Private multi-day tour · southern Morocco
Marrakech to Fes in three days.
The classic crossing: over the High Atlas, down the valleys, a night in the dunes, then up to Fès through the cedar forest.
The itinerary
1. Marrakech → Aït Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate → Dadès valley
Over the Tichka pass at 2,260 m, then the UNESCO ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate and its kasbah, and the road of the thousand kasbahs to the Dadès.
2. Dadès → Todra gorges → Erfoud → Merzouga
The Todra gorges and their 300-metre walls, then the palm groves of the Ziz, and camels into the dunes of Erg Chebbi for the night under canvas.
3. Merzouga → Rissani → Midelt → Azrou → Ifrane → Fès
Sunrise on the dunes, the market town of Rissani, the climb through Midelt, the cedar forest of Azrou and its Barbary macaques, then Ifrane and Fès in the evening.
Practical details
The tour is led from start to finish by Adil, a government-certified guide, licence no. 2706.
Cancellation terms depend on the accommodation booked and appear on your quote, before any payment.
What you actually see
Three days is the most requested format and the tightest. You cross the High Atlas by the Tichka pass, drop down to Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, then follow the Dades valley to the Todra gorges before reaching Merzouga. The road is fine from start to finish, but it is long: allow six or seven hours of driving on the first day and as much on the third.
The night in the desert is the high point. You reach the camp by camel in late afternoon, an hour of slow walking as the light drops over Erg Chebbi. Dinner is under canvas, often with musicians, and you sleep in the complete silence of the dunes. Next morning’s sunrise justifies the pre-dawn start on its own.
The third day heads north through Midelt and the Middle Atlas, with the cedar forests and the macaques near Azrou, arriving in Fes at the end of the day. It is the most road-heavy of the three. If that pace sounds hard, the four-day version adds exactly the breathing room this one lacks.
Questions about this tour
Is three days really enough?
It is enough to see the essentials, provided you accept the driving. If you have the choice, four days changes the experience considerably: a full day in the desert instead of a single night.
Where exactly do we sleep?
The first night in a hotel or guesthouse around Dades or Todra, the second under canvas in the dunes. Camp comfort ranges from simple to very well equipped with private bathrooms, and is stated on the quote.
Can it end in Marrakech instead of Fes?
Yes, it is a common request. The return loop takes a different road, so you do not repeat the same drive. It usually adds half a day.
