7-Day Trip from Ouarzazate to Marrakech via the Sahara

ITINERARY OF THE 7-DAY TOUR FROM OUARZAZATE TO MARRAKECH

DAY 1: OUARZAZATE – AIT BEN HADDOU – DADES GORGE

Your tour begins with pick-up in Ouarzazate. We will then head to the famous Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the location of many films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and the famous Game of Thrones, among many others. After lunch in the village of Ait Ben Haddou, we will continue to the Dades Gorge via Ouarzazate along the “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs”. Arrival in the evening and overnight at a hotel/riad in the Dades Gorge.

DAY 2: DADES GORGE – TODRA GORGE – MERZOUGA DESERT

We will start the second day of the tour with a delicious breakfast, then set off for the Todra Gorge, where we will take a walk beneath its 300-metre-high walls. We will then continue the journey to Merzouga, where an experienced cameleer and the camels will be waiting to take us across the fabulous Merzouga dunes, for about half an hour, to the camp. You will spend the night with the local people under the stars.

DAY 3: FULL DAY DISCOVERING THE MERZOUGA DESERT

After breakfast at the camp and the camel ride back to Merzouga, we will start our day exploring the Merzouga desert, crossing it in a 4×4 vehicle. We will also have the chance to visit a nomadic family near the border between Morocco and Algeria, before heading to the village of Khamlia, whose inhabitants, of sub-Saharan origin, descend from people once brought from Sudan as slaves, to listen to Gnaoua music and learn about their way of life. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 4: MERZOUGA – ZIZ VALLEY – MIDELT – AZROU – IFRANE – FES

After breakfast at the hotel, we will start the journey to Fes at around 8:30 am, travelling through the Ziz Valley. We will stop at a viewpoint. Lunch will be in Midelt, then we will continue the journey: we may spot the Barbary macaques that live in the cedar forest of Azrou. The next stop will be Ifrane, also called the Switzerland of Morocco, where we will stop before heading to Fes. Overnight at your hotel/riad.

DAY 5: FULL DAY VISITING FES

After breakfast at your riad, we will start the visit of Fes, the oldest city in Morocco and one of its four imperial cities. We will spend most of the day in the old part of Fes (the medina), strolling through its narrow streets. You will visit the gate of the Royal Palace, known for its golden door; the visit includes the University of Al-Qarawiyyin, the oldest still in operation. After lunch at a traditional Moroccan restaurant in the medina, we will visit the famous Tanneries and the Jewish quarter before returning to your riad. Overnight at your riad.

DAY 6: FES – VISIT TO CHEFCHAOUEN

After breakfast at your riad, we will head to Chefchaouen via the town of Ouazzane. Arrival around midday and start of the exploration of Chefchaouen, known as the “blue city” or the blue pearl of Chefchaouen. This town is an extraordinary destination for photographers, thanks to its white and blue walls; we will take a walk inside the medina to admire its beautiful buildings. Overnight at your hotel.

DAY 7: CHEFCHAOUEN – CASABLANCA – MARRAKECH

After breakfast at your hotel, we will head to Casablanca, where we will visit the Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque after the one in Mecca. We will have lunch near the Corniche before heading to Marrakech, with drop-off at the airport or your hotel.