From Fes To The Sahara Until Marrakech In 4 Days

Itinerary:

Day 1: Fez – Ifrane – Erfoud – Merzouga

• We start our journey early in the morning and head for the Middle Atlas Mountains.

• Stop for a coffee in Ifran, with its chalet-like houses. Shortly after it’s time to feed the monkeys! They live in a cedar forest and love the sweet bananas which you can buy at the roadside.

• From here we head south through several typical villages, where you will have the opportunity to spot nomad families living in their tents along the road.

• After our lunch in Midelt, we continue our drive and enjoy panoramic views crossing the Tizi N' Talghoumt pass. In Erfoud, you can enjoy a fantastic view of the valley of the river Ziz lined with thousands of date palms. Now we’re almost at the dunes!

• Before arriving in Merzouga, we will stop in the black desert to take some pictures with the red dunes of Merzouga in the back while the sun sinks down behind the hills of sand. It is only a short drive now to your home of the night. Dinner and overnight in the desert lodge.

Day 2: The Dunes Erg Chebbi of Merzouga

• After breakfast in your lodge, we hop on our 4x4 to explore the area around the desert city Merzouga: visit the black people in the village of Khamlia and enjoy their music and dance; cross desert plateaus, and visit a Berber family in their tent for lunch. You can learn how they live in their tents with their goats, sheep and working donkeys.

• Afterward, we catch a 4x4 gravel road to the lake of Merzouga (also named Lake Tamezguida), which appears seasonal from November to May when it is rainy season in the Middle Atlas. It is the best spot to observe desert birds and sometimes even Flamingos.

• After returning to your lodge, you will experience a one-hour camel ride to reach the desert camp in the middle of the big dunes which reach up to 160 m at sunset. Enjoy your evening dining in a Berber tent, look for shooting stars at the campfire and sleep in a nomad tent!

Day 3: Merzouga – Rissani – Todra Gorges – Dades Gorges

• Wake up by the first strays of light to watch the sunrise over the Sahara before you enjoy your typical breakfast. If you like, you can catch a board and try some sandboarding after walking up a big dune next to the camp.
• We return on the camel's back or 4x4 to the desert lodge where a nice shower awaits us. In Rissani we will have the opportunity to visit the local market with the «donkey parking» and have a look at some fossils outside the city.
• After a lunch break, we will follow the road along the river to reach the gorges of Todra, where you can take a short but spectacular hike between the up to 300 m high rock walls. Before arriving at our Riad for the night in the Dades valley, we head to Boumalne Dades where you can make some nice pictures of the special rock formations which look like monkey hands. Dinner and overnight at a Riad in Dades.

Day 4: Dades Gorges – Valley of Roses – Ouarzazate – Aït Ben Haddou – Telouet Kasbah – Marrakech

• Today we will see a lot of different landscapes on our way to Marrakech. Admire the views of the Valley of a thousand Kasbahs and the famous Valley of Roses along the road.

• A little outside of Ouarzazate lies Aït Ben Haddou, the fortified clay city with its numerous ksars and kasbahs, where several famous movies such as Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven and Prince of Persia have been shot. This photogenic city is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• After the visit and lunch in Aït Ben Haddou, we continue our trip to the high Atlas mountains and make a stop at the «Telouet Kasbah» before heading back to Marrakech, we pass the High Atlas mountains over the Tizi n’Tichka pass with scenic views along the road and many opportunities to take photos.

• Evening arrival in Marrakech at your riad or hotel.