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5-Day Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour

Marrakech, Morocco
Duration

5 days

Tour Type

Daily Tour

Cancellation

Up to 1 day

Languages

English, Multilingual

Overview

This private 5-day desert trip starts from Marrakech and ends in Fes includes a night in Dades Valley, two in the desert, and one in Medilt. The first day will be traveling through the High Atlas Mountains, stopping at the old Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, and several Berber villages such as Skoura and Mgouna before arriving in Dades for the night. The second day will be heading south to the Sahara, visiting Todra Gorges before and exploring the Saharian Oasis before getting on the camels and spend the night in the camp. The third day will be wandering the desert, stopping at nomadic tribes, old deserted settlements, and fossil mines. The fourth day will be from the desert to the Anti Atlas via Ziz Valley, Errachidia, etc. You’ll spend the night in Medilt, which is halfway to Fes. The last day of this adventure will be to Fes via Zaida, Cedar Forest in Azrou, and Ifrane. We provide two options for improving your hotels and desert camps from standard to luxury.

Day Departure Arrival Distance
1st Marrakech Dades 285 km
2nd Dades Merzouga 300 km
3rd Merzouga Merzouga  45 km
4th Merzouga Medilt 265 km
5th Medilt Fes 198 km

 

Good to know

  1. The tour includes several hours of driving across the Atlas Mountains.
  2. You may miss the sunset, sunrise, or a part of the camel trip due to the weather.
  3. Riding a camel is not recommended for pregnant women, people over the age of 70, or with back issues.
  4. It is possible to stop for lunch in touristy restaurants because we generally stop in small and local restaurants that serve fresh food. If you prefer to book a restaurant on your own, you may ask your driver to take you anywhere at any time.

Highlights

  • Explore the Atlas region
  • Discover the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou
  • Walking through Todra Gorge
  • Enjoy the stunning views of the Sahara
  • Ride a camel in the dunes
  • Enjoy the night under the desert sky
  • Discover the daily routine of the nomads
  • Enjoy the panoramic views of the Oases

Itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech - High Atlas - -Ait Ben Haddou - Ouarzazate - Skoura - Dades

We shall begin our tour after picking you up from Marrakech on the first day. The drive will take us through several tiny Berber towns and the Tizi-n-Tichka pass in the High Atlas Mountains to Ait Benhaddou, a spectacular historic Kasbah, and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ait Ben Haddou has been one of the best destinations used in several well-known films such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Kingdom of the Skies. After exploring the Kasbah, we will drive to Ouarzazate, known as the "Hollywood of Africa" because of its famed studios used in well-known Hollywood films. The Thousand Kasbahs road will lead us to Skoura, where we will discover the Kasbah of Amredil. From here, we'll go to Kelaat M'gouna, the capital of the Valley of the Roses, before arriving in Dades for the night.

ACCOMMODATION:
Standard Option: Hotel Kasbah Didis or similar
Superior Option: Hotel Ksar Sultan or similar

Day 2: Dades - Tenghir - Todra Gorges - Erfoud - Merzouga

On the second day, we'll travel east to the Merzouga golden dunes. Our first stop will be at Tineghir, where you will be impressed by the panoramic views of the old mud villages and the beautiful palm oasis that stretches on both sides of town, and then we will continue to Todra gorges, where you will walk under steep red cliffs up to 300-meter canyon made by Todra's largest river. Our journey continues south, passing via Jorf and Erfoud, known as the "Fossil Capital" because of the millions of fossils discovered in the area. After a few kilometers, you'll start noticing the beginnings of Erg Chebbi's immense sand sea looming on the horizon, just like a mirage. When we arrive in Merzouga, you will check into your hotel and then have free time to explore the charming village and the dunes nearby to enjoy the magnificent Sahara sunset.

ACCOMMODATION:
Standard Option: Hotel Kasbah Didis or similar
Superior Option: Hotel Ksar Sultan or similar

Day 3: Merzouga - Khamlia - Rocky Desert - Erg Chebbi Nomad - Merzouga Desert

<The third day will be spent off-roading farther into the desert, exploring various unexplored desert sites. We'll begin with a stop at Merzouga's seasonal lake if it's full of water during your visit. This magical lake has s stunning view with the highest golden dunes in the background. When it is full of water, it attracts a large number of birds, including flamingos. Following that, we will continue to Khamlia, a small village whose inhabitants are original from Mali and Sudan. After discovering around, we'll stop at a local band that plays Gnaoua music, which is a type of African percussion music. Following our enjoyment and dancing to African beats, we will go to the black desert, a volcanic enormous rocky desert on the est side of Merzouga's dunes (Erg Chebbi) with various minerals and fossils to discover. We will have time to explore some of the abandoned villages and, we will stop at several points with panoramic views of a sand sea. Our next exploration will be with a large nomad family who continues to move from one location to another with their animal. We will learn about their way of life and have mint tea or even lunch (optional) in their traditional tent or the shade of an acacia tree nearby. We will end our 4WD safari by visiting a desert oasis before returning to Merzouga, where you will ride a camel deep into the desert and spend the night in a tent. You'll be amazed by the desert landscapes and the sunset over the dunes. When you get to the camp, you'll have a mint and then check into your tent. After the dinner, the local team will play traditional drum music and attempt to teach some rhythms. Before you go to bed, you can walk in the nearest dunes to enjoy the starry sky.

ACCOMMODATION:
Standard Option: Standard Desert Camp
Superior Option: Luxury Desert Camp

Day 4: Merzouga - Rissani - Ziz Valley -Er rachidia - Rich - Medilt

On the fourth day early morning, you'll weaken up to watch the sunrise creating various shadows and colors across the sand sea, and then begin the day after finishing your breakfast, shower, and the morning camel trek. We will be heading north, and our first stop of the day will be in Rissani, the ancient capital of Tafilalet and a previous old caravan destination that is now the biggest souk (Market) in the area. We will continue towards the anti atlas, with few stops on several places such as Ziz Valley and various Berber towns, passing through the Tizi Ntalghamt before reaching Medilt, where we will spend the night.

ACCOMMODATION:
Standard Option: Hotel Taddar or similar
Superior Option: Villa Pomme D'or or similar

Day 5: Medilt - Zaida - Azrou - Cedar Forest - Ifran - Fes

On the last day, we drive through the Middle Atlas Mountains, which are considered home to the enormous cedar forests and the Barbary monkeys found at Azrou. They are entertaining to watch. Then we travel to Ifrane, known as the "Little Switzerland of Africa" due to its alpine-style architecture, where we will stop for pictures and coffee before continuing to Fes, where the tour ends.

Included/Excluded

  • Private transportation with A/C
  • Experienced driver (Multilingual)
  • Car fuel
  • Hotels (Half board)
  • Camel riding in the dunes
  • Sandboarding (Optional)
  • Night in a desert camp (Half board)
  • Drinks
  • Lunches
  • Accommodation in Marrakech & Fes
  • Entrance fees
  • Travel insurance

Tour's Location

Marrakech, Morocco

FAQs

What is the luggage allowance?

You can take up to 2 big and 2 small suitcases per person. Please let us know if you have more.

Which accommodations are included?

The tour includes standard hotels and desert camps, however, you can upgrade the accommodations to superior (luxury) for an additional cost.

How is the weather in the desert?

The summer weather (From June to mid-September) gets up to 45°C during the day and up to 40°C. Throughout the winter (November to March), It is chilly at night and moderates during the day (day 26° C/night 0° C). The rest of the year, the temperature is between 24 and 30 °C.

What to pack?

- Shoes with laces
- Water
- Sunscreen
- Flashlight
- Scarf or hat
- Sunglasses
- Coat and Gloves (during winter)
- Backpack

What time and where does start from?

The trip begins at 8:00 a.m., and you will be picked up from your Marrakech accommodation. If you want us to pick you up from a certain location (airport, bus/train station, etc.), please contact us.

How to book and pay?

Deposit:
In order to confirm your booking, a deposit is requested to be paid in advance and the rest of the payment can be paid by PayPal, credit card, Bank transfer, or in cash.

Payments and terms of cancellations:
For more information about the payments and cancellations, please check our payments & terms of cancellations page.

Conditions:
Usually, we don’t book any accommodations before your confirmation, thus if the accommodations listed above are already fully booked, we will book another one with the same category and services.

Is the tour private or shared?

Because this is a private tour, you (your party) and the driver/guide will be the only ones on the tour.

What is the price of the 5-day desert trip from Marrakech to Fes?

Prices vary depending on the number of travelers and the category of lodgings. Hotels and desert camps can be upgraded to luxury.

Reviews

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Based on 30 reviews
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Kasbah
Andrea
2024-03-24
Excellent!!
We had been looking forward to these 5-days, and we were not disappointed. The first night was at a guest house in Dades Gorge, which was fantastic. After we had dinner, the entire family came out to entertain us with drums and singing. We even had a chance to try our hand at it! The following day, we traveled to Merzouga and the desert. I can't say the one-hour camel ride was a pleasant experience. It was a little painful on the butt. The dunes were stunning in a manner that is difficult to put into words. All-in-all it was a great experience.
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Kasbah
Carla
2024-03-24
Unforgettable 5-days to the Sahara
We just returned from a 5-day luxury trip from Marrakech to the Sahara and ending in Fes. We had a great time at every stop on our tour, and the hotels we stayed in exceeded our expectations. Our greatest praise goes to our driver/guide, Ali. He was extremely professional, friendly, and responsive to our needs. He certainly made our vacation unforgettable, and we cannot thank him enough. He is a valuable addition to the organization.
Kasbah
Tobias
2024-03-24
5-day Sahara adventure
My wife and I went on this 5-day Sahara adventure. The tour included pick up from Marrakech, night in a hotel in Dades, two in the desert camp, and the last one in Medilt. Mustapha was a friendly and knowledgeable driver/guide. It was a pleasure to have him during these five days. He made sure that the scheduled stops match what we desired, and his easygoing and calm drive made a long journey go quickly. I highly recommend Mustapha and this company.
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