Uncover the hidden gems of the mighty Sahara Desert and the south of Morocco on this 4-day desert tour from Fes to Marrakech. This desert exploration offers a great opportunity to cover the diversity of landscapes and the contrast of Morocco from the scenic Atlas Mountains to the golden dunes of the Erg Chebbi. You get to discover stunning Berber villages and ancient Kasbahs and learn about life in the oases.
Get ready for scenic hikes through the rocky landscapes of fertile Dades Valley and the massive Toudgha Gorges. Journey on camelback like a true Saharan adventurer through the windswept dunes of Erg Chebbi to your campsite. Dine under a sky full of stars and share an evening of nomad music and drumming around a campfire in the desert.
It is a magnificent adventure from Fes to Marrakech to hold in your memory for a long time to come!
| Number of persons | 2 Persons | 3 Persons | 4 Persons | 5 Persons | 6 Persons |
| Price per person | 495 € | 445 € | 405 € | 395 € | 375 € |
| Total price | 990 € | 1335 € | 1620 € | 1975 € | 2250 € |
Morning departure at 08:30 from your riad or hotel in Fes, as you set out south on your 4-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 of the varying landscape and admire beautiful Berber villages. As you start descending 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. You arrive in Errachidia, and then in Errissani, the last village before the Sahara Desert.
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) to 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 own 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 drive to 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!
Then, 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 for a walk or to go for a short hike with a local guide beyond the gorge itself, by the village gardens and green 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, your 4-day desert tour from Fes to Marrakech continues, going off-road along the Boutaghar route to visit Berber nomads in their caves and share a glass of tea with them. This visit makes it clear just how hard existence is for these nomads in this very dry landscape, trying to feed their goats and bring up their children.
Back at the car, the itinerary continues through the beautiful Valley of the Roses as far as Kel’aa M’gouna, where tons of roses are harvested every spring from this desert oasis! Here, you can visit a local cooperative producing cosmetic articles from the valley’s abundant roses. These products are highly valued throughout the country.
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 featured in the old 50 dirham banknote. The kasbah has been beautifully restored and is well worth visiting; constructed entirely of adobe, an excellent building material that keeps room temperature cool in the summer and warm in the winter due to the thickness of the walls.
You will have lunch in one of the local restaurants with time to wander the Skoura Oasis and learn about the Berber way of life in the oases and in the south of Morocco.
Just outside of Ouarzazate, you could visit the Film Studios, a movie wonderland, known for keeping its sets and reorganising them to offer a wide range of choices to production studios, but also for letting tourists experience the unique thrill of discovering the sets where many successful films and series have been shot, including “Gladiator”, “Prince of Persia” and “Game of Thrones.”
By the end of the day, you check in to your guest house, where you spend the night.
After breakfast, you leave for Marrakech. After a 45 min drive, you leave the main road to go 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 in 1956, 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 4-day desert tour from Fes to Marrakech.
