Eight Day Driving Holiday in Morocco

Day 1

Flight to Fes

On arrival at Fes airport, you will be met and transferred by private taxi to the riad where you will have a twin/double room with breakfast for 3 nights.

Day 2

Fes - Familiarisation. A local English-speaking guide (paid locally) will come to meet you after breakfast and take you on a general guided tour (mostly on foot) of the old part of Fes where you will see the main monuments, palaces, the souks (markets), tanneries, synagogue and the old Jewish cemetery, potteries and of course the proverbial carpet shop(s).

Day 3

Fes - at your leisure. You can continue exploring the wonders and fascination of Fes or take a local guide (not included) with a taxi to the Roman site of Volubilis (about an hour from Fes) and the Imperial City of Meknes with its 45 Kms of ancient walls, 17th century palace and stables that house up to 12,000 horses.

Day 4

Fes to Merzouga. A car will be delivered to you at the riad after breakfast and you will set off towards the Middle Atlas Mountains, passing through the towns and villages of Ifrane (ski resort), Azrou and Midelt where you will probably stop for lunch. Continue on the road following the spectacular Ziz Valley and watch as the scenery evolves from mountain to the rocky desert scape of the Sahara. You will pass through the administrative centre of the Tafilalet region at Errachidia and on to Erfoud (this takes 6 - 7 hours driving). Continue a further 15 Kms to the ancient market town of Rissani and follow the directions (included in your documentation) to the charming Desert Inn which is located in the middle of nowhere between Rissani and the 700 ft dunes of Merzouga.

Dinner and overnight.

Day 5

The Sand Dunes. After breakfast, set off in your car for the 20 minute drive to the edge of Erg Chebi (Merzouga) vast expanse of dunes where you can either walk further into the dunes (barefoot if the sand is not too cold) or hire a local camel with guide for a short period (30 - 60 minutes).

Then set off to Rissani and Erfoud and onward across the desert (tarmac roads all the way) to Tineghir (about 2.5 hours drive). At Tineghir, you will take a right turn towards the mountains for about 13 Kms through an enchanting palm lined valley till you reach the spectacular perpendicular walls of the Todra Gorge.

After a brief stop and perhaps a coffee at one of the small cafes, drive back to the main road and continue eastwards to Boumalne (53 Kms). Here you will take a right turn into the breathtaking for about 15 kms through its snaking road lines with amazing rock formations, small cultivated fields with silver birch along the river bed and pass dozens of predominantly seventeenth century kasbahs made from the local red mud.

Return back to the main road and drive through Kelaa M'Gouna where a rose festival is held every May (dates of the festival are rarely predictable in advance) and then on to Skoura, a small village on the north side of the road that probably has the most beautiful palm grove in southern Morocco with dozens of inhabited and uninhabited kasbahs. This whole region is called The Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs. At Skoura, you will turn off the main road and drive along a track twisting through the palm groves for about 7 kms till you reach the hidden auberge Sawadi.

Dinner and overnight.

Day 6

Skoura to Marrakech. After breakfast, set off along the 7 kms track to the main road and drive 32 kms to Ouarzazate, passing a 37 km artificial lake (reservoir) on your left. You may want to make a brief stop in Ouarzazate to see the enormous 17th century Kasbah Taourirt before continuing on towards the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains. After about 30 kms, you will start to climb towards the Tichka Pass (7,000 ft) and on to Marrakech (200 kms - about 4 hours drive).

When you arrive in Marrakech, make your way to your chosen hotel for the next 2 nights. The car will be collected from the hotel at the end of the day - simply leave the keys at the reception desk and forget about it.

In the evening you can either have dinner in your riad/hotel or go to one of the many delightful and excellent restaurants in Marrakech (traditional Moroccan, French and Italian).

Day 7

Marrakech. Our local representative will help you with excursions, guide, car hire, restaurant reservations and general information. Spend the day exploring the medina (old city) of Marrakech, its palaces, monuments, Gardens (Majorelle / Yves St laurent Gardens and Menara gardens), the hundreds of small shops in the souks or just lie beside the pool of your hotel and relax.

Day 8

Return Flight from Marrakech. Transfer to Marrakech airport by private taxi for your return flight.

Options and pricing

Car Hire

A car is not needed when you are in Fes and Marrakech as taxis are cheap and easy to find in the cities. Fuel costs and an optional driver are not included - see the Car Hire page for more details.