3 Day Desert Tour from Fes to Merzouga and Back

Overview

Highlights

• Reach the Sahara on day one, with sunset from the dunes
• Camel trek and a night in a Berber camp in Erg Chebbi
• 4x4 loop around the dunes, nomad areas and Khamlia
• Rissani souk and the historic Tafilalet oasis
• Cedar forest of Azrou and the mountain town of Ifrane
• Ziz Valley palm canyon in both directions

Itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Midelt – Merzouga, camel trek and desert camp

   Morning pickup in Fes and a climb into the Middle Atlas. Stop briefly in Ifrane, a neat mountain town with sloping roofs, then drive into the cedar forest near Azrou, where Barbary macaques live among the trees. Continue across high plateaus to Midelt for lunch (not included), then descend into the Ziz Valley and its gorge of palms, passing Errachidia and Erfoud. You arrive in Merzouga in the late afternoon and switch to camels for a ride of about an hour into the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Sunset from a crest, dinner and drums at the Berber camp, and a night under the stars.

   Overnight: Desert camp in Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) Meals: Dinner

2. 2

   Day 2 Merzouga: 4x4 around the dunes, Khamlia and Rissani

   Watch sunrise over the dunes and ride back to Merzouga for breakfast. Then a 4x4 takes you on a loop around Erg Chebbi, crossing open desert to areas where nomad families still graze their herds, with a stop for tea when possible. Visit Khamlia, a village of Gnawa musicians whose rhythms trace back to sub-Saharan Africa, and the dry lake where flamingos sometimes gather after rain. In the afternoon, explore Rissani, with its old ksour, busy souk and date stalls. Return to Merzouga for a free evening and a second night at the edge of the dunes.

   Overnight: Hotel or camp in Merzouga Meals: Breakfast, dinner

3. 3

   Day 3 Merzouga – Ziz Valley – Midelt – Fes

   After breakfast, start the drive back north, around 8 hours with stops. The road leaves the desert at Erfoud and climbs through Errachidia into the Ziz Valley, where you stop at a viewpoint over the palm-filled canyon and its earthen villages. Continue across the high plateau to Midelt, a town famous for apples and minerals, for a lunch break (not included). In the afternoon you cross the Middle Atlas and descend through farmland toward Fes, arriving in the early evening. We drop you at your riad or hotel, or at the nearest medina gate.

   Overnight: — (tour ends in Fes) Meals: Breakfast

Prices

US$ 197 (€175) per person

Fixed price per person in a small group (max 17 people).

Prices in euros per person. The amount in your currency is an estimate; payment is processed in USD. Some peak-season dates carry a supplement; you will see it when you pick a date.

Included

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