5 days Fes to Marrakesh Tour

“Shifting Sands & Mud Bricks”

5 days, 5 nights

Starts: Fes
Ends: Marrakesh

Overnight stays in: MERZOUGA/ERG CHEBBI (2 NIGHTS) – KALAAT M’GOUNA (VALLEY OF THE ROSES) – AIT BEN HADDOU – MARRAKESH

Introduction

If you have less than a week but want extra time in the Sahara and a slower pace of travel, then our 5 days Fes to Marrakesh Tour, “Shifting Sands & Mud Bricks” is a great choice. This 5 day tour from Fes features 2 nights in the Sahara Desert, overnight stays in Valley of the Roses and Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou in the Atlas Mountains followed by a final night in Marrakesh. So, you’ll have lots of time to explore, experience the culture, and really enjoy the diverse beauty of Morocco.

The first part of this 5 day, 5 night tour takes you to the Sahara for a desert adventure. Once there, you’ll go camel-trekking, explore the desert by 4×4, have tea with some Berber nomads, enjoy live African music, & more.

The second part of the “Shifting Sands & Mud Bricks” Tour takes you through the scenic Dades Valley and over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakesh. The pace is relaxed but filled with exciting things to see & do. Before reaching Marrakesh, you’ll stop at a local souk, visit Todra Gorge & Valley of the Roses, tour a Moroccan film studio, explore the historic Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, & more.

The 5 days Fes to Marrakesh Tour finishes with a night in a riad in Marrakesh. You’ll have free time to explore the medina in the evening.

Outline

On Day 1 of your 5 days Fes to Marrakesh Tour, “Shifting Sands & Mud Bricks”, travel through the Middle Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert. When you arrive, go on a sunset camel trek in the big dunes of Erg Chebbi, followed by a delicious Moroccan dinner & African drumming.

The next day, explore the Saharan landscapes near Erg Chebbi by 4×4. Your day includes tea with a Berber nomad family in their desert home, followed by a live Gnawa music performance in Khamlia.

On your third day, leave the dunes behind and travel to Rissani to visit the local souk, then visit Todra Gorge. After lunch, wind through the scenic Dades Valley into the Atlas Mountains, before stopping for the night at Kalaat M’Gouna (Valley of the Roses).

Your 5 day tour from Fes continues on Day 4 with a trip to Ouarzazate, the “Hollywood of Morocco”, for a film studio tour. Afterwards, head to the historic Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where you’ll spend the night.

The final day of the tour takes you to Telouet Kasbah then over the High Atlas Mountains. When you reach Marrakesh, you’ll have the evening free to explore before spending the night in a lovely riad (included), bringing your 5 days Fes to Marrakesh Tour, “Shifting Sands & Mud Bricks” to a close.

Tour highlights

Go camel-trekking in the Sahara at sunset
Explore the desert around Erg Chebbi by 4×4
See ocean fossils embedded in desert rock
Have tea with Berber nomads in their desert home
Enjoy African drumming & live Gnawa music
Experience a local souk (market)
Tour a film studio in the “Hollywood of Morocco”
Explore several Kasbahs, including Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Cross the Tizi-n-Tichka pass over the High Atlas Mountains

For more information…

For more details about this tour, see the tabs further down this page. You’ll find a detailed itinerary, a route map, & a list of what’s included & excluded in the cost.

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Details

Itinerary

Route map

Includes/Excludes

Itinerary

Route map

Includes/Excludes

Day 1 :

FES – MIDDLE ATLAS MOUNTAINS – AZROU – MIDELT – ZIZ VALLEY – MERZOUGA/ERG CHEBBI

Your 5 days Fes to Marrakesh Tour, "Shifting Sands & Mud Bricks" begins when we pick you up after breakfast in Fes and start our drive towards the Sahara Desert. You’ll see the amazing changes in the landscape as we travel. On the way through the Middle Atlas Mountains, we’ll stop in Azrou to see the Barbary apes that live in the cedar forest. After lunch in Midelt, the “apple capital” of Morocco, we’ll drive alongside the meandering Ziz Valley, containing the palm-filled Ziz Oasis. This impressive oasis stretches for hundreds of kilometres along the valley floor. We’ll stop at a lookout point so that you can take some beautiful panoramic pictures. We’ll pass through several towns, including Erfoud, which is famous for its annual Date Festival in October. Erfoud is also known for its abundant fossils and fossil products. A bit later, we’ll leave the highway and travel off-road across flat rocky desert to the Saharan region of Merzouga, and the magnificent sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. Erg Chebbi has the highest dunes in North Africa, and the sight of them rising suddenly out of the desert floor never fails to impress! When we arrive at the desert hotel, your camels will be waiting. As the late afternoon sun sinks over the sands, you’ll leave civilization behind and camel-trek into the big dunes, watching the sands change colour as the sun moves across the sky. You’ll have time to explore, take pictures, and watch the sunset before returning by camel to the tent camp amid the little dunes beside the erg. There, you’ll enjoy a traditional Moroccan meal. After dinner, you’ll be entertained with African music – drumming & singing & dancing – around a campfire.

Day 2 :

MERZOUGA – KHAMLIA

Your Sahara Desert adventure continues the next day. After breakfast, we’ll take the 4x4 & drive off-road to explore the many faces of the Saharan landscape. We’ll visit a spot where you can see ocean fossils embedded in desert rock. Then we’ll head across the hamada (black desert) to visit a local Berber nomad family. We’ll take tea with them in their desert home – a unique experience! Next, we’ll head to the the village of Khamlia for lunch followed by a live Gnawa music (traditional African music) performance by local musicians. Returning to the hotel, you'll have time to relax and watch the sunset before having dinner at the desert hotel. You’ll spend a second night in the desert camp.

Day 3 :

MERZOUGA – RISSANI – TODRA GORGE – DADES VALLEY – KALAAT M’GOUNA (VALLEY OF THE ROSES)

After breakfast on Day 3 of your 5 days Fes to Marrakesh tour, we’ll leave the dunes behind. Our first stop is the town of Rissani where you’ll visit the local souk (market). This jumble of small stalls & shops is where local people buy food, clothing, household items – even livestock! On Tuesdays, the travelling market arrives, and people flock from nearby villages to shop. After visiting the market, we’ll resume our journey, arriving at Tinghir and the Todra Gorge. You’ll hardly believe you started the day in the Saharan dunes when you see the lush green oasis full of palm trees and farmers’ crops. The steep walls of the Todra Gorge are 300 metres high, making this a popular spot for rock climbers. It’s also popular as a picnic spot for Moroccan families. We’ll have lunch at a nearby restaurant, and you’ll have a chance to walk along the river. After lunch, we’ll drive through the impressive Dades Valley, following the winding road through the Atlas Mountains to reach Kalaat M’Gouna, the “Valley of the Roses”. This lush region is the hub of rose-growing in Morocco, yielding millions of rose petals each year for a wide variety of rose-infused products. The harvest is celebrated every May with the Rose Festival – worth attending if you can arrange your visit around this popular festival. You'll spend the night in a hotel overlooking the valley.

Day 4 :

KALAAT M’GOUNA – OUARZAZATE/FILM STUDIO – AIT BEN HADDOU

The next morning, we’ll take the time to visit some shops in Kalaat M’Gouna so that you can see, smell, and, if you wish, purchase some products made from local roses. Afterwards, your 5 days Fes to Marrakesh Tour continues to Ouarzazate, known as the "Hollywood of Morocco" because of its thriving film industry. Ouarzazate is home to several film studios, both Moroccan and international, and the surrounding landscape is often used in films. You’ll tour one of the Moroccan film studios, and we’ll stop at the picturesque kasbah of Taourirt. Our next stop is the beautiful town of Ait Ben Haddou, the oldest Kasbah in the south of Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The village was originally built in the 17th century, but it’s very much a thriving community today. People live in homes built right into the rock or with mud bricks, which are made locally using the same methods as in ancient times. Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou has been featured in many films, including The Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven. You’ll check in to your hotel and have plenty of time for a leisurely walk through the kasbah. It’s a gentle climb through winding streets to the top, where you’ll see beautiful views in all directions. We'll have dinner in a local restaurant.

Day 5 :

AIT BEN HADDOU – TELOUET KASBAH – TIZI-N-TICHKA PASS – MARRAKESH

After breakfast in your hotel on the final day of your 5 day tour from Fes, we'll head into the High Atlas Mountains. We’ll take a side road to visit the ruins of Telouet Kasbah (Palace of Glaoui) in the traditional Berber village of Telouet before crossing over Morocco’s highest road pass – the Tizi-n-Tichka pass at 2260m. We’ll stop at the top of the pass for refreshment and to take pictures of the stunning mountain views before descending towards Marrakesh. We’ll reach Marrakesh in the evening. You’ll have the evening free to relax or explore the medina. We recommend visiting the world-famous Jmaa El Fna square, which fills every night with tourists and Moroccan families alike, out to enjoy fresh-cooked food and be entertained by storytellers, musicians, and dancers. It’s a carnival-like atmosphere and not to be missed! Your 5 days Fes to Marrakesh Tour, "Shifting Sands & Mud Bricks" includes a final night in a traditional riad in the medina (with breakfast the following morning).

5 days Fes to Marrakesh Tour