4 Days Tour from Fes to Merzouga Desert

Day 1: Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Ziz Valley – Erg Chebbi

The starting point of this circuit is generally the airport of this city, although we can agree on any other location, such as a hotel. In any case, our staff will pick you up on time to start the route at that same moment. You will be a English-speaking driver at the wheel of a comfortable and private vehicle.

In this way we will head south, and soon the Middle Atlas mountains will appear before our eyes. This mountain range, with peaks that exceed 3,000 meters above sea level, is home to places worth visiting and admiring. For example, the city that is the object of our first stop: Ifrane. At a glance we will understand why it is known as Moroccan Switzerland, since its green surroundings and buildings with gabled roofs evoke places from other latitudes, such as the European Alps.

The next point of interest on the route is the Ifrane National Park, which also receives two other popular names: the Cedar Park or the Monkey Forest, since both are numerous here. And very representative of the country, by the way: these trees confirm a dense and enormous green spot in the landscape and provide the perfect habitat for Barbary macaques, the only species of primate north of the Sahara.

After visiting this protected natural area, we will cross the Middle Atlas and, descending the southern slope, we will see how the landscape becomes more arid. It is the announcement that the desert is near, which we will reach by traveling through the Ziz Valley. Following the natural route, which runs parallel to this small sheet of water, we will disembark in Erfoud, a small desert city that has gained international fame for the important fossils discovered here, some of them dinosaurs.

And about 40 km beyond Erfoud, our road from Fes to the desert leaves the asphalt: in the town of Merzouga we will climb on the backs of dromedaries for an excursion through the dunes of Erg Chebbi, which are among the most symbolic of the desert of the Sahara. A walk of a couple of hours that will be unlike anything you have experienced before and that will conclude in our tent camp.

Upon arrival, we will be welcomed with a Berber tea, as tradition dictates. And as night falls, an army of stars will appear in the sky that shine like nowhere else in the world, given the absence of light pollution and zero cloud cover. Without a doubt, an unbeatable way to go to sleep, as you will spend the night in Berber tents in total comfort.

Day 2: Tour around Merzouga Desert

On the second day of this 4 days tour from Fes to Merzouga desert , we will live several experiences to remember. The first of them, the majestic sunrise over the dunes of Erg Chebbi, a spectacle of light and silence that is impossible to find in other places in the world.

After dawn, we will have breakfast in the tent camp and move to Khamlia, better known as ‘the town of the blacks’.

In this town we will discover first-hand an ancestral tradition: that of Gnawa music, performed by descendants of slaves from the Sudan, brought here centuries ago. Therefore, they carry in their genes percussion rhythms and sensitivity to tribal music that has received the distinction of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. An honor that will be easy to understand when we witness one of their performances live.

Once the experience is over, we will get into our SUVs to explore desert tracks that years ago were used by the runners of the Paris-Dakar rally. On this itinerary, we will pass through uninhabited French and Berber villages, as well as khol mines exploited decades ago to extract this precious raw material for the cosmetics industry. In addition, we will stop at a strategic and elevated point, from where we will observe the immensity of the Erg Chebbi dunes.

There will still be time to visit a community of desert nomads who, despite being in the process of becoming sedentary, maintain the habits and customs of their ancestors. We will establish contact with them so that they can tell us about their way of life in a terrain as inhospitable as this.

At the end of the day, we will return to our accommodation in the Merzouga desert tent camp, where dinner will once again be included and where the same sky resplendent with stars will bid us good night before going to sleep.

Day 3: Merzouga Desert – Fes

The third day of this tour begins with the magic of waking up in the middle of the desert, in a unique accommodation where breakfast is included. And after that and living two unforgettable days in the dunes of Erg Chebbi, it is time to head back.

We will do it along the same route taken on the first day, in which we traveled from Fes to the desert , but in this case in a more direct way, with the intention of reaching this Imperial City as soon as possible. That way, you will have the afternoon free to make your first contact with it, in what will be a preview of the guided tour the next day. And at night, you will sleep in a charming riad in the center, which will allow you to have all the monuments and places of interest at hand.

Day 4: Transfer to Fes Airport

One of the advantages of this 4 days tour from Fes to Merzouga desert is that it offers enough time to visit this spectacular city, whose historic Medina was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. So, after breakfast, you will meet our official local guide for a guided tour of the historic center.

Among the places that can be part of the itinerary are the Karaouine mosque and University (considered one of the oldest in the world), Nejjarine square and its fountain, the Bou Inania madrasa and other charming corners. In reality, it is one of the largest medinas in North Africa, so it has different neighborhoods, each with its own personality. Especially that of the tanners. And the Mellah (Jewish quarter) or the Royal Palace, from which its golden bronze doors stand out, are other common stops for travelers with greater endurance.

The itinerary will be adapted to the group and, especially, to the time of the return flight home, normally scheduled for the afternoon. At the agreed time, our driver will pick you up for transfer to the city airport. Our services will conclude at the terminal, although we will say goodbye with the hope of accompanying you again on a new circuit around the country, either starting in Fes or in other cities such as Marrakech, Tangier or Casablanca.