5 days in Morocco tour itinerary from Tangier to Marrakech

Name: 5 days in Morocco tour itinerary from Tangier to Marrakech
Brand: Touring In Morocco
SKU: 4447263
Rating: 5 (213 reviews)

Customized 5 days desert tour itinerary in Morocco from Tangier to Marrakech.

Traveling to Morocco? Check out our 5 days in Morocco tour itinerary from Tangier.

Note: You can customize your 5 days in Morocco itinerary from Marrakech, Casablanca, and Fes. Contact us to plan a different itinerary here.

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Highlights of our 5 days in Morocco itinerary:

Overview the attractions visited with our 5 days in Morocco itinerary:

5 days in Morocco itinerary covers the best attractions to visit in Morocco. Our tour will start from the north, Tangier, it will pass by the blue city Chefchaouen. Here, we will spend about 3 hours or 4 to walk around the city and see some sites. For instance, we will visit the Kasbah Museum and the Ras El Ma waterfalls. Then, we will finish the day by driving to the cultural city, Fes.

We will explore Fes the other day, there are many admired attractions. For example, we will visit the Tannery Chouara and the oldest existing university in the world, Al Qarawiyyin. After that, on the third day, we will drive across the Sahara desert of Merzouga. Before, we will pass by the little Switzerland Ifrane, and we will stop at Azrou forest to discover the Barbary Macaque monkeys.

At the Sahara desert, we will do the camel trekking on the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, the biggest in Morocco. Also, we will take you to experience overnight camping at Berber tents.

The fourth and the fifth day will be visiting the grand canyons of Todgha and Dades Gorges. Not to mention, we will visit one of the protected sites by the UNESCO, Ait Benhaddou “a Berber fortress”. Eventually, we will end the tour by driving through The High Atlas Mountains at Tichka Pass to arrive at Marrakech.

Itinerary for 5 days in Morocco from Tangier:

Day 1:Tangier to Fes across Chefchaouen:

We will start our 5 days desert tour in Morocco itinerary by picking you up from Tangier. We will visit the blue pearl of Chefchaouen. Here, there are many things we will discover. For instance, we will visit the first building, a Kasbah museum of art where there are pictures and info about Chaouen. Also, we will have a walk through the blue walls to arrive at the river of Ras El Ma, small waterfalls with an amazing view. Overall, the best thing to do in Chefchaouen is to admire its blue buildings and take pictures. After that, we will drive to spend the night at a traditional Riad in Fes.

Day 2: Fes city tour.

On this day, we will take you on a day tour in Fes, there are many things we will visit, see, and do. To start with, we will visit one of the king’s palaces, it has 7 admired golden gates to take pictures of. Then, we will take you driving to a panoramic view at Borj Nord. Here, you can have a full look from the top of Fes. After that, we may drive to the mosaic cooperative if you are interested, Fes is famous for it.

Thereafter, we will head to explore the old Medina or also called Fes El Bali. There, we will enter from Bab Boujloud “the blue gate”, the main door to the medina. From there, we will visit the oldest existing university and in the world, Al Qarawiyyin mosque. Also, we will visit the Madrassa of Attarine and Bou Inania, they are worth visiting schools with their architecture. Moreover, we will visit one of the 3 tanneries in Fes where they make leather, the most famous is the Chouara Tannery.

We will end the day by taking you back to the Riad, some of them have a SPA. Therefore, you can have warm Hamam or a massage to relax from the exhausting day.

Day 3 : Fes to Merzouga Sahara desert.

Our 5 days in Morocco itinerary will continue towards Merzouga, the highlight of all Morocco tours. It takes almost 7h drive from Fes to Merzouga including the stops. Therefore, the first stop we will me will be at Ifrane, the little Switzerland of Morocco. There, we will visit the Atlas statue of the lion, carved by a German prisoner during the colonization of the French for his freedom.

We will make another stop at the cedar forest in Azrou. Here, we will discover how the Barbary monkeys “apes” live, we will feed them, take some pictures, and leave for the desert.

We will arrive at Merzouga after a few stops, one at the dam of Errachidia and at Ziz valley. Our camel leaders will be waiting for you at the tip of the Sand dunes, they will take you on a camel ride across Erg Chebbi. A stop will be made for sunset before they take you to the camp.

Day 4 : Merzouga to Dades Gorges.

We will continue our 5 days trip itinerary towards Dades Gorges, we will make a few stops on the way there. First, we will pass by Erfoud, if you are interested, we will visit one of the museums of the mineral fossils there. Second, not far from Erfoud, we will stop at an old system of irrigation to show you how they used to water oasis in the past. After that, we will drive to Todgha Gorges, the grand canyons of Morocco. Here, we will take you to have a walk near the river that is passing through the mountains.

Late afternoon, we will drive through Dades town, we will take the pass to the Gorges. Then, we will make a stop at the monkey toes, mountains shaped like that because of the wind and the rain. Thereafter, we will drive to the curves of Tissdrine, where Cadillac, the American car made a record and an advertisement. Eventually, we will take you to the accommodation to spend the night at the Gorges. That would be the end of the 4th days of our 5 days Morocco itinerary.

Day 5: Dades to Marrakech across Ait Benhaddou Kasbah.

After visiting the Gorges of Todgha and Dades, we will drive to Marrakech across many admired sites. To start with, we will visit Kalaat Mgouna, about 40km from Dades. There, we will stop to visit one of the cooperatives where they make the products of rose flowers. Actually, the river that is passing by is called Rose Valley. Second, we will stop at Ouarzazate, the city is famous for the cinema. Therefore, there are many Atlas studios, if you are interested, we will visit one of them, a ticket is required.

The best site we will visit on this day is the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, it’s a Berber fortress which proves are built bamboo. Therefore, they call it a Kasbah referring to the Berber word Kasab which means Bamboo. There, many parts of famous movies were made. For instance, they made a part of the movie Lawrence of Arabia and the British-American drama, the Gladiator. Being here is not just a visit but a place where historical movies were made.

We will continue the trip driving through the pass of Tichka, we will make a stop at the top of 2260 meters. Then, we will make another stop at the argan oil cooperative in case you are interested. Eventually, we will end our 5 days tour itinerary in Morocco from Tangier by taking you to your accommodation.

Review about our 5 days itinerary in Morocco:

Awesome tour in Morocco

The encounter with the Sahara Desert is quite a spectacle and an adventure in itself .... but having been guided by experts who love their work, who respect their environment and know how to spread that love for their environment, is simply a prize. I can only say that thanks to Yusuf and all his team of great Berber connoisseurs of the Sahara, we appreciate this gift of nature, they educated us in their love for their customs and we return home with one of the best and most special moments of our lives. Without a doubt, Touring in Morocco is a prize as a traveler, and highly recommended .... I give it a THOUSAND STARS! I want to recommend Touring in Morocco for those who are willing to hire a travel agency, they will not disappoint. Thank you for the VIP service.

Ruben S

December 2018

Excellent service

An unforgettable experience, great professionals. The journey as you have always dreamed of. Youssef and Hassan are great hosts in their country. Without a doubt, they are the perfect managers to make a tailor-made trip, adapting to the budget you want and the instructions you tell them. Getting to know Morocco for the first time through them was a luxury. Visiting all the imperial cities with Youssef as an experienced driver and enjoying the magic of the desert with Hassan make Morocco a destination to always want to return to. In memory there are always the moments lived. Looking forward to coming back and of course recommending to all of you who are still looking forward to discovering new places.

David R

Janauary 2019

A lifetime experience

We hired the 5-day and 4-night excursion from Tangier to the Merzouga desert. The whole trip is very interesting, to cross the Atlas between mountains of 4000 meters, the contrasts in the Dades, Draa and Ounila valleys, arid in the mountains and green palm groves in the river bed, the route of the Kashbas and the strong point of the trip, the Erg Cherbbi desert with its dromedaries, night in haimas and Berber songs in the starry night. As important as the landscape, the people on the road. Our guide was Hamid, pleasant and with perfect Spanish, an excellent driver with whom you go with complete confidence. The minivan, very comfortable and the riads in Dades and Ourzazate excellent. Lunch at a desert restaurant in Erfoud, unforgettable.

There are many kilometers of car, but it gets along well. They have everything perfectly coordinated, with exquisite punctuality. To put a point to improve, perhaps provide a little more of the historical context. A highly recommended trip to discover Morocco.

Lizzy H

January 2019

Stunning Views

The tour from Tangier is all about stunning views. For instance, you will visit Chefchaouen with its beautiful colored-walls, and Merzouga with its beautiful Er Chebbi dunes.

Hotel Pickup & Dropoff

Our tour includes a pickup service from the accommodation to start the tour itinerary, and a dropoff to end the tour.

Professional Guide/driver

With our 5 days tour itinerary in Morocco, you will be accompanied by the best of our guides. English local speaking drivers who will explain to you about the main sites you will be visiting. Also, you will have a local guide in Fes besides our driver.

Photography locations

This tour will take you on an adventure to location for pictures. The most admired places are Chefchaouen, the Sahara desert of Merzouga and the grand canyons of Todgha.

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Any question or customizations about our 5 days in Morocco itinerary?

We would gladly answer any question you may have about our tour itinerary, the includes, excludes, or customizations. Simply contact us using, or phone number or E-mail.

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Sites overview of our 5 days in Morocco itinerary:

Chefchaouen, the blue pearl:

Chefchaouen is one of the first amazing and beautiful cities in Morocco to travel to. It was founded by Moulay Ali Ben Rachid in 1471 firstly as a Kasbah to protect the invasion of the Portuguese. The city of Chefchaouen is located in the mountains of Rif between to big mountains shaped as the goat’s horns. Therefore, the name Chaouen is coming from the Berber word Iskaouen which means horns. There are many stories on why Chefchaouen is colored with the blue. There are some people who say that the Ghomara, the Jewish, and the Spanish colored it with the blue as the color of the sky. Others say it was colored with the blue o protect it from the mosquitos. Bear in mind, Chefchaouen wasn’t colored by the blue until 1492.

Chefchaouen has a lot of things to offer, several amazing places to discover:

The Kasbah museum:

This site is an art gallery now, where you will find many pictures of Chefchaouen. Also, it’s where you will find historical information about the city, mostly the invasion of the Portuguese, the settlement of the Jewish, and the Spanish.

Wetat Lhmam Square:

Moroccan cities are famous for squares. Here at Chefchaouen, there is a square called Wetat Lhmam which means the nest of a dove. It’s where you will find most of the restaurants and cafes. Also, as it’s a tourist place, many locals make entertainment to gain some money.

Ras El Ma:

The waterfalls of Ras El Ma are also a wonderful site to visit and take pictures at. The meaning of Ras El Ma is the head of the water. That’s because the waterfalls that are coming from the Akchour is passing by here through the Rif mountains.

Spanish Church:

The Spanish church or mosque as they call it is not a worthy place to visit. However, you have time and you feel like hiking, it’s surely a good area to head to, you can see Chefchaouen from the top of the mountains with a beautiful view.

Fes:

Fes is the cultural city of Morocco. It was built by the dynasty of the Idrisid in 789 as the first capital city of Morocco. Then, when other dynasties took the power, Marrakech took the capital, then Meknes and now Rabat. Not to mention, Fes is one of the 4th declared imperial cities in Morocco. Fes is famous for the old part of the Medina “Fes El Bali”, it’s where most of the site that tourists admire to visit.

Dar El Makhzen:

The King Mohammed V has about 12 palaces around Morocco, two of them are here in Fes. One of the Ksars is built in 1960 with 7 golden gates that attract many tourists for its beautiful architecture, it’s near the Mellah, the Jewish quarter.

Mosaic:

Fes is famous for the mosaic or the poetry, with our trip, if you are interested, we can head and visit one of them.

Attarine and Bou Inania Madrasa:

A Madrassa in Arabic or Berber means a school, the Attarine and Bou Inania are schools where they used to teach usually Quran. They are very old that they attract many visitors for their beautiful architecture. Al Attarine is coming from the Arabic word Attar which means the spices seller. It was built in 1323. Bou Inania was built in 1351and it is coming from the one who built it whose name is Abu Inan Faris, he was a Marinid ruler of Morocco.

Al Qarawiyyin university:

You shouldn’t travel to Fes without visiting Al Karaouine mosque. It’s built by Fatima bint Muhammad Al Fihriya AlQurashiya as the oldest existing and still operating university in the world since 859. Actually, this university was first a mosque for teaching the holy Quran, then it was turned to be a university. You may be thinking that the oldest university in the world is. Not to mention, this university is even older than Alma Mater Studiorum in Bologna, Italy.

Tannery of Chouara:

Fes is famous for the tanneries, there are about 3 of them. However, the best and the most admired is the Chouara Tannery. It was built in 11th for the purpose of making leather stuff, like jackets, clothes… The process of doing is by treading skins in dyeing pit barefoot. Also, they put many chemical products to change their colors. Therefore, expect the place to be smelly, take some mint tea or you will be offered once you want to enter.

Hammam and a Massage:

The best thing to do in Fes after an exhausting day is to take a hot Hamam, it’s where you experience the Moroccan sauna. Also, if you are interested you can have a relaxing massage.

Ifrane, the most beautiful and the cleanest city:

Ifrane is referred to as the little Switzerland of Morocco for its European alpine-style architecture. Therefore, it’s considered the cleanest city in Morocco and 12 in the world. It was built in the 16th century. However, the modern part was built late in 1928 by the French during their colonization. Not to mention, the word Ifrane is coming from the Berber word Ifri which means a cave and plural Ifrane. The elevation of the city is high at about 5,460 ft (1,665 m) which means it snows a lot here. Therefore, many locals come to spend the weekend here during the wintertime in order to snowboard. Also, the weather helps a lot with training. Therefore, the Moroccan football team ” the Atlas lions” comes to train here.

With our 5 days itinerary in Morocco, we will make a stop at the statue of the Atlas lion. It represents the extinct wild atlas lion at the forest of the cedar trees. It was built during the French colonization by a German prisoner, they asked him to make something special for the country. Therefore, he carved this lion, it’s the one in the picture.

Ifrane is also famous for other interesting things. For instance, the most expensive university, it’s an international university facing one of the king’s palaces.

Azrou forest:

The forest of cedar trees at the Atlas Mountains, a beautiful place to discover the Barbary apes “monkeys” and other animals. Here at the cedar forest, you will be amazed by the Barbary Macaque monkeys, they are one of the unique animals that live in Africa, especially Morocco and Algeria. They are friendly and always come across the road expecting passengers to feed and water them. Bear in mind, they are not as harmful as the other type of monkeys who live in Asia, where they still people’s stuff and maybe attack them. They are photogenic if you are nice to them and make them feel safe. Also, these animals stay in families and they do not allow others to join them, the parents are equal which means they both take care of their babies and they both feed them.

Here in the cedar forest, there are many other animals. However, they don’t come out to meet people, they feel frightened and not used to people. Among the animals that live there are, the wild pigs, deers, wolves, and many more. Not to mention, one of the unique animals that used to live here is the Atlas lion. However, it couldn’t cope with nature here so it is extinct.

Errachidia, the Dam and Ziz valley:

Errachidia, in Berber Imtghrn and Ksar Souk in Arabic. It was renamed Errachidia in 1975 by the brother of the king Mohammed V, Hassan. Errachidia culturally was a route for Dakar Rally in 2006 and 2007. Also, Errachidia is where there are most of the military bases since the colonization of the French to keen an eye of the borders between Morocco and Algeria. Moreover, it’s where some of the Qatari have properties, they come to spend vacations, and to hunt birds like the Houbara bastard.

With our 5 days tour itinerary, we will pass by the dam of Errachidia, it’s the source of water for the Sahara desert. Also, it’s where some locals go fishing. The dam was built by Hassan Addakhil, the founder of the Alaouite dynasty, and it took his name.
Ziz valley, one of the biggest valley in Morocco that expands to Algeria, it’s about 282km. However, the river we will be passing by with our tour is only about 50km, and it’s where the biggest source of dates is coming from.

Erfoud, the city of dates and Fossils:

Erfoud or Arfoud is a city in the southeast of Morocco, famous for the dates and the mineral fossils. There are two stories about the name of Erfoud. Some people say that there were two Berbers passing by the river, one of them asked the other about the depth of it and the answer was Ar Afoud which means to the knee. Others say it was named after the plant Onfoud, it also exists in the river. Not to mention, the city was built by the French in 1912.

Erfoud is famous for the fossils because, at some parts of the mountains around, you can find trilobites, ammonites, and many other types of mineral fossils.

Arfoud is also famous for the date fruits. Therefore, they make an international festival of dates each September for 3 days. People from different regions and countries come to either buy types of dates fruits or shop other stuff related to the culture of the Sahara.

Merzouga, the Sahara desert:

Merzouga, the highlight of our tours in Morocco. the word Merzouga is coming from the family name of an Arabic whose name is Merzoug. Also, there are some people who say that Merzouga is coming from the Arabic word Mrzouq which means wealthy. That’s referring to Erg Chebbi sand dunes that attract many visitors all year-round. Merzouga is located at the south-east of Morocco, Algeria is not far from the town and the dunes, it’s almost about 50km (30feet). Merzouga is the home of the Sahara, the best place to experience the nomadic life. There are many things to do here, we list for you the best of them below:

Camel ride and camping:

Luckily, with our 5 days tour, you will have a chance to experience the best of Merzouga activities. Our Berber team will be honored to take you camel trekking on the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, the camels will be ready with saddles on. Once on the dunes, another best activity that is included in the camel ride is to watch the sunset on the dunes, take some photos before leaving for the camp. There, most of the tourists spend the night to experience the nomadic, the Berber life. Also, the life of the Touaregs who used to travel for trading in Africa and Europe.

Not included activities in our tour:

There are other activities to do here in Merzouga. However, they are not included in our 5 days in Morocco itinerary. We will list them and if you are interested, we can customize an itinerary of 6 days.

Quad biking:

ATV in the desert is such a funny and wonderful experience, there are many locals who offer the service. Therefore, if you are in the desert don’t hesitate to reserve a quad and drive on the sand dunes. Actually, this activity is best when it rains, the sand dunes become dry and easy to ride at.

Srij lake visit:

The lake of Srij is about 5km from the center of Merzouga, it’s where the camels get their food. Camels are not used for tourism during the day. Therefore, they go herding in this lake, so if you go here, expecting to see many camels with a beautiful view. Also, here at the lake, you will find many immigrant birds of the flamingoes.

Todgha and Dades Gorges:

On the 4th day of our 5 days Morocco itinerary, we will visit the grand canyons of Todgha Gorges. They are about 300 meters (984 feet) in height, and there is a river passing through them. The water of the river is a spring, the power of nature that could make its own way through the rocks. During the tour, you will be left for 40 minutes or so to walk and take pictures.

Dades is not far from Todgha, it’s where the mountains shaped as the monkey toes. Also, it’s where the curves of Tissdrine, dangerous curves where Cadillac made an advertisement for its car.

Dades is a place between the Sahara desert of Merzouga and Marrakech. Therefore, most of the travellers spend the night here.

Ouarzazate, the city of the cinema:

Ouarzazate is the city of the movie making and the cinema studios. Therefore, you like to know about historical famous movies, you should stop here. The word Ouarzazate is coming from the two Berber words, Ouar which means without and Zazate which means noise, the city without noise. There are not stories about why they called it like that but it doesn’t represent anything that is noiseless. Ouarzazate is the gate to the Sahara, it’s at the tip of the Atlas mountains, and the land of the Sahara starts from here.

There are a few things to do here. We will list them for you so if you ever travel to Ouarzazate you can directly head to them.

The Atlas Studios:

Probably the first thing to do here in Ouarzazate is to visit one of its studios of cinema. The Cla studio and Oscar are the main and the most visited, it’s where they lent all the material needed to shot movies. For instance, you can find inside the studio dolls, cars made out of wood, and many more. Not to mention, these studios need a ticket fee if you want to explore them, usually, the ticket is 70dh (7 USD). However, the ticket changes between the high and the low season of tourists.

The Kasbah of Taourirt:

It was built in 19th by the family of Thami Glaoui in the 19th century. It’s a Kasbah with 300 rooms which makes it a great place to walk. However, this attraction or site requires a ticket to enter. Therefore, with our tour, we don’t usually stop here, we stop at the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou.

Away from the touristic attractions to visit. Here at Ouarzazate is the biggest solar station in Africa. As mention earlier, Ouarzazate is on the Sahara side. Therefore, the weather here is very hot and the government benefits from it by building solar panels.

Moreover, the Alaouite family has an amazing golf club area here at Ouarzazate near the dam.

Ait Benhaddou Kasbah:

Ait Benhaddou is a Kasbah, a fortress, also can be referred to as a ksar. However, the right word for it is the Kasbah because it’s coming from the Berber word Kasab which means bamboo and this fortress’ roves are built with it. And the Ksars are usually Arabic. For instance, the palaces that the king has are called Ksars. Just to make differences between the two terms because at the entrance of the Kasbah is written you will find a sign with the word Ksar instead. It was built by Glaoui Thami in the 11th century during the power of the Almoravid dynasty.

Ait Benhaddou is a fortified small town, usually, it was a home for 90 Touareg families. Usually, they stayed here when they trade, it was a route for the African caravans before they leave to Europe for another grading. You may have heard about Toumboctou and the 52 days, that’s what it takes them to travel in the Sahara desert to arrive at their trading destinations in Morocco. Now, there are about 5 families who live at the Kasbah, usually, those who have a shop there. Actually, one of the families opened a cafe there to offer tourists and experience of the Touaregs. Therefore, if you go to Ait Benhaddou, ask to visit it.

The Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou is famous for about 21 famous movies that were shot here.

Lawrence of Arabia:

A part of the famous British movie Lawrence of Arabia was made here in 1962, it’s about the war and military.

Gladiator:

This movie is also famous in the Kasbah, a part of it was made here in 2000, it’s a dramatic British-American movie. If you have watched the movie, there is a part when Russell, the hero of the movie won, he grabs sand and pours it in that yard.

There are many other movies that were made here. For instance, Marco polo, The Jewel of the Nile…

Related tours:

We have customized some of the best tour itineraries in Morocco according to previous requests. However, if the itineraries below don’t match with the cities or the days you want to see and spend in Morocco. Please feel free to contact us anytime.