Chefchaouen, Volubilis and the Sahara: 8 Days from Fez

Trip overview

Eight private days from Fez to Marrakech: a guided medina tour, Chefchaouen, Volubilis and Meknes, a night in Midelt, camp in Merzouga, the Dades and Aït Ben Haddou.

• Duration8 days / 7 nights
• Starts inFez
• GroupPrivate · 1–16 people
• DifficultyEasy
• LanguageEspañol
• DeparturesDaily departures all year round

Highlights

• Fez medina with an official local guide
• A night in Chefchaouen
• Roman ruins of Volubilis and Meknes
• Middle Atlas cedars and a night in Midelt
• Gnawa village of Khamlia and a night in camp in Erg Chebbi
• Todra Gorge and Dades Valley
• A night at Aït Ben Haddou to see it with fewer people
• Stages of 7 hours at most

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1: Arrival in Fez and a walk around the city

   We pick you up at Fez-Saïss airport and take you to your riad or hotel. What you do next depends on your arrival time.

   If you arrive in the mid-afternoon, walk over to Bab Boujloud, the gate with blue tiles on the outside and green on the inside, and have a tea on a terrace nearby. Another option is to go up to the Merinid Tombs viewpoint to watch the sunset over Fez el-Bali and hear the call to prayer from hundreds of mosques. Near the gates you will be offered unofficial guides; you don't need one, as you have the official guide the next day. Your driver gives you tips for getting around the city. Night in Fez.

   Riad or hotel in FezNo meals included

2. 2

   Day 2: Guided tour of Fez el-Bali, a UNESCO World Heritage medina

   After breakfast the official local guide arrives to take you through Fez el-Bali, one of the best-preserved medieval medinas in the world. We start outside the walls, at the golden gates of the Royal Palace, and pass through the old Jewish quarter, the Mellah.

   Then we go into the medina, thousands of alleys where donkeys still carry goods. We visit a madrasa, Bou Inania or Attarine, see the Al Qarawiyyin university from outside and climb to a terrace above the Chouara tanneries, where the smell is strong. We also stop at pottery, weaving and copper workshops. Entry fees are paid separately. Free afternoon to keep exploring or go to a hammam. Night in Fez.

   Riad or hotel in FezBreakfast

3. 3

   Day 3: Fez – Rif Mountains – Chefchaouen

   We leave Fez in the morning and cross the foothills of the Rif, between olive groves and cereal fields, into the Rif Mountains. It takes about 4 hours with stops to reach Chefchaouen, a village of whitewashed houses in shades of blue at the foot of two mountains.

   The afternoon is yours for the medina: Outa el-Hammam square, the kasbah with its reddish walls, the Souika quarter and the Ras el-Maa spring, where some women still wash clothes. At sunset you can walk about 20 minutes to the Spanish Mosque, on a nearby hill, to watch the town's lights come on. The path is uphill the whole way. Night in a riad in Chefchaouen.

   Riad or hotel in ChefchaouenBreakfast

4. 4

   Day 4: Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Ifrane – Midelt

   First thing in the morning Chefchaouen is almost empty and there is time for a last walk. Then we head south. In about 3 hours we reach Volubilis, the Roman city, and walk among the columns, the triumphal arch and the mosaics still in place. A few kilometres away you can see the holy town of Moulay Idriss from the road.

   In Meknes we stop for lunch and to see the Bab Mansour gate and El Hedim square. In the afternoon we climb into the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the Azrou cedars, where Barbary macaques are often seen, to Midelt, at the foot of Jbel Ayachi. Dinner and overnight in Midelt. About 7 hours on the road including visits, the busiest day.

   Hotel in MideltBreakfast and dinner

5. 5

   Day 5: Midelt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga: Khamlia, camel ride and camp

   After breakfast we go through the Legionnaire's Tunnel and drop into the Ziz Valley, with viewpoints over the canyon and the palm grove. Via Errachidia and Erfoud we reach Merzouga around midday, after about 4 hours of driving.

   After lunch we go to Khamlia, a village of Gnawa families who play their music, with sub-Saharan roots, for visitors. As evening falls you get on a camel and ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes towards the camp, stopping on top of a dune to watch the sunset. At the camp there is mint tea, dinner and music by the fire. It cools down at night, so bring something warm. Night in a tent.

   Desert camp in Erg ChebbiBreakfast and dinner

6. 6

   Day 6: Sunrise in the dunes – Rissani – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley

   We get up early to watch the sunrise from the dunes and ride back by camel or 4x4 for breakfast. We pass through Rissani, the old capital of the Tafilalet, and continue west along the oasis route, between palm groves and mud-brick ksour, to Tinejdad.

   At Tinghir we enter the Todra Gorge, a canyon with almost vertical walls that we walk through beside the river. In the afternoon we reach Boumalne and drive up into the Dades Valley on its winding road, stopping at the viewpoints. If you get carsick, sit in the front. Dinner and overnight at a hotel in the valley. About 5 hours of driving spread over the day.

   Hotel in the Dades ValleyBreakfast and dinner

7. 7

   Day 7: Dades Valley – Valley of Roses – Skoura – Ouarzazate – Aït Ben Haddou

   An easy day, with about 4 hours of driving. We drive down the Valley of Roses, stopping at a rose products cooperative in Kalaat M'Gouna, and continue to the Skoura palm grove to see one of its earthen kasbahs.

   In Ouarzazate you can visit the Taourirt kasbah, once a residence of the Glaoui family, or a film studio. In the mid-afternoon we reach Aït Ben Haddou and check in opposite the ksar. Once the day groups have left, we walk up to the granary on the hill to watch the sunset over the Ounila valley. Dinner and overnight in Aït Ben Haddou.

   Hotel or kasbah in Aït Ben HaddouBreakfast and dinner

8. 8

   Day 8: Aït Ben Haddou – Tizi n'Tichka – Marrakech

   If you like, get up early to see the ksar in the first light from the riverbank. After breakfast we climb into the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, stopping at viewpoints and at a mud-brick Berber village on the hillside. The road has lots of bends.

   We come down to the Haouz plain and reach Marrakech around midday, after about 4 hours. We drop you at your accommodation or at Marrakech-Menara airport. If you are staying in the city, start with Jemaa el-Fna square at sunset and book a local guide for the souks and palaces. The tour ends here.

   Tour ends in MarrakechBreakfast

What's included

Prices per person

The vehicle and driver are paid per day and shared between the travellers, so the price per person goes down the more of you there are. Accommodation is charged per person per night (7 nights).

• Standard: Comfortable hotels and riads, standard desert camp
• Superior: More characterful accommodation and a superior desert camp
• Children aged 3 to 11: 3% less than an adult.
• Groups of more than 7 people travel in two vehicles. The booking calculator takes this into account.

Payment and cancellation

You pay a 15% deposit when you book. The rest is paid on the first day of the trip, in cash or by bank transfer. You can also pay it by PayPal or card, with a 5% surcharge.

Private: free up to 48 hours before the start. If you cancel in time, we refund the full deposit.

Extras you can add

Chosen when you book and added to the total. You can also ask for them later, subject to availability.

Frequently asked questions

Destinations on this trip