Three private days from Marrakech over the High Atlas to Aït Ben Haddou, then east through Skoura, the Valley of Roses and Todra Gorges to a luxury camp on the Erg Chebbi dunes — finishing north through the Ziz Valley and the Middle Atlas at your accommodation in Fes.
- Duration
- 3 days / 2 nights
- Route
- Marrakech → Fes
- Pace
- Two full days in the car, one night on the dunes, then north to Fes
Overview
A one-way luxury run instead of a loop: two long but well-broken driving days, a night in a kasbah in the Skoura oasis and a night at a luxury camp on Erg Chebbi, then the cedar forests and Ifrane on the road into Fes. Sunset on the dunes by camel or private 4x4, with your driver for the whole way.
Photos
Route
- 1Marrakech
- 2Aït Benhaddou
- 3Skoura
- 4Valley of Roses
- 5Todra Gorges
- 6Merzouga
- 7Ziz Valley
- 8Fes
Highlights
- A kasbah night in the Skoura oasis
- A luxury camp with a private tent on Erg Chebbi
- Sunset camel trek or a private 4x4 to the dunes
- Todra Gorges, the Ziz Valley and the Middle Atlas
- Drop-off at your riad or hotel in Fes
Day by day
A representative plan. Every trip is adjusted to your dates, your pace and what you want to see.
1
Day 1
Marrakech, the Tizi n'Tichka, Aït Ben Haddou and Skoura
Private pick-up from your riad, then south out of Marrakech and up the Tizi n'Tichka through the Berber villages of the High Atlas. Panorama stops on the way, then Aït Ben Haddou: the rammed-earth ksar on the old caravan road, walked at your own pace with a local guide if you want one.
On through Ouarzazate and its kasbahs to the Skoura oasis and its thousands of palms. A kasbah-style hotel that night — pool, gardens, a Moroccan dinner, and a first day that ends without rushing.
2
Day 2
Valley of Roses, Dades, Todra Gorges and the Erg Chebbi camp
East through the Valley of Roses and its cooperatives, then the Dades and its rock formations, stopping at the viewpoints and for photos wherever you ask. At Todra the cliffs rise on both sides of the river — walk into the gorge before lunch.
Afternoon through Erfoud and Rissani to Merzouga, where the dunes of Erg Chebbi begin. A camel trek or a private 4x4 to a sunset viewpoint, then camp: private tent, ensuite where the camp provides one, dinner, Berber music and a sky with no town lights in it.
3
Day 3
Sunrise on the dunes, the Ziz Valley, Ifrane and Fes
Sunrise over Erg Chebbi if you want it — that light is the reason people set an alarm on holiday. Breakfast at camp, then north through Erfoud and along the Ziz valley, the palm groves running between the cliffs.
Errachidia and Midelt for lunch, then the cedar forest near Azrou, where the Barbary macaques sit by the road, and on through Ifrane — alpine roofs and cool air, the town they call Morocco's Switzerland. Fes in the late afternoon or evening, dropped at your riad or hotel.
Good to know
Best season
October to April. Warm days, and nights on the sand cold enough for a real jacket from December on. Midsummer, both the dunes and the long middle day are hard going.
Pace and driving
Day 1 and Day 3 are the long ones, and Day 3 is the longest at around nine hours with stops. Day 2 is shorter on paper but ends at the dunes after the gorges, so it still fills the day.
Who it suits
Travellers who would rather cross the country than drive back the way they came: Marrakech in, Fes out, nothing repeated. One night in a kasbah, one in a luxury camp.
What's included
- Private vehicle and driver for the whole itinerary
- Accommodation each night, with breakfast
- Airport transfers at the start and end
- A local guide in the medinas where a guide adds most
- A named contact in Marrakech throughout your trip
Not included
- International flights
- Lunches, dinners and drinks unless listed
- Entrance fees to monuments and sites
- Tips for your driver and guides
- Travel insurance
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