🐫✨ Unique 3-Day Journey from Fes to the Sahara Desert

• Morning Departure: We begin early from Fes, leaving behind the bustling medina to enter the Middle Atlas Mountains. The cool, fresh air and forested roads are a peaceful transition from the city.

• Stop 1 – Ifrane, the Unexpected Swiss-style Town
  Take a gentle stroll around the clean streets and alpine-style architecture. It’s Morocco – but it feels like Europe.

• Stop 2 – Cedar Forest of Azrou
  A short walk through the cedar woods, where you may spot monkeys swinging through the branches – a surprising touch of wildlife.

• Lunch Stop – Midelt or Zaida (Seasonal Choice)
  Depending on the weather and local markets, we enjoy a warm Berber tagine in a local inn or roadside village kitchen.

• The Road South – Crossing the Ziz Gorge
  Watch the dry rocks give way to lush valleys as we drive through gorges carved by ancient rivers. Palms and kasbahs dot the land as we approach the desert.

• Arrival in Merzouga Region:
  Near sunset, meet your camel guide and begin a slow, peaceful ride into the dunes. No motors, no noise – just the sound of the sand shifting and the wind.

• Night in the Desert Camp
  Arrive at your tent lit by lanterns, enjoy a traditional meal, and sit around the fire with desert musicians playing live drums and singing ancestral songs. Sleep under more stars than you’ve ever seen.

• Wake-Up in the Dunes
  Open your tent to see the sun rising behind golden waves of sand. After breakfast, you can choose your pace: rest or explore.

• 4×4 Desert Cultural Circuit (or walking tour):

  • Visit the black desert and ancient mines.

  • Share mint tea with a nomadic family in their tent.

  • Listen to the soulful Gnawa music in the village of Khamlia.

  • Optional stop for a traditional Berber lunch (Madfouna, or “Berber pizza”).

• Afternoon options:

  • Try sandboarding or rent a quad bike for a wild ride on the dunes.

  • Or simply relax near the oasis and enjoy silence and reflection.

• Dinner: Enjoy a second evening with a new menu and different live music or storytelling around the fire.

• Early Departure (if returning to Fes)
  After breakfast, camel ride or 4×4 back to the village. From there, begin the journey north.

• Optional Stop in Rissani – the old Saharan market town, once a caravan hub. Visit a traditional souk, see fossils, or try dates and desert bread baked in clay ovens.

• Through the Mountains Again – stopping at scenic points or hidden cafés that most tourists miss.

• Evening arrival in Fes

We’ll meet at 4 p.m. at our hotel in Luzern (Lucerne) for a “Welcome to Switzerland” meeting. Then we’ll take a meandering evening walk through Switzerland’s most charming lakeside town, and get acquainted with one another over dinner together. Sleep in Luzern (2 nights). No bus. Walking: light.