Small-group Marrakech to Fes Sahara desert tour 4 days

Marrakech to Fes Sahara desert tour 4 days

Day 1: MARRAKECH – AIT BEN HADDOU KASBAH – OUARZAZATE – ROSES VALLEY – DADES GORGES

Meet your driver/guide at your Marrakech accommodation at 8 am and drive through the route passes through valleys and deserts allowing you to enjoy spectacular views from the Atlas Mountains. We will go through the Tizi n’Tichka, a pass at an altitude of 2,260 meters: the highest pass in North Africa and it has become famous for the breathtaking view it offers. Halfway, you will benefit from a free visit to the famous Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified city classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch in a local restaurant overlooking the kasbah, and then we will continue our journey towards Ouarzazate known as the gate of the desert, where we will stop at the cinema studios for a short visit (optional), and then, we will continue to the heart of the city to discover another hidden gem, the kasbah Taourirte a world heritage site by UNESCO and the house of the leader Pacha el glamour, after a visit of the kasbah we will continue our journey towards our final destination for today the Dades gorges, on the road we will stop at the rises valley for a short visit to a local cooperative producing the rose water and its products. After a short drive, we will arrive at the Dades gorges where we will spend the night in a local hotel or Riad.

Day 2: DADES GORGES – TODRA GORGES – ERFOUD – MERZOUGA DESERT

After breakfast at your hotel, we will start our day with a visit to the Dades Gorges,  then, we will head towards Todra Gorges, the favorite place for rock climbers. After a visit to the gorges and the palm oasis of Todra, we continue our journey, following the ancient Caravan trade routes to the Sahara passing through a series of fortified villages with outstanding pre-Saharan architecture. The route to Erfoud is one of the most pleasant of all the southern routes. The city is in a dry red built of the desert and was built by the French as a central administration city. It is known for its rich black marble fossils. After Erfoud, we will continue our day by heading toward the spectacular dunes of Merzouga. On our arrival, we will be welcomed by a mint tea, then, get ready for a new adventure experience, to a Berber camp in a lifetime experience, you will ride a camel through the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi, to assist to a wonderful sunset and spend a romantic night in desert camp. After dinner, we gather around the fire and enjoy the desert night, perhaps with traditional Berber drums.

Day 3: EXPLORE SAHARA DESERT WONDERS

Wake up early before sunrise to enjoy the sunrise from the Great Dune of the Sahara Desert. Return to the hotel in dromedaries or in 4WD to meet your driver to start a new journey dedicated to the discovery of Merzouga, the road crosses a succession of ksour, oasis, and palm groves. This region was one of the obligatory passage points for slave caravans and gold traffic from Sudan and Guinea, but also a place for meetings and exchanges between Arabs, Berbers, and Africans. They created in the south a unique culture in Morocco. Visit the nomads of the desert and drink a tea of ​​hospitality, after continuing to discover the desert and its secrets. Lunch in a local restaurant before joining the hotel for a moment of relaxation. Dinner and overnight in Hotel.

Day 4: MERZOUGA – ZIZ VALLEY – CEDAR FOREST – IFRANE – FES

Wake up early before sunrise to enjoy the sunrise from the Great Dune of the Sahara Desert. Return to the hotel in dromedaries or in 4WD to meet your driver to start a new journey to Fez, which is considered to be Morocco’s cultural and spiritual center with a massive history that goes right back to the 9th century. This city comprises many beautifully preserved historical buildings, including mosques, palaces, and fountains all fixed in a maze of narrow streets and passages which are interesting to explore. We will drive through the great palm grove of Ziz valley, and Errachidia, then, continues through the middle atlas mountains to reach the city of Midelt, where we will have a stop for lunch. After lunch we will head towards the cedar forest in Azrou, there, we will stop to meet the wild Barbary apes (macaque) and then continue to Ifrane, referred to as the small Switzerland of Morocco, we will stop for a cafe and explore the beautiful town before driving to Fes via the green hills of the Middle Atlas. We will arrive at Fes around 6 pm in the afternoon.