3 Days Tour from Fes to Marrakech

Day 1: Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Middle Atlas – Ziz Valley – Merzouga Desert

This 3 days tour from Fes to Marrakech begins at the place we agree on. It can be a hotel in the city of Fes or even its airport, if you want to leave as soon as you arrive in the country. Whatever the option, our Spanish-speaking driver will pick you up with a comfortable and private vehicle for the entire circuit.

On the first day we will head south and that means heading towards the Middle Atlas. On the northern slopes of these mountains we will discover surprising places. For example, Ifrane, a city located at more than 1,700 meters above sea level that attracts attention for its gabled buildings. The reason for this unusual resource in Morocco is the high frequency of rain and snowfall in winter. And all this has earned it the nickname ‘Moroccan Switzerland’.

Shortly after, we will discover a protected natural area of ​​enormous ecological value: the Ifrane National Park, also known as the Cedros National Park or the Monkey Forest. This is one of the few natural habitats in which the Barbary macaque survives in the wild, the only species of primate north of the Sahara and one of the most representative animals of the Moroccan fauna. And also the only one accustomed to cold weather, by the way. In fact, the large branches of cedars are their best shelter in adverse weather conditions.

The next step of the day is to cross the Middle Atlas and, from the moment the road begins its descent, we will travel through the Ziz Valley in a very different environment: the aridity of the desert is already evident, with a landscape dominated by stony hamadas. In this way we will arrive at Erfoud, a town famous for its rich fossil heritage, and a little further on at Merzouga, which gives its name to the beautiful portion of the Sahara that we are about to enter.

Precisely in Merzouga we will take our camels (replaceable with 4×4 vehicles) and we will head to the dunes of Erg Chebbi, undertaking a different and unforgettable excursion through this sea of ​​fine golden sand. After a couple of hours of travel, we will arrive at our tent camp in the middle of the desert, where they will be waiting for us with a Berber tea, as local tradition dictates.

As night falls, a spectacle that is difficult to see in other places in the world will open above our heads: a sky sparkling with stars thanks to zero cloud cover and non-existent light pollution. Afterwards, dinner will be served at the camp and the night will be spent, inside traditional tents in the style of desert nomads, but with all the comforts.

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

If the beauty of the sunset in the desert and the starry sky of the previous night were not enough, on the morning of this day you will have a third chapter of the beautiful light that characterizes the Sahara: dawn. Getting up early to see it will be worth it and, after that, breakfast will be had in the tent camp. Immediately afterwards we will get back on the camels (or the all-terrain vehicle) to return to Merzouga and continue with the route. We will also reserve time for a restorative shower, at the camp or in a hotel in Merzouga depending on the contracted package.

Back on the asphalt, the attractions are numerous on the second day of this 3 days tour from Fes to Marrakech . The first of them is the peculiar town of Rissani: not only is its beautiful medina attractive, but also the popular atmosphere that surrounds it, with a busy local market and a donkey park that is arranged in its surroundings.

After leaving Rissani behind, the route takes us towards the Dades Valley, between small towns, hamadas, arid elevations and palm groves that provide a pleasant greenery from time to time. One of the humble watercourses of this section is precisely the cause of the next natural space in which we will stop: the Todra Gorges, a spectacular rocky canyon famous among climbers for its vertical walls, which in some points reach 200 meters. Tall.

After admiring this unique environment, we will tour the aforementioned Dades Valley, as well as the Valley of Roses, where the cultivation and collection of this flower is the way of life of a large part of its population. The Berber fortresses are also part of the landscape in this section, as we are on the so called Route of a Thousand Kasbahs. And in one of the small towns in the area we will stop our march to have dinner and spend the night in a charming riad.

Day 3: Dades Valley – Ouarzazate – Ait Benhaddou – High Atlas – Marrakech

After starting the day with a good breakfast at the riad, we will continue the road route on what will be the last day of this 3 days desert tour from Fes to Marrakech . After leaving the Dades Valley, two Berber monuments worth visiting await us. The first, the kasbah of Taourirt, in the city of Ouarzazate, which until the 20th century was the residence of the Sultan of Atlas, of the powerful El Glaoui tribe. This will be easily understood when visiting its rooms, richly decorated in some corners of its interior.

And the second, even larger and more spectacular: the ksar of Ait Benhaddou, a fortified town that was key in the caravan routes of the desert, between Marrakech and Timbuktu. Its contemplation from the surroundings is impressive, and the same goes for the panoramic views from inside. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for being one of the best examples of Berber adobe architecture. And fans of the Game of Thrones series will recognize it because scenes from the third season were filmed here.

After visiting Ait Benhaddou, the road will begin to gain altitude, as we will head to the Tizi n’Tichka pass, the main pass to cross the High Atlas, at about 2,200 meters above sea level. From this point, our descent will begin through a landscape of special beauty, between humble mountain villages and great panoramic views in which snow-capped peaks stand out for much of the year.

And after traveling the last kilometers of this road, we will end this 3 days Sahara tour from Fes to Marrakech: our driver will leave you at the agreed place, which can be a point in the center or the international airport, if the return flight You have it scheduled for that afternoon. Our services will conclude here, but with the hope that the farewell will be a ‘see you soon to meet again on another of the many tours that we organize around Morocco.