2 DAYS DESERT STARGAZING TOUR FROM FES TO MARRAKECH
Sahar Stargazing Experience
2 DAYS DESERT STARGAZING TOUR FROM FES TO MARRAKECH
The fastest way to get from Fes to Marrakech while still putting a night in the Sahara between them. Two days covers roughly 1,200 kilometres, so this is a driving itinerary with a desert night in the middle rather than a leisurely trip, and it suits travellers who need to be in Marrakech by a fixed date and refuse to fly over the best part of the country to get there.
Day one crosses the Middle Atlas and the Ziz Valley to reach Merzouga in time for a sunset camel trek and a night at the camp. Day two is long: west through the Todra Gorge and the Dades Valley, past Ait Ben Haddou, and over the High Atlas into Marrakech.
If you have a third day, the 3-day version of this route splits day two in half and is a far more comfortable trip. This one is for when you do not.
Stargazing in the Merzouga Desert
Stargazing is one of the unforgettable experiences included in our Morocco desert tours. Rather than being a separate activity, it is part of your desert camp experience and takes place during your stay in the Erg Chebbi dunes, as outlined in your tour itinerary.
How Our Stargazing Experience Is Organized
After enjoying a traditional dinner at the desert camp, we gather together and take a peaceful 10-minute walk into the heart of the dunes. Away from any artificial lights, you’ll reach a quiet location where the night sky reveals thousands of stars in remarkable clarity.
Our experience begins with fascinating stories about the nomadic people of the Sahara and how they relied on the stars for navigation and orientation across the desert. You’ll learn about their traditions, legends, and their deep connection with the night sky.
Using a professional laser pointer, your guide will introduce you to the most prominent stars, constellations, and celestial objects visible above the Sahara. With virtually no light pollution, the Merzouga dunes offer one of Morocco’s most spectacular stargazing environments, making this a truly memorable part of your desert adventure.
Duration: 2 days / 1 night
Start: Fes
End: Marrakech
Tour Style: Private
Stargazing Experience : Merzouga Desert
HIGHILGHTES:
– Ifrane and the alpine architecture of the Middle Atlas
– Barbary macaques in the cedar forest near Azrou
– The Ziz Valley palm corridor
– Camel trekking into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset
– A night in a luxury desert camp with Berber music around the fire
– A guided stargazing session in the dunes
– Sunrise over the Sahara
– The Todra Gorge and its limestone walls
– The Dades Valley
– Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
– Crossing the High Atlas via the Tizi n’Tichka pass at 2,260 metres
TOUR Itinerary
- DAY 1: FES - IFRANE - CEDAR FOREST - ZIZ VALLEY - MERZOUGA
Your guide collects you early from your riad or hotel in Fes. An early start is not optional on this itinerary, because the camels leave for the dunes before sunset.
The road climbs south into the Middle Atlas. The first stop is Ifrane, whose pitched roofs and cool climate look nothing like the rest of Morocco. Beyond it lies the cedar forest near Azrou, where Barbary macaques live along the roadside, one of the few places in the world the species can be seen in the wild.
Lunch is taken along the route, usually at Midelt. The afternoon carries you through the Tizi n’Tilghmt pass and down the Ziz Valley, a long green corridor of date palms cutting through bare rock.
You reach Merzouga in the late afternoon. Camels and a guide are waiting at the edge of the dunes. The trek climbs into Erg Chebbi and pauses on a high crest for the sunset before continuing to the camp, where you are met with tea and shown to a private tent. Dinner is served, followed by Berber music around the campfire.
STARGAZING EXPERIENCE – MERZOUGA DESERT
After dinner, we gather together and walk for about 10 minutes into the dunes to a quiet, dark location where there is no light pollution.
We begin with an introduction to the mythology of the nomads and explain how they used the stars they observed at night to navigate during the day.
Using a professional laser pointer, we guide you through the night sky, introducing the most important stars and constellations.
- DAY 2: MERZOUGA - TODRA GORGE - DADES - OUARZAZATE - AIT BEN HADDOU - MARRAKECH
A very early start for the sunrise over the dunes, then breakfast at the camp. You leave by camel or by 4×4 and the day’s driving begins in earnest.
The route runs west to Tinghir, with a stop at the viewpoint over the palm oasis, then up the Todra river to the gorge, where the limestone walls close in around 300 metres above the riverbed. There is time to walk the gorge floor before continuing through the Dades Valley.
Lunch is taken along the way. The afternoon passes Ouarzazate and reaches Ait Ben Haddou, the fortified earthen village on the old caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built from packed earth and straw. There is time to walk up through the ksar.
From there the road climbs the High Atlas and crosses the Tizi n’Tichka pass at 2,260 metres, descending into Marrakech in the evening. You are dropped at your riad, where the tour ends.
- Includes & Not Includes
- INCLUDES
– Pick-up from your accommodation in Fes
– Private air-conditioned vehicle with fuel
– English-speaking driver, or a driver and a separate tour guide
– One night in a luxury desert camp, private tent with en-suite bathroom
– Meals: 1 dinner and 1 breakfast
– Camel trekking experience in the Erg Chebbi dunes
– Sandboarding
– Stargazing experience in the Merzouga desert
– Drop-off at your accommodation in Marrakech
- NOT INCLUDES
– Lunches
– Drinks and beverages
– Entrance fees where applicable
– Tips
- Book Now & Pay Later
Please fill out the form below to contact us, and we will respond as soon as possible. For a faster response please send a WhatsApp: +212661144620 message or call us at +212661144620 . We look forward to connecting with you. Email: saharastargazing@gmail.com
- important FAQS
How to pay for the tour?
Our payment process is simple and hassle-free. To confirm your booking, we require a small deposit, which can be easily paid via PayPal, bank transfer, or Wise at the time of reservation. The remaining balance is to be paid in cash to your driver or guide on the first day of the tour, in euros, US dollars, or the equivalent amount in Moroccan dirhams.
What currency is used, and how do I get money?
The currency in Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). Credit cards are accepted in many hotels and larger businesses, but cash is needed in many smaller towns and markets.
Is it possible to customize the tour itinerary?
The currency in Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). Credit cards are accepted in many hotels and larger businesses, but cash is needed in many smaller towns and markets.
What are the camps in the desert like?
You’ll spend the night in a traditional Berber desert camp featuring private tents. The camps offer essential comforts such as comfortable bedding, shared or private bathroom facilities (depending on the camp type), warm blankets, and a communal dining area for meals and relaxation.
Price & Booking Policy
As a staying guest of our hotel ,hotel KASBAH mohayut, we offer you a guided observation of the starry sky after dinner until midnight, seeing conditions permitting,
at 200
Dirhams per person.
As a non-staying guest of our hotel we offer a 3-course dinner with guided stargazing after dinner at 350 Dirhams per person. Only valid with a firm reservation and upon confirmation by hotel mohayut.
For passing through guests:
Price: 350 Dirhams pp.
Parking of the car and a guided observation after dinner for about an hour and a half .upon firm reservation confirmed by the hotel.
Occasional drive-by’s will not guarantee stargazing at SaharaSky.
Cancellations please 2 days before arrival date as confirmed by the hotel either by email to
saharastargazing@gmail.com or by SMS to 0661144620 .
How Our Stargazing Experience Is Organized
- Walk through the tranquil Erg Chebbi dunes under a sky filled with stars.
- Witness the spectacular Milky Way in a pristine dark-sky environment.
- Learn how Sahara nomads navigated using the stars for centuries.
- Guided constellation and planet tour with a professional laser pointer.
- Discover ancient Berber legends and celestial mythology.
- Perfect opportunity for unforgettable night photography and astrophotography.
- A romantic, peaceful, and unforgettable experience in the heart of the Sahara Desert.
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