Tour and itinerary for 6 days in Morocco from Fes
Our tour of 6 days in Morocco itinerary is customized from Fes crosses the desert of Merzouga and ends in Marrakech. Scroll down for more information.
Note: This tour is customizable.
Main info:
Departure location:
Fes
Return location:
Marrakech
Departure time:
08:00 AM
Itinerary duration
6 days/ 5 nights
Highlights of our tour:
- We will visit the oldest university of Al Qarawiyyin
- Visit the Chouara tannery for leather stuff
- Explore the barbary apes in Azrou forest
- Camel ride on the dunes of Erg Chebbi
- Visit the nomads and camp at Berber tents
- Walk in the canyons of Todgha Gorges
- Discover the Berber fortress and Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou
Tour overview:
Accompany one of the Berbers to show you Morocco in 6 days starting from Fes and ends in Marrakech. There are many things you will experience with this tour. To start with, we make sure that your arrival is safe, we will pick you up from Fes-Saiss Airport to rest at one of the riads in Fes El Bali.
Our tour will be exploring Fes first. Therefore, we will make sure that you visit all the worthy places there. For instance, we will take you to visit not only the Chaouara tannery and Al Karaouien university but also the golden gates of the king’s palace and the Marinid tombs.
On the third day driving from Fes further south-east, we will visit Ifrane’s statue of the Atlas lion and Azrou forest to explore the Barbary apes. Afterwards, we will experience the lifestyle of the Berbers by visiting them, riding the camels across the sand dunes, and spending overnight camping at tents.
Later, we will visit the Canyons of Todgha Gorges and Dades Gorges. Actually, we will spend the night there in Dades as its location is almost between the desert and Marrakech. Then, on the last day, we will visit the rose valley, Ouarzazate atlas studio, and the fascinating Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou. Eventually, our service ends when we arrive in Marrakech by crossing Tizi Ntichka through the Atlas Mountains. Please check a detailed itinerary below.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival to Fes :
We will start by picking you up from the international airport of Fes-Saiss. Then, we will head to Fes El Bali to check-in your accommodation in a traditional Riad. Also, depending on your arrival time, it is possible that we will take you to walk in Boujloud.
Day 2: Fes guided tour:
Fes worths the visit, there are many things to see and do. First, we will visit the king’s palace, it is interesting because it has 7 golden gates. However, we can not get in due to their policy. Then, we will pass through El Mellah, it was a Jewish neighborhood with different building architecture. After that, we will take you to visit one of the three tanneries in Fes, the Chouara Tannery. Next, we will visit the Marinid Tombs, they are at a panoramic view of Fes.
Later, we will take you to start the tour walking from the main gate, the blue gate, or Bab Boujloud. There are many things you will see in the narrow streets of this old Madina. First, you will visit the oldest existing mosque and university of Al Karaouine. Second, you will visit another Madrassa called Al Bou Inania, it’s where they teach the holly Quran.
There are other things you will experience in Fes. For instance, after a long day exploring the city, we recommend that you take a hot Moroccan Sauna called Hammam, it will make you relaxed and ready for the other day. Not to mention, they also provide massages for both men and women.
Day 3: Fes to Merzouga, the Sahara desert:
This day will be more driving than exploring, we will drive south-east from Fes for almost 7h to Merzouga, for the desert experience. Before that, there are many things we will see on the way there. To start with, we will stop at Ifrane, the little Moroccan Switzerland to visit the statue of the extinct atlas lion. Then, we stop at Azrou forest of Cedar trees. Here, we will discover one of the old world monkey species, the Barbary macaque.
We will be crossing the High and the Middle Atlas Mountains on this day, the first city after that is Errachidia. There, we will make a quick stop to admire the view of the Dam of Hassan Addakhil. Thereafter, we will cross through the center of Errachidia to arrive at Ziz valley(river), a stop will be made on the top of Ait Chaker. Next, we will cross Erfoud and some other small villages to arrive at Erg Chebbi, we will stop for an overview of the Sand dunes and get to know them.
Eventually, we will arrive at our destination Merzouga, our staff will welcome you with a glass of Berber tea and then check-in your rooms. The camel ride and camping at Berber tents will be on the next day because we will take you to visit the nomads first to see how they live then you will experience the tents and the camels.
Day 4: Merzouga desert tour:
We have customized this 6 days tour itinerary from Fes in order to make you experience the real Morocco by camping and camel trekking at Erg Chebbi. To start with, we will first take you on a guided tour around Merzouga, we will visit the Gnaoua people and the cars museum. Then, we will visit the Berber nomads who live in tents, have a herd, and travel from a place to another looking for better living conditions.
We will not only visit the Srij lake where camels go herding but also the small oasis of Hassi Labied that is near the dunes and gets water from there. Depending on the time, we could hire ATVs, it’s also a worth doing activity especially on the sand dunes. Of course, before sunset about 2h, we will take you on a magical camel ride across the Erg Chebbi sand dunes. Then, on the camel, we will take you glamping at one of our Berber tents to fully experience the nomadic lifestyle. Not to mention, our staff will set fire and entertain you by playing drums after dinner. The camp is near the dunes. Therefore, you are free to climb up to see the stars and the Milkyway.
Day 5: Merzouga to Dades:
On the fifth day of our 6 days tour itinerary in Morocco, we will visit the grand canyons of Todgha and Dades. Before that, from the camp back to Merzouga, you have the option to either ride the camels back or take the 4WD. We will leave Merzouga, pass by Erfoud again, we can stop to visit the fossils museum and the Souq of dates fruits if you are interested to buy some.
Then, we will head west, we will make our first stop at an old agriculture system where there are a lot of wells. Next, we will visit one of the Berbers clothing cooperatives, they lend tourists traditional clothes for free to take pictures with. Afterward, we will stop somewhere for lunch before we head to the Grand canyons of Todgha Gorges. There, you have about 40 minutes of free tour walking to explore the canyons.
Later, before we take you to check-in at one of Dade’s hotels in the canyons, we will visit not the monkey toes but also the curves of Tissdrine. Not to mention, the accommodation will be in the canyons as well, at the Atlas mountains, in the river of Dades.
Day 6: Dades to Marrakech across Ait Benhaddou:
On the last day of our 6 days in Morocco, we will continue our itinerary towards Ait Benhaddou and Marrakech. But first, we will stop at the rose valley, there is a cooperative there that produces rose products, that’s if you are interested to stop. Then, we will head to Ouarzazate across Skoura, our stop will be a visit to one of Ouarzazate’s studios. Then, we will drive to Ait Benhaddou, this small village will amaze you, we will have to hike to get to the top, please check above, there is a picture.
We will take the pass of Tichka, it’s the fastest way from Ouarzazate to Marrakech. We will make two stops, one at the height of 2260 meters, and one at the cooperative of argan oil. Finally, we will arrive at Marrakech in the afternoon, and that’s the end of our 6 days tour itinerary in Morocco Fes to Marrakech.
Tour includes:
- Pickup and drop off from accommodation.
- Camel for each in Merzouga
- Berber tent accommodation.
- Vehicle with gasoline
- Dinner and Breakfast
Tour excludes:
- Monuments fees
- Lunches
- Tips
- Soft drinks
Testimonials:
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Related Morocco tours:
We have customized different tours itineraries from Fes, desert tours, and city tours. However, if the plans below do not match what you are looking for, please fill in our contact form with your needs.
Highlights overview:
Our 6 tour itinerary in Morocco from Fes is full of beautiful places and sceneries to see. Therefore, below we write about most of the attractions you will visit during your stay with us.
Fes and its attractions:
Fes is the first city that was a capital in Morocco, it’s now on the list of the 4 imperial cities. The Idrisid dynasty founded it in 789 as the cultural city of Morocco. Also, Fes is the second-largest city in Morocco after Casablanca, the economical city. Not to mention, Fes is famous for the old walled Medina “Fes El-Bali”, it’s where the most visited attractions. We list the best of them for you below:
Al Karaouine university:
This university was actually a mosque, built-in 859 by Fatima Al Fihri. After that, it turns to be a university in 1963, that’s why you may hear that this is the oldest university in the world, they mean the existence of it.
Bou Inania Madrassa:
Al Bou Inania is a Madrassa and that means a school, Bou Inan Faris, a Marinid built it on 28th December 1350. Now, it is a school where they teach the holly Quran, especially for kids.
Chouara tannery:
The Chaouara tannery is a place where they make leather stuff, it is the best tannery among the 3 in Fes, it was built in the 11th century. Bear in mind, this attraction is stinky, take some mint tea with you to cover your nose from the bad smell.
Dar El Makhzen:
Dar El Makhzan or the king’s palace is a worthy attraction to visit in Fes because it has 7 golden gates that attract. This palace was built in 1960, and no one unless the royal family can enter.
Ifrane:
Ifrane is a Berber word that means caves, singular Ifri, and that’s referring to the caves in Tizguit. It was built in 1929 during the French colonization between 1912 and 1956. Also, Ifrane is also called the little Switzerland of Morocco because the construction of the houses is similar to the houses in Switzerland. During our 6 days tour itinerary in Morocco, we will make a stop to discover the statue of the Atlas lion, it’s the Moroccan national animal. This statue was carved by a German prisoner, and in order to gain his freedom from the French, he built it. When we get to Ifrane from Fes, there is a university on the right, it is one of the best and most expensive universities in Morocco. Not only students from Morocco who take education here but also foreign students, and it’s a science university.
Moreover, the king has a palace here in Ifrane, it is facing the university, he comes to spend most of the weekends here. Furthermore, Ifrane is where the atlas lions, the Moroccan football team, come here to train because it is high, its elevation is about 5,400 feet (1,650 meters).
Azrou forest:
Azrou forest is the perfect place for Moroccans to have a picnic with the monkeys. It’s in the Atlas Mountains with long cedar trees that reach up to 20 meters high. Therefore, the forest became the best home for the Barbary monkeys. These apes have different names, besides calling them Barbary, they also call them Magots and Macaques. Also, these monkeys are very unique and exist only in Algeria, Morocco, and with a small population in Gibraltar. Our tour of 6 days itinerary in Morocco includes a stop here at this forest, we will get to know the apes more, feed them, and take some pictures.
Errachidia dam and Ziz valley:
Errachidia is on the tip of the Mountains of the atlas, From Errachidia starts the Sahara desert. Therefore, there are some people who call it the gate to the Sahara, others call it Ksar souk or Imtghern. This city is a pass-through, our stop will be at the Dam of Hassan Addakhil, the founder of the Alaouite dynasty. This dam was built because of the lack of water for the Sahara, there was a time where people had to build wells in order to get water.
Errachidia is also famous for the river or the valley of Ziz. The valley is long, starts from Errachidia across the Sahara to Algeria at about 282 km. However, the important is a small part of it that is 30km long and 7km wide because it’s where most of the agriculture of the locals.
Erfoud:
Erfoud is another pass-through city, Arfoud is built by the French when they were here in Morocco in 1912. Some people say that it is named after a Berber plant “Ounfoud” that is in the river of Ziz. Other people say that the name was before the French, it is named by two Berber who wanted to cross the river, and to measure its depth, one told the other that it reaches the knee and that is Ar Afoud in Berber.
At Erfoud, also written as Arfoud, they celebrate a 3 days carnival each October. This festival is international, many tourists come to buy dates fruits because it is celebrated for that reason. Actually, they sell different types of dates as the Medjool, Barhi, Thoory, and many more. Also, they sell and buy different stuff here in Erfoud. For instance, many locals sell traditional Moroccan clothes like Jalabas and Caftans…
Another interesting thing about Erfoud is related to geography, there are many areas around where they extract minerals fossils. Therefore, we will take you to visit one of the museums where they extract them.
Moreover, Erfoud was also home to the Jewish, they used to live here with the Berbers. Therefore, there is a cemetery that many Jewish visit, so if you are Jewish please let us know and we can include this attraction in our 6 days Morocco tours itinerary from Fes.
Merzouga desert:
The best activity of our Morocco tours is surely the camel ride and camping. Let me introduce you to Merzouga, the Sahara desert. Here, you will be amazed by the largest and the most beautiful sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. There are some people who agree that Merzouga was named Merzouga because of these dunes, many tourists visit here that it has become famous. Therefore, some locals named after the word Merzouq that means wealthy in Berber. Neverthless. There are some other people who say that Merzouga is actually a family, an Arabic family name.
For the existence of the sand dunes, there are some people who say it was a lake before, and because it gets windy here a lot, it gathered here. Some other people claim that the dunes are actually brought by God to punish the Gnaoua slaves who were fighting with couscous. However, there is a fixed fact about the real existence of the dunes there.
Some of the Erg Chebbi dunes can reach up to 500 feet( 150 meters). For instance, the Lala Merzouga sand dunes. They are about 25km that equals about 15 miles long and 5km wide, 3 miles. Not to mention, these dunes are surrounded by many Berber tents, luxury and standard to experience overnight camping as Berbers. Let’s walk you the top things you will experience here in Merzouga with our 6 days Morocco itinerary from Fes:
Camel trekking:
You can not travel to Merzouga without doing the camel trekk on Erg Chebbi dunes. Actually, many Merzouga’s visitors get there just to do this tour and they do it to only see the sunset or sunrise. Fortunatelly, our trip includes the camel ride twice, for the sunset to camp at Berber tents and from them in the morning. This tour takes about 2h trekking, depending on time of arrival to Merzouga, there are is an option to see the sunset on the dunes before going to the camp.
Visiting the nomads:
The Merzouga desert tour is incomplete without visiting the nomads before actually experiencing the camel trekking and camping at the tents. It’s really worth to visit those Berber nomads who live in the tents, you will get to know the true meaning of living a hard but simple life.
Camping at Berber bivoacs:
It’s fascinating to experience an overnight in Berber tents. There are many luxury and standard organized and well set tents, these are to make you experience the nomad lifestyle even for a short time. At the tents, locals entertain their visitors by setting up fire and playing drums.
Srij lake:
The lake of Srij is a worth place to visit in Merzouga because it’s where the camels go herding and where the immigrant flamingo birds exist.
There are many other activities to do in Merzouga. For instance, you can do the ATVs, 4WD safaries, and visiting the small oasis of Hassi Labied.
Canyons of Todgha Gorges:
Morocco is full of admired canyons to visit and take pictures of. We can’t talk about the Moroccan canyons without talking about Todgha canyons. Actually, they are considered as the grand canyons of Morocco, they are about 300 meters with a river passing between them. The river is an amazing attraction to visit itself because the water in it is coming from a spring.
The Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou:
The last attraction we will visit during our 6 days Morocco tour itinerary is Ait Benhaddou Kasbah. It’s a Berber fortress built by the Glaoui family in the 11th century, they named it the Kasbah because they built its roves with bamboo, and that’s Kasab in Arabic and Berber. Not to mention, Ait Benhaddou, the big Shaikh who lived there in the Kasbah.
This attraction is worth the visit because it has a different architecture, they built it with hay and clay. Also, the Kasbah is where many famous movies were made there. For instance, they filmed a short part of Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and about 20 other movies.