Description

Set out into the desert on a 3-day private tour from Fez to Marrakech, and discover the vivid landscape and ancient cultures of southern Morocco. Travel through rustling palm groves, ride a camel into the dunes and sleep at a nomadic encampment. Rise early for sunrise in the Sahara then leave the desert for the High Atlas Mountains; discover Berber villages and a rose-filled valley, drive the ‘road of 1,000 kasbahs’ and explore the fortified towns of Ait-Ben-Haddou and Ouarzazate before descending Tizi n’Tichka pass to the gates of Marrakech.

Travel between the 2 imperial cities of Fes and Marrakech with a Moroccan desert tour. On this 3-day guided excursion, discover the secrets of the Sahara desert.

Day 1: Fes – Midelt – Merzouga

You’ll be picked up from your accommodation in Fes and head first to the fertile plains of Sais and to the cedar forests in the middle of the Atlas Mountains. Stop for lunch in Midelt, then continue along the majestic Ziz River, where palms stand in fortified kasbahs.

Drive to Erfoud through the oasis and continue on to Merzouga, where you’ll climb onto your camel and follow your guide for a stunning ride through the orange dunes. From the back of these animals, you’ll watch the sun set over the dunes.

You’ll then spend the night in a desert camp, to experience the nomad life. If you select the upgrade on checkout, you’ll spend the night in a luxurious en suite camping set-up.

Day 2: Merzouga – Tinghir, Dades

Wake up early in the morning to watch the sun rising over the desert before breakfast. Your first stop of the day will be to Rissani, known for being the location of the mausoleum of the founder of the Alaouite Dynasty of Morocco.

Then, head to Tinghir on the route of the 1000 kasbahs, exploring the kasours and oases in the High Atlas mountain range. Take an hour to explore the Todgha River and admire this beautiful site and the canyons.

Before lunch, visit the Berber village of Azrou with your guide to discover their traditional lifestyle. In the afternoon, you’ll drive to the Dades Valley to visit one of the oldest kasbahs in the region. You’ll then be dropped off at your guest house or hotel in Dades.

Day 3: Dades – Kelaa Mgouna – Ouarzazate – Ait ben Haddou – Marrakech

After breakfast at your hotel, travel to Kelaa Mgouna in the Rose Valley, a famous rose plantation. Visit one of the rose growers’ cooperatives and discover how the workers mix distilled rose water to create scents.

Continue along the kasbahs to Ouarzazate, known as the “door of the Sahara”, often used as a filming location. Next you’re off to Kasbah Ait ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed fortified village. Explore this beautiful site with your guide and learn more about its Moroccan earthen clay architecture.

In the afternoon, take the Tizi-n-Tichka pass through the Atlas Mountains, where Berbers have been living for centuries. You’ll arrive back in Marrakech in the late afternoon.