4 Days From Fez to Merzouga

Day 1: Fez – Ifrane – Cedar National Park – Erfoud – Merzouga Desert

The starting point of this tour is usually the airport of this city, although we can arrange any other place, such as a hotel. In any case, our staff will pick you up punctually to start the route at that very moment. It will be a Spanish-speaking driver at the wheel of a comfortable and private vehicle.

1. Journey through the Middle Atlas 

Heading south, the majestic Middle Atlas Mountains come into view. With peaks exceeding 3,000 meters above sea level, this mountain range boasts picturesque destinations like our first stop: Ifrane, known as the Moroccan Switzerland for its alpine-like scenery and gabled roof buildings.

2. Exploration of Ifrane National Park 

Our next destination is the Ifrane National Park, also known as the Park of the Cedars or the Forest of the Monkeys. This protected area is abundant with Barbary macaques, offering a glimpse into Morocco’s diverse flora and fauna.

3. Transition to the Desert 

Crossing the Middle Atlas, the landscape transitions to a more arid environment, signaling our approach to the desert. We’ll traverse the Ziz Valley, where Erfoud awaits—a desert town renowned for its fossil discoveries, including dinosaurs.

4. Excursion in Merzouga 

Approximately 40 km beyond Erfoud, our journey from Fez to the desert leads us to Merzouga. Here, we’ll embark on an unforgettable camel excursion through the iconic dunes of Erg Chebbi, a quintessential Sahara Desert experience.

5. Evening in the Desert Camp 

Upon arrival at our tented camp, we’ll be welcomed with traditional Berber tea. As night falls, the desert sky unveils an awe-inspiring display of stars, offering a unique and tranquil setting for a comfortable overnight stay in Berber tents.

Summary of the Day

• Pick up at Fez airport or agreed location.
• Road journey through Ifrane, Ifrane National Park, Middle Atlas, and Erfoud.
• Arrival in Merzouga and camel excursion in the dunes of Erg Chebbi.
• Dinner and overnight stay in tents camp in the desert.

Day 2: Merzouga Desert – Khamlia – Nomads of the desert – Merzouga Desert

On the second day of this circuit from Fez to the desert, we will live several experiences to remember. The first of them, the majestic sunrise over the dunes of Erg Chebbi, a spectacle of light and silence that is impossible to find elsewhere in the world.

1. Breakfast and Visit to Khamlia 

After sunrise, we will have breakfast in the tents camp and move to Khamlia, better known as ‘the village of the blacks’. In this village, we will discover first-hand an ancestral tradition: that of Gnawa music, performed by descendants of slaves from Sudan, brought here centuries ago.

2. Desert Exploration and Paris-Dakar Tracks 

Once the experience is over, we will get on our SUVs to travel through desert tracks used years ago by the racers of the Paris-Dakar rally. On this itinerary, we will pass through uninhabited French and Berber villages, as well as khol mines exploited decades ago to extract this precious raw material for the cosmetics industry. In addition, we will stop at a strategic and high point, from where we will observe the immensity of the dunes of Erg Chebbi.

3. Visit to Desert Nomads 

There will still be time to visit a community of desert nomads who, despite being in the process of sedentarization, maintain uses and customs of their ancestors. We will make contact with them to tell us about their way of life in such an inhospitable terrain.

4. Return to Camp 

At the end of the day, we will return to our accommodation in the tented camp in the desert of Merzouga, where dinner will again be included and where the same sky shining with stars will bid us good night before going to sleep.

Summary of the Day

• Contemplation of the sunrise on the dunes of Erg Chebbi.
• Breakfast in the tents camp.
• Visit to Khamlia and gnawa music performance.
• Route on Paris-Dakar tracks: Khol mines, French and Berber uninhabited villages, panoramic view of the dunes of Erg Chebbi.
• Meeting with desert nomads.
• Dinner and night in desert tents camp.

Day 3: Merzouga desert – Fez

The third day of this circuit begins with the magic of waking up in the middle of the desert, in a unique accommodation where breakfast is included. And after that and after living two unforgettable days in the dunes of Erg Chebbi, it’s time to take the road back.

We will do it by the same route taken on the first day, in which we travel from Fez to the desert, but in this case in a more direct way, with the intention of reaching this Imperial City as soon as possible. In this way, you will have the afternoon free to take a first contact with it, in what will be a foretaste of the guided tour the next day. In the evening, you will sleep in a charming riad in the heart of the city center, where you will have all the monuments and places of interest close at hand.

Summary of the day

Breakfast at the desert accommodation
Road route back to Fez
Free afternoon in Fez
Night in riad in the medina

Day 4: Fez – Airport