This 4 Days Morocco Tour from Fes to Marrakech crosses the country from Fes to Marrakech with a full day in the Sahara. From Fes you travel through Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest and down the Ziz Valley to Merzouga, spend a full day exploring the dunes of Erg Chebbi and meeting nomad families, then continue via Rissani, the Todra Gorges, the Dades Valley, Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou, crossing the High Atlas to Marrakech.
We leave Fes in the morning and drive into the Middle Atlas Mountains, passing the alpine-style town of Ifrane, the “Switzerland of Morocco”, and the cedar forests of Azrou, where we stop to look for the wild Barbary macaques. We continue over the mountains and descend along the beautiful Ziz Valley, with its vast palm groves and panoramic viewpoints.
After a stop at Erfoud we reach Merzouga in the late afternoon, where a camel caravan takes us over the dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset to our desert camp for dinner, music around the fire and a night under the stars.
Today is a full day to discover the Merzouga desert at a relaxed pace. After sunrise and breakfast we visit the village of Khamlia to hear the Gnaoua music of its people, then explore the dunes of Erg Chebbi by 4×4, meeting nomad families and learning about their way of life. We also visit spots such as Dayet Srji lake and Hassi Labied village, before returning to camp for another sunset, dinner and a night in the desert.
After breakfast we leave Merzouga and drive towards the Todra Gorges, stopping first at Rissani, birthplace of the Alaouite dynasty, to explore its traditional market. We then reach the impressive Todra Gorges, a canyon with 300-metre limestone walls where we stop to walk and have lunch, before continuing along the road of a thousand kasbahs to the Dades Valley, where we spend the night.
This morning we drive through the Dades Valley towards Ouarzazate, the “Hollywood of Morocco”, and visit the nearby UNESCO-listed Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, one of the most beautiful fortified villages in the country and the setting of many famous films. Afterwards we cross the High Atlas Mountains over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, with panoramic stops, and arrive in Marrakech in the evening.
Is this a private tour?
Yes, all our tours are private — just you and your group with your own driver and vehicle, so the pace and stops can be adapted to you.
When do we ride the camels and sleep in the desert?
In the late afternoon a camel caravan takes you over the dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset to the camp, where you spend the night.
What is the accommodation like?
You stay in traditional riads or hotels along the route and in a desert camp near Merzouga, with private tents and dinner and breakfast at the camp.
Will we have Wi-Fi in the desert?
There is usually service in Merzouga village, but deep in the dunes it is intermittent — a great chance to unplug and enjoy the stars.
