Day one: Fez – Ifrane – Midelt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga desert

Continue your Moroccan tour, moving from the fertile plains of northern and western Morocco to the arid desert scapes famous to many visitors. We will begin our travel after breakfast, going to the remote eastern town of Merzouga via Ifrane. We will stop in Ifrane near the lion statue, taking a chance to stretch our legs and enjoy the beautiful gardens in this city. 

Our journey continues through a massive cedar forest, where we will have the opportunity to stop and see some friendly Barbary apes. We will traverse the Tiz Ntalghamt pass and Ziz Gorge, taking in views of the High Atlas plateau. Notice how the scenery changes to reveal hints of the desert as we approach the city of Errachidia. Here we will stop for lunch and enjoy the hospitality of the friendly Berber people. 

After lunch, we will drive along the luxuriant Ziz Valley, stopping for panoramic views along the way to Erfoud and Rissani. You will arrive in Merzouga in the late afternoon. Enjoy a welcoming glass of Moroccan mint tea before your checking into your riad for the evening.

Day two: Merzouga desert tour

Your guides will pick you up from the hotel at 9am to visit Merzouga and the surrounding villages. Stop at Khamlia, the home of freed Sudanese slaves who have settled in Morocco for the past few generations. Listen to their Gnawa music, traditional spiritual songs and lively dancing. We will take the tour off-road, driving behind the Erg Chebbi dunes to remote desert villages, abandoned mines, and visiting a nomadic Berber encampment. These hospitable nomadic families will welcome us with tea and an explanation of their lifestyle. After our visit, we will return to Merzouga for lunch—we highly suggest trying the traditional Berber “pizza,” with meat and vegetables stuffed into a bread crust and cooked over an open flame.

In the late afternoon, you will be taken to the dromedaries—one-hump camels native to this region of Morocco—and you will take a 90-minute camel ride to our camp in the middle of the Erg Chebbi dunes (standard or luxury camp options available). Watch the sunset from behind the dunes and go on a dune sandboarding adventure if you would like. Return for a glass of traditional mint tea, dinner, and music. Our guides will play drums and castanets for you, breaking the stillness of the desert with sounds of laughter and singing. Under the brilliance of the Milky Way you will tuck into your camp for the evening. Don’t forget to look up and see stars like you’ve never seen them before.

Note: We organize ATV rides on the dunes if you would like to explore the dunes and take pictures and videos. The price of ATV rental is not included in the tour but can be added upon request.

Day three: Merzouga – Todgha Gorge – Boumalne Dades

Wake up early to watch the desert sunrise over the dunes of Erg Chebbi. After breakfast, we will return to civilization via dromedaries. Say goodbye to the majestic dunes as we depart to Rissani. We will stop to visit the local market, full of dates, spices, and other Moroccan treasures, and we will continue to Erfoud and the impressive Todgha Gorge. Take a beautiful walk through the rock canyon and enjoy a traditional Moroccan lunch. 

After lunch we’ll continue our drive to Boumalen Dades, and enjoy the beautiful landscapes and the Kasbahs that line the mountains. We will stop to see a rock formation called Monkey’s Fingers, and you can decide if they really do look like the fingers of monkeys. Take lots of pictures as we drive along the winding roads, stopping for a panoramic view of the Dades Gorges. Here we will spend the night in a nice hotel at the base of the canyon.

Day four: Skoura valley – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah – Marrakech

After breakfast, we will travel through the Skoura Valley and the Kelaa Mgouna, the rose city, towards Ouarzazate. Our route through Skoura Valley is “the way of the thousand Kasbahs” – providing numerous opportunities to take some of the best photos of your trip. 

We will stop at Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah for lunch, the largest Kasbah in Morocco. It used to be one of the main thoroughfare stops for traders bringing silver, salt, jewelry, slaves, or other goods from sub-Saharan countries to Marrakech. Now, the Kasbah is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Cross the salty river or large dry riverbed next to the village, and walk through the narrow alleys to the top of the hill. There, next to the old granary you will have a panoramic view of the village. 

After our stop in Ait Ben Haddou, we will continue on to Marrakech, once again watching the landscape shift from flat desert land to hills and mountains. We will cross over the High Atlas Mountains full of panoramic views and attractive Berber villages all along the way until we reach Marrakech, where you will stay overnight in a fancy riad in the city’s historic medina.