3 Day Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes

Day 1: Marrakesh – Berber Villages – Kasbah Ait Benhaddou – Ouarzazate – Rose’s City – Gorge Dades

Our 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes  starts when we meet you at the airport or pick you up from your accommodation Hotel/Riad, then leaving Marrakech which is considered as the fourth largest city in Morocco, and it’s one of the imperial cities and was a capital of the Almoravid Empire, and it’s known as Red City, we are going to drive by a crossing the high atlas mountains, also it is our first spot to explore in our first journey of 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes through passing Tizi N’Tuchka is known as second highest in Morocco (2260m), where we have a stop for taking a break and for enjoying the landscapes of high atlas mountains. Later on, we continue our journey to the next spot called Telouet which is famous for its mud-brick Kasbah and with a history of lavishness and traitor ship, the Kasbah was built by Thami El Glaoui in 1860, he was one of the most Pashas of the 20th Century and Lord of the Atlas because he controlled Kasbah by imposing taxes and keeping order for those caravans who wanted to cross the High Atlas Mountains in order to reach Marrakech, thus sometimes called Kasbah as the palace of Glaoui, nowadays the Kasbah is a spot for those who want to visit it.

We continue our journey to the next Kasbah Ait Ben Haddo via driving of a huge Berber village till we reach Ait Ben Haddo Kasbah is a site that declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, the Kasbah located on the top hill affords a view of Ounila River, and its houses linked together within a great wall for fortification also inclusive corner towers and gate and houses decorated with geometric motifs, Kasbah Ait Ben-Haddou is regarded as a stopping place for caravan serai coming from  Sub-Saharan African counties, as well as having free time for lunch in town. Afterward, we will drive to Ouarzazate, identified the gate of the Sahara desert, which is a city of Draa-Tafilalet region too, it’s a Berber town which a majority of inhabitance speaking Tamazight “Berber”, name is signifies “City without Noise”. Furthermore, Ouarzazate is called “The Hollywood of Africa” because it is an elementary tourist destination and one of the favorite spots for filmmakers over the world, and if you are pretty interest we can visit the biggest cinema studios in the region that attract international companies to work in. Movies filmed are “The Man Who Be King” in 1975, “The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)”, “The Mummy (1999)”, Gladiator (2000), and “Hanna in 2011”, and so on. In addition, Our next site in Ouarzazate to visit is Kasbah Taourirt built on 17th by a dominant local family, good to know that Kasbah has an important position which controlling the junction of several river valleys because considered as Desert Sahara Trade Roads, in the 1990s registered as historical attractiveness in UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Subsequently, we carry on our journey to Valley of the Roses drive over a widely palm grove of Skoura; a stunning place to contemplate more than 700,000 palms trees and countless kasbahs surrounding in area, Valley of the Roses “Kalaat M’gouna” the city is a central district of many villages have two majors days for the local market, the first day on Tuesday is only for livestock trade, and Wednesday is the second day is for food and other goods. Kalaat M’gouna is well known for rose products of beauty and recognized as natural products, also used in Moroccan cuisine and the perfume industry, as well the city famous for the festival in early of May because there is no set date for the festival, it determines on the harvest season, during festival local Berber musicians playing traditional instrumentals and dancing, In last day of a festival which is a special day because its day of choosing Ms.Roses. In the afternoon we go on our journey forward Boumaln Dades, famous with its lovely Valley located in a desert plateau, 1500 m high, and it’s known as an old way of transhumance, as well the valley recognized as Figs Valley going through Boumaln Dades region, we will have a short walk for exploring the charming of the valley and visiting Monkey Fingers, as well you will spend a night in that valley and dinner in your Riad/Hotel.

Day 2: Dades Valley – Todra Gorge – Erfoud – Merzouga Sahara Camp (camel ride)

After an early stunning morning in the middle atlas mountains with a great breakfast at hotel/riad, our second day of The 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes by driving back through Dades valley towards Tinghir and the Todra valley. After one hour and a half of driving, we will reach one of the famous spots of the high atlas called Todra Gorge located 16KM far away from Tinghier, it consists of several canyons and a huge river, and watching the panoramic views of the old mud Berber villages overlooking the valley. Besides, Todra Gorge deem as a station for tourists and locals who are interested to do climbing and hiking in its canyons. After having a walk through the gorge, you will have lunch in a beautiful restaurant which is overlooking the river. We take route to Merzouga Sahara via visiting Erfoud “Fossils City” as well-known as filmmaker’s destination thanks to the beauty of the surrounding Desert Sahara and town of oasis areas. Those movies filmed here were March OR Die, The Mummy, and Prince of Persia.
Afterward, we will drive to Merzouga Sahara where we find camels waiting for us for starting the desert trip, when reaching our location we will take a break and have a cup of Berber whisky “Mint Tea” before starting your camel ride to explore the golden Sahara planet, with it is magnificent views of dunes when you are close to reaching the desert camp you will have a stop for a sunset view on the top of the dune and experience its spectacular dunes, which it will be one of the best highlights of your trip. After your dinner at the desert camp, you will have a chance to listen to and play local music in the starry sky sitting around the campfire; you will spend your night in a traditional Berber nomad tent.

Day 3: Merzouga – Erfoud – Ziz Valley – Midelt – Ifran – Fes

The day will be started by dating with the sunrise in a panoramic view that is worth waking up for after your breakfast at camp you will have two options to drive back from your desert camp to Merzouga Sahara, which is to come back by camels or by Jeep 4X4. Eventually, we leave Merzouga after a great lifetime experience in the Sahara desert, driving toward Erfoud “Fossils City” as well-known as filmmaker’s destination thanks to the beauty of the surrounding Desert Sahara and towns of oasis areas, movies had filmed here are March OR Die, The Mummy, and Prince Of Persia, later driving through beautiful palm trees of Errachidia, along the magnificent Ziz Gorges carved through volcanic rock, After a stop in Hassan Addakhil Dam, we will travel through the charming of Tizi N’talghamt Pass, where you can see views of the High Atlas plateau.
We continue our trip to Midelt to have lunch before continuing our day trip to Fes, later on, driving to High Atlas ranges we will catch a first glimpse of the south, and drive-by hills covered in forests of cork oak and giant cedar and its home of a few Barbary Macaque Apes. Besides driving to Ifrane “Moroccan Switzerland” which is the city of wonders and its cleanest city in the world, you will have a chance to sightsee and explore the white lion sculptural; Ifrane was carved by a German warrior during World War II. After a break in Ifrane we will continue our journey to Fez which is a fourth imperial city, and it was founded under the Idrisid dynasty during the 8th-9th centuries, and it is located northeast of the Atlas Mountains and is linked to a couple of cities in different regions, as well Fes known as a spiritual city, where our service of 3 Days Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes ends.

Tour Map: