7-Day Imperial Cities Tour from Tangier
Tangier → Rabat → Meknes → Volubilis → Fez → Tangier
Tangier sits closer to Morocco's imperial cities than most people assume: this loop takes in the capital, the Roman ruins at Volubilis, and Fez's medina before returning north.
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Highlights
- Rabat's Kasbah of the Udayas and Hassan Tower
- The Roman ruins at Volubilis, one of the best-preserved sites in North Africa
- Meknes, the quietest of the imperial cities
- Two full days in Fez's medina with a local guide
Day by day
A working draft: the order and pace are ours to adjust once we know what matters most to you.
Tangier to Rabat
South along the coast to the capital, founded in 1146 as an Almohad military base, with an afternoon at the whitewashed Kasbah of the Udayas above the river mouth.
About 3.5 hours on the road, roughly 250 km
Hotel, Rabat
Rabat to Meknes
Inland to Meknes, imperial capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail's 55-year reign, with time in its walled medina and the monumental Bab Mansour gate, completed in 1732.
About 2 hours on the road, roughly 140 km
Riad, Meknes
Fez medina
A full day with a local guide through the Chouara tanneries' 11th-century dye pits, the carved Bou Inania madrasa, Al-Qarawiyyin: founded in 859 and still the oldest operating university in the world, and the working souks.
No driving today
Riad, Fez
Fez, free day
A second day at your own pace, or a half-day trip into the Middle Atlas cedar forests near Ifrane, where Barbary macaques are often close enough to the road to watch.
No driving today
Riad, Fez
Fez to Tangier via Chefchaouen
A scenic route north through the Rif, with a stop to walk the blue lanes of Chefchaouen, founded in 1471.
About 4.5 hours on the road, roughly 300 km
Hotel, Tangier
Departure
Transfer for your onward flight or ferry.
Just the transfer to the airport today
Included
- ✓Private car and driver for the full route
- ✓6 nights' accommodation, breakfast included
- ✓Local guides in Rabat, Volubilis, and Fez
Not included
- —International flights or ferry tickets
- —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
- 7 days · 6 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
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Rabat: why Morocco's capital deserves more than a drive-through
Quieter than Fez, calmer than Marrakech, and consistently underrated.
By Omar Hafidi
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Tipping in Morocco: a practical guide
Expected in more places than you'd think, but rarely a fixed percentage.
By Omar Hafidi
Read articleOther routes
4-Day Chefchaouen and Akchour Tour from Tangier
Tangier is the closest departure point to the Rif, which makes this the most efficient way to see the blue town and its waterfall valley without a long drive on either end.
6-Day Middle Atlas Tour from 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.
6-Day Family Morocco Tour from Tangier
A shorter, easier-paced northern loop for families: no desert crossing, fewer long driving days, and stops kids tend to actually enjoy, like the Akchour walk and Rabat's tram-friendly old town.