5 Days Desert Tour from Fes to Marrakech

At 8:00 am your driver will pick you up, leave the UNESCO-protected Fes and travel south toward Merzouga Sahara Desert. The first stop will be in Ifran, nicknamed the little Swizerland, a neat and charming city that has a mild climate, lakes, white winters and a distinctive architecture, i. e. houses have sloping remarkably unusual roofs in Morocco.  A 15 min stop to stretch your legs, drink a cup of coffee. We will continue south to cross the majestic Middle Atlas, a region of rare beauty, varied landscapes, and forest roads shaded by towering stands of cedar trees. Stop for a while to observe the Barbary apes in the Oak and Cedar forest.  Lunch in Midelt before we continue to the Sahara Desert driving over the fascinating Tizi n'Talghamt Pass (at an altitude of 1,907 m), and into the scenic Valley of Ziz which graces the landscape with its hidden oases and emerald green palm trees. On the way to the Sahara, you will see numerous ancient Ksour—fortified houses built of earth bricks and had served as a strongholds that protect sedentary populations and their precious wares, including gold, salt and spices. Once you are in Erfoud, you can feel the beginning of the Saharan oasis of Tafilalet and its immense arid plateaus. You will stop in one of the cafes to stretch your legs, use the bathrooms before heading to the Sahara Desert. Continue your journey to the Sahara Desert of Merzouga, where you will find camels are waiting for you at the edge of the golden dunes, the luggage will be loaded in an 4x4 car and transported to the camp, and you enjoy a beautiful camel ride over the sand dunes, contemplating the stunning scenery and the beautiful Desert sunset on the way to the camp.

Wake up in the sunrise for lovely pictures, and breakfast in open air. The rest of the day will be dedicated to explore this magnificent desert region and its marvelous Erg Chebbi Dunes. We will circuit the desert dunes and you will have the opportunity to meet with the nomads and get to know their way of life, you will also see the amazing changing contrasts of the desert. Rissani is very interesting, it's a town of culturally diversified inhabitants, there co-exist Berbers, Arabs, as well as other desert communities. The town boasts a large number of beautiful ksours, palaces, temples and monuments which reflect the early Moroccan architectural styles, like Abbar Ksar and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif (one of the founders of the Alaouite dynasty), which could be a part of your exploration. In the afternoon, we will drive back into the desert. Dinner and overnight in a hotel at the foothills of Erg Chebbi Sahara Dunes.

Wake up early to catch a spectacular desert sunrise and enjoy an open air breakfast in the camp before you leave the Merzouga region and dunes behind. Make our way to the oasis town of Tinghir before reaching Todra Gorge, a series of deep-sided canyons with cliffs reaching a height of 300 m (985 ft), These are the most impressive cliffs in southern Morocco. Todra Gorge offers incredible natural landscapes with dramatic cliff-like terrain and streams flowing into the palmeraies. You will have time to explore this majestic gorge with a local guide, relax in the cool water of the Todra River and have lunch in this enjoyable place. Leave Tinghir behind and drive to Dades Valley. Upon arrival to Boumalne Dades, we will deviate into a secondary route heading up to Dades Dorges, a surprising landscape that is known for its stunning rock formation, kasbahs and attractive stone and pisé villages. On the banks of the river is a cultivated land that grows almond, fig and walnut trees and polars — its a glorious road that offers one of the most scenic drives in the world.

After breakfast, we will take a short walk in the Gorges of Dades, then depart to Ait Boutaghrar via the off road. We may visit a nomad familly if they still there. Follow the spectacular M'goun Valley and arrive in Kelaa M'Gouna, known for its Festival of Roses; here you can see extensively cultivated farmland bordered with fragrant pink rose bushes. Continue driving toward Skoura via the road of 1000 Kasbahs. The town of Skoura houses a number of impressive kasbahs, we will visit the most imposing one, the 17th century Amridil Kasbah — a masterpiece that had been printed in the country's 50 Dirham note. Skoura is one of Morocco’s beautiful oases, we will visit the palmery gardens and enjoy the abundance of its nature. Arrive in Ouarzazate, nicknamed "Hollywood of Africa" a town located on the main road between the mountains and the desert, Ouarzazate is made popular by the film industry. For a century, hundreds of movies have been shot in this region, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, Game of Thrones, kingdom of Heaven, and many more. It is possibile to join a studio tour so to discover how the nearby desert landscapes have been featured in many films. Have lunch in one of the local restaurants. After lunch, we will travel to the nearby town Ait Benhadou village. We will have time to explore this famous UNESCO World Heritage Site with a local guide, . Overnight in a beautiful kasbah with Dinner..

After breakfast we will drive along the beautiful and awe-inspiring Ounila Valley that is full of bends in the road and surprises at the hues of the rock and soil, gardens, Berber villages, as well as small Kasbahs until you reach the village of Telouet. Arrive at Telouet Kasbah, the main seat of the Glaoui family. The kasbah boasts some of the best andalusion architecture with engraved stuccowork, colourful zellij tilework, painted cedar ceilings and doors. Meet your guide and learn the fascinating history of this crumbling yet stunning village and its role in the struggle for Moroccan independence. Drive across the High Atlas Mountains the highest mountain range in North Africa. Along the way, soak in uninterrupted views of the High Atlas Mountains and its beautiful Berber villages. Near the top, stretch your legs for a great panoramic view of the mountains. We will continue to Marrakech where our adventure comes to an end. Around 3 pm you will be dropped off in your Riad/Hotel or at the nearest parking lot to it.