Tangier Trip Overview
Start in Tangier and end in Marrakesh! With this 8-day in-depth cultural tour from Tangier to Marrakech, you have a package taking you through imperial cities Tangier and 8 other destinations in Morocco, including the desert.
Additional Info
* Duration: 8 days
* Starts: Tangier, Morocco
* Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Tangier, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco
Start in Tangier and end in Marrakesh! With this 8-day in-depth cultural tour from Tangier to Marrakech, you have a package taking you through imperial cities Tangier and 8 other destinations in Morocco, including the desert.
Itinerary
Day 1: Tangier – Asilah
Pass By: Tangier, Tangier, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima
Pick up from Tangier airport. Depending on your arrival, we can visit some landmarks of Tangier.
Guarding the Strait of Gibraltar, Tangier has for centuries been Europe’s gateway to Africa. Its blend of cultures and influences is unique in Morocco.
Stop At: St. Andrew’s Church, Rue d’Angleterre 50, Tangier Morocco
One of the charming oddities. Built from 1894 to 1905, on land granted by Queen Victoria, the interior of this Anglican church is in Moorish style, with no graven images, and the Lord’s Prayer in Arabic. Behind the altar is a cleft that indicates the direction of Mecca; carved quotes are from the Quran. A real interfaith experience! Outside in the church graveyard, there are some fascinating wartime headstones, including the fighter pilot shot while escaping (which read ‘Good Hunting, Tim’) and the moving sight of the entire downed aircrew, their headstones attached shoulder to shoulder.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: American Legation, __8 Rue d’Amerique, Tangier 90000 Morocco
Morocco was one of the first countries to recognize the fledgling United States, and this was the first piece of American real estate abroad. It is also the only US National Historic Landmark on foreign soil. After we tour the museum, you will realize that you have entered the plot of an exotic historical novel!
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Musee de la Kasbah, El Casbah Square, Tangier Morocco
The museum is perfectly sited in Dar el-Makhzen, the former sultan’s palace (where Portuguese & British governers also lived) and has recently been completely renovated.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Hercules Cave, Cap Spartel, Tangier 90060 Morocco
The cave has two openings, one to sea and one to land. The sea opening is known as “The Map of Africa”. It is believed that the Phoenicians created the sea opening which is in the shape of Africa when looked at from the sea. There are also some markings on the wall in the shape of eyes, that are said to be made by the Phoenicians, which make up a map of the local area. The cave itself is part natural and part man-made. The man-made part was used by Berber people to cut stone wheels from the walls, to make millstones, thus expanding the cave considerably.
Duration: 20 minutes
Pass By: Asilah, Asilah, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima
After we visit Tangier, the drive takes you to the gorgeous whitewashed resort town of Assilah. It feels like somewhere on a Greek island, but the tapas and paella on the Spanish menus in the restaurants and the wrought-iron windows on the white hoses are but a few reminders that the town was Spanish territory for a long time. Assilah has had a turbulent history as a small, but strategic port since it began life as the Carthaginian settlement of Zilis. With more than 50 resident artists, five galleries, & several artist studios exhibition spaces. Assilah is renowned as a city of arts. It all started in 1978 when several Moroccan artists were invited to hold workshops for local children and to paint some walls in the medina as part of the town’s celebrations. The town’s famous landmark is its Ramparts & Medina that is surrounded by the sturdy stone fortifications built by the Portuguese in the 15th century, and it is these walls, flanked by palms, that have become the town’s landmark.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Riad Assilah or similar
Day 2: Asilah – Rabat
Stop At: Hassan Tower, Boulevard Mohamed Lyazidi, Rabat 10030 Morocco
Departure from Asilah to Rabat. We visit Hassan tower.
Towering above Oued Bou Regreg, and surrounded by well-tended gardens, is Rabat’s most famous landmark. The Almohads’ most ambitious project would have been the second-largest mosque of its time, after Samarra in Iraq, but Sultan Yacoub al-Mansour died before it was finished. He intended a 60m-tall minaret, but the tower was abandoned at 44m. The mosque was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, and today only a forest of shattered pillars testifies to the grandiosity of Al-Mansour’s plans. The tower is built to the same design as the Giralda in Seville, and the Koutoubia in Marrakech.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Mausoleum of Mohammad V, Boulevard Abi Regreg, Rabat 10030 Morocco
Near the tower stands this marble mausoleum, built in traditional Moroccan style. The present king’s (the late father Hassan II) and grandfather have been laid to rest here. The decoration, despite the patterned mosaic and carved plaster, gives off an air of tranquility.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: National Archaeology Museum, 23 Rue El Brihi, Rabat 10030 Morocco
The interesting archaeology museum gives a good account of Morocco’s history. Prehistoric finds include a beautiful Neolithic rock carving of a man surrounded by concentric circles. Salle Des Bronzes is the highlight of the museum visit, which displays ceramics, statuary, and artifacts from the Roman settlements of Volubilis.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Chellah, Rabat Morocco
The Chellah or Shalla, a medieval fortified Muslim necropolis located in the metro area of Rabat, Morocco, on the south (left) side of the Bou Regreg estuary. The Phoenicians established a trading emporium at the site. This was later the site of an ancient Roman colony in the province of Mauretania Tingitana.
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Porte Des Oudayas, Avenue Al Marsa, Rabat 10020 Morocco
The Oudaya Kasbah is a haven of tranquility, with its flower-filled little streets, Andalusian garden, and Moorish café. Referred to also as Kasbah of the Udayas, the Oudaya Kasbah is one of the most unique sites in Morocco and is the first milestone of the city of Rabat. It’s located at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River, opposite the city of Salé.
We finish our visit of Rabat, then we reach your accommodation.
Duration: 15 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Riad Kalaa I or similar
Day 3: Rabat – Casablanca – Essaouira
Stop At: Square of Mohammed V, Casablanca 20000 Morocco
Our tour driver takes you to Casablanca. The journey includes the visit of Mohammad V square, an Airy square built in 1916 amid French Colonial buildings, with a statue and pigeon-covered fountain.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Hassan II Mosque, Blvd Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah, Casablanca 20450 Morocco
Hassan II mosque was completed in 1993, designed by Michel Pinseau, and built by Bouygues. The mosque is considered the second-largest in Africa after the Algiers grand mosque, and 7th in the world. The mosque also has the world’s second tallest minaret at 210 meters.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Essaouira, Essaouira, Marrakech-Safi
The journey ends in Essaouira. The drive takes you by the coastline via El Jadida Mazagan, and Safi then free time. Overnight stay in Essaouira.
Duration: 12 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel Chems Blue or similar
Day 4: Essaouira
Stop At: Essaouira, Essaouira, Marrakech-Safi
Free day to explore the costal wind Essaouira or Taros in Berber. The city attracts plenty of windsurfers between April and November. The city is well known also with its fortifies medina and its art galleries and boutique, or watch the fishing nets and traditional boats constructed in the hugely atmospheric port. The city also has a vibrant cultural mix. Overnight stay in Essaouira.
Duration: 10 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel Chems Blue or similar
Day 5: Essaouira – Marrakech
Pass By: Marrakech, Marrakech, Marrakech-Safi
After breakfast, transfer to Marrakech. An official guide takes you on a journey of Marrakech. The tour allows you to visit many landmarks such as Bahia Palace, Saadian tombs, Dar Si Said, and more.
Stop At: Jemaa el-Fnaa, 38 Jemaa el-Fna, Rue El Ksour, Marrakech Morocco
Think of it as live -action channel-surfing. You will discover drama already in progress. The hoopla and halpa (street theatre). The daily performance is underway. Snake charmers blast oboes to calm cobras hissing at careening Vespas; henna tattoo artists, water sellers in fringed hats, and musicians tune up their instruments.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Koutoubia Mosque, Rue el Ksour, Derb Sabai, 13, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
The Koutoubia serves a spiritual purpose, but its minaret is also a point of reference for international architecture. The 12th-century 70m-high minaret is the prototype for Seville’s La Giralda and Rabat’s Le Tour Hassan, and it’s a monumental cheat sheet of Moorish ornament: scalloped keystone arches, jagged merlons (crenellations), and mathematically pleasing proportions. When the present mosque and it’s minaret were finished by Almohad Sultan Yacoub el-Mansour in the 12th century, 100 booksellers were clustered around its base – hence the name, from Kutubiyyin, or booksellers.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Medersa Ben Youssef, Ben Youssef Square, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
The Ben Youssef Madrasa is an Islamic madrasa functioning today as a historical site, the Ben Youssef Madrasa was the largest Islamic college in Morocco at its height. The madrasa is named after the adjacent Ben Youssef Mosque founded in the 14th century by the Almoravid Sultan Ali ibn Yusuf. “You who may enter my door, may your highest hopes be exceeded” read the inscription over the entryway. This Quranic learning center was once the largest in North Africa and remains among the most splendid
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Palacio da Bahia, 5 Rue Riad Zitoun el Jdid, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
What you could build with Morocco’s top artisans at your service for 14 years, and here you have it: The Bahia palace. The palace is a 19th-century building, consisting of rooms decorated with stunning stuccos, paintings, and mosaics palace and a set of gardens located in Marrakech, Morocco. intended to be the greatest palace of its time. The name of the Bahia Palace means in Arabic “brilliance”. As in other buildings of the period in other countries, it was intended to capture the essence of the Islamic and Moroccan styles. There is a 2-acre (8,000 m²) garden with rooms opening onto courtyards.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Saadian Tombs, Rue De La Kasbah, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
Anyone who says you can’t take it with you hasn’t seen the Saadian tombs, near the Kasbah mosque. Saadian Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour Ed Dahbi spared no expense on his tomb, importing Italian Carrara marble and gilding honeycomb muqarnas (decorative plasterwork) with pure gold to make the Chamber of 12 Pillars a suitably glorious mausoleum. Al Mansour died in splendor in 1603, but a few decades later, Alaouite Sultan Moulay Ismail walled up the Saadian Tombs to keep his predecessors out of sight and mind. It was the French who opened them up again in 1917.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Dar Si Said Museum, 8 Rue de la Bahia, Marrakech 40000 Morocco
A monument to Moroccan maalems (master artisans), Dar Si Said showcases Marrakech’s graceful riad architecture and regional craftsmanship. Grand Vizier Bou Ahmed had the power, but his brother Si Said apparently had the master artisans to make his home a model of quiet elegance.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Jardin Majorelle, Rue Yves Saint Laurent, Marrakech 40090 Morocco
Other guests bring flowers, but Yves Saint Laurent gifted the entire Jardin Majorelle to Marrakech, the city that adopted him in 1964 After a sequence of events that included, in rather unfortunate order: launching hippie fashion, and an obligatory stint in the French Military. Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé bought the electric-blue villa and its garden to preserve the vision of its original owner, landscape painter Jacques Majorelle, and keep it open to the public. Per his instructions, Yves Saint Laurent’s ashes were scattered over Jardin Majorelle upon his June 2008 passing.
After Marrakech visit, free time and overnight stay in Marrakech.
Duration: 30 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Riad Anya or similar
Day 6: Marrakech – Boumalne Dades
Pass By: Tizi n Tichka, Imlil Village, Ouarzazate 45000 Morocco
Our tour driver picks you up from your accommodation in Marrakech. The journey takes via the High Atlas Mountains, through many authentic towns and Berber villages crossing Tizi N Tishka pass which connects Marrakech with pre-Saharan oases. The road ascends and takes a turn for the scenic amid oak trees, walnut groves, and oleander bushes. Past the village of Taddert, the landscape is stripped of color. Atop the Tizi n’Tichka that is 2962m altitude, we gradually descend into the lunar landscape of the Anti Atlas and the desert beyond.
Stop At: Telouet, Telouet, Souss-Massa
Passing the Tizi N Tishka pass, The journey crosses the village of Telouet visiting Telouet Kasbah. The once-glorious stronghold has been left to crumble, but the best indication of Telouet’s former position as the center of a trans-Saharan trading empire is the ornate 2nd-floor reception rooms. No less than 300 artisans worked on salons faceted with stucco, zellige (colorful geometric mosaic tiles), and painted cedar ceilings that make Marrakesh’s royal Bahia Palace seem like an amateur artisanal effort. After independence, Pasha Glaoui was ousted from the Bahia Palace and died shortly thereafter of cancer in exile in Telouet.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Ait Ben Haddou, Ait Ben Haddou, Souss-Massa
We visit also the Unesco protected kasbah seems suspiciously frozen in time: with Hollywood touch-ups, it still resembles its days in the 11th century as an Almoravid caravanserai. Movie buffs recognize this red mudbrick kasbah 32km from Ouarzazate from Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth (for which much of Ait Benhaddou was rebuilt), Jewel of the Nile, and Gladiator.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Ouarzazate, Ouarzazate, Draa-Tafilalet
We drive around 35km from Ait Benhaddou kasbah to reach Ouarzazate. It is Strategically located and has gotten by largely on its wits instead of its looks. For centuries, people from Atlas, Draa & Dades valley converged to do business at Ouarzazate’s sprawling Tourist kasbah, and a modern garrison town was established here in the 1920s to oversee France’s colonial interests. The movie business gradually took off in Ouarzazate after the French protectorate left in the 1950s, and Ouallywood movie studios have built quite a résumé providing convincingly exotic backdrops for movies supposedly set in ancient Rome, Somalia, and Egypt.
Stop At: Taourirt Kasbah, Avenue Mohammed V, Ouarzazate 45000 Morocco
Unlike other Glaoui kasbahs, Taourirt escaped ruin by moonlighting, as a Hollywood backdrop and attracting the attention of Unesco which was carefully restored small sections of the Glaoui inner sanctum.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Skoura, Skoura, Beni Mellal-Khenifra
We drive from Ouarzazate to Skoura town.
By the time caravans laden with gold and spice reached Skoura, the camels must have been gasping. After a two-month journey across the Sahara, Blue-robed Tuareg desert traders offloaded cargo from caravans in Skoura, where middle Atlas mountaineers packed it onto mules headed to Fez. Ouarzazate is now the region’s commercial center, but Skoua’s historic mudbrick castles remain, and desert traders throng Monday & Thursday souqs brimming with intensely flavourful desert produce. When market days are over and palm-tree shadows stretch across the road, no one seems in hurry to leave. Elsewhere, life goes on as usual – but in Skoura, it remains a wonder.
Pass By: El Kelaa M’gouna, El Kelaa M’gouna, Souss-Massa
We reach El Kelaa M’gouna town. Although it takes its name from the nearby M’Goun mountain, the small town of Kelaa M’Gouna is famous for roses and daggers. Some 50km from Skoura, pink roses start peeking through dense roadside hedgerows. During the May rose harvest you will see rose garlands everywhere, especially during the town’s signature rose festival that takes place on the first weekend of May.
Stop At: Boumalne Dades, Boumalne Dades, Souss-Massa
Nomads crossings rose valleys and two-tone kasbahs: even on paper, the Dades valley stretches the imagination. From the daunting High Atlas to the north to the rugged Jebel Saghro range south, the valley is dotted with oases and mudbrick palaces that give the region its fairytale nickname – Valley of a thousand kasbahs.
Overnight stay in Boumalne Dades.
Duration: 12 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Dar Blues or similar
Day 7: Boumalne Dades – Merzouga
Stop At: Gargantas del Todra, Tinerhir 45800 Morocco
After breakfast, the drive takes you to Todra gorge in Tinghir.
Being stuck between a rock and a hard place is a sublime experience in the Todra Gorge, where the massive fault dividing the High Atlas from the Saghro mountain is at some points just wide enough for a crystal-clear river and single-file trekkers to squeeze through. The road from Tinghir passes green Palmeras and Berber villages until, 15km long, high walls of pink and Grey rock close in around the road. The approach is thrilling and somehow urgent, as though the doors of heaven were right before you.
Duration: 20 minutes
Pass By: Erfoud, Erfoud, Meknes-Tafilalet Region
Fossilized bathtubs and moist, sweet dates are Erfoud’s current claims to fame, though it was once the end of the road. In September or October Erfoud has an increasingly well-attended date festival, with dancing and music. The market at the southern end of town sells local dates alongside fresh produce.
Stop At: Merzouga, Merzouga, Draa-Tafilalet
As the journey ends on the edge of the Merzouga desert, there is an opportunity to enjoy traditional mint tea as preparation for your two-hour camel trek. The trek will take you to your desert camp where you will stay overnight, enjoying dinner, campfires, local desert music under the bright stars of the desert night.
Duration: 12 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Luxury Tiziri camp or similar
Day 8: Merzouga – Marrakech
Pass By: Marrakech, Marrakech, Marrakech-Safi
Enjoy the sunrise in the early morning. After breakfast, the journey takes an alternative route to enjoy more sightseeing along Alnif to Tazarin, Draa valley, Ait Souen mountains towards Ouarzazate. The final stage of your trip will take you back to Marrakech and drop off at your accommodation by the evening.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
