This is the most-asked-for route in our catalogue — the trip travellers describe as 'the complete Morocco'. Ten days, eight destinations, two UNESCO ksar, four imperial-influenced cities (Tangier, Fes, Aït Benhaddou, Marrakech), one Sahara overnight, and the Tizi n'Tichka descent on the final morning. It starts at the Strait of Gibraltar and ends at the medina gates of Marrakech.
The arc runs Tangier (1 night) → Chefchaouen (2 nights) → Fes (2 nights) → Middle Atlas → Merzouga overnight Sahara camp → Dadès Valley → Aït Benhaddou → Marrakech (2 nights). Total driving distance is ~1,950 km distributed so no single day exceeds 7 hours of road time except the desert approach (which is 8 hours broken into 4 stops). The route works particularly well for travellers entering Morocco by ferry from Spain (35 minutes from Tarifa to Tangier).
We use a private 4×4 with an English-speaking driver throughout. Accommodations are mid-range to luxury riads in the medinas (Chefchaouen, Fes, Marrakech), a small boutique hotel in Tangier, and Sahrawi-run Berber camps at the dunes. The Marrakech end can be extended with 2 nights in Essaouira for the 12-day version, or with a 5-day Imlil-and-Toubkal trek for the 15-day adventurer build.
The reverse direction (Marrakech → Sahara → north → Tangier) is identical in price; we run it both ways. Travellers landing in Casablanca with a long-haul connection might prefer our [10-day Casablanca-start Grand Journey](/tours/10-days-casablanca) which has the same destinations in a slightly different sequence. For the 7-day fast version that drops Chefchaouen and shortens Fes, see [The Imperial-to-Desert 7-Day Tour](/blog/7-days-morocco-imperial-to-desert).
- Tangier and Cap Spartel where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean
- Two nights in Chefchaouen — proper time inside the blue medina
- Fes medina with a local guide — the world's largest car-free urban area
- Tizi n'Talghemt pass through the Middle Atlas cedars (1,900 m)
- Sahara overnight at Erg Chebbi — sunset camel trek, sunrise from the dune crest
- Dadès and Todra gorges on the route west
- Aït Benhaddou UNESCO ksar with a 2-hour stop including the climb to the kasbah summit
- Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m before descending into Marrakech
- Optional Essaouira coast extension as days 11–12
- Total distance
- ~1,950 km (Tangier → Marrakech)
- Destinations
- 8 — Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fes, Atlas, Merzouga, Aït Benhaddou, Marrakech, optional Essaouira
- UNESCO sites
- 4 — Fes medina, Aït Benhaddou, Volubilis stop on the Fes leg, optional Essaouira
- Sahara nights
- 1 at Erg Chebbi (extendable to 2)
- Highest altitude
- Tizi n'Tichka at 2,260 m
“If a traveller has 10 days and asks for 'the complete Morocco', this is the trip I build. The Tangier start is what makes it work — entering the country from the Strait of Gibraltar with the Atlantic on your right and Spain still visible behind you sets a totally different tone than landing at Casablanca airport. You feel like you're crossing into the country, not just disembarking. The other 9 days then unfold like a single long arc south.”
Coast to Kasbah — frequently asked
- What's the difference between this tour and the 10-day Casablanca-start version?
- Same 10 days, same desert overnight, mostly same destinations — but the entry city differs. Tangier start works for travellers ferrying in from Spain (Tarifa is 35 minutes by fast boat) and Mediterranean travellers wanting a north-to-south arc. Casablanca start works for direct long-haul arrivals from North America or the Gulf. The Tangier route gets an extra hour in the Rif and slightly less of the Atlantic coast.
- Can we add Essaouira at the end?
- Yes — extend to 12 days with 2 nights in the Atlantic medina of Essaouira at the end. Adds ~$420–620/person depending on riad class. We re-time the Marrakech leg to leave for Essaouira on day 11. See our [4-Day Coast Tour](/tours/4-days-coast) for what the Essaouira leg looks like.
- Is the Sahara overnight comfortable?
- Yes — the Sahrawi-run camps at Erg Chebbi are not roughing-it. Mid-range has canvas tents with proper beds, en-suite bucket showers, carpets, communal dining around a low table. Luxury has full bathrooms with plumbing, electricity, king beds. Both serve the same tagine dinner; the dunes around them are the same dunes. Luxury adds ~$150/person to the per-day total.
- What if Tizi n'Tichka closes for snow on day 10?
- The Royal Gendarmerie closes the pass 3–4 times each winter (Nov–Mar). If the forecast points to closure on our planned travel day, we re-route via Boumalne Dadès → Skoura → Ouarzazate → the alternative south-of-Tichka road into Marrakech. Adds 1.5 hours but stays open. We monitor the gendarmerie portal the night before.
- Can we take the train from Tangier to Fes instead of driving?
- Yes — Morocco's Al Boraq high-speed train runs Tangier → Casablanca in 2h10, then a 4-hour Al Boraq-connected train Casa → Fes. Skipping the Chefchaouen leg drops 2 days and ~$300/person, and you arrive in Fes rested instead of road-tired. We can build either version; ask at booking if you'd prefer the train option.
- Is this tour suitable for travellers with kids?
- Yes for kids 8+. The driving days are the constraint — three of them are 6–7 hours, and small kids do not enjoy that. Families with younger children typically swap to a 12-day version with extra nights at the midpoints, or split into two shorter trips (north-only + desert) with a gap day at home in between.
