5 days
Private Tour
English, Multilingual
Up to 1 day
We will leave Fes early in the morning, heading south to the Sahara desert. We'll drive via Ifrane, a city constructed by the French in the 1930s and known as one of Morocco's top ski resorts. Our journey continues through Azrou's cedar forest, where you may see some wild monkeys (Barbary Macaques), and then drive across the Middle Atlas Mountains, enjoying its breathtaking views. We may stop for lunch at Zaida or Medilt before continuing south across the Tizi-n-Tlghoumt pass, where you'll notice the first signs of desert landscapes. On the way, we'll stop for a panoramic view of Ziz Valley, a large oasis of palms. We'll be arriving at Merzouga by the end of the day.
The second day of the trip will be around the Erg Chebbi dunes. We'll visit several sights and explore what the desert has to offer, such as the Merzouga seasonal lake, where we might see pink flamingos. We will continue our journey traveling towards Khamlia, a small village where we'll stop for a mint tea while listening to the Gnaoua music (African Drum Music). Our next stop will be in Mifis where we will discover some mineral mines and then, we will go off-roading through the stony black desert to one of the highest peaks, where we'll stop to take panoramic pictures of the Erg Chebbi dunes and, from there, we'll go to the nomads, where we will have a visit to their tent, and learn about their customs and the daily routine. The lunch break will be either with the nomads, on a shadow of the acacia tree, or at a small restaurant where you can try the Berber Pizza. In the afternoon, we will get back to Merzouga to ride the camels, enjoy the sunset in the dunes and spend the night at the camp. It will be a great opportunity to enjoy a traditional dinner followed by drums music, around a bonfire, and under the stars.
Today, you'll have to wake up early in the morning to the sunrise, and then we'll start our adventure to Todra Gorges after breakfast, showering, and a morning camel trip. We'll travel to Rissani, known as Tafilalet's old capital and a commercial center in the region with its local market (Souk). The next stop will be in Erfoud city, where we may visit some fossil museums before traveling to Tenghir, passing by Jorf, Touroug, and Tinejdad, where we may stop for lunch. Upon our arrival in Tenghir, we will stop at a panoramic view of an oasis full of palm palms with an old mud-brick village in the background. After a few kilometers, we will arrive at the Toda Gorges, where we will take a walk and enjoy its dramatic scenery.
We'll leave Todra in the morning and go east to Ouarzazate, traveling through the Thousand Kasbahs road. We'll stop in Dades Valley and Mgouna, which is famous for its rose valley, before continuing on to Skoura, where we'll visit the well preserved Kasbah of Ameridil. After some hiking in the valley, we have a lunch break then travel to Ouarzazate, also known as "Africa's Hollywood" because of its gorgeous landscapes that have been attracted many filmmakers. You may visit the studios before checking into the hotel to see the used items from movies such as The Mummy, Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia...etc.
On our final day, we'll be from Ouarzazate to Marrakech via the high atlas mountains. Today, we will explore the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, one of the oldest kasbahs built in the 11th century. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and, it is considered a magnificent example of the Moroccan earthen clay construction. After visiting the Kasbah, we will begin our journey over the windy roads of the high Atlas, stopping along the way to enjoy the stunning panoramic views and for lunch or a drink before continuing to Marrakech.
Merzouga is located in the south, around 471 kilometers away from Fes, and it will take about 7/8 hours to get there.
Standard hotels and a desert camp are included in the tour, with the possibility to upgrade to luxury for an extra fee.
During the summer months (June to Mid-September), temperatures in the desert reach 45 °C during the day and roughly 35 °C at night. The winter temperatures drop to 0 °C at night, while it can reach 26 °C during the day, and it is nearly constant at 30 °C during the day and 15 °C at night for the rest of the year.
The price of the tour varies depending on the number of travelers and the lodging category.
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