Day 1: Fez – Ifrane – Midelt – Erfoud – Merzouga Dunes
We will depart mid-morning from Fez, traveling through the Middle Atlas mountain region of Morocco to reach the Saharan desert town of Merzouga. Along the way we’ll pass through a couple points of interest: Ifrane, considered the “Switzerland” of Morocco, and Azrou, a forested area where you can feed the local monkeys. From here we’ll continue to Midelt for lunch and then follow the Ziz River through the valley, passing the Ziz Gorge on our way.
Once in Merzouga we’ll get you settled in the hotel and enjoy a Berber style dinner.
Day 2: Merzouga – Erg Chebbi – Merzouga
Today is our day to adventure into the Erg Chebbi Saharan sand dunes. During the day we will travel to visit different points in the dunes, letting you experience the nomad’s way of life and see different vistas of the ever-changing sand dunes. We will visit the ‘black village’ of Khamlia to see the Gnawa musicians and then have a traditional Berber pizza for lunch in the ancient capital of Rissani.
In the afternoon, it is time for our camel trip. Our guide will take you on camel out into the Sahara desert. Along the way you’ll stop to watch the sunset, and then we’ll continue on to your desert tent where you’ll be staying for the night. Once you are settled in, we’ll serve you a traditional tajine dinner. To finish the evening, our guides will play Berber music around the fire while you watch the stars over the incredible desert landscape.
Day 3: Erg Chebbi – Rissani – Todra Gorge
We will take breakfast at the desert camp, and then ride camels back to the hotel for a quick shower. From here we leave the Saharan dunes of Erg Chebbi and drive in 4×4 across the hamada (black desert) to get to the Saharan town of Rissani where you can visit the famous local market. Next we head north to Erfoud to visit a fossil workshop before we continue to the incredible Todra Gorge. Here you’ll have the option for hiking, exploring, or just relaxing in your hotel before we enjoy dinner.
Day 4: Todra Gorge – Dades Valley – Skoura – Ouarzazate
After breakfast we begin our journey along the road of One Thousand Kasbahs, named as such due to the enormous kasbahs on both sides of the road, some of which are restored and some in ruins. We pass through the beautiful Dades valley and go into the mountainous area through an off-road trail. Here you’ll have the chance to visit a local nomad families in one of the many Berber villages. You’ll even get to experience their daily routine of goat herding!
On the last leg of the day, we will take you through the rose valley and Skoura palm grove, and then we reach Ouarzazate for the dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 5: Ouarzazate – Ait Benhaddou – High Atlas – Marrakech
After breakfast we will visit Taourirt Kasbah in town. Then we’ll depart to Ait Benhaddou to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site where your guide will tell you the history of the site. From here we make a visit to the traditional High Atlas Berber village of Telouet and the Kasbah el Glaoui. We will have lunch in a local restaurant in Telouet before descending the Tizi-n-Tichka to Marrakech, where we say goodbye and thank you for letting us take you on this tour!
What’s included
- Private Transport : 4×4 , Mini bus , bus, / air-conditioned vehicles
- Driver/Guid (Multilingual)
- Car fuel
- 1 Night in Hotel or Riad (Dinner & breakfast)
- 1 Night in desert camp (Dinner & breakfast )
- Camel Ride in desert
- Sandboarding in Dunes
What’s Not Included:
- Drinks and Lunches
- Flight Tickets
- Hotel in Marrakech
