Trip overview
Seven days with a private 4x4 and official guides from Marrakech to Fez: palace riads in the medinas, a kasbah in the Skoura palm grove and a premium camp in the dunes.
- Duration7 days / 6 nights
- Starts inMarrakech
- GroupPrivate · 2–8 people
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguageEspañol
- DeparturesDaily departures all year round
Highlights
- Private 4x4 or premium van with a Spanish-speaking driver
- Private official guides in Marrakech, Aït Ben Haddou and Fez
- Palace riads in the Marrakech and Fez medinas
- Boutique kasbah in the Skoura palm grove
- Premium camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes
- Private dinner on top of a dune
- Todra and Dades with stops wherever you like
- Accommodation chosen to match your dates
Who it's for
It suits you if…
You'd rather pay more for comfort and for someone else to handle the logistics. It works for couples, groups of friends and families with older children.
- You've already backpacked round Morocco
- You want the driver to stop wherever you ask
Pick something else if…
Long drives wear you out. If you'd rather skip the last one, from Merzouga to Fez, you can finish with a domestic flight or head back to Marrakech with a night on the way.
What changes on a luxury trip
Mainly the accommodation. In the medinas of Marrakech and Fez you sleep in 19th-century palace riads with tiled courtyards and fountains, and in Skoura in a restored kasbah in the palm grove. In Merzouga, the premium camp is in a quiet part of Erg Chebbi and the tent has a full bathroom and a terrace. The same Spanish-speaking driver takes you all seven days in a 4x4 or premium van, and the official guides shape each visit around what interests you.
Before you book
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech and a palace riad in the medina
We meet you at Marrakech airport with an assistance service and walk you to the vehicle. In about 20 minutes you're at the palace riad. The car can't reach the door, so a porter carries your luggage through the alleys.
The rest of the day is for resting: the courtyard pool, a massage or tea on the terrace looking over the rooftops to the Atlas. For dinner we book you a table at a Moroccan restaurant inside an old palace, or you eat at the riad if you're tired from the flight. The driver comes by to explain the plan for the week.
Day 2: Private Marrakech with an official guide
After breakfast an official Spanish-speaking guide comes to collect you. With them you see the Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef madrasa if it's open to the public, the Saadian Tombs and the souks, organised by trade. In the souks they introduce you to craftsmen they trust, and you don't have to buy anything.
Lunch at a restaurant with a terrace. In the afternoon, the Majorelle Garden and the Yves Saint Laurent museum, with tickets booked so you skip the queue; it's the busiest place in the city. At sunset you can go up to a terrace overlooking Jemaa el Fna to watch it fill with stalls and musicians.
Day 3: Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Aït Ben Haddou – Skoura
We head into the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass and stop wherever you like to photograph valleys and villages. If you're interested, we detour to the Telouet kasbah, the former residence of the lords of the Atlas; it adds some time to the day.
In Aït Ben Haddou a private guide shows you the ksar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and then you have lunch with a view. In the afternoon we pass Ouarzazate and reach the Skoura palm grove. We sleep in a restored mud-brick kasbah among the palms, with a pool and dinner made with produce from its garden. In total it's about 5 hours on the road.
Day 4: Skoura – Dades Valley – Todra Gorge – Merzouga
In the morning we drive through the Valley of the Roses and the Dades Valley, with its rock formations and the winding road at Aït Ouglif, one of the most photographed viewpoints in the south. Before lunch we walk through the Todra Gorge, next to Tinghir.
The afternoon is on the road to Merzouga; it's one of the two long days. At the dunes you switch to a 4x4 or a camel, whichever you prefer, to reach a premium camp in a quiet part of Erg Chebbi. The tent has a large bed, a bathroom with hot water and a terrace. Dinner under the stars, with Berber music by the fire.
Day 5: A full day in the Sahara
No driving today. You can climb a dune for sunrise and come back for breakfast on the tent's terrace.
In the morning we explore the area around Erg Chebbi by 4x4: the seasonal Merzouga lake, which doesn't always have water, the Gnawa village of Khamlia, where you can hear their music, and old mines and oases. Lunch at the camp and a free afternoon. At the end of the day you ride out by camel for the sunset, and dinner is private on top of a dune, with lanterns and rugs. If you're into astronomy, we add a guided stargazing session.
Day 6: Merzouga – Ziz Valley – Midelt – Ifrane – Fez
Early breakfast and departure north. We cross the Ziz Valley, with its canyon and palm grove, and stop at a viewpoint. Lunch in Midelt, at the foot of the eastern High Atlas.
In the afternoon we go through the Azrou cedar forest, home to Barbary macaques, and pass through Ifrane, which looks like an Alpine village. It's about 470 kilometres, around 8 hours with stops, and the most tiring day of the week. We reach Fez at sunset and sleep in a palace riad inside the oldest medina in Morocco.
Day 7: Fez with a private guide and departure
An official guide takes you round Fez el Bali, a medieval medina of thousands of alleys. You visit the Bou Inania or Al Attarine madrasa, the Nejjarine fountain, the outside of Al Qarawiyyin university and the Chouara tanneries, which you see from a terrace. Along the way we stop at ceramics and embroidery workshops.
After lunch the driver takes you to Fez airport or train station. If you're flying from Casablanca or Marrakech, we arrange the transfer. You can also add nights in Fez or Chefchaouen and keep travelling.
What's included
Included (8)
- Assistance and private transfer at Marrakech airport
- Private 4x4 or premium van with a Spanish-speaking driver
- Six nights in accommodation of the category chosen
- Daily breakfasts and the meals shown in the itinerary
- Private official guides in Marrakech, Aït Ben Haddou and Fez
- Camel or 4x4 ride in the dunes and an excursion around Merzouga
- Private dinner in the dunes
- Final transfer to Fez airport or station
Not included (6)
- International flights
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Monument and museum entrance fees
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tips
- Travel insurance
Important information (5)
- The price is per person in a double room and varies with accommodation availability.
- We send you the names of the places you'll stay before you confirm the booking.
- In the Fez and Marrakech medinas cars can't reach every door; a porter carries your luggage.
- Between December and February it can snow in Ifrane and the Atlas; we adjust the route if needed.
- You can finish in Marrakech instead of Fez by adding a night on the way.
Prices per person
Luxury
Luxury boutique riads and kasbahs, luxury camp with private bathroom
Grand Luxury
Five-star palace riads, suites and a premium camp in a secluded area
Exclusive
The most exclusive properties in the country, suites with private pools and tailor-made services
Fixed price per person, whatever the size of your group.
Payment and cancellation
You pay a 15% deposit when you book. The rest is paid on the first day of the trip, in cash or by bank transfer. You can also pay it by PayPal or card, with a 5% surcharge.
Private: free up to 48 hours before the start. If you cancel in time, we refund the full deposit.
Extras you can add
Chosen when you book and added to the total. You can also ask for them later, subject to availability.
Quad bike in the Merzouga dunes
Guided quad ride around Erg Chebbi, helmet included
Dune buggy in Merzouga
Two-seater buggy with a guide through the dunes, helmet included
Upgrade the accommodation
More characterful hotels and riads, and a superior desert camp
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Leave a reviewFrequently asked questions
What's the difference between the Luxury, Grand Luxury and Exclusive categories?
All three include a private vehicle and guides; what changes is the accommodation. Luxury combines good boutique riads and kasbahs, Grand Luxury uses five-star palace riads and suites, and Exclusive books the best-known properties in the country, with suites with private pools and tailor-made services. We send you specific options so you can compare.
Can I do the trip in reverse, from Fez to Marrakech?
Yes. Many travellers reach Fez from Spain or from northern Morocco and finish in Marrakech. The route works just as well the other way: Fez, the Middle Atlas, the desert, Todra, Dades, Skoura and Aït Ben Haddou before reaching Marrakech. We adjust the days to your flights.
Is there any way to avoid the long driving days?
Yes. We can split the drive with extra nights, for example in the Dades Valley or Midelt, or add a domestic flight when there's a connection. With the private 4x4 you stop whenever you want, and we choose pleasant places to eat and rest on each stage.
