4-Day Desert Tour Marrakech to Fes

Our driver-guide collects you from your hotel in Marrakech to begin the four-day desert excursion to Fes.

The journey to the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 — crosses the High Atlas over the Tizi n’Tichka pass at 2,260 m. Visit this famous Moroccan landmark and take a lunch break at a local restaurant.

After lunch, we travel through the city of Ouarzazate. We visit the Atlas film studios for a photo stop, then continue to the town centre for a stunning panorama of the Kasbah of Taourirt, a historic fortified residence.

You then travel to Kalaa M’Gouna and Boumalne Dades for the night: dinner and your stay are at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, we head towards Tinghir via Boumalne du Dades, stopping to enjoy a stunning view over the Dades Valley. Then we continue to the Todra Gorges through Imider and Tinghir.

You make several photo stops along the way. In the Todra Gorges, take in the breathtaking canyon scenery as you walk its narrow valleys.

In the afternoon, we head to Tinjdad and stop for lunch before continuing to Erfoud, famous for its fossil craftwork. Then we drive to the stunning Erg Chebbi dunes, also known as the Merzouga dunes.

At the edge of the dunes, get ready for a camel ride of about an hour and a half to a stunning sunset, sure to be full of laughter and excitement.

Sitting on the back of your dromedary, with only the sound of camel footsteps in the sand, you make your way to the camp for your night in a traditional nomad tent.

A delicious dinner and entertainment around the campfire — Berber drums — round off the day before you sleep at a fully equipped desert camp with all the facilities you need.

Day three opens with a stunning morning in the Sahara and a breathtaking sunrise in a landscape without borders. It’s worth waking early to watch it from the top of a dune close to the camp — and to enjoy this unique landscape.

A delicious breakfast is ready for you. Take a shower before riding your camel back to Merzouga.

We then tour Erg Chebbi and its tiny villages — a fantastic stretch of sand desert, home to Morocco’s Big Dune — following part of the old Paris–Dakar rally route into the black desert.

The next stop is a viewpoint overlooking the whole of Erg Chebbi. Then we arrive at Khamlia village, whose Gnawa community has roots in Mali. Here we enjoy an energizing tea while listening to a live performance of Gnawa music.

We also stop at Mifis, an abandoned village where you can see the lead mines and minerals dating back to the French colonial period. From Mifis, the road brings us to a nomad family living in tents, to discover their customs and secrets.

Then we transfer you to your hotel. You have free time to explore the town, or climb the dunes next to the hotel for a spectacular sunset. Dinner and your night are at the hotel.

After breakfast, we begin the final day of your tour, heading north through Tafilalet, the largest palm grove in the country.

Hundreds of palm trees line the 20-km road towards the Ziz Valley, where water runs through the palm grove. We stop at the top of the hill to take in the magnificent view over the valley and the town of Aoufous.

Next comes Midelt, in the middle of the Atlas, where you have free time for lunch and a rest. In the afternoon, we drive to the Azrou cedar forest — with luck, you’ll spot Barbary apes by the road.

We then visit Ifrane, perched on the northwestern slope of the Middle Atlas at 1,630 m. Its wide avenues, spotless streets, lawns, greenery, and architecture make it look like a Swiss town.

Ifrane feels like a little piece of Europe tucked into Morocco — that’s why they call it “the Moroccan Switzerland” — and it even has a major ski resort, Michlifen. At 6 pm we reach Fes and transfer you to your hotel, where our service ends.