4 Days from Marrakech to Fes

DAY 2: Ait Ben Haddou - Ouarzazate - Skoura - Dades

After breakfast, our marrakech to fes desert tour 4 days we will drive A half-hour drive from Ait Ben Haddou, our tailor-made Morocco tour arrives in Ouarzazate, built in the 1920s by French troops as a garrison to control the region. Kasbah Taourirt, one of the residences of the famous Glaoui dynasty and once one of the largest kasbahs in the south of the country, can be visited. For those of you who are interested, you can arrange a visit to the impressive Atlas Film Studios, where recently episodes of the Game of Thrones series were filmed.

Leaving Ouarzazate, our 4x4 tour through Morocco joins the palm grove of Skoura, a vast and verdant canopy that stretches towards the horizon. Here, the inhabitants perpetuate the same way of life as that of previous generations for centuries. A palm tour in southern Morocco in a palm grove with a local guide is highly recommended. You will be able to see how the inhabitants organize the ingenious distribution of water through kettaras and seguias and the local artisans give shape to their colorful ceramics.

You can also visit a 17th-century Kasbah, where locals are happy to show you how olives are crushed to produce the precious oil. Fire, Water, Earth, and Dye are what do most things here. Friday afternoon, at the end of the prayer, the caïd leaves the mosque and spreads a carpet on the grass. The villagers follow each other and ask their questions. Most of them are resolved on the site. Time is suspended here indeed.

On the way, we can rest on the banks of Mansour Eddhabi Lake. Flamingos and spoonbills hide on the water, their legs motionless. Next, our journey arrives at Kelaa des Mgouna, famous for its rose-derived products industry. The most cautious product is rose water and two factories in the area distill and export the product. The roses are harvested by the women before sunrise and the work is difficult, as it takes 10 tons of petals to produce 2-3 liters of rose oil. Later we arrived

Gorges du DadèsBoulmane de Dadès, famous for its Bird Valley, rich in birds, and the ideal starting point to explore the spectacular Dadès Valley, a lush carpet backed by huge rocks. We will stop for dinner and spend the night in a beautiful Kasbah nearby.

DAY 3: Dades Gorges - Tinerir - Todra Gorges - Rissani - Merzouga - Erg Chebbi

After breakfast, our first stop is Tinerhir (Tinghir), with its vast palm grove, the Ksour built on the rocky hills above it, and its mysterious Jewish decaying ksour. No more than a mountain village, located 1,300 meters from the Berber Adobe Village and Palmgrove altitude, has for generations been a stopover for nomadic Berber tribes who travel from the mountains in the north to the desert during the winter months . A rather low-key hidden gem is the 19th-century adobe mosque, nestled in the ruined old ksour, a paradise for photo enthusiasts.

The most spectacular (and touristic) gorges in Morocco, the Todra Gorges, are only 15 km from Tinerhir, offering an astonishing spectacle with its crystalline river emerging from it, its enormous walls changing color to give an effect magic as it goes. the day. Its 300 meter high walls contain more than 150 locked routes and at any time of the day someone can be seen climbing the gigantic walls. If you want to get away from the tourist crowds and/or do some trekking in Morocco, the Dades Gorge is your alternative.

Before arriving in Merzouga, our tour of Morocco passes through Erfoud and Rissani. In Erfoud, we can make a stop to visit the road that leads to the SaharaMusee des Oasis. Rissani was the last stop on the great southern caravan routes and gold and slave auctions were held there until the 1800s. It was also from here that the Alaoui dynasty, who governs Morocco today, launched its commitment to power centuries ago. If you have time, it is recommended to visit the well-preserved medieval souk (fortified village), as well as to visit the local souk.

Merzouga is the last village before the dunes, behind which are some of the highest dunes of the Sahara in Morocco, Erg Chebbi. Once in Merzouga, freshen up/shower before taking a camel ride to the desert camp. With all the dunes of the Sahara desert at Erg Chebbithe, the expectations accumulated along the way still do not prepare him for the spectacle that stretches from the top of the dunes before his eyes. From what you can see, there is nothing but sand, an ocean of him ready to conquer anything in his path. All material matters become meaningless and the feeling of peace is overwhelming

DAY 4: Merzouga - Errachidia - Midelt - Ifrane - Fez.

Try to get up early enough to see the sunrise, nothing like it... After breakfast, our 4 days tour from marrakech to fes arrives at Errachidia, no more than a former French Foreign Legion post which probably has had to do something with an area notorious for caravan raids by nomadic Berber tribes. In Midelt, the highest peaks of the Atlas appear through the mist which culminates at 3700 meters with Djebel Ayachi. Site drama is the most compelling reason to stop. For a Berber woman working in the countryside, the city itself offers nothing but an apple festival in October and Middle Atlas rugs from local tribes.

Once our journey reaches Azrou ("rock" in the local Berber language), the landscape is completely different: lush vegetation with the surrounding lakes and cedar forest which is also home to several companies of easy to observe Barbary apes. in the area of ​​the legendary 800 years. Old Cedar From Gouraud. This is equally interesting for bird lovers, as the forests are also home to washers, red basins, avocados, warblers and other exotic bird species.

Beyond Ifrane, a colonial alpine resort built by the French in 1929. From tanneries to Fez With its alpine chalets, landscaped gardens, verdant park surrounding a mountain-fed lake, it almost feels like... Swiss. Beyond Ifrane we begin our descent to Fez and under broad lighting you can see the oldest medieval town still standing in the distance. Our 4 day Morocco tour ends with a late afternoon or late afternoon arrival in Fez.