Explore the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert, with a day to relax before embarking on a camel trek and spending the night at a traditional Berber camp. Travel through scenic gorges and historic kasbahs on your way to Marrakech.
Experience camel trekking, enjoy dinner, and spend an overnight stay at a Berber camp under the stars.
Take in the breathtaking landscapes of the Atlas Mountains and watch the sunrise and sunset over the Sahara Desert.
Travel in a private vehicle from Fez, with convenient hotel pickup and drop-off included.
Stop in the cedar forests near Ifrane to observe the playful Barbary Apes on the way to Fez
Spend the night at a desert camp in Merzouga, with dinner and traditional entertainment
Enjoy a spectacular sunset camel ride across the Erg Chebbi dunes
Take a stroll through Todra Oasis along the stream leading to the Todra Gorges
Drive along the Valley of the Roses and the Road of 1,000 Kasbahs
Explore the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah
Travel through the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi Ntichka Pass, enjoying the stunning scenery
The driver for your Fes Desert Trip will pick you up from your hotel or riad at 7 am to begin a remarkable journey into the Middle Atlas Mountains. The first stop is the charming town of Ifrane, built by the French in the 1930s and often called Morocco’s Switzerland due to its alpine-style architecture. In winter, the town is covered in snow, and the nearby Michliffen ski resort adds to its alpine charm.
Next, you will travel through the vast cedar forests surrounding the Berber village of Azrou, known locally as “The Rock.” Here, the famous Barbary apes, or macaque monkeys, live in their natural habitat and may try to share your lunch.
Continuing through the Atlas Mountains, with their forested peaks, winding streams, gushing springs, and dramatic rock walls, you will reach the important Sahara-edge town of Rissani. From there, traveling further south, you will be captivated by the sudden, almost magical appearance of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes. These massive dunes rise up to 50 meters high and stretch eastward into the Algerian Sahara.
In the late afternoon, enjoy a ninety-minute camel trek across the shifting sands at sunset before arriving at a traditional Berber desert encampment. Spend the night in a comfortable tent amid the towering dunes. Relax and enjoy a delicious dinner while listening to traditional Berber music, then sleep under a sky filled with countless bright stars, so vivid it feels as though you could almost reach out and touch them.
The day begins early, as you wake to witness the breathtaking sunrise over the sand dunes. You will then ride your camel back to the hotel for breakfast, noticing how the shadows of the dunes shift and change with the rising sun.
After breakfast, the journey to Ouarzazate begins, taking you through the Todgha Gorges, a canyon carved 300 meters deep into the eastern edge of the High Atlas Mountains. Here, you can enjoy some hiking around the picturesque village of Tinghir. The Tinghir and Todgha Gorges are among the highest and narrowest in Morocco and are widely regarded as some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes.
Next, you will visit the Berber town of Kelaat Mgouna, also known as the Rose City. Every year, usually around mid-May during the rose harvest, the town hosts the Festival of Roses. This celebration allows local growers to sell their products, especially rose water, which leaves a lasting sweet fragrance on clothes, skin, and linens.
The journey continues to the fertile oasis of Skoura, surrounded by vast palm groves with spectacular views of the Atlas Mountains. Your day concludes with an evening arrival in Ouarzazate, where you will enjoy dinner and spend the night in a hotel.
After a hearty breakfast, explore the film sets and studios of Ouarzazate, often called Africa’s Hollywood. The region’s stunning landscapes and unique topography have attracted some of the world’s top filmmakers. You can visit the studio museum to see props and memorabilia from famous films such as Gladiator, The Mummy, Indiana Jones, and even parts of the popular TV series Game of Thrones. Afterwards, take a leisurely walk to admire the traditional Moroccan architecture of the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah.
This central region of Morocco is vibrant and full of charm, nestled between fertile river valleys with lush palm groves and sun-baked mud-brick houses glowing under the Moroccan sun. Your journey continues through the High Atlas Mountains via the breathtaking Tizi n’Tichka Pass, which rises over 2,250 meters above sea level. The twisting mountain roads are dotted with picturesque Berber villages and crystal-clear waterfalls.
The tour concludes when you arrive in Marrakech, and Fes Desert Trips will drop you off at your hotel or riad, marking the end of your desert adventure.
