8 Days Fes to Casablanca: Sahara, Marrakech & Essaouira

From the imperial city to the dunes, the red city and the Atlantic: the south of Morocco in eight days. Want to change something? Every tour can be adapted: more days, other stops, other hotels.

Highlights

• Cedar forests of the Middle Atlas and a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes
• 4x4 day around Erg Chebbi, Khamlia and the nomad families
• Todra Gorges and the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs
• Ait Ben Haddou and the Tizi n'Tichka pass
• Guided visit of Marrakech and Jemaa el Fna square
• Essaouira, its port and its ramparts on the Atlantic
• A free day in Essaouira, by the Atlantic
• The Atlantic coast and the Portuguese city of El Jadida

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1Fes – Ifrane – Midelt – Merzouga

   We leave Fes through the Middle Atlas: Ifrane, the cedar forest of Azrou with its Barbary monkeys and the high plateaus of Midelt. Then the Ziz Valley and its palm groves lead us to Merzouga, where camels take us into the dunes for a night in a Berber camp.

   Desert camp in Erg Chebbi · Dinner and breakfast
2. 2

   Day 2Merzouga – A full day in the Sahara

   A whole day in the desert by 4x4: around the dunes of Erg Chebbi, the Gnawa village of Khamlia and its music, nomad families, the black desert and the old kasbahs of Rissani. Optional sandboarding or quad. Evening at the camp around the fire.

   Desert camp in Erg Chebbi · Dinner and breakfast
3. 3

   Day 3Merzouga – Rissani – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley

   Sunrise from the dunes and breakfast at the camp. We pass through Rissani and its market, the oasis of Tinejdad and walk in the Todra Gorges, before following the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to the Dades Valley.

   Hotel in the Dades Valley · Dinner and breakfast
4. 4

   Day 4Dades – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech

   Drive through the Valley of the Roses and Skoura to Ouarzazate. Guided visit of the kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site and famous film set, then cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass to Marrakech.

   Riad or hotel in Marrakech · Breakfast
5. 5

   Day 5Marrakech – Guided visit of the red city

   Guided tour of Marrakech: the Koutoubia, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Ben Youssef madrasa and the souks of the medina. Free time in the afternoon for a hammam or the Majorelle Garden, and evening in the lively Jemaa el Fna square.

   Riad or hotel in Marrakech · Breakfast
6. 6

   Day 6Marrakech – Essaouira

   Drive west across the argan plains, with a stop at a women's argan cooperative. Afternoon in Essaouira: the ramparts, the fishing port and the relaxed white-and-blue medina by the Atlantic.

   Riad in Essaouira · Breakfast
7. 7

   Day 7Essaouira – A free day by the ocean

   A relaxed day in Essaouira: the morning fish auction at the port, the Skala ramparts, the art galleries of the medina and the long beach, famous for kite and windsurf. Optional camel or horse ride along the coast.

   Riad in Essaouira · Breakfast
8. 8

   Day 8Essaouira – El Jadida – Casablanca

   Morning at leisure in Essaouira. We follow the Atlantic coast north with a stop at the Portuguese cistern of El Jadida, arriving in Casablanca at the end of the day, where the tour ends.

   End of our services in Casablanca