4 Days Tour from Marrakech to Fes with Hotel & Glamping

High Atlas and Argan Oil Cooperative

At 8:00 AM, your guide will pick you up at your accommodation in Marrakech to begin the 4 Days Tour from Marrakech to Fes with Hotel & Glamping. In a private vehicle, you’ll leave the city behind and head into the High Atlas Mountains, traveling along the road that crosses the Tizi n’Tichka Pass.

Along the way, you’ll make several stops to admire the scenery and explore one of the small Berber villages nestled in the mountains. You’ll also visit a women’s argan oil cooperative, where you’ll learn about the traditional process of making argan oil and discover some of the natural products they produce.

You’ll then continue your journey through the High Atlas toward Ait Ben Haddou.

Visit to Ait Ben Haddou

After crossing the High Atlas Mountains, you’ll arrive at Ait Ben Haddou, an ancient adobe ksar designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll have about an hour to explore its narrow streets on foot and discover the traditional architecture of this historic fortified village.

Ait Ben Haddou is also known for having served as the setting for numerous film productions. After the visit, you’ll continue on to Ouarzazate.

Ouarzazate and Atlas Studios

After visiting Ait Ben Haddou, you’ll continue on to Ouarzazate, a city known for its close ties to the film industry and for being home to some of Morocco’s most important film studios.

Here you’ll stop for lunch and have the opportunity to explore Atlas Studios, where sets used in various film productions are preserved. Please note that lunch is not included in the tour, so you can bring a picnic lunch from Marrakech or ask your guide for recommendations on where to eat at one of the local restaurants.

Valley of the Roses and Arrival in the Dades Valley

After leaving Ouarzazate behind, you’ll continue on to the Dades Valley, passing through Skoura and traveling along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs. Along the way, you’ll cross the Valley of the Roses, known for its cultivation of Damask roses and the scenic landscapes that line this part of the route.

Finally, you’ll arrive in Boumalne Dades, where you’ll head to the hotel to check in and rest. The day will end with an included dinner, and you’ll spend the night in the Dades Valley.

Todra Gorges

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll leave the Dades Valley behind and continue on to the Todra Gorges, one of the day’s highlights.

Upon arrival, you’ll have time to explore the area along the river on foot and walk among its impressive rock walls, which reach up to 985 feet (300 meters). After the visit, you’ll continue your journey toward the Merzouga Desert.

Erfoud and arrival in Merzouga

After visiting the Todra Gorge, you’ll continue your journey toward the Merzouga Desert, passing through various towns and landscapes that become increasingly desert-like.

Along the way, you’ll pass through Erfoud, a town known for its fossils, where you’ll have the chance to visit one of the workshops dedicated to their processing and display.

Before arriving in Merzouga, you’ll stop for lunch. Please note that lunch is not included in the tour, but your guide can recommend a local restaurant and help you arrange this stop according to your preferences.

Afterward, you’ll continue on to Merzouga, located at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes.

💙 Howlanders Tip: If you’d like to buy a souvenir made from fossils in Erfoud, bring some cash in dirhams, since small workshops and local shops don’t always accept credit cards.

Camel Ride, Sandboarding, and Sunset

Once in Merzouga, you’ll leave the vehicle behind to enjoy a camel ride lasting about 40 minutes through the Erg Chebbi dunes until you reach the glamping site where you’ll spend the night.

In the afternoon, you’ll have the chance to try sandboarding, gliding down the dunes on your own and at your own pace. The necessary boards will be available at the camp, so you can enjoy this activity independently.

If you’d like to explore the desert in a different way, you can also book a guided ATV tour through the Erg Chebbi dunes. This experience is optional and available as an add-on during the booking process. The duration of the ATV tour is flexible and can be booked by the hour, depending on your preferences and how you’ve planned your day. You can also combine both activities on the same afternoon.

To end the day, you can watch the sunset over the Erg Chebbi dunes.

Berber dinner and overnight stay at the glamping site

After sunset, you’ll return to the Merzouga glamping site, where you’ll have time to settle into your private tent before enjoying the included dinner.

The evening will continue around the campfire with Berber music, surrounded by the desert landscape. Afterward, you’ll have time to gaze at the starry sky before retiring to your tent to spend the night among the dunes of Erg Chebbi.

Sunrise and the National 4x4 Automobile Museum

The third day will start early so you can watch the sunrise over the Erg Chebbi dunes. Afterward, you’ll return to the glamping site for breakfast and to get ready for a day exploring the area around Merzouga.

The first stop will be Morocco’s National 4x4 Automobile Museum, where you’ll see a collection of off-road vehicles before continuing on to Khamlia.

Khamlia and Gnawa Music

After visiting the museum, you’ll continue on to Khamlia, a small town near Merzouga known for its Gnawa musical tradition.

During the visit, you’ll learn more about Gnawa culture and enjoy a sample of their traditional music, characterized by its rhythms and percussion. Afterward, you’ll continue through the desert surroundings toward Mifis.

Throughout the day, you’ll also make a stop for lunch, which will be arranged with your guide based on the planned visits, your preferences, and the day’s logistics. Although lunch is not included in the tour, your guide can recommend places to eat in the area.

Mifis and a Visit with a Berber Family

After exploring Khamlia, you’ll continue on to Mifis, a desert region historically linked to mineral mining, where you’ll learn about its mining heritage.

Next, you’ll visit a Berber family living in tents in the desert. During the visit, you’ll gain a closer look at their way of life, their traditions, and their relationship with livestock, particularly goats, sheep, and camels.

Return to Merzouga and overnight stay at a riad

After exploring different sites and communities in the desert region, you’ll continue touring the area around Merzouga before returning to the town.

At the end of the day, you’ll arrive at the riad in Merzouga, where you can settle in and rest after a day of sightseeing. You’ll enjoy the included dinner and spend your last night in the desert before continuing on to Fez the following day.

Ziz Valley

After breakfast at the riad, you’ll leave Merzouga behind to begin the final day of the tour en route to Fez. Along the way, you’ll pass through Erfoud again and continue on to the Ziz Valley.

You’ll stop at one of the viewpoints to take in the valley’s landscape and its vast palm groves, which wind their way through the mountains and the arid terrain of southeastern Morocco. Afterward, you’ll continue on your way through Errachidia toward the Middle Atlas Mountains.

The Middle Atlas and the Azrou Cedar Forest

After passing through Errachidia, you’ll continue toward the Middle Atlas, enjoying the changing landscape as you head north. Along the way, you’ll stop for lunch before continuing on to the Azrou area. Lunch is not included in the tour price, but your guide will help you arrange this stop and can recommend local restaurants based on your preferences and the day’s schedule.

There, you’ll visit the cedar forest, home to Barbary macaques, which you’ll be able to observe in their natural habitat among the trees. After the visit, you’ll continue on to Ifrane.

💙 Howlanders Tip: Barbary macaques are wild animals. Keep your distance and avoid feeding them, even if they approach visitors. This helps ensure their behavior and diet remain undisturbed.

Ifrane

After touring the cedar forest, you’ll continue on to Ifrane, a mountain town in the Middle Atlas known for its well-kept streets, green spaces, and distinctive architecture featuring sloping roofs.

You’ll stop to explore part of the town and see the famous Lion of Ifrane, a large stone sculpture that has become one of the city’s symbols. Afterward, you’ll resume your journey for the final leg to Fez.

Arrival in Fez

After visiting Ifrane, you’ll continue on the final leg of the journey to Fez. You’re scheduled to arrive between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM though the arrival time may vary depending on the stops made during the day.

Your guide will drop you off at your accommodation in Fez, where the 4 Days Tour from Marrakech to Fes with Hotel & Glamping will conclude after exploring the Atlas Mountains, the Merzouga Desert, and some of the most spectacular landscapes of inland Morocco.