4-Day Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour: Itinerary

Overview of the Itinerary for the Four Day Trip from Marrakech to Fes

Visit some of Morocco’s most famous sights on a 4-day trip that starts and ends in Marrakech then moves on to Fes. On day one, we’ll go to Gorges Dades for the night. The Moroccan Ouallywood and the walled settlement of Ait Benhaddou, however, will be missed. The next day, we’ll pack up our tents and travel out into the desert to ride camels and spend the night at a Berber camp. On day three, we’ll take a tour of the desert and its environs. On our last day, we’ll go to Fes after seeing Erfoud, Midelt, and Ifrane.

Here is the schedule for your four-day trip from Marrakech to Fes:

Travel from Marrakech to Boumalne Dades on Day 1.

To kick off our four-day journey from Marrakech to Fes, we’ll pick you up from your hotel and travel to the Dades Gorges first thing in the morning. We will begin our journey by passing over the High Atlas Mountains and making a pit break at the Tizi Ntichka Pass, at an elevation of 2,260 meters. In addition, we will be traveling to the area of Teleouet, where the argan oil cooperative is located. The next stop will be in Ait Benhaddou, a Moroccan walled hamlet and a Unesco World Heritage Site. We’ll be continuing on to Ouarzazate, the “Ouallywood” of Morocco, after lunch. We want to visit the Atlas facilities and have a look around. Dades Gorges, our last stop, is where we’ll spend the night.

The next day, we will go from Boumalne Dades to the desert of Merzouga.

After a hearty breakfast in Dades Gorges, we’ll go out into the desert to see what it has to offer. The first stop on our excursion will be the Toudgha Gorges. Toudgha canyons, which are around 300 m in height, are on the itinerary, therefore we will stop by them for a stroll. The next part of our journey takes us to some remote Berber communities. You can see how the landscape changes as we approach the desert. However, we’ll be passing via Tinghir and Tinjedad.

The day’s last stop will be at the Erg Chebbi desert. When we get there, we’ll take the camels across the sand dunes to the tent in the desert. You may catch the sun setting along the route. We’re going to make tonight special by eating a classic dish. Then, when the sun sets, our camel men will build a fire and entertain you with drumming. Third day of our four-day trip from Marrakech to Fes comes to a close.

Stage three of the desert tour/Merzouga desert/Day Three.

On day three of our four-day trip from Marrakech to Fes, we’ll spend the day in the desert. At the outset of our desert adventure, we’ll stop at the National Auto Museum, where you can check out a variety of vintage 4×4 vehicles. Next, we’ll stop at Khamlia, a quaint town in Berber territory that’s home to the Gnawa tribe. About half an hour will be spent here learning about the Gnawa and enjoying their music. Our next stop is with the nomadic Berbers, whose culture we shall explore after this. We plan to spend the night in one of their tents to really immerse ourselves in their culture. There are families with only one husband and wife, and there are families with more than seven people.

After that, we plan to go to Mifiss to investigate the site of its kohl mine, which reportedly produced a million kilos of the mineral in its heyday. As we proceed into the desert, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take in breathtaking vistas of the Sahara. But before we go home, we’ll spend some time at the Oases of Hassi Labied.

The fourth day of the trip will be spent traveling from the desert of Merzouga to the city of Fes.

On the fourth and last day of our Marrakech to Fes trip, we’ll hit the road and make the final leg of our journey. First, we’ll go via Erfoud on our way to Ziz valley, Morocco’s primary date production region. We’ll continue our trip across the High Atlas Mountains, stopping for lunch at Midelt and Zaida on the way. The Barbary Macaque and the Cedar woodland are up next on the itinerary. Many species formerly called the Cedar forest home, but they’re all but gone now.

We will then continue our tour to Ifrane, Morocco’s Switzerland and the world’s eighth cleanest city. We’ll go out and explore this city, making a beeline for the Atlas Lion monument. For his release, a German prisoner built this for the French.

Do you provide any further customizations outside the schedule for our four-day excursion from Marrakech to Fes?

Feel free to get in touch with us if there are any changes to the schedule that you would want made to the 4-day trip from Marrakech to Fes. Our staff would be more than delighted to tailor it to meet your requirements at your request.

Overview of the Stops on a Four-Day Trip from Marrakesh to Fes

The Desert of Merzouga

The Merzouga desert has quickly become one of Morocco’s most popular tourist destinations in recent years. Erg Chebbi, with its 30-kilometer stretch of golden sand dunes, is the finest site to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime desert adventure. Biggest and tallest dunes in all of Morocco may be found here. Some of the alternatives to the name Merzouga are Hassi Labied, Takojt, and Tanamoust. This last group, though, includes them all; everywhere the desert extends is Merzouga. The Merzoug family, original residents, are credited with giving the place its name.

There is a wide variety of entertainment options. The most popular activity is riding camels in the desert and camping out beneath the stars. Riding camels is the first and foremost recommended strategy. Enjoy the sunset as you make your way to the Berber tent for the night. Listen to some traditional Berber music and gaze at the twinkling sky. Get some rest in the morning so you can see the sunrise in the afternoon. Second, excursions that include two days in the desert tend to be quite popular. It all starts with a camel ride and a night under the stars in the desert on day one. On day two, however, you take a 4×4 out for a spin in the desert to see what you can find.

Some of the world’s most stunning tourist destinations may be found at Merzouga. You may, for instance, go to the nomadic Berber people and learn about their way of life. In addition, you may go to the Gnawa and learn about their way of life.

Ait Benhaddou’s Kasbah

Ait Benhaddou is the most popular of Morocco’s estimated 100,000 fortifications. This town, which was constructed in the 11th century, is the finest and most robust example of traditional Moroccan architecture. One of Morocco’s wealthiest families, the El Glaoui, commissioned its construction. In the past, Thami el Glaoui, the head of the family, would collect taxes from the camel caravans. Many more kasbahs, including Telouet, were also established by him. In any case, Benhaddou is credited with discovering Ait Benhaddou, thus the name.

It was imperative that this settlement be robust and well-defended since it served as a major stopping point for caravans. El Glaoui took precautions, constructing massive fortifications such as walls and towers. They were included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.

Many various renovations were performed on this castle over the 20th century to keep it standing. However, almost everyone has fled this community, with just a handful of families remaining across the river. The tourism industry provides the majority of their annual revenue. You’ll have plenty of time to explore and stroll around this stunning stronghold on our four-day trip from Marrakech to Fes.

Ouarzazate

To see Morocco’s Ouallywood is to see a country rich in culture. We frequently make a pit break here on the route from Marrakech to the desert. The city of Ouarzazate serves as a departure point into the desert from its perch at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains. On most of our excursions, this restaurant will be the major stop for lunch. In addition, you may use this time to explore the city on foot and learn about its many points of interest.

The name Ouarzazate is derived from the Berber language, and it means “city without noise.” You can’t deny the city’s significance to the country’s past. First, it was a major hub for African merchants traveling to and from Europe. Second, many influential figures of Morocco’s independence movement called this region home.

It is customary for us to visit the Atlas Studios whenever we are in town. This landmark is a big reason why people visit this city. Across all of Morocco, this is the most popular location for filming. It’s also where you may buy or rent the necessary equipment for the job. The fifth season of Prison Break and many episodes of Game of Thrones were both shot in this region. And this city also has the world’s largest solar power facility.

Geographical region including the Atlas Mountains

The High Atlas Mountains are the first geographical feature we see after leaving Marrakech. It spans three countries—Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia—and is part of one of the world’s largest mountain ranges. There are three basic divisions that may be made: the High Atlas, the Middle Atlas, and the Anti Atlas. What’s more, contrary to popular belief, these ranges are not linked together in one continuous chain but are instead spread out over a wide geographical area.

We will travel across the same High Atlas Mountains that span Algeria and Tunisia on our way from Marrakech to Fes over the course of four days. What this means is that the mountains in both nations are included in the larger High Atlas range.

When we initially enter these mountains, we go via a special pass that is almost 200 kilometers in length. The route over Tizi Ntichka is among the most winding in all of Morocco. Numerous kasbahs and Berber settlements might be seen along this route. For instance, many individuals in this area formed several cooperatives to make argan oil the old-fashioned method since it grows so well here.

We will go via the Middle Atlas Mountains and the Anti Mountains on our trip. Of course it’s obligatory to take a break at the scenic overlook.

Valleys

In the course of our four-day journey from Marrakech to Fes, we’ll be able to take in some breathtaking scenery as we travel through several picturesque valleys. It’s true that some of them produce a lot of stuff.

First, there is Draa valley, the largest and longest valley in the nation. The route is about 1,100 kilometers long and passes through several picturesque areas throughout the High Atlas Mountains. In fact, for many rural communities, it serves as their primary food supply, providing everything from livestock to dates. Still, the principal cities that gain from this latter are Ouarzazate and Agdz.

To continue, on the way from the desert of Merzouga to the city of Fes, we will first stop at the valley of Ziz. Yet another stunning location with plenty of palm palms. It’s the single largest date production region in all of Morocco. Its dates are often sent to other countries. Erfoud hosts an annual celebration to pay tribute to the area and all it has to offer. Attendance is high, and in recent years it has included international guests from a variety of nations.

To the highway that leads from Marrakech to the desert once again. In addition, we see a number of picturesque valleys along the way. The Ounila valley and the Dades valley are two of the most stunning places we’d see, and we’d definitely make a point of stopping there. For our second pit break, we’ll be checking out Rose Valley, a notable location in its own right. The latter may be found in close proximity to Qlaat Mgouna, the world’s largest producer of rose-based cosmetics. Another annual festival is held in the capital city to honor and showcase a wide variety of beauty items.

Visiting Ifrane and its cedar grove

Whenever we travel the route to Fes, we always make sure to visit these two stunning locations. The city of Ifrane is the first example. The area is sometimes referred to as “Morocco’s Switzerland.” In fact, it ranks as the world’s eighth-cleanest metropolis. The city of Ifrane holds the record for the lowest temperature ever recorded in all of Africa at -28 degrees Celsius. The Middle Atlas Mountains are ideal for snowboarding since they are covered with snow every winter.

Because it has one of the nicest atmospheres, Ifrane is a popular destination for summer holidays. More importantly, one of the king’s palaces is located nearby. It’s also where several well-known Moroccan sportsmen got their starts, including Hicham El Guerrouj.

The French had a significant presence in Ifrane. Once upon a time, it served as a jail. In the past, during World War I, they captured a German prisoner. He was reportedly freed when people carved a statue of the Atlas lion and then he roared out into the sunset.

A second equally important destination is included later in the itinerary of the 4-day trip from Marrakech to Fes. You’re going to Azrou’s cedar grove this time. It was the original habitat of a wide variety of animals and was known by the name Cedre Gouraud. The extinction of some of them is a great loss. The Barbary Macaque now calls this area its home.

This 4-day trip from Marrakesh to Fes is similar to itineraries offered by:

Our tour company is well-versed in organizing trips to Morocco. Our 4-day Marrakech to Fes vacation isn’t the only one we’ve tailored for you, however; there are others! You may always let us know if you’d like to make any adjustments or additions to your trip.