6-Day Middle Atlas Tour from Tangier
Tangier → Chefchaouen → Fez → Ifrane → Fez → Tangier
A cooler, slower route for travellers who'd rather trade a second desert crossing for cedar forests and mountain air: Ifrane is a realistic add-on from Tangier by way of Fez.
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Highlights
- Chefchaouen's blue medina on the way south
- Two days in Fez's medina with a local guide
- Ifrane's alpine-style architecture and cedar forests
- A good chance of seeing Barbary macaques near Azrou
Day by day
A working draft: the order and pace are ours to adjust once we know what matters most to you.
Tangier to Chefchaouen
South via Tetouan, its old town rebuilt from 1492 by Andalusian refugees after the fall of Granada, then into the Rif toward Chefchaouen, founded in 1471, with the afternoon free to walk the blue lanes.
About 2 hours on the road, roughly 115 km
Guesthouse, Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen to Fez
A relaxed drive south across the Sais plain, arriving in Fez by early evening.
About 3.5 hours on the road, roughly 200 km
Riad, Fez
Fez medina
A full day with a local guide through the Chouara tanneries' 11th-century dye pits, Al-Qarawiyyin: the mosque and university founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri, and the carved Bou Inania madrasa, ending in the working souks.
No driving today
Riad, Fez
Fez to Ifrane
Into the Middle Atlas, the air noticeably cooler within the hour, with a stop near Azrou's cedar forest to look for Barbary macaques, the only monkey species native to North Africa.
About 1 hour on the road, roughly 60 km
Hotel, Ifrane
Ifrane
A slow day walking the cedar forest trails and the alpine-style town itself, built during the French protectorate to resemble a European ski resort.
No driving today
Hotel, Ifrane
Included
- ✓Private car and driver for the full route
- ✓5 nights' accommodation, breakfast included
- ✓Local guide for the Fez medina day
Not included
- —International flights
- —Most lunches and dinners
- —Entry fees to monuments and museums
- —Tips for driver and guides
Questions about this route
Ask about this route
Send us your rough dates and what you'd want to change, and we'll come back with a real draft, not a form letter.
Tour at a glance
- Duration
- 6 days · 5 nights
- Transport
- Private car/4x4
- Languages
- English, French
- Availability
- Year-round
From the blog
A first-timer's guide to the Fez medina
The oldest, most intact medina in Morocco, and the easiest one to get lost in on purpose.
By Omar Hafidi
Read article
Chefchaouen: how many days does the Blue City need?
Fewer than you'd think for the sights, more than a day trip for the atmosphere.
By Youssef “Yeshu”
Read article
Is Morocco safe for solo female travellers?
Yes, broadly: with the same common-sense precautions that apply to most unfamiliar cities.
By Omar Hafidi
Read articleOther routes
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