Tours

Explore some of Morocco’s main highlights on our Atlas Mountain desert tour.

From rose festivals and souks to camel rides in the desert, and drumming with the Berbers under the desert night sky, our 4 day Fes to Marrakech desert tour is packed full of beauty, adventure and incredible views.

Full itinerary:

Day 1: Fes to Erfoud

We start our journey at Fes, departing at 8 a.m. Our route takes us through the city of Azrou, where you’ll see Barbary apes in the surrounding forest landscape. We’ll continue on our journey before stopping for lunch in Midelt, known for its abundance of apples and other fruits.

We then continue over the Tizi-n-Talremt pass and through the Ziz Valley, which is graced by palm trees, beautiful oases, and stunning terrain. Our journey continues on until we reach Errachidia and Erfoud, famous for its Date Festival held each year in October (please contact us if you’d like to visit this). This festival is an enchanting display of Moroccan customs and includes fashion shows displaying embroidered silk dresses, camel racing and traditional music. We’ll stay for the night at a nearby hotel too, so you’ll have all the time you need to experience this festival.

Day 2: Erfoud to Merzouga

In the morning, we’ll have breakfast and then continue on our journey toward Rissani to visit the souks. These small markets sell local handmade cloth, jewellery, and much more. Remember to brush up on your haggling skills!

From here we continue to the nearby lake and visit the Berber nomads for some traditional doumbek music. We’ll have lunch in an auberge (French-style inn) at the Erg Chebbi dunes. Afterwards we’ll take a camel ride to the top of the dunes to watch the desert sunset.

Once back at the bivouac, we’ll have a traditional Berber dinner, an evening of music, then spend the night in a nomad tent. It’s well worth spending some time stargazing before heading to bed too, as the sky is completely free of light pollution.

Day 3: Merzouga to Dades

If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise, when the colour of the dunes changes from dark reds to brilliant golds, and shadows dance across the sand. It’s an awesome sight, and definitely worth getting up for.

After breakfast, we’ll take a walk around the dunes before leaving for Tinghir and the Todgha Gorge for lunch. The road passes through Tinjdad and the Todgha Valley where we explore the river which runs through the gardens. Later the journey continues to the Dades Valley and the Dades Gorges for the night in a hotel.

Day 4: Dades to Marrakech

After breakfast, we begin our journey to Marrakech. This journey takes us through the Dades valley, through to El Kelaa Magona, known as the Valley of the Roses and down the road of a thousand kasbahs. We visit Ouarzazate and stop for lunch in Ait Benhaddou village. After lunch, we’ll explore the famous protected UNESCO site which has been the backdrop of many TV shows and films like Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, Game of Thrones, and more. We then drive via the Tichka pass to arrive at Marrakech where the tour ends and we say our goodbyes.

Pick up and drop off:

• Pick up at 8 a.m. from your riad/hotel in Fes (can be adapted to airport pick up)
• Drop off around 6 p.m. at your riad/hotel in Marrakech (can be adapted to your airport drop off)