Introduction:
Leaving from Fes to Merzouga and Marrakech. These 7 days desert tour departs daily from Fes and is our most popular desert tour. This tour has been designed for the traveler eager to explore deep into the Morocco Sahara Desert and who don’t mind driving long hours. You will have an amazing time touring the Desert and Merzouga, you will definitely not feel a drop of boredom. The landscape changes dramatically. Beginning with the fertile Haouz planes of Marrakech and the high Atlas Mountains, to oases and valleys, then to the rocky plateaus and the unbelievable Erg Chebbi sand dunes. Just make sure you bring your camera because you’ll see sites you’ve never seen before; sites you simply couldn’t imagine in your wildest dreams!
Tour Program:
Day 1: Fes day Trip
After breakfast in your riad, you will start exploring Fes the “the Spiritual City of Morocco”. You will spend the whole morning exploring the Medina, visiting most of the sites with cultural and historical interest – including the famous Al Karaouine Mosque and University (the oldest in the world), the Tanneries and the Najjarine fountain. After lunch, we will drive outside the Medina to see the Royal Palace gate, walk through the Jewish quarter “the Mellah”, then to visit the pottery cooperative. Afternoon, we will drive to one of the fortresses to experience an amazing panoramic view of the whole Medina of Fes. Overnight accommodation will be in an authentic riad in the heart of old Medina.
Day 2: Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Erfoud – Erg Chebbi
After breakfast, we leave Fes and driving towards the magical Middle Atlas Mountains. We will stop in the charming town of Ifrane; which known as ‘Switzerland of Morocco’, because of the weather, architecture, and historical events. We will have a short break in order to walk around before we continue to the largest cedar forest of Morocco beside a beautiful town of Azrou, where you will have a chance to see Barbary Monkeys living in a wild area. After that, we keep driving between the mountains passing through many Berber villages like Timhdit, Zaida, and Medill. Then we drive further south crossing the mountains of the High Atlas till we get to Errachidia where the Valley of palm trees appears, these create an Oasis of greenery ideal for growing all kinds of fruit trees and vegetable microclimate. After a while, we reach Erfoud; the capital of Fossils, which abound testifying past covered by the sea. From here the asphalt disappears, Saharan tracks adobe till we reach the village of Merzouga; the main town in the Sahara Desert. Overnight at the hotel closed to the dunes with dinner and breakfast.
Day 3:Exploring Merzouga
On this interesting day we will explore Erg Chebbi more deeply. We will visit the town of Khamlia, we discover small villages and inhabited houses in unexpected places far from civilization. In addition to that, we will visit nomads who feel so happy to share their lifestyle with their visitors. Our journey continues to discover old mines closed to the borders between Morocco and Algeria, found by French since years ago. Then we go back to the town where we will have a typical lunch especially of the area called” Berber Pizza”. Afternoon you have a lifetime experience starts by camel trekking; friendly camels guided by a man with experience of many years going up and down on the sand with different stops to take pictures of landscapes and amazing sunset, around 1H30 walking we get to the camp located in the heart of the desert where you will have your dinner and enjoy the Berber music played by locals under a starry sky. In the morning you will wake up early in order to admire the fascinating view of the sunrise, before you go back to the hotel by riding your camel again till the hotel where you will have breakfast and take a shower.
Day 4: Merzouga – Rissani – Erfoud – Dades Gorges – Ouarzazate
After breakfast we departure to Rissani; old Sijilmassa center of ancient caravans from Toumboukto to Marrakech as a central market of Salt. After walking around the biggest market of the region we continue our trip through a semi-desert landscape until we reach the oasis of Tinghir, one of the wonderful places in Morocco. Then we get to Todra gorges highest and narrowest gorges with 300m which considered an attractive place for climbers. After having lunch, we continue the way until another impressive valley of Dades and to the city of Roses; the area where the real flower grows called Damskina, short break if you are interested to see how they abstract different products from Roses in one of the cooperatives there. Then, we drive through a famous road known as” road of thousand Kasbahs” , to reach one of the most important cities of southern Morocco Ouarzazate, known for its intense and cinematic activity, having to his credit films like Gladiator, Troy, the Mummy, etc made in a big studio Called Atlas Corporation Studios, you can have a visit before we get to the hotel where we will spend the night with dinner and breakfast.
Day 5: Ouarzazate – Ait Benhaddou – High Atlas – Marrakech
After breakfast, we take the road towards Ait Ben Haddou, the queen of kasbahs (UNESCO World Heritage), and walk around. Later we will visit one of the most wonderful tracks of Morocco” Kasbah of Telouet”, ancient Glagui’s palace Pacha of Marrakech. We continue our way through the port of highest pass in Morocco – Tzin Tichca (2,260 m), where we will have breaks for panoramic views and lunch before we reach the imperial city of Marrakech. Overnight at riad.
Day 6: Marrakech Day Tour
After breakfast, we spend a full-day tour to discover Marrakech with a local guide. Called “the red city” because of the color of its walls and filled with gardens, watered by underground wells (khettaras), which were built by the Almoravids and Saharan nomads in the eleventh century. On this day we will visit Menara, the Saadian Tombs, the Bahia Palace, the Koutoubia, Majorelle Gardens, and souks, these are some of the unavoidable visits. A unique experience will be to discover the square of” Djemaa El Fna” where life and activity of the city are concentrated: dancers, storytellers, jugglers, artisans, merchants, and snake charmers. While you discover these important places you will have free time to walk by yourself. Overnight in the same riad.
Day 7: Marrakech To Airport
Free time until your flight departure then we drive to the airport and this will be the end of the tour.
Price Includes
- Pick up and drop off at your hotel/airport
- Transport in A/C car 4×4 or minibus
- English speaking driver and guide
- Breakfasts and dinners
Price Excludes
- Lunches and drinks
- Plane tickets to and from Morocco
- Travel insurance
- What is not included in program