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All the Saharan dunes desert tour from Fes 7 days – overview:
One of the greatest Moroccan desert trip experiences is through spending a maximum of time in the desert. On this Fes to Marrakech desert tour, you will be combining all the Saharan dunes; Erg Chebbi in Merzouga, Erg Lihoudi in Mhamid, the vast dunes in Erg Chegaga.
Each evening under the panoply of a thousand stars, you will be treated to a traditional Moroccan dinner and join the nomads making music. In a luxury desert camp, you will feel the essence of the Sahara; its peace and majesty.
The variety of landscapes in the south are show-cased by the Middle Atlas Mountains, the Saghro mountains, the Dra’a Valley and the variety of typical Saharan features, and finally the majesty of the High Atlas on the way to Marrakech.
Rural Berber life can be witnessed in the valleys with green, fertile oases and ancient housing, in the desert dwellings, and in the two most famous Kasbahs in Morocco; Kasbahs Aït ben Haddou and Telouet.
Book this 7 day Fes Desert Tour and discover the true beauty and authenticity of authentic Moroccan culture.
Fes desert tour – highlights:
- Driving across the Middle Atlas Mountains and watching the Barbary apes in the cedar forests
- Enjoying sunset camel rides in the dunes and evenings of Berber music and drumming around a fire camp
- Sleeping in your own private and spacious luxury desert camps under the star-filled sky
- Walking in the Toudgha Gorges and the Dades Valley along the river and the fertile gardens
- Driving across the Tizi-n-Tazzazert pass in the Saghro mountain range of the Anti-Atlas
- Exploring the most famous Kasbahs in Morocco, Kasbah Aït ben Haddou and Kasbah Telouet
Fes to Marrakech majestic desert tour – what is included:
- Transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle; 4×4 Toyota Prado TX or deluxe van and fuel
- Experienced local English/French/Spanish/Italian-speaking Berber and nomad driver/guide
- Accommodation in air-conditioned rooms/suites with private bathroom
- The night in luxury camps in each of the dunes with a private tent with toilet and shower
- All meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner – with vegetarian and vegan options available
- A camel ride with a guide. And if you wish to do some sandboarding, just speak to the camp staff!
- Luggage service in all camps
- Berber drumming and music
- Free time to explore the sites such as Aït ben Haddou, the Ounila Valley, Kasbah Amredhil in Skoura, for walks, photos, and tea/coffee breaks
- The opportunity to ask the driver to stop when and where you wish
- Entrance fees and local guide
- Tea, coffee and mineral water in the desert
What is not included:
- Drinks
- Tips
- Extras
Know before you go:
- This Fes desert trip can be customised to be more personal and special
- Activities such as day trips or a full day’s trekking in Erg Chebbi or Erg Chegaga dunes can be added to this Fes to Marrakech desert trip
- You can always consult your driver about skipping some places, or spending more time elsewhere
- Here is a downloadable packing list to help plan for your Moroccan desert tour
- We require a 30% deposit of the total price to book the car, while the balance is payable to us in the office in Ouarzazate
- We accept payment through PayPal, bank transfers in Europe, by credit card, or cash (USD, Euro, GBP or MAD)
- We offer a 25% discount for children under 12, and one child under 3 per family travels free of charge
- These prices are liable to fluctuation according to the current exchange rate
- Our prices can be subject to an increase over the busy season, and, in particular, the Christmas and New Year’s Eve period
Prices per person
| No Days | Meals |
|---|---|
| All-inclusive | |
| Total price | |
| 2 Persons |
|---|
| 955 € * |
| 1910 € * |
| 3 Persons |
|---|
| 895 € * |
| 2685 € * |
| 4 Persons |
|---|
| 860 € * |
| 3440 € * |
| 5 Persons |
|---|
| 830 € * |
| 4150 € * |
| 6 Persons |
|---|
| 830 € * |
| 4980 € * |
Fes to Marrakech majestic desert tour – itinerary:
1st day: Fes – Merzouga
Departure from Fes at 8 o’clock, travelling via Azrou, where you can see Barbary apes in the cedar forest of the Middle Atlas. Lunch is in Midelt, “the apple capital”, at the foot of the Ayachi Mountain.
We continue over the Tizi-n-Talremt pass and through the Ziz Valley, which is particularly well-known for its palm trees and the length of the oasis. All along the road, there are innumerable “ksars”, small villages of individual houses.
From here we reach Er Rachidia and then Erfoud, famous for its date festival and fossils. Once you reach the bivouac in Erg Chebbi, you will be greeted with a glass of tea and have time to wander the dunes before the sunset.
You spend the night in a luxury camp with private bathroom, king-sized beds, beautiful Moroccan furnishings and lamps tastefully arranged to enhance your enjoyment of the silence and beauty of the dunes.
2nd day: Merzouga – Dades Gorges
If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise, when the colour of the dunes and the play of shadows are an awesome sight. After breakfast, you can walk in the dunes before leaving for Tinghir and the Toudgha gorges for lunch.
The road passes through Tinjdad and the Toudgha Valley. Here there are plenty of opportunities to walk, such as along the river through the gardens or up the road on the other side of the gorges. Later the itinerary continues to the Dades Valley and the Dades Gorges for the night in a hotel or kasbah.
3rd day: Dades Gorges – Agdez
After breakfast, we go south, through the Saghro mountain range to the village of N’Qob. The road crosses over the Tizi-n-Tazzazerte pass, which has recently been asphalted to make this drive a unique experience. It is an area where far fewer tourists travel. At Nqob, we turn west to cross the Dra’a River at Tansikht. Here we turn north passing oases and Kasbahs beside the river, until we reach Agdez for the night shortly afterwards.
The oldest kasbah, Kasbah Tamnougalte, in the Dra’a Valley is situated near Agdez, and you will have some time to visit it. Some parts lie in ruins and some parts are still fully occupied. Today you will have time to walk in the Dra’a Valley as well.
4th day: Agdez – Mhamid
After breakfast, a visit to the Kasbah is planned, before driving off-road further down the Dra’a Valley to Zagora for lunch. The road follows the ancient caravan route between the Dra’a River and the mountains and gives a view of the gardens and kasbahs in the valley. Here again, there is time to walk in the oasis if you wish.
South of Zagora you can visit the potteries of Tamgroute which supply many restaurants and hotels in the area. There is also a possibility to visit the underground village and the Koranic school with its displays of exquisite manuscripts.
In the afternoon, the trip takes us to M’hamid which marks the end of the paved road and the beginning of the desert. You spend the night in a luxury camp with private bathroom, king-sized beds, beautiful Moroccan furnishings and lamps tastefully arranged to enhance your enjoyment of the silence and beauty of the dunes.
5th day: M’hamid – Chegaga Dunes
After breakfast there is an opportunity to visit the old village of Mhamid with its Kasbahs and in the afternoon, the 4×4 takes us to the Erg Chegaga dunes, travelling some 60km off-road. This route passes different features of the desert: ‘erg’, ‘reg’, ‘hammada’, and the Sacred Oasis to dunes far away from civilization, in the desert proper where the silence and the expanse of sand are overwhelming. These are the greatest dunes in Morocco and are approximately 300m high and 35km long. A camel ride takes us to the bottom of the highest dune where the view of the sunset is magnificent.
You spend the night in a luxury camp with private bathroom, king-sized beds, beautiful Moroccan furnishings and lamps tastefully arranged to enhance your enjoyment of the silence and beauty of the dunes.
6th day: Chegaga dunes – Ouarzazate
After breakfast, the road crosses another 90km of the desert, passing Lake Iriqui and the mountains as well as fossils, for enthusiasts. The first village beyond the desert, Foum Zguid, is the place for lunch and a refreshing shower.
We travel north past hills and oases of palm trees until we reach the town of Taznakht, a small Berber town famous for its rugs and gelims. You will have lunch here before continuing to Ouarzazate for the night in a riad.
7th day: Ouarzazate – Marrakech
After breakfast, we leave for to continue to visit the famous Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou. This site has frequently been used as the background for some memorable scenes in many film masterpieces, such as “Lawrence of Arabia” and “The Gladiator”.
We visit the Kasbah and have lunch before driving on to Kasbah Telouet, the palatial residence of the one-time Pasha of Marrakech, Thami Glaoui. It now stands in ruins after he fled the country following the departure of the French.
Sadly, the entire Kasbah is presently closed due to the destruction caused by the earthquake that hit Morocco in September 2023. Nonetheless, you can still enjoy the exterior with a local guide to uncover its fascinating history.
After visiting the Kasbah, we drive across the Tizi-n-Tichka pass and back to Marrakech, which we reach by the afternoon.
