The 7 Days Morocco Sahara Tour from Tangier gives the desert the time the shorter crossings cannot. Instead of arriving at Erg Chebbi at sunset and leaving at dawn, you stay two nights and spend a full day out on the hamada.
That day is spent away from the dunes as well as on them: tea with a nomad family living in a tent on open stone, the black volcanic desert, the abandoned kohl mines at Mfis, and an afternoon at Khamlia, where a Gnaoua group plays music carried north across the Sahara generations ago.
Around it the route covers the north properly, with Tetouan, a night in Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Meknes and a full day in the Fes medina, then finishes through Todra, the Dades and Ait Ben Haddou into Marrakech.
Pickup at Tangier airport, at the ferry port or at your hotel, with a stop at Cape Spartel where the two seas meet if the timing allows.
East along the Mediterranean to Tetouan and its Andalusian medina, built by refugees from Granada and now UNESCO-listed.
The afternoon climbs into the Rif to Chefchaouen, arriving in time to walk up to the Spanish mosque for the view over the blue town at sunset.
Accommodation: Riad or hotel in Chefchaouen
A morning in the blue medina and a climb to the Ras el Maa spring above the town.
Then down out of the Rif to Volubilis, the Roman provincial capital, whose mosaics and triumphal arch stand in open farmland below Moulay Idriss.
A stop in Meknes for the Bab Mansour gate and the royal granaries, then on to Fes for the night.
Accommodation: Riad or hotel in Fes
A full day in Fes el Bali, the ninth-century medina with no cars and around nine thousand lanes.
You see the Bou Inania and Attarine madrasas, the Nejjarine fountain and woodwork museum, the Al Quaraouiyine mosque and library, and the Chouara tanneries.
A licensed guide is recommended and can be booked. The afternoon is free for the souks or the Merenid tombs above the city at sunset.
Accommodation: Riad or hotel in Fes
South over the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest, where Barbary macaques come down to the roadside.
Lunch at Midelt, then the descent into the Ziz Valley with its palm groves and the viewpoint above the gorge.
Arrival at Merzouga in the late afternoon and the camel ride into Erg Chebbi, reaching camp at sunset for dinner and drums under the tent.
Accommodation: Berber desert camp, Erg Chebbi
Sunrise from a dune crest, camel ride back, breakfast and a shower at your hotel.
A 4×4 circuit fills the day: tea with a nomad family on the hamada, the seasonal lake at Dayet Srji where flamingos stop in spring, the black volcanic desert and the abandoned mines at Mfis.
Late afternoon at Khamlia for a Gnaoua session, then a second sunset at the edge of the erg.
Accommodation: Hotel or kasbah in Merzouga
West after breakfast, with stops at Rissani and its covered souk and at Erfoud for the fossil workshops.
The afternoon reaches Todra Gorge, where limestone walls of about 300 metres close to a few paces above the streambed. A walk on the valley floor is the best part of the day.
Short drive on to the Dades Valley for the night, below the eroded rock towers.
Accommodation: Hotel or guesthouse in the Dades Valley
The kasbah road west through El Kelaa des Mgouna, the rose town, and the Skoura oasis with Kasbah Amerhidil.
Ouarzazate for lunch and the Taourirt Kasbah, then Ait Ben Haddou and the climb through the ksar to the granary at the top.
Over the High Atlas by the Tizi n Tichka pass and down into Marrakech in the evening, with drop-off at your riad or hotel.
A 4×4 circuit rather than more camel riding: a nomad family camp, the seasonal flamingo lake, the black volcanic desert, the old mines at Mfis, and Gnaoua musicians at Khamlia.
One night at the camp and one at a hotel or kasbah in Merzouga, which gives you a hot shower and a real bed mid-trip. Two camp nights can be arranged instead.
Identical route, plus the second night and free day at Erg Chebbi.
Yes. A flight or transfer back to Tangier can be added, or the route can be reversed to start in Marrakech.
Yes. Car seats can be provided, and the camel ride can be replaced with a 4×4 transfer to the camp for small children.
From December to February it can approach freezing after dark. Camps provide thick blankets, but bring a warm jacket. Summer nights stay mild.
Seven days is where a Tangier crossing stops being a drive with stops. Fes gets a full day, the Sahara gets two nights, and the two longest stages are separated by days that involve almost no driving.
Every departure is private, so the schedule can shift around sunrise, meals or an extra hour in the gorge.
