, leather, or carpets along the route, we guide you to workshops run by local craftsmen and women‑led cooperatives.
This is not a charity pitch. It’s how we’ve always run our tours. And it means that after your five days from Tangier to Fez, you’ve left something real behind.
If you have questions about this tour, want to customize it, or simply need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just reach out to us through
We’ve spent years helping travelers explore the Morocco and have created an extensive library of practical guides covering everything from desert camps and weather to routes, packing, safety, local culture, and itineraries. If you still have questions before booking, our Guides will help you understand exactly what to expect and plan your trip with confidence.
