Marrakech to Fes 4 day desert trip

Day 1: MARRAKECH – HIGH ATLAS – AIT BENHADDOU – OUARZAZATE – DADES GORGES

Departing from Marrakech in the morning (riad or airport) towards the Dades Gorge, we cross the High Atlas mountains where we shall enjoy the extraordinary landscapes that these mountains offer us, the colour changes from oranges to greens, the shoulders of the roads occupied by vendors and a landscape worthy of view and we will cross the mountain pass Tizi n’Tichka, the highest point of the route with an altitude of 2,260 metres.Our journey through the mountains continues towards Ouarzazate. On the road as we go we will be seeing many kasbahs and sets of genuine adobe Berber houses, until we arrive at UNESCO declared World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou. This fortified Kasbah was inhabited by the tribe of Ben Haddou until it began to deteriorate, UNESCO helped to rebuild a large part. Ait Benhaddou is a majestic sand coloured fortification, its interior looks like the set of a movie and is impressive to stroll around. Its citadel is tiny and consists of a few narrow cobbled streets. Climb until you reach the top of the fortification and there are some incredible far reaching views where the tones of the mountains are red and dramatic.After lunch we will continue toward Ouarzazate; the intermediate point that joins the mountains and the desert. We will be passing through the Skoura Valley with more than 700,000 date palms, it stands out for being an important enclave of greenery and with its Kasbahs scattered throughout the oasis and its surroundings. Our route continues in the direction of the Valley of Roses; situated at the foot of the High Atlas, as its name indicates, is the area of a most important crop and interesting from the point of view of tourism. 30 km of uninterrupted cultivation of roses, a splendid greenery nestled at the foot of a canyon of ochre hues that offers a spectacle of beauty and that form part of the places more important in Morocco. We will arrive at the Dades Gorge to spend the night.

Day 2: DADES – TODRA GORGE – SAHARA DESERT

Today after a good traditional Moroccan breakfast we will head toward the desert of Merzouga, stopping on the way to visit the large palm grove at Todra with its kasbahs. The river runs through the entire oasis of Todra and palm trees full of dates, olive trees and several crops grow on the riverbanks. Our route continues to the magnificent Todra Gorge, a mandatory stop to contemplate the great canyon, formed by limestone rocks of red vertical walls and where the last 600 meters of gorge are the most impressive, the canyon at its narrowest is about 10 meters and rises to 160 meters in height, a whole paradise of rocks with a river of crystal clear waters and this picturesque environment makes it an obligatory stop. We will arrive at the foot of Erg Chebbi, Overnight in hotel

Day 3: SAHARA DESERT – KHAMLIA – MERZOUGA

After breakfast today we will dive into the desert, an extension of more or less 30km long by about 6km of width where there is only sand and villages and where we can see how and where Berber people of the desert live, their culture and their traditions and their kindness.Enjoy a full day in the desert, at dusk the camels will be waiting for us to contemplate the sunset where the yellow shades become ochres and intense oranges leaving behind the day.We will spend the night in the desert under the blanket of stars that keep you mesmerized in warm and sandy dreams, there we will spend an unforgettable evening: tea, a nomadic dinner and surrounded by the idyllic silence and sweet lines from the dunes.

Day 4: MERZOUGA – ZIZ VALLEY – CEDAR FOREST – FES

This morning we will get up early to see the spectacular sunrise. Gradually as the sun appears over the horizon, the desert sand glows with a reddish colour, before shifting to shades of yellow as the sun comes further up.After leaving the desert behind we return on camels for a shower and breakfast. We leave for the Palm Grove of Tafilalet, the largest palm grove in the world, with about 800,000 date palms. Firstly we are going to Rissani; very famous for its souk and for being the last commercial stop for people to tradebefore the desert, this proud and dignified city has a special atmosphere we can almost breathe in as we stroll through the markets. Rissani has something not found in any other place of Morocco, a twilight ambience owing to its roofs that filter the late sun into an explosion of colours and rich outstanding smells of the combination of spices so well-known.Our route will continue in the direction of Fes passing through the beautiful Ziz Valley; a magical place where the life makes an expression due to its people, its palm trees and their way of life that makes us remember the pure life in full nature, by the way we will go to see a group of kasbahs that are now in ruins but which are still preserved in more or less in good condition We will continue to Midelt which is famous for its mineral mines, from there we will continue to Ifrane where we will find ourselves in a European Alpine setting; green, leafy and fresh; built by the French. Just a few kilometres further we will find ourselves within the legendary forest of Cedars of Azrou where the singing of the birds and the attentive and curious gaze of the Barbary monkeys that live in the forest will not fail to impress. The National Park of Ifrane is the largest of Morocco and we will be able to contemplate the incredible Atlas cedars trees, some more than 100 years old. The grand, majestic and imposing oaks darken the road creating a mysterious atmosphere and the Gouraud Cedar is the most famous of the Atlas for its imposing antiquity.We will continue through the Middle Atlas until we reach Fes mid-afternoon. Fes is famous for its ancient walled city, is the first imperial city of Morocco from the 8th century and a pioneer in Muslim worship as it has one of the oldest universities in the world still in use. Although it has been able to adapt to modern life, it still preserves traditions and styles of life most authentically Moroccan, transfert to your hotel and end the tour.