3 Days Fez to Marrakech Desert trip

Day 1: Fez – Ifrane – Cedros Forest – Ziz Valley – Merzouga Desert – Night in Haimas:

Pick up at the hotel or Riad where you are staying in Fez at 8 o’clock. We will head south to cross the Middle Atlas Mountains, arriving at Ifrane, sometimes called “Moroccan Switzerland” because of its resemblance to that country. One of the animals that once inhabited here was the Atlas lion, hence why it has become the symbol of the city and to which a stone statue has been dedicated in the centre of it. We will take the opportunity to take some photos. We will then cross the famous forests of cedars and we will be able to admire the Great Cedar Gouraud Forest, the largest cedar forest in the region. There is also a chance to feed the hundreds of Barbary monkeys which inhabit the area, followed by lunch in Midelt or Rich. In the afternoon we will pass through the Ziz Valley, more than 20km of palm groves and 10 million palm trees, one of the largest collections in the world. We will arrive in the desert of Merzouga where we will take a caravan of camels to enter the heart of the dunes and contemplate an unforgettable sunset. We will arrive by camel to the camp where we will stay in haimas, tents made with camel hair, as used by desert nomads. Dinner and night in haimas in the heart of the desert under a spectacular blanket of stars.

Day 2: Merzouga Desert – Rissani Market – Todra Gorges – Dades Gorges:

“Appointment with the Sunrise”; since we are in the heart of the desert, an unforgettable experience is to get up early to walk to the highest dune around the camp to enjoy the sunrise and this breathtaking landscape that nature offers. We will then return by camel to the town of Merzouga. After a rich breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to the desert and we’ll leave for Rissani, where we’ll visit its market (if we’re lucky and it’s one of the market days: Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday). We will follow the road to Erfoud where there is also the possibility of visiting the marble factory before continuing to the palm groves of Touroug and Tinjdad. One hour later we will arrive at one of the most striking places of the High Atlas Mountains: The Todra Gorges. The channel of the Todra River has formed a gorge of vertical walls of enormous proportions and of great beauty. It is a paradise for climbers and an utterly unique place. We will have lunch at the site and a half-hour walk would be advisable to enjoy the Gorge in detail. Later we will continue towards the Valley of the Dades, also known as the Valley of Figs. Passing through Boumalne Dades we will stop to contemplate a curious geological formation known as “The Monkey Fingers”. Dinner and night in the Gorges of Dades.

Day 3: Dades Gorges – Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – High Atlas – Marrakech:

After breakfast, we can enjoy one of the best views of the Dades Valley. We will do it from one of the most strategic places that the mountains offer us. From there we can observe the amount of picturesque kasbahs that there are. We will then travel along a road dotted with several kasbahs of great interest. After several stops to enjoy the route of a Thousand Kasbahs, the Valley of Roses and the great palm grove of Skoura, we will arrive at Ouarzazate. There we will visit the Kasbah of Taourirt, the former residence of the Glaoui or Pasha de Marrakech, and the Film Studies and Museum of the Cinema. We will also go to the fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou, where we will visit its famous Kasbah (Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). In this spectacularsetting several famous films have been shot like Gladiator, Asterix and Obelix, Sahara with Penélope Cruz, and many more. Lunch in the village and in the afternoon we will depart for Marrakech taking the mountain pass of Tizi Ntichka with stops to take photos. Here we will leave behind the lunar landscape that will give way to the predominant green and ocher colors. Arrival at Marrakech around 6pm, transfer to the hotel and end of our services.