4 Days Trip from Marrakech via Sahara desert and Fes : Tour Starting from Marrakech, Desert Tour from Marrakech

Introduction :

We will start this tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, through the High Atlas mountains via Ouarzazate . visit the UNISCO World Heritage site, Ouarzazate “the Hollywood of Africa” and stop for pictures next largest studio in Africa “Atlas studio” . Taourirt Kasbah . Roses Valley . dades valley , down to Merzouga desert, Camel trekkin . overnight in a berber tents at the middle of the dunes, tour around Erg chebbi for see Nomads . berber villages . will be heading towards Fes passing through the Rissani Markt . Erfoud . Ziz Valley . midelt . Azrou where we will explore the Cedar Forest, Ifrane the Moroccan Switzeland , middle Atlas mountains, down to fes.

Program details :

1 Day 1 : Marrakech – High Atlas – Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley

After we met at the place that we had agreed upon . we will star our tour to southeast through the High Atlas via Tizi N’tichka pass (2260 m in altitude), visit the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou and stop for lunch in a local restaurant that crosses the Atlas to about 2.300m with stops to enjoy the spectacular views offering and see the Berber villages . later we continue to visit the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou (declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Famous films have been shot in this spectacular stage, including Gladiator , Obelix, The Mummy, The Jewel of the Nile, Sahara with Penélope Cruz . Free time for lunch in town. Then We will continue our way to Ouarzazate “the Hollywood of Africa” and stop for pictures next largest studio in Africa “Atlas studio” will see the Taourirt kasbah, one of the most spectacular Kasbahs in Morocco. The next site to visit is the Rose Valley going through the Skoura palms ; a beautiful place to contemplate more than 700.000 palms and numerous kasbahs that are built in the surrounding area. In this Valley damascenes roses are raised for cosmetic use such as the valued rosewater. The Rose Festival is held here annually in May, it is an important moussem for Moroccan culture. Finally we reach the Dades valley where we will spend the night.

2 Day 2 : Dades Valley – Todra Gorges – Merzouga – berber tents.

After breakfast in the hotel, we leave Dades valley towards Todra gorge from there we can appreciate the great number of kasbahs and the scenic characteristics of each one. A very good asphalt road leads up the valley from the city of Tineghir to the gorge and then to the desert. The scenery is spectacular. Local people live in the area and can be seen in their adobe villages. Thanks to its rock sides with many uneven surfaces, these gorges are popular among rock climbers.After a short walk in the Todra gorges you will have free time for lunch in Touroug before reaching Erfoud. You will visit a local fossil craft workshop. After that you will continue to the captivating dunes of Erg Chebbi, these dunes are called also Merzouga Dunes. Arrive to the hotel and get ready for a camel trek for an hour and half to enjoy the sunset. While on the back of your camls, you will continue to the camp or an overnight in traditional nomad tent. Dinner and spend the night in a bivouac in the middle of the dunes.

3 Day 3 : Merzouga – Nomads – Khamlia Village – Erg Chebbi.

The whole day is spent in desert. “Date with the sunrise” If you are In the middle of the desert, it`s absolutely worth getting up early to contemplate the most spectacular sunrise you´ve ever seen at the top of a dune close to the camp and enjoy this landscape that is a gift of nature. After sunrise we return to Merzouga on the camels where a hearty breakfast is waiting for us. Then we`ll skirt the Erg Chebbi, great extension of sandy desert where we can find the Big Dune of Morocco. which has more than 250mts high. We continue then by the road that was formerly used for the “Paris – Dakar” and ends in the mountains that limit with Agelia. Stop at Tissardmin oasis where we can find fossil quarries still present in the area, we continue then by a road where we can see nomad settlements and learn their secrets and manners. The next stop will be at a viewpoint to contemplate the hole Erg Chebbi. We`ll reach then Kamilia Village, originally from Mali, where we will take a relaxing cup of tea meanwhile we listen to a concert of the spiritual music of Gnawa.Transfer to your accommodation and free afternoon to enjoy the town or the dunes next to the hotel to see the sunset. Dinner and night in the hotel.

4 Day 4 : Merzouga – Rissani – Ziz Valley – midelt – Azrou – Ifrane – Fes

After breakfast we start our last day to the north through the Tafilalet palm grove, the biggest in the world. We will see thousands of palm trees along the 20km of road. This way leads us to the Ziz valley, which river comes down from the high Atlas and feeds the palm grove. Here we make a stop and from this high viewpoint, enjoy a magnificent view of the valley and the town of Aoufous.

We make another stop in Midelt (the capital of Apple), just in the heart of the Atlas we have free time for lunch . after lunch we will continue our way we drive further south passing by several towns and you will get the opportunity to view nomads living in tents . then Azrou where we will have a stop at the famous cedar forest the largest in Morocco for to see and play with Barbary apes . then Ifrane the Moroccan situated in the northwestern slope of the Middle Atlas at 1630 meters above the sea . Its broad avenues, its urban development with perfect cleanness, the gardens, the green areas and its architecture make this city look like a swiss town. and if that´s not enough it has an important ski resort, Michlifen in the winter time , down to fes.