4-day route from Marrakech to Fez through the desert

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4-day route from Marrakech to Fez through the desert

Duration

4 days / 3 nights

Starting point

Marrakech

End point

Fez

Description

4-day route from Marrakech to Fez takes you through the spectacular landscapes of the High Atlas, valleys and deserts. Discover the kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, explore the Todra Gorges, experience the magic of the Merzouga desert with a night in nomad tents, meet local families and enjoy quad rides in the dunes. The trip ends crossing the Ziz Valley and the Middle Atlas to the charming city of Fez.

Highlights

Tour itinerary

Day 01: Marrakech – Telouet – Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou – Ounila Valley – Ouarzazate

Breakfast at our riad in Marrakech and departure in our private vehicle towards Ouarzazate, crossing the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n’Tichka pass, at 2,260 m, one of the highest mountain road passes in the country, where we will enjoy incredible scenery and make several stops to photograph the Berber villages.

Then we will turn onto a small road, enjoying the beautiful surrounding landscapes, until we reach the Kasbah of Telouet; we will visit the kasbah and enjoy a typical local lunch.

In the afternoon we will continue through the Ounila Valley among Berber villages where families live in adobe houses lost in the mountains, until we reach the fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou, where we will visit its famous kasbah (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987). Famous films such as Gladiator, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra and Sahara with Penélope Cruz have been shot in this spectacular setting. After visiting the kasbah we will leave for Ouarzazate, considered the great gateway to the desert, and in the evening we will reach our hotel in the Dades Valley to rest and enjoy the magical views from the terrace of our riad. Dinner and overnight at the riad.

Day 02: Dadés Valley – Todra Gorges – Merzouga Dunes – Night in nomad tents

After breakfast, we will enjoy one of the best views of the Dadés Valley from one of the most strategic viewpoints in the mountains. From there we will see the many kasbahs and how picturesque each of them is. After several stops along the way, we will reach the Todra Gorges.

Located near the town of Tinghir, they open the way to the desert. Surrounded by a valley full of palm trees and adobe villages, these are the mountains most loved by climbers. The Todra and Dadés gorges are the best known and most impressive in Morocco.

After a walk in the Todra Gorges and lunch in Tinejdad or Touroug, we leave for the desert to reach the impressive dunes of Merzouga, where we will set off on a dromedary caravan for about an hour to reach our nomad tents, set in the middle of a sea of dunes (Erg Chebbi), and enjoy one of the most impressive sunsets you have ever seen. Dinner and night in nomad tents in the heart of the desert under a spectacular blanket of stars.

Day 03: Merzouga Desert – Nomad Families – Khamlia Village – Quad ride

Today is a full desert day. «A date with the sunrise»: since you are in the desert, it is worth getting up early to enjoy the sunrise around the tents and this relaxing landscape. We will return to the village of Merzouga to begin our 4×4 route around Erg Chebbi, the sand sea where Morocco’s Great Dune rises more than 250 meters high, following tracks that were part of the old Paris-Dakar rally, with the mountains on the Algerian border in the background.

We will continue to a nomad settlement where we will learn some of their secrets and customs. Then we will stop at a viewpoint to see Erg Chebbi as a whole. We will reach the village of Khamlia, whose people originally came from Mali, where we will relax with tea while enjoying a small concert of spiritual Gnawa music.

Back at the hotel, after a rest, we will set off on quads for an adrenaline-filled ride across the Erg Chebbi desert and enjoy the sunset from the top of the dunes, then return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 04: Merzouga Desert – Ziz Valley – Middle Atlas – Cedar Forest – Ifrane – Fez

Once ready, we will head north through the palm grove of Tafilalet , where we will see endless palm trees for 20 km, making it one of the largest palm groves in the world. Crossing it, we will reach the Ziz Valley, named after the river that flows down from the High Atlas and feeds the palm grove. Here we will make a stop to view the valley from above and see the village of Aoufous.

Planned stop in Midelt, in the heart of the Middle Atlas, to rest and have lunch. In the afternoon we will continue our last day through the cedar forest where, if we are lucky, we may see some monkeys, and pass through Ifrane, located on the northwestern slope of the Middle Atlas, at 1,630 meters above sea level.

Its wide avenues, urban layout, spotless streets, gardens and green spaces and above all its architecture, more typical of an alpine town, make Ifrane feel out of place in Morocco and have earned it the nickname «the Moroccan Switzerland». Nearby is the Michlifen ski slope, one of the best-known ski slopes in Morocco. Arrival in Fez around 6 p.m., transfer to your riad/hotel and end of our services, hoping you have had a wonderful time.