5-day program for Fes to Marrakech, via Merzouga desert
You will have a free morning in Fes and drive to Midelt in the afternoon. You will leave Fes travelling towards Ifrane, which is nationally known as the little Switzerland of Morocco and then on to Midelt. During this journey, you get to see glimpses of the Middle Atlas and Higher Atlas mountains. Stopping in Azrou, a Berber village in the middle of the famous cedar forest. After some time within the forest, your journey continues to Midelt along the magnificent hills and the Atlas mountains.
After breakfast in your hotel, you will travel to Merzouga via Errachidia and Erfoud. You will be travelling through the fascinating Tiz Ntalghamt pass and the Ziz Gorge, taking in views of the High Atlas plateau. You will notice how the scenery changes to reveal hints of the desert as you approach the city of Errachidia, where you will have lunch and enjoy the Berber hospitality. Afterwards, you will travel along the luxuriant Ziz Valley, stopping for panoramic views along the way to Erfoud and Rissani. You will arrive in Merzouga in the afternoon. Your camels will be waiting for you to take you to the camp at the heart of the desert where you will spend a flamboyant night.
Wake up early to enjoy the ravishing sunrise. After breakfast and a shower, you go to the hotel. From there, you start your tour in the desert. You start by visiting a small village named Khamlia where you will enjoy Gnawa Music. The latter is played by Berbers of color whose ancestors came to Morocco from different parts of Africa. The next stop is mines which no longer function. Our guide will explain to you more once you get there. Visiting nomads come next. You will visit Nomadic families who live in tents and you will be welcomed with Berber tea.After exploring the lives and the daily routines of the nomads, you head back to Khamlia where you will have lunch. After lunch, you will have a tour in the Hasi Lbied’s Oasis. The rest of the day is yours so that you can do whatever you like.
Wake up early to enjoy the ravishing sunrise. After breakfast and a shower, you head to Rissani. The latter used to be called Sijilmassa, which was the contact zone for the salt caravans coming from Timbuktu in Mali. Here you will walk through the souk, selling spices, vegetables and cloths. The trip continues to Todgha Gorges through Erfoud, then El Jirf. Few kilometers after El Jirf, you will stop to discover the underground connected chain of wheels that people used to get water to their gardens where they grow vegetables, fruits, and dates. The chain of the connected wheels is designed as a sign of collective cooperation and as well to protect water from evaporation as the weather gets very hot, especially in summer. The locals will explain more once you are there. The ticket for going underground is 20 Moroccan dirhams per a person (2 Dollars). The journey then continues to Tinjdad where you will have lunch. The next stop is Jewish Villages near Tinghir on your way to Todgha Gorges. Our guide will explain in details once you get there. In Todgha Gorges, you enjoy the ravishing views and panoramas. A short walk in the Gorges is included before going to Dades where you will spend the night.
After breakfast, you will take a short walk in the gorges before departure to Marrakech. There are still many sites and things to explore on your final day before arriving in Marrakech. You will follow the Dades Valley through El Kelaa Magona, the Valley of the Roses and the road of a thousand Kasbahs. You visit Ouarzazate and stop for lunch in the ancient desert village of Ait Ben Haddou. It is now a protected UNESCO site and famous as the nest of many films like the Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and many others. You can climb to the peak of the Kasbah where you will get to see a heart-taking view.
You will drive via Tichka Pass on your way to Marrakech, where you will see many Berber villages along this way. We will drop you off at your desired location, either at a Riad, Hotel or airport.