You are in Essaouira and looking for a desert tour around Morocco? Look no more, we got you covered with this 5-day tour that starts from Essaouira and ends in Fes. During this trip, you are going to visit many beautiful attractions. This includes Marrakech where you will visit the old city and discover its best sites with a local guide. Moreover, you are going to cross the Atlas mountains and explore Berber villages and old Kasbahs like Ait Benhaddou. Furthermore, you will travel East towards the desert to do camel trekking and camping under the stars. To finish the tour, you will drive North to Fes passing through beautiful landscapes of the Ziz Valley, Ifrane, and the cedar forest.
Here are the tour highlights:
On the first day of our 5-day desert tour from Essaouira, we drive to Marrakech, the capital of tourism in Morocco. Upon arrival, a local guide will be waiting for us to show us around. Since most of the attractions are in the Madina (old city), we are going to do most of the tour walking.
First, the local guide will take you to see the Minaret of the Koutoubia mosque, the largest and tallest in Marrakech. You are going to learn about the history of this mosque which dates back to the 12th century. After that, you are going to walk through the Djamaa Elfna square, the beating heart of the city. Here, you will see street performers, storytellers, snake charmers, food stalls… In general, you will be wandering in the lively colorful market. Going deeper into the old city, you are going to explore the Madrasa of Ben Youssef, which was once a Quranic school and a teaching center.
Furthermore, you are going to discover interesting palaces; the Bahia and Badi. Both attractions are known for their unique decorations and architecture.
After that, we will take the car and cross the new part of Marrakech where we will visit the Majorelle garden.
Finally, we will drop you off at your hotel/riad. Free evening in Marrakech. We recommend going to the square as it gets very busy and authentic at this time.
We leave Marrakech in the morning heading towards Boumalne Dades. First, we will drive through the Tichka Pass up the High Atlas Mountains. This pas is considered to be the highest road in North Africa. The highest point is at an altitude of 2260m, so we will make sure to make a stop there for the stunning views.
The next destination is Ait Benhaddou, the largest kasbah in Morocco. When we talk about Kasbahs, we refer to Fortified villages. In Morocco, there are plenty of them, but this one is the most famous. In the past, it used to be a station for the trading camel caravans to stop by and relax before continuing their journeys. We are going to go inside for a hike up the fortress for the view of its towers and the surrounding areas. Nowadays, this Kasbah is a movie scene and it was featured in many movies and TV series like Game Of Thrones, Gladiator, and Lawerence of Arabia.
Moving on, we will head to Ouarzazate or the Hollywood of Africa. Here, you can pay a visit to the Atlas Studios where they make movies. After that, we will drive to Boumalne Dades crossing the Oases of Skoura and the Rose Valley.
After breakfast, we continue our journey towards the Sahara desert. First, we will take the road of the one thousand kasbahs crossing through beautiful Berber villages. We arrive in the city of Tinghir and its beautiful valley, nestled in the High Atlas mountains. Here, we will take you to visit Todra Gorges. Red and yellow canyons crafted by nature offer spectacular views of their running river. Feel free to have a hike inside the gorges to fully enjoy the place.
We move on to our next destination, Erfoud. This latter is a desert city where you can learn a lot about fossils. If you are interested, we can pay a visit to one of the factories where they make unique stuff out of the fossils.
After a short drive, we arrive in the Merzouga desert, the highlight of our trip from Essaouira. We will ride camels and cross the Sahara heading to our desert camp. Along the way, we can stop to witness the beautiful sunset over the golden dunes.
Thereafter, arriving at the camp, you will check in your tents and get ready for a magical night. We will start with a delicious Moroccan dinner then head outside the camp where we make fire and listen to the Berber drums.
Finally, you can climb the nearby dunes for stargazing.
On the 4th day of our 5-day desert tour from Essaouira, we recommend that you wake up early for the beautiful sunrise. After that, head back to the camp for breakfast.
Today is a more relaxed day dedicated to visiting the desert. First, you can choose whether you want to the camel once again taking the same path as yesterday, or just start the desert tour from the camp. With both options, we will take the 4×4 and star tour offroad trip through the dunes and the black desert.
Among the things we will visit are the Berber Nomads that still live in bedouin tents. Here, you will have the chance to meet one of the families and discover how they survive in the harsh desert climate. These people are known for their hospitality, so we might stay and drink some tea with them.
Following this enriching experience, we will head to discover the mines of Mascara in Mifiss. You will learn about this mineral and discover why it is important for the local people.
Afterward, we will head to the village of Khamlia to visit the Ganwa people, listen to their music, and enjoy their spiritual dances. Depending on you, we might have lunch in this village, it is a chance to try the local cuisine. You can order the most famous dish in the desert, the Berber Pizza!
We finish our trip by visiting the oases of Hassi Labied where we learn more about desert life.
Finally, we will take you to the hotel. Free evening to relax by the swimming pool or do some activities like ATVS.
On the last day of our trip, we are heading north towards the cultural city of Fes. However, before that, we are going to discover some interesting places.
First, not far from the desert, we will visit the historic city of Rissani. It is a trading point where people from all over the area go to buy and sell things. As a result, it hosts one of the biggest traditional markets all over the country. If you come on Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday, the market becomes more busy and you will have the chance to interact with the locals.
Afterward, we will travel through the thousand palm trees of Ziz Valley. Here, we can make a stop to enjoy the views and stretch a leg. Next, we will drive across Midelt and the Middle Atlas Mountains
Our next stop is going to be the cedar forest where we will see the Barbary macaques. Feel free to feed them as they are very friendly monkeys. After a short drive, we will arrive in Ifrane, the cleanest city in Africa and the eighth in the world. People in Morocco like to call the Little Switzerland. Free time for a walk around the place!
Finally, our 5-day desert tour from Essaouira ends in Fes. We will drop you off at your accommodation.
“We had an incredible 5-day tour from Essaouira to Fes. Our driver, Aziz, was very kind, entertaining, helpful, and informed about Morocco. Omar, our guide in Marrakech was amazing and very knowledgeable. The experience in the desert was fantastic. Everyone should ride a camel at sunrise and sunset, like we did. Furthermore, the towns we visited before landing in the desert were very different from our own and offered an unforgettable adventure. Highly recommended!”
“I recently went on a 5-day desert tour from Essaouira and I cannot recommend it enough! The tour was expertly organized with the best guides who were knowledgeable, and friendly. They went above and beyond to ensure we had an unforgettable experience. The accommodations along the way were top-notch, from luxury desert camps to charming riads in cities. Each place we stayed was comfortable, clean, and provided a true taste of Moroccan hospitality.”
To book this tour, use the contact form above, email, WhatsApp, or our social networks, and provide us with your chosen tour, number of travelers, type of accommodation (standard, luxury, etc.), and your tour date (if known). To confirm your tour, we require a deposit. The rest of the payment is paid in cash when you meet your driver.
The cost of the 5-day desert tour from Essaouira to Fes varies depending on the number of participants and your chosen accommodation type. Generally, larger groups benefit from a more economical price per person. Request a complimentary quote today to determine your personalized rate!
Your money will be refunded only if you cancel the tour 20 days before your arrival. (20-day money-back guarantee). If the tour is postponed, your deposit will still be available for future use.
