Day 1: Marrakech – High Atlas – Ait Benhaddou – Ouarzazate – Roses Valley –  Dades (330Km)

Travel over the High Atlas Mountains for a rendezvous with the sky at Tizi n Tichka pass at 2260m above sea level. Stop and marvel at the amazing views over the hills and valleys below. Down the other side, you will travel all along Berber villages and homes set on the hillsides. Watch out for goats and sheep on the roadside as you make your way towards Ouarzazate.

Visit Ait Benhaddou; a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the active home of 5 or 6 Berber families who still live in the Kasbah. This ancient fortified village, made of mudbrick structures, has been used as a backdrop in numerous films and TV shows. It offers a glimpse into traditional Moroccan architecture and is a must-visit destination for history and culture enthusiasts. Explore the Kasbah alleyways up to the top and get a birds eye view of the surrounding area, before driving back to Marrakech again along the fascinating high Atlas mountains.

After lunch, the journey will be continued through a spectacular route called “The road of 1001 Kasbahs”, where there are literally thousands of Kasbahs, some in ruins and some still in use. Stopping at the Roses Valley, where roses are plucked each year on May and distilled to precious rose oil and other beauty products. Arrive to your accommodation in Dades Valley, where you will enjoy your dinner time.

Day 2: Dades – Todra Gorge – Erfoud – Merzouga Desert (280Km)

Leave the Atlas mountains behind, the camels awaits you!

After Breakfast you will start the day by driving to the Todra Gorge, which is a trench of gigantic rock walls run through the High Atlas Mountains creating an absolutely magnificent sight. The Gorge is breathtaking and easy hike by foot with many places to stop for photos along its well-maintained track. In recent years, the Todra Gorge has attracted a lot of attention from serious climbers, the rock formations vary between 25 to 300 m. Once you arrive to the gorge, you will be eager to explore it!

Travel towards Tinejdad, and the landscape is still very dry. You will see mounds of the old irrigation system called “Khettarat”.  The next stop is Erfoud (home to some of the world’s oldest fossils, but more importantly the date capital of Morocco, dates of all varieties).

Arrival to Merzouga in the evening, you will ride the camels for an hour into the Sahara of Erg Chebbi dunes, where you will enjoy the evening at a Desert camp with dinner prepared for you by nomads.

Day 3: Merzouga Desert – Khamlia – Rissani – Ziz Valley  – Midelt (270Km)

First you will want to watch the sunrise on this bright new day over the dunes of the Sahara Desert, before heading back to your vehicle for the start of your day.

After that, we will start our journey with a a stop for tea and a traditional concert of music in the village of Khamlia, before we leave to to Rissani; known for its bustling traditional market and souks, which provide a glimpse into the daily life and commerce of the region. The market is particularly lively on market days, drawing traders and locals from the surrounding areas who come to buy and sell a variety of goods, including spices, textiles, crafts, etc.

Travel along the Ziz Valley you will see the Tafilalt Oasis which is the largest palm grove in Morocco before heading up to the Middle Atlas Mountains then to Midelt and its vast collection of fossils. Dinner and overnight in your Riad.

Day 4: Midelt – Cedar Forest –  Azrou – Ifrane – Fes (210Km)

Wake up and after breakfast travel over the Atlas mountains, then drive across the cedar forest and a national park keep your eyes open for a chance to see Barbary apes (Macaque) and Berber horses. You will pass by beautiful pastures and nomad houses that give way to increasingly high mountain peaks and deep valleys. 

The last stop before ending the 4 days desert tour from Marrakech to Fes will be at Ifrane town: built in the 1930s during the French Colonization. It is tidy and modern, it feels more like Switzerland with its red-roofed houses, blooming flower beds and beautiful parks, all kept impeccably tidy. Arrival to Fes, end of our services.

The Accommodations