4 Days Fez tour to Marrakech via the desert

Day 1: Fez – Ifrane – Cedros Forest – Middle Atlas – Ziz Valley – Merzouga Desert:

Pick up at the hotel or Riad where you are staying at 8 am and we head south to cross the Middle Atlas Mountains until we reach Ifrane. This is known as “the little Moroccan Switzerland” because of its great resemblance to that country. One of the animals that once inhabited the mountains here was the Atlas lion, which is why it became the symbol of the city to which they have dedicated a stone statue in the centre of town. We will take the opportunity to take some photos. We will cross the famous cedar forests. We can admire the Great Cedar Gouraud, the largest ancient cedar forest of the region and also feed the hundreds of Barbary monkeys that live in the area. Lunch in Midelt and, in the afternoon, we will pass through the Ziz Valley. More than 20km of palm groves and 10 million palm trees make it one of the largest in the world. Arrival in Merzouga and hospitality tea in our hotel. Later we will enjoy our first contact with the desert, climbing to the nearest dunes to relax with a spectacular sunset. Dinner and hotel accommodation very close to the dunes of Erg Chebbi.

Day 2: Merzouga Desert – Nomadic Families – Khamlia – Night in Haimas Nomads:

Today will be a day of Total Desert! After a copious and rich breakfast, we will go around the Erg Chebbi, an expanse of sand desert where the Great Dune of Morocco is located. This dune is more than 250 meters high, and we will connect by track with part of the route followed by the old Paris-Dakar Rally, and with the mountains that border Algeria. We will stop at the oasis of Tissardmin where we can find fossil quarries that are still in this region and we will continue towards a nomadic settlement where we will know some of the secrets of their life and customs. Later stop at a panoramic point where we can view the Erg Chebbi as a whole. We will arrive at the village of Khamlia, whose inhabitants are originally from Mali, where we will relax with a tea while we enjoy a concert of spiritual music from Gnawa. We will return to the hotel to leave in a caravan of camels in order to enter the heart of the dunes and see an unforgettable sunset. We will arrive by camel to the camp where we will stay in Haimas (tents made with dromedary hair) like those used by desert nomads. Dinner and night in Haimas in the heart of the desert under a truly spectacular blanket of stars.

Day 3: Merzouga Desert – Rissani Market – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley:

“Appointment with the Sunrise”; since we are in the desert it is recommended you get up early to walk to the highest dune around the camp to enjoy the sunrise and this relaxing landscape that nature offers. Afterwards we will return by camel to the village of Merzouga. After a delicious breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to the desert and to depart for Rissani, where we will visit its market (if we are lucky and it is one of the market days: Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday). We will then follow the road to Erfoud where there is also the possibility of visiting the marble factory before continuing to the palm groves of Touroug and Tinjdad. An hour later we will arrive at one of the most striking points of the High Atlas: The Todra Gorges. The channel of the Todra River has formed a canyon with vertical walls of enormous proportions and great beauty. The gorge is a paradise for climbers and an utterly unique place. Lunch at the site and a half hour walk would be advisable to see and enjoy the Gorges. In the afternoon we will continue to the Dades Valley, also known as the Valley of Figs, passing through Boumalne Dades. We will stop to view a curious geological formation known as “The Monkey Fingers”. Dinner and night in the Gorges of Dades.

Day 4: Dades Valley – Ouarzazate – Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou – High Atlas – Marrakech:

After breakfast, we can enjoy one of the best views of the Dades Valley. We will do this from one of the most strategic places that the mountains offer us. From there we can observe the amount of picturesque kasbahs that there are. We will then travel along a road dotted with several kasbahs of great interest. After several stops to enjoy the route of the Thousand Kasbahs, the Valley of Roses and the great palm grove of Skoura, we will arrive at Ouarzazate. There we will visit the kasbah of Taourirt – former residence of the Glaoui or Pasha of Marrakech – the Film Studios and the Film Museum, if you are interested. We will also go to the fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou, where we will visit its famous Kasbah, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. In this spectacular setting several famous films have been shot, such as Gladiator, Asterix and Obelix, and Sahara with Penélope Cruz. Lunch in the village and in the afternoon we will depart for Marrakech, crossing the mountain pass of Tizi Ntichka with stops to take photos. Here we will leave behind the lunar landscape which will give way to the predominant green and ocher colours around Marrakech. Arrival at Marrakech around 6pm, transfer to the hotel and end of our services.