Tour de 3 días por el desierto de Marruecos desde Fez hacía Marrakech
Tour overview
Discover the heart of Morocco on this 3-day desert tour from Fez to Marrakech. Journey through the Atlas Mountains, ride camels into the Sahara dunes, and enjoy a magical night in a desert camp. Along the way, explore ancient kasbahs, lush oases, and traditional Berber villages. This express tour offers a rich mix of landscapes, culture, and adventure.
Duration: 3 days
From: Fez
To: Marrakech
Day 1
Fez – Ifrane – Monkey Forest – Middle Atlas – Ziz Valley – Erfoud – Desert of Merzouga
This 3-day tour from Fez to Marrakech starts at a location of your choice. It can be a hotel in the city of Fez or even the airport, if you wish to begin the tour as soon as you arrive in the country. Whatever the option, you will be picked up by our English-speaking driver in a comfortable, private vehicle for the entire journey.
On this first day we will head south and that means heading towards the Middle Atlas. On the northern slopes of these mountains we will discover amazing places.
For example, Ifrane, a city located at an altitude of more than 1,700 meters that is striking for its gabled buildings.
The reason for this unusual resource in Morocco is the high frequency of rain and snowfall in winter. And all this has earned him the nickname of ‘the Moroccan Switzerland’.
Shortly after, we will discover a protected natural area of great ecological value: Ifrane National Park, also known as the Cedar National Park or the Monkey Forest.
This is one of the few natural habitats where the Barbary macaque survives in the wild (the only primate species north of the Sahara and one of the most iconic animals of Moroccan wildlife).
It is also the only primate adapted to cold climates, by the way. In fact, the large branches of the cedar trees serve as their best refuge during harsh weather conditions.
The next stage of the day takes us across the Middle Atlas. As the road begins to descend, we’ll enter the Ziz Valley, where the environment changes dramatically: the aridity of the desert becomes apparent, with a landscape dominated by stony hamadas.
This route leads us to Erfoud, a town renowned for its rich fossil heritage, and a little further on, to Merzouga, which gives its name to the stunning part of the Sahara we are about to explore.
In Merzouga, we will mount our dromedaries (which can be replaced by 4×4 vehicles) and head towards the dunes of Erg Chebbi, embarking on a unique and unforgettable excursion through this sea of fine golden sand.
After about two hours of travel, we will arrive at our tent camp in the heart of the desert, where we will be welcomed with Berber tea, as local tradition dictates.”
At nightfall, a spectacle difficult to see in other parts of the world will open above our heads: a sky sparkling with stars thanks to the lack of clouds and the non-existent light pollution.
After that, dinner will be served at the camp and we will spend the night in traditional tents in the style of the desert nomads, but with all the comforts.
Day 2
Merzouga Desert – Rissani – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley
If the beauty of the sunset in the desert and the starry sky of the previous night were not enough, in the morning you will have a third chapter of the beautiful light that characterizes the Sahara: the dawn. Getting up early to see it will be worth it and, after that, you will have breakfast in the tents camp.
Then we will get back on the camels (or the jeep) to return to Merzouga and continue the route We will also set aside time for a refreshing shower either at the camp or at a hotel in Merzouga, depending on the package you have chosen.
Back on the asphalt, the second day of this 3-day trip from Fez to Marrakech offers numerous attractions. The first stop is the unique town of Rissani: not only is its beautiful medina captivating, but also the lively local atmosphere that surrounds it, featuring a bustling market and even a designated donkey parking area nearby.
After leaving Rissani behind, the route leads us towards the Dades Valley, between small villages, hamadas, arid elevations and palm groves that provide a pleasant greenery from time to time.
One of the modest watercourses of this stretch is precisely the cause of the next natural area where we will stop: the Todra Gorges, a spectacular rocky canyon famous among climbers for its vertical walls, which in some points reach 200 meters high.
After admiring this unique environment, we will travel through the aforementioned Dades Valley, as well as the Valley of the Roses, where the cultivation and harvesting of this flower is the way of life of a large part of its population.
The Berber fortresses are also part of the landscape in this section, as we are on the so-called Route of the Thousand Kasbahs. And in one of the small villages in the area we will stop our march to have dinner and spend the night in a charming Riad.
Día 3
Dades Valley – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – High Atlas – Marrakech
After starting the day with a good breakfast at the riad, we will continue the journey by road on what will be the last day of this 3-day tour from Fez to Marrakech.
After leaving the Dades Valley behind, two Berber monuments worthy of a visit await us.
The first is the Taourirt Kasbah in the city of Ouarzazate, which until the twentieth century served as the residence of the Sultan of the Atlas, from the powerful El Glaoui tribe. This becomes evident when visiting its rooms, some of which are richly decorated.
And the second, even larger and more spectacular: the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified village that played a key role in the desert caravan routes between Marrakech and Timbuktu. Its view from the surroundings is impressive, as are the panoramic vistas from inside.
It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being one of the best examples of Berber adobe architecture. Fans of the Game of Thrones series will also recognize it, as scenes from the third season were filmed here.
After visiting Ait Ben Haddou, the road will begin to gain altitude, as we will head to the Tizi n’Tichka pass, the main pass to cross the High Atlas, at about 2,200 meters altitude.
From this point, we will begin our descent through a landscape of special beauty, between humble mountain villages and great panoramic views in which snow-capped peaks stand out most of the year.
And after covering the final kilometers of this route, we will bring the 3-day tour from Fez to Marrakech to an end. Our driver will drop you off at the agreed location, which can be either a spot in the city center or the international airport, in case your return flight is scheduled for that afternoon.
Our services will conclude here, but we hope this farewell is just a ‘see you soon,’ and that we’ll meet again on another of the many tours we organize in Morocco.
- Included
- Pick-up & drop off at/from your accommodation/airport
- Transport by private modern vehicle with A/C
- Experienced English-speaking Driver/Guide
- Car Fuel
- 1 night in a private room in the Riad/Hotel hotel (Dinner & Breakfast)
- Camel Trekking (Camel per person)
- Sunset camel ride
- Hearty dinner and party around the campfire (Berber Drums)
- Overnight at a private tent in Camp (Breakfast & dinner)
- 4×4 transfer from and to the camp (Alternative to Camels)
- Not Included
- Flight tickets
- Drinks
- Lunches
- Entrance to monuments (Optional)
- Tips
