3-day Sahara desert tour from Marrakech

We had a fantastic experience and would definitely do it again! Hassan arranged everything so we had no stress along the way. Husain was a great guide up Toubkal and was kind enough to invite us for tea at him home after the treck as we wanted to explore his village. Hamid was our own personal chef up Toubkal and very sweet. Mohamed our driver guide to Fes was very friendly despite being unable to speak English. Cons of the tour We paid for and were promised an English speaking tour guide for the Toubkal treck and car driver guide. The treck guide spoke decent English but you could tell he didn't understand us at times. The car driver guide spoke NO English which made things really difficult. He also wouldn't use the air-conditioning. The day before the driver picked us up Hassan told us over the phone our driver will speak English. On the last day we where meant to have lunch in Midlet and pass Azrou then Ifrane and its huge cedar wood forest to see the monkeys. However our driver didn't take us. We did not know we were doing a sunrise hike on Toubkal and was not advised to bring warm clothes as temperatures would be very cold - BRING WARM CLOTHES AND HEAD TORCH FOR THE SUMMIT. The overnight at the Basecamp is horrendous, you sleep on a large bunk bed with 20-30 other people. The bed rocks everytime someone moves and you listen to other people all night. Don't expect to get any sleep - bring earplugs and an eye mask. We paid €560 each, our tour was private this is why it was so expensive. After speaking to other tourists along the way you can find a group tour and it'll be cheaper. But I didn't know you could organise it once your here. I also liked the comfort of having it pre-planned before I arrived in Morocco. Here's the itinerary of 2 day Toubk ascent combined with 3 day Desert tour to Fes. Day 1: Marrakech – Imlil – The Base camp of Toubkal You'll drive from Marrakech to Imlil and trek to Toubkal Refuge via Mizane Valley. We walk towards the village of Aremd and then the shrine of Sidi Chamarouch. As we continue east and cross the flood plain, our route takes us along the mule tracks and into the high rocky cliffs. From here, the trail continues with a steady climb and snaking its way up to the Refuge. Approx 5hrs of walking. Overnight in the Refuge. Day 2: Base camp – Toubkal Summit – Imlil We trek to the summit of Jebel Toubkal about 4am to see the sunrise (4,165m) - the highest peak in North Africa. Our route takes us to the south cirque, crossing the stream above the Refuge and heading towards one of the mountains' numerous screen fields. The walking is relatively straightforward, but the altitude and screen seem to impede. However, the views along the way will make the journey worthwhile. Cresting the ridgeline, we'll find ourselves on the plateau, from where it's a short walk to the summit. The vistas across the surrounding landscape are also breathtaking. From here, there's an open view in every direction, right from the Marrakesh Plain to the northern High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas. Retracing our steps, we'll descend the mountain and head back towards Imlil, where we spend the night in a local Guesthouse. Day 3: Imlil - High Atlas - Telouet - Ait Benhaddou - Ouarzazate - Dades Valley Depart at 08:00 from Imlil to Ouarzazate via the High Atlas mountains Tizi n'Tichka pass throughout the high Atlas Mountains range.Visit the Telouet Kasbah and the universal Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou Kasbah as it has been named by UNESCO in 1987.We'll pass through Ouarzazate, or what we call Hollywood of Africa since it is a famous destination for filmmakers. Overnight in Ouarzazate. From Ouarzazate We drive towards Dades Gorges but before we drive along valley of Roses. We get directly to Dades valley where we will enjoy the beautiful green fields of figs and almonds. We will have an overnight in the panorama hotel overlooking the Dades valley. 10 hours drive. Day 4: Todra Gorges - Erfoud - Merzouga Dunes (Erg Chebbi) From Dades Gorges we will pass through many hamlets and villages along the way before we arrive to Todra Gorges. From Todra Gorges we start to drive towards Erg Chebbi along arid landscapes and volcanic mountains of the Anti Atlas, before we pass through a town called Tinjedad the nerve centre of the area. We pass Erfoud, it's very known with it's fossil's factories where they make beautiful shapes and pieces from rock of the neighboring mountains. Then we'll head for the Erg Chebbi the sea of sand. We continue deeper into the desert landscape, until dunes appear in the middle of nowhere, Overnight Camel Trek in a Berber tented camp. 6 hours drive Day 5: Erg Chebbi - Ziz Valley - Midelt - Fes After having breakfast, camel trek back to the hotel at the dune line for a quick shower. We drive towards Fes, we stop on the road to enjoy the panoramic views over the Ziz valley before we cross the High Atlas Mountains again. We passed by a town called Midelt. We continued to the legendary city of Fes. 9 hours drive. Toubkal was our favourite part of the tour and we would 100% do it again as it was a great way to see Morocco.

This was a life time beautiful experience. Sunset, over night stay and sunrise at the Sahara desert was amazing. Our guide Hassan was wonderful and caring. He guided with care through out the experience. I’d definitely recommend this tour. The drive to Sahara was long however the scenic view on our way and back was breathtaking. Many photogenic spots on our way there. We also did 2 day ascent to Mt. Toubkal. Once again Hassan was very helpful throughout the trek. Definitely recommended. Thank you Hassan for the wonderful experience.