Day 1: Fes – Ifrane – Cedars forest- Midelt – Ziz valley – Merzouga Sahara

Departure from Fes at 8 o’clock, travelling via Ifrane, famous for its low temperature, snow and the alpine-style houses -No wonder it is called the Switzerland of Morocco. Then we continue to cedars forest, where the Barbary Macaques live. Feel free to feed them while wandering in the forest of the Middle Atlas forest of Azrou, Lunch is in Midelt, “the apple capital”, at the foot of the Ayachi Mountain. We continue over the Tizi-n-Talremt pass and through the Ziz Valley. From here we reach Errachidia and then Erfoud, famous for its date festival and fossils. Our trip continues to the dunes of Merzouga for spending the night in a Hotel.

Day 2: Explore Merzouga region – Nomads – Khamlia – Rissani – palm grove

After breakfast, you start your journey in Merzouga, by driving off-road to visit the nomads learn how they live while drinking a Berber tea. Our next destination is the Khamlia village, where you will enjoy the Gnaoua music, and dancing performances. Its inhabitants are originating from sub-Saharan countries like Mali, Sudan and Niger. Then continue way to Rissani where you visit a tradition Souk Market Free time for lunch in a restaurant. Then you balck to Merzouga You will switch to camels and cross the sandy desert. A stop will be made for you to enjoy the magical sunset on top of a high dune. Then continue to the desert luxury camp, where you can enjoy the Berber drums music while dancing around the campfire, under vast open sky of stars. Dinner and overnight in the camp.

Day 3: Merzouga  – Erfoud – Tinghir – Todra gorges – Dades valley – Dades Gorges

If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise, when the color of the dunes and the play of shadows are an awesome sight.  After breakfast at the camp, we leave for Tinghir and the Toudgha gorges. On the way, you pass the water channels – “khettarat” – which you can descend into to appreciate the architecture and genius behind this form of irrigation which prevents evaporation in the summer heat. The channels start at a higher gradient at one end until they finally emerge at the surface of the soil where they are fed into the fields, in the gorge and the valley, there are opportunities to walk beyond the gorge itself or by the village gardens and fields before you reach it. Later the itinerary continues to the Dades Valley. The area, which now forms the Dades Gorges, lay at the bottom of the sea millions of years ago. Great quantities of sediment were deposited around giant coral reefs, and over time, this material became compacted into a variety of sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone. Eventually, the movement of the earth’s crust caused the region to rise above the sea, forming the Atlas Mountains and surrounding landscape. The night is spent in a hotel or kasbah.

Day 4:  Dades Gorges – Roses valley – Skoura – Ouarzarate 

After breakfast, a visit to the Dades gorges and a short walk there is scheduled. Back at the car, the trip to Ouarzazate continues, going off-road along the Boutarar piste to visit Berber nomads in their caves and partake of a glass of tea with them. This visit makes it clear to the visitor just how hard the existence is for these nomads in this very dry landscape, trying to feed their goats and bring up their children. From here we continue through the Valley of the Roses, famous for its Rose Festival in May. Cosmetics and toiletry items are produced and valued throughout the country. In Skoura and the oasis there, Kasbah Amredhil waits for a very worth-while visit.  The kasbah has been beautifully restored and gives a clear idea of life within such housing.  It is made entirely of adobe, an excellent building material; warm in winter and cool in summer, due to the thickness of the walls.  45 minutes later you reach Ouarzazate, where you spend the night in a guest house.

Day 5: Ouarzarate – Ait Ben Haddou – Telouet – Hight Atlas – Marrakech

After breakfast, the trip continues through the Valley of the Roses, famous for its Rose Festival in May, and past the kasbahs of Skoura, and where you can visit the small, interesting and intact Kasbah Amredhil, which used to be featured on the 50 dirham banknote. From there you pass Ouarzazate, you will continuing to Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, a World Heritage site and the backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters. It is the most famous Kasbah in Morocco. From there the road continues to Telouet, along the newly asphalted road. Telouet is set right in the midst of the mountains and was once the seat of the last Pasha of Marrakech, El Glaoui, from where the highest pass in Africa, Tizi-n-Tichka was controlled. At the end of the afternoon, we arrive in Marrakech. Your Morocco desert tour from Fes to Marrakech ends as your driver escorts you are to your Riad.  End of the tour.