Step into the Sahara Desert and the grand south of Morocco on this 3-day desert tour from Fes to Marrakech. Travel over the Middle Atlas Mountains, and get your camera out to photograph barbary apes in the Azrou cedar forest.
Then, hop on the back of a camel to trek across the windswept dunes of the Erg Chebbi and spend an evening under a star-studded sky in a nomadic luxury desert camp.
Get ready for scenic hikes through the rocky landscapes of Dades Valley and Toudgha Gorges. Drive through the stunning landscapes of the Atlas Mountains, and visit ancient Kasbahs: Telouet & the UNESCO World Heritage site, Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. Then, explore beautiful Berber villages, and learn about life in the oases and the southern regions of Morocco.
You finish off your adventure as you cross the high Atlas Mountains and arrive in Marrakech.
| Number of persons | 2 Persons | 3 Persons | 4 Persons | 5 Persons | 6 Persons |
| Price per person | 425 € | 405 € | 385 € | 365 € | 350 € |
| Total price | 850 € | 1215 € | 1540 € | 1825 € | 2100 € |
Morning departure at 08:30 from your riad or hotel in Fes, as you set out south on your 3-day desert tour from Fes to Marrakech. You travel south past Ifrane, where the houses have sloping roofs, very remarkable and unusual in Morocco. This is to cope with the snowfall in the winter. You continue driving over the Middle Atlas Mountains and via the Tizi-n-Talremt pass, travelling along a beautiful road bordered by green oaks and cedar trees to reach Azrou, where you can see Barbary apes looking out for tidbits. Lunch will be in Midelt, nicknamed “the apple capital”, and is situated at the foot of the Ayachi Mountain.
Travelling further south along the main road, the itinerary takes you deeper into the mountains to enjoy breathtaking views and beautiful Berber villages. As you descend the mountains, you will be amazed by the splendid views of the extensive green oases and the innumerable palm trees all indicating the beginning of the Ziz Valley. We arrive in Errachidia, and then in Erfoud, where you can stop at the local workshop to see the workings of thousands of fossils made into all sorts of artefacts. There is no obligation to buy anything, but the workshops are well worth a visit!
At the campsite, you check in to your tent and enjoy a relaxing glass of tea and Moroccan biscuits. Then, you take a camel ride to the summit of the Erg Chebbi dunes (250 m). You will enjoy the sunset from the top of the dunes!
Back at the camp, dinner is served, followed by an evening of nomad music and drumming around a campfire. You spend the night in your tent, equipped with a private toilet & shower, king-sized beds, mattresses, sheets, pillows, blankets & carpets, lamps and beautiful Moroccan furnishings, all tastefully arranged to enhance your stay.
If you wake up early enough, you will be rewarded by an amazing spectacle of the sunrise, when the colour dunes and the play of shadows are an incredible sight.
After breakfast, experience a scenic drive through the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. Back on the paved road, you travel Between Tinjdad and Erfoud, you can stop to visit the “khettarat”, an ingenious underground water channel system designed to minimise evaporation of the water in the desert heat. It is fascinating to climb down to experience the coolness below ground and to marvel at the ancient engineering involved.
In the Toudgha Gorges, enjoy lunch in one of the restaurants overlooking the valley. Then, you have the opportunity to walk beyond the gorge itself, by the village gardens and fields. From here, you travel further east as far as the Dades Valley, where you spend the night with dinner and breakfast in a beautiful guest house overlooking the valley.
After breakfast, the itinerary continues through the beautiful Valley of the Roses as far as Kel’aa M’gouna, where you can visit a local cooperative manufacturing cosmetic articles from the abundant roses of the valley. From here, you travel through the road of a thousand Kasbahs as far as the Skoura Oasis, where you stop to visit the Kasbah Amredhil, which used to be depicted in the old 50 dirham banknote. The Kasbah has been beautifully repaired and is well worth the visit.
After lunch in Ouarzazate, you leave the main road and take a side road to the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. It is the most famous Kasbah in Morocco and one of the Kingdom’s nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is also better known as the backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters, including “Gladiator,” “Alexander,” and some scenes of the famous TV series “Game of Thrones.”
From here, you travel further northwest along the beautiful Ounila Valley, full of bends in the roads, incredible rock formations, Berber villages, and smaller Kasbahs. Finally, you reach Kasbah Telouet, which used to be the palatial residence of the Lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui Family. Although the Kasbah now stands in ruins after the last Pasha fled Morocco following the departure of the French, wait to be pleasantly surprised by the architectural marvel of this historic home. Lunch will be either here or later up in the mountains.
From here, you drive along a different road over the High Atlas Mountains, the largest mountain chain in North Africa. Along the way, soak in uninterrupted views of the High Atlas Mountains and its beautiful Berber villages. Near the top, stretch your legs for panoramic views of the mountains.
You will arrive back in Marrakech by the end of the afternoon. Your driver will transfer you to your hotel, which marks the end of your private 3-day desert tour from Fes to Marrakech.
