Fes to Marrakech Desert Trip — 4 Days / 3 Nights

Morning departure from your hotel in Fes, heading to Merzouga via Ifrane — a charming mountain town with Swiss architecture — and its surrounding cedar forests, where we stop to watch Barbary apes climbing the trees. Lunch in Midelt, the apple capital, nestled at the foot of the Ayachi Mountain. We then cross the Tizi n'Talremt pass and wind through the spectacular Ziz Valley, lined with an endless procession of palm trees and ancient ksars (fortified villages). Passing through Er Rachidia and Erfoud (famous for its date festival and fossilized marble), we arrive at Merzouga in the afternoon to watch the day's colours shift across the dunes. Night in a desert hotel.

After breakfast, head to the village of Khamlia to enjoy a live Gnawa music session — one of Morocco's most hypnotic musical traditions. Continue off-road through the dunes before stopping to share tea with a nomad family in their Berber tent, discovering a deeply different way of life. Return to the hotel to rest, then in the late afternoon mount your camel for a guided trek deep into the golden sea of Erg Chebbi to watch the sunset. Arrive at the nomadic bivouac camp for dinner and a night under the stars in a traditional tent.

Wake up early to watch the desert sunrise — when the colours of the dunes and the play of shadows create an unforgettable spectacle. Return to the hotel for breakfast and a shower. Head via Rissani and a stop in Erfoud to visit the fossilized marble workshop, then on to the magnificent Todra Gorges — a cliff-sided canyon ideal for walking and exploration. Lunch in the gorges, then drive through the Dades Valley, passing the Valley of Roses in Kelaa M'Gouna and the Skoura palm grove along the legendary Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to arrive in Ouarzazate — the Hollywood of Africa. Dinner and overnight in Riad or hotel.

After breakfast, we head to Aït Ben Haddou — a fortified village (ksar) situated along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech, perched on a hillside overlooking the Ouarzazate River. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has served as the backdrop for blockbuster films including Lawrence of Arabia, Game of Thrones and Gladiator. Visit the Kasbah and enjoy lunch in town, then continue to Marrakech over the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260m) with scenic photo stops along the way. Arrival in Marrakech — end of our service.