Marrakech, a former imperial city in western Morocco, and a major economic center home to mosques, palaces and gardens. The medina is a densely populated, fortified medieval city dating back to the Berber Empire, with intertwining maze-like alleys, where bustling souks (markets) sell traditional fabrics, pottery and jewelry. Symbol of the city, the minaret of the 12th century Koutoubia Moorish mosque is visible for miles.
Merzouga is a small Moroccan town located in the Sahara Desert, near the Algerian border. Merzouga opens onto Erg Chebbi, a huge expanse of sand dunes north of the city. To the west is Dayet Srji, a seasonal salt lake that is often dry in summer. When it fills up again, it attracts a wide variety of migratory and desert birds, including warblers, nightjars and, occasionally, flamingos.
Fez is a city in northeastern Morocco often considered the cultural capital of the country. It is mainly famous for the fortified medina of Fez El Bali, with medieval Merinid architecture, lively souks and an old-fashioned atmosphere. The medina is home to religious schools such as the Bou Inania and Al Attarine medersas dating from the 14th century, both decorated with carved cedar panels and delicate mosaics.
| Destination | Merzouga Sahara Desert |
|---|---|
| Depature | Yes Required |
| Departure Time | Marrakesh Airport |
| Return Time | 3 days desert tours |
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| Excluded |
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 Travel With 4x4 |
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The 3 day sahara desert tour from Marrakech to Fes is one of the most popular desert tours from Marrakech that connects the two imperial cities. The awesome tour lets you discover a big part of the south of Morocco, departing from the ocher city of Marrakech towards the Atlas mountains and crossing beautiful scenery on the curvy roads and perched berber villages blending with the mountains, to the infamous kasbahs of Ait benhaddou fortified village and Ouarzazate with its cinematic attractions, spending the first night in the heart of the dades gorges in a traditional but comfy hotel. The second day lets you enjoy a short walk in the todra immense gorges before heading towards Merzouga in a more arid plains announcing the beginning of the deserts, once in Merzouga, you will ride the camels and go deep in the desert to spend a night in a luxury camp ( you will have your own private tents equipped with comfortable beds and plenty of sheets for the cold nights, and ensuite bathroom and shower). Enjoy a starry night under a clear and peaceful sky, spend some quality time with the staff with music around fire after a delicious dinner. The third day of your 3 Days Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes takes you through a different route heading towards Fez and crossing many villages and scenery, a short pause at the beautiful cedar forest with its playful monkeys and a coffee break at Ifrane town also called "Little Switzerland" for its cleanliness and architecture before reaching the Cultural capital of the country : Fes where you driver will drop you off at your hotel.
Your driver will pick you up at 08:00 am from your hotel or the closest accessible point for the car, and you will start your 3 days desert tour from Marrakech to Fes heading to the Dades Gorges across the Tizi-n-Tichka pass of the high Atlas Mountains with an altitude of 2260m, with far-reaching views across the mountains, to the traditional High Atlas Berber villages. Then you continue to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait benhaddou, a site used by many film makers as a backdrop for their works, such as the "Gladiator", "Lawrence of Arabia" and some shots of the famous TV series "Game of Thrones". We will have lunch at one of the restaurants at the foothills of the Kasbahs. After lunch we will drive to Ouarzazate with option to visit the Atlas Studios and Taourirt Kasbah there, and then we continue to Dades gorges through the vast palm-groves of Skoura and the rose valley stretching along the M'Goun river ( the rose of Damascena was brought to Morocco centuries ago by a berber merchant from Damascus, hence the name, they blossom between April and mid-May ). Taking a detour form the main road, we will drive up the valley of Dades to reach our hotel with a couple of stops to enjoy the beautiful views of the valley and a bizarre rock formation called "The monkey feet" . We will spend the night in our hotel in Dades.
After breakfast, we will drive from Dades gorges to Erg chebbi Sahara desert at Merzouga. Taking another small detour from the main road, we will head up the Todra gorges for a while to reach the immense cliffs, where you can enjoy a short walk to fully take in the beauty of the place before continuing our drive south .Berber villages are scattered along the way, Tinjdad, Jorf and Erfoud in which you can feel the beginning of the Saharan oasis of Tafilalet and its immense arid plateaus, Once you arrive to Merzouga, a small off-road takes you to the edge of the golden dunes where camels are waiting for you, the luggage will be loaded in an 4x4 car and transported to the camp, and you can enjoy a beautiful camel ride over the sand dunes and watch a majestic desert sunset on your way to the camp. After reaching your destination, you will be greeted with tea and smiles. You will be shown to your beautiful comfortable private tents equipped with ensuite bathrooms and showers to relax and settle before dinner time. After a delicious meal, fire will be lit and a festive ambiance takes over with musical plays by the staff and cameleers under the starry night of the desert !
An early morning wake up is recommended to witness the amazing sunrise from the dunes. you will have breakfast in the camp, pack and go back either on camels or by 4x4 leaving the dunes behind. Back on the asphalt roads, you will head north towards Fez via the High Atlas Mountains. On the way, we will drive through Erfoud, Errachidia and Midelt. We'll stop for lunch and pictures of wild monkeys on the Cedar forests of Azrou before arriving to Fez. Drop you off at your accommodation.
