6 Day Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech via Fes and the Sahara
Arriving in Casablanca and flying home from Marrakech? This private six-day route links them the long way round, and it is the long way that makes the trip: the imperial cities of Rabat, Meknes and Fes, two nights at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes, the gorges of Todra and Dades and the kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou before the final crossing of the High Atlas.
- Duration: 6 days, 5 nights
- Starts: Casablanca (airport or hotel)
- Ends: Marrakech
- Route: Casablanca → Rabat → Meknes → Fes → Ifrane → Merzouga → Todra → Dades → Ait Ben Haddou → Marrakech
- Price: on request, depends on group size and camp level
Highlights
- The Hassan II Mosque and the royal capital Rabat
- Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis
- A full guided day in the Fes medina
- Two nights in the Merzouga area, one in a camp in the dunes
- Todra Gorge and the Dades Valley
- Ait Ben Haddou and the Tizi n'Tichka pass
Day by Day
Day 1: Casablanca → Rabat → Meknes → Fes
Morning visit of the Hassan II Mosque, a stop in Rabat at the Hassan Tower and the Udayas Kasbah, then Meknes and its Bab Mansour gate on the way to Fes.
Day 2: Full day in Fes
With a licensed guide, discover Fes el-Bali: the Bou Inania madrasa, the Chouara tannery, the Al-Qarawiyyin and the artisan souks. Optional afternoon visit to Volubilis.
Day 3: Fes → Ifrane → Midelt → Merzouga
Cross the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and the cedar forest, then drive down the Ziz Valley to a hotel at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes. Sunset from the first dunes.
Day 4: A day in the Sahara
Explore around Erg Chebbi by 4x4: Khamlia's Gnawa musicians, a nomad family and the Rissani market. In the afternoon, ride camels into the dunes for a night in a desert camp.
Day 5: Merzouga → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley
Sunrise over the sand, then west to walk the Todra Gorge and on to the Dades Valley for the night.
Day 6: Dades → Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou → Marrakech
Through the Valley of Roses and Ouarzazate to Ait Ben Haddou, then over the High Atlas to Marrakech by early evening.
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver
- 5 nights: riad in Fes (2), hotel in Merzouga, desert camp, hotel in Dades, with breakfast; dinners in the desert
- Camel trek and 4x4 desert tour
- Local guides in Casablanca and Fes
- Fuel, tolls and bottled water
Not included: lunches, other dinners, entrance fees, tips.
Good to Know
- One night shorter: the 5 day imperial cities tour skips the desert.
- One night longer: the 7 day tour from Casablanca adds Chefchaouen.
- Season: in summer we start the desert days early to avoid the heat.