5-day tour in Morocco from Fes to Marrakech
5-day tour in Morocco, from Fes to Marrakech
Join our customized 5-day tour in Morocco, from Fes to Marrakech via the Merzouga Desert.
5-day tour in Morocco from Fes to Marrakech, main information
Departure location:
Fes
Return location:
Marrakech
Departure time:
08:00 AM
Itinerary duration
5 days/ 4 nights
Highlights of our 5-day tour in Morocco from Fes to Marrakech
- Chaouara tannery
- La Medina of Fes
- Ifrane and cedar forests
- Camel trekking
- Todra gorges
- Ait Benhaddou
5-day tour in Morocco from Fes to Marrakech overview:
The best private 5-day tour from Fes to Marrakech via the desert of Merzouga. Enjoy camel trekking at the dunes of Merzouga. Begin your enchanted tour of Morocco with a pick-up in Fez, the country’s cultural capital. This 5-day tour will transport you to Marrakech via the Sahara Desert. During this tour, you will visit the medina in Fez, take a camel tour, and camp under the stars in a luxury camp in the Sahara Desert. You will then continue on your journey to Marrakech, a major economic center and home to mosques, palaces, and gardens.
The Itinerary of 5-day tour in Morocco from Fes to Marrakech
Day 1: Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Erfoud – Merzouga
After breakfast, we will start our private 5-day tour from Fes to Marrakech. At 8:00 am, at the hotel or Riad where we stay in Fez, we will head to the Middle Atlas to visit Ifrane, also called the Switzerland of Morocco. The next town is Azrou, “The Rock,” a Berber village famous for its traditional handicrafts, wood carvings, and carpets, and then we will arrive at Midelt. The road continues through the Tizi Talghemt, or Camel’s Neck, at 1,907 meters altitude. The relief is impressive; the mountains are bare, covered with a purple mantle. We are reaching Errachidia and commitment to cross the massif of Tafilalet to the Erfoud palm grove. Drive to the desert of Merzouga; we will arrive in the late afternoon; accommodation will be at the hotel.
Day 2: Merzouga tour
This day, we will dedicate ourselves to exploring the Sahara Desert by 4 × 4 car. After breakfast, we will start our trip to the desert: the dunes, oases, and the town of Khamlia, famous for its Gnawa music.
We will also visit the Berber nomads in the desert and spend some time with them, learning about their culture and way of life. In the afternoon, we will ride our camels and take a relaxing walk through the desert to the camp, where we will spend the night in the shops. Before that, we will enjoy dinner (traditional tajine) and Berber music around the bonfire under the starry sky. This will be an incredible experience that you will not forget.
Day 3: Merzouga – Ramilia – Tafraoute.
The camel man will wake you up early in the morning to see how good the best sunrise of your life can be. Afterward, we will walk in peace towards your hotel, appreciating the unique beauty of the spectacular dunes of the Erg Chebbi, which change with the light as the day progresses. After breakfast and a shower, you will leave for the town of Ramlia, a remote town in the middle of the desert. There you will meet the local people and experience true rural Morocco, a small oasis. There you will eat, and then you will follow the road to Tafraoute, a small town where we will visit your nomad and accommodation in (Riad).
Day 4: Tafraoute – The throats of Todra – Dades Valley
After breakfast in Riad by Tafraouet, we will head towards Rissani, the origin of the Alawite dynasty and the first imperial city of Morocco. We will take the road to Erfoud, a black stone rich in marine fossils (if you wish, we can stop at a factory fossil), and reach the palm grove of Tafilalet. We visit the Todra Gorges and arrive at the Dades Valley, where we have accommodation in Kasbah.
Day 5: Dades Valley – Ouarzazate – Aït Ben Haddou – Marrakech
Today we will leave for Marrakech and visit Ouarzazate. Here we can visit the film studios and also the Kasbah (Ait Ben Haddou), exploring its famous fortified village. In this place, many famous movies and series have been filmed: Game of Thrones, Jesus of Nazareth, etc. Then we will continue driving through the High Atlas Mountains through the Tizi n Tichka (2260 m). We will arrive in Marrakech, transfer to the hotel, Riad, or airport, and end our private 5-day tour in Morocco from Fes to Marrakech via the desert.
5-day tour in Morocco from Fes to Marrakech includes:
- Pickup and drop off from accommodation.
- Camel for each in Merzouga
- Berber tent accommodation.
- Vehicle with gasoline
- Dinner and Breakfast
5-day tour in Morocco from Fes to Marrakech excludes:
- Monuments fees
- Lunches
- Tips
- Soft drinks
Related Morocco Desert Tours
We have created several trip itineraries from Fes, including desert excursions and city tours. However, if the plans shown here do not meet your requirements, please fill out our contact form.
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The 5-day tour in Morocco from Fes to Marrakech highlights overview
Our 5-day Morocco desert tour from Fes to Marrakech to Merzouga is full of stunning sights to visit. As a result, we’d like to provide you with an outline of what you’ll see and experience during your trip with us.
Fes:
Fes is Morocco’s earliest and oldest imperial city, built in 789 by Idriss I. Morocco’s cultural metropolis is home to a number of tourist attractions, including:
Al Quaraouiyine:
Fatima El Fihri constructed Al Karaouine, or Al Quaraoiyine, a university and mosque, in 859. It is the world’s oldest university, predating the University of Alma Mater Studiorum in Bologna, Italy. As a result, it is unquestionably a worthwhile destination to see throughout our 5-day vacation.
Madrassa Bou Inania:
The Marinid ruler Abu Inan Faris established Bou Inania between 1351 and 1357. A madrassa refers to a school in Arabic, and this one was for teaching the Quran. It is now one of the most worthwhile things to see in Fes.
Chouara tannery:
In Fes, there are roughly three big tanneries where leather is made. Chouara is the oldest and largest, having been erected in the 11th century. When visiting here, it is best to bring mint leaves and put them in your nose since it smells awful.
Dar El Makhzen:
Dar El Makhzan means “King’s Palace,” and it’s well worth a visit since it has seven golden gates, each with a different meaning. This castle was constructed in 1960.
Ifrane:
Ifrane is Morocco’s cleanest city; once there, you’ll feel like you’re in Switzerland. As a result, Morocco refers to it as “Little Switzerland.” This lovely small town is well-known for its national animal, the Atlas lion. Actually, there is a lion monument in the middle of the city that depicts this; it was sculpted by a German prisoner during WWII.
Ifrane is also known for Al Akhawayn University, which is one of Morocco’s most costly institutions, and many international students come here to get a science education. It also faces one of the king’s palaces.
Ifrane is a Berber term for caverns, and they are located in the Tizguit Valley, which was created in 1929 by the French during their colonization of Morocco from 1912 to 1956.
The Moroccan football team has a residence here where they come to train because the city’s height is 5,400 feet (1,650 meters). In addition, many Moroccans from other towns visit Ifrane during the winter to enjoy skiing because it snows a lot here.
The Azrou forest, where we will see the Barbary apes, is the second destination we will visit during our 5 days in Morocco from Fes to Marrakech. These monkeys are unusual; they can only be found in Morocco, Algeria, and to a lesser extent in Gibraltar. They are also classified as an Old World Monkey species. Not to mention the fact that these monkeys are protected by cedar trees, which are tall and endemic to the Mediterranean and the Himalayas. These trees may also grow to be up to 25 meters tall.
Ziz valley:
As we leave the Atlas Mountains, we will make a stop at the Errachidia Hassan Addkhail dam. This dam provides water for the Sahara, Errachidia, Erfoud, Merzouga, and other areas. As a result, we prefer to stop to check it out not just on our five-day journey from Fes, but also on the majority of our Morocco desert trips. From 1968 until March 1971, Hassan Addakhil, the founder of the present royal line, the Alaouiet dynasty, contracted the dam. As a result, it was named after him. The water is flowing from the Atlas Mountains, where it rains a lot, especially during the winter. Also, it is from here that the Ziz valley begins.
The river of Ziz is the next intriguing location. It travels 282 kilometers from the Atlas Mountains to Algeria, crossing the Hassan Addakhil dam. It is one of Morocco’s most significant rivers because 30 kilometers of it is lined by dates palm trees, which generate a large number of dates fruits for sale to other nations. The panoramic view of Ait Chaker is where we will halt on our journey; it is also a good spot to take a coffee and rest if you like.
Erfoud:
Erfoud, Arfoud is a tiny city near the Erg Chebbi dunes that was constructed during the French occupation. This city serves as a gateway to Merzouga, and its name is derived from two ideas. To begin, some claim that Erfoud was named from a shrub called Ounfoud in Berber, which grows in the Ziz River. Second, the majority of people believe that it was initially named Erfoud when two Berbers sought to cross the Ziz River and one of the Berbers said: Ar Afoud, which means “to the knee.”
Erfoud is now well-known for its annual three-day carnival event, which takes place in October. Not to add that the event is worldwide, and they sell a variety of items. For example, they sell traditional Berber clothing, leather goods, and virgin olive oil… However, the first thing they offer are dates of various varieties, such as Medjool, Barhi, and Thoory…
Before they left for Israel, the Jews used to live among the Berbers in Erfoud. As a result, if you are Jewish, there is a guarded cemetery that many visitors visit. We may add a visit to it on the 5 days in Morocco itinerary from Fes to Marrakech.
Erfoud is also home to mineral fossils; many individuals make advertisements selling various sorts of fossils in different nations such as Arizona in the United States and France. As a result, we’ll make a visit to one of the fossil museums to see how they’re made and what kinds there are.
Merzouga:
The Merzouga Desert is undoubtedly the highlight of our 5-day Morocco journey from Fes to the red city of Marrakech. To begin, let’s speak about the name. There are two opinions as to why it was given that name. To begin, the majority of people, particularly locals, believe that Merzouga is derived from the Arabic term Merzouq, which means “rich,” in reference to the Erg Chebbi dunes, which draw many visitors. Second, some claim that Merzouga is the family name of an Arab who has lived in Merzouga for a long time.
Merzouga would not be famous if it did not have the Erg Chebbi dunes, its people’s hospitality, and the intriguing activities available. The Erg Chebbi dunes are the tallest in Morocco, rising up to 500 feet (150 meters). They are also roughly 25km (15 miles) long and 5km (3 miles) broad and are bordered by many Berber tents for visitors who wish to experience Berber nomadic life. Not to mention the phrase Lala Merzouga, which refers to the name of the largest and highest dunes in the area.
You may be wondering why the dunes are located there and not elsewhere. There are two hypotheses concerning the existence of the sand there. To begin, there is a tale going around that individuals were fighting using couscous as a weapon. As a result, God sent the wind to chastise them. Second, the more logical narrative is that there was a lake, and because Merzouga gets a lot of wind, it congregated here. Overall, there is no consistent fact that speaks to the presence of these dunes. Anyway, Merzouga is worth a visit for its daring activities, which we have listed below:
Camel rides:
You can’t go to Merzouga without riding the desert’s ship, the camels. Actually, these creatures are named Dromedaries rather than camels since they only have one hump, whereas camels have two, and they are found in Asia rather than Africa. We will give you the opportunity to ride the camels twice, once in the afternoon and once in the morning, arriving and departing from the camp.
Camping:
The other excellent thing to do in Merzouga is to spend the night camping in Berber tents. This excursion allows you to experience the lifestyle of Morocco’s indigenous inhabitants, the Berbers.
These are the two activities included in the 5-day tour from Fes. We may, however, design a different schedule that allows you to thoroughly enjoy Merzouga. That is, we take you to see the nomads and observe how they live, as well as to the Srij lake, where the camels go herding throughout the day. In addition, we will not only take you to see the Gnaoua people, who have black complexions, but also to the tiny oasis of Hassi Labied.
Todgha Canyons:
Canyons may be found in a variety of locations in Morocco. The Canyons of Todgha near Tinghir, however, are the finest of them all. They are about 300 meters high in the Atlas mountains, separated by a river. Actually, the water is warm and comes from the ground as a spring. With our trip of five days, you will have some free time to walk around and discover the place.
Dades is another worthwhile stop, and it is where we will spend the third night. This location is well-known for the Monkey’s Toe Mountains and the Tissdrine Curves.
Ait Benhaddou:
Visit Ait Benhaddou with our 5 days in Morocco, it is a Berber stronghold erected in the 11th century by the Gloui tribe. It’s a tiny town with linked cottages where Berber touaregs used to reside when filming advertisements in other nations. Since 1987, UNESCO has designated Ait Benhaddou as a World Heritage Site. It’s also the location of several well-known films. They made Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, and The Mummy, among other films. Ait Benhaddou is located at the very point of the Atlas Mountains. As a result, it is known as the “Gateway to the Sahara Desert.”