Whether you are coming to Morocco for a quick tour of the desert or you’re in Fes and need something to do for a few days on your way to Marrakech, this trip is for you!.

Duration: 5 Days, 4 nights

Distance: 1,094 km / 680 miles

Start: Fes

End: Marrakech

*This tour can go in reverse if you prefer to start in Marrakech and end in Fes.

Type: Private or Group Tour

• Enjoy gorgeous scenic views driving through the Middle Atlas Mountains

• Drive from Fes to Azrou Forest near Ifrane to see the Barbary macaques.

• Lunch in the Middle Atlas town of Midelt

• Visit Todra Gorge

• Ride a camel over the dunes of Erg Chebbi in the Sahara

• Camp overnight in the desert with dinner, music, and a private tent

• Enjoy traditional Gnawan music in Khamlia Village

• Explore Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritiage Site near Ouarzazate

• Visit a rose cooperative in Kalaat M’gouna, Morocco’s Rose Valley

• Visit a women’s cooperative to try on authentic Berber clothing and shop for souvenirs

• Tour the Museum of Cinema (optional)

• Navigate the Tizi n’Tichka pass

The Fee Includes:

*Comfortable, air conditioned vehicle

*English or Spanish speaking guide

*Transfers to and from the airport or train station

*Overnight accommodation at luxury campsite

*Camel ride

*Breakfast and dinner each day

The Fee Does NOT Include:

*Admission to attractions

*Lunch

*Drinks outside of meals

*Tip for your guide (optional)

Day 1: Fes -> Ifrane -> Azrou Forest -> Midelt -> Merzouga

We will meet you at your hotel or riad at 8am to begin our trip south toward the Middle Atlas mountains. We will travel through Ifrane, Morocco’s “Little Switzerland,” then continue on to the Great Cedar Forest near Azrou. There, if we are lucky, we will see some of the Barbary macaques who live there. We will enjoy lunch in Midelt, then pass through the Ziz Valley where 20 km of date palm trees - more than 10 million trees! - make up one of the largest palm plantations in the world. We will continue driving until we reach Merzouga where we will relax, enjoy some tea, and climb to the top of the nearest sand dune to witness a spectacular sunset. We will have dinner and spend the night in a local hotel.

Day 2: Merzouga, Erg Chebbi, Khamlia Village

The second day will being with a hearty breakfast to prepare us to explore Erg Chebbi, Morocco’s largest dune, which rises some 250 meters above sea level. As we travel, part of our path will trace the track of the old Paris-Dakar rally. We will stop at the Tissardmin Oasis which is a great place to look for fossils. We will pass by a nomadic settlement on our way to a wonderful spot from which to contemplate the incredible landscape of the desert. This will be a great opportunity for pictures. Afterwards, we’ll travel to Khamlia Village where many people originally from the Sudan have settled. We’ll enjoy some Berber whisky, aka mint tea, as we listen to a short concert of spiritual Gnawan music. We’ll drive back to the hotel, trade our vehicle for camels, and ride to the heart of the dunes for an incredible sunset, then continue to our tents to enjoy the night beneath an endless canopy of stars.

Day 3: Merzouga/Erg Chebbi -> Rissani -> Todra Gorge -> Boumalne Dades

This morning you have a “date with dawn” which, in the desert, means waking up early to walk to the top of the nearest dune to enjoy the sunrise. After that we’ll ride the camels back to Merzuoga for breakfast and showers. By then we will be ready to drive to the nearby city of Rissani. If it is market day (Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday) we can stop for a visit. Otherwise we will continue on to Erfoud, Touroug, Tinjdad, and finally Todra Gorge where we will stop for lunch. After lunch we will take some time to walk along the river that carved the enormously steep walls from solid rock. Look up while you’re there - you may see people climbing the walls! From there we will continue through the valley of figs, past the rock formations called “Monkey Toes” to Boumalne Dades where we will find a hotel and stay for the night.

Day 4: Boumalne Dades -> Kalaat Mgouna -> Taourirt -> Ouarzazate

After breakfast we will begin our drive toward Marrakech. Our journey will offer too many beautiful views to count. We will stop for pictures many times as we travel along the route of a thousand kasbahs, visit Rose Valley (Kalaat Mgouna), and arrive in Ouarzazate where we can visit the Kasbah of Taourirt and the Museum of Cinema, if there is interest.

Day 5: Ouarzazate -> High Atlas Mountains -> Tizi n’Tichka Pass -> Marrakech

After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast we will begin our fifth and final day with a drive to Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a beautiful example of traditional Berber architecture. As we drive over the High Atlas Mountains, following the same trails the camel caravans followed in ancient times, we will stop often to admire the breathtaking, panoramic views. Depending on how many times we stop and how long the stops take, we expect to arrive in Marrakech by late afternoon. We will drive you to your hotel or riad.