More than 1,500 kilometers by car from Fez to Marrakesh through the Sahara desert and over giant mountains. We slept outside at the campfire, got in a heavy sandstorm, and arrived in Marrakesh with the last drop of fuel. By Car from Fez to Marrakech – Morocco Road Trip.
I start my next big adventure today with two German guys I met in Chefchaouen.
We rent a car in Fez and want to drive in 5 days through the Sahara Desert to Marrakesh.
The first stop is a big supermarket where we buy everything we need for the next few days.
With more than 40l of drinking water, our trip can start.
By Car from Fez to Marrakesh – Morocco Road Trip
Equipped only with a map, we decide to drive from Fez to the mountains.
Most streets in Morocco are terrible, and we are sometimes unsure if it is the right one or just a dirt road to a secluded village.
We get a first impression of what to expect during the next few days. It is a fascinating landscape.
The villages get smaller and smaller, and we meet fewer and fewer people. From now on, we are on our own, and I hope the map is up to date.
With every kilometer, not only the villages but also the roads become smaller and worse.
There are no road signs, and we must orientate in the cardinal direction.
Natural Car wash
We meet a few people from time to time, primarily farmers with sheep. They seem to be pretty surprised; probably, not that many people are driving along these streets.
Some of them even wave and are happy to face other humans. One man came out of a pretty old and small shed.
He was wearing broken shoes and only spoke a few words of Spanish.
We could not help him with new shoes, but I am sure he was really happy talking to us.
We drive on and are almost at the peak of a huge mountain when we encounter a great water jet coming down in the middle of the road.
Someone wanted to divert the stream to protect the road—a good idea but, sadly, a faulty design.
Creative as we are, we used it to clean our car … and to take a shower.
Freshly showered and with a more or less clean car, we start looking for a place to sleep. The first night in the car was quite uncomfortable.
Two of us slept in the front and one in the back seat. We arrived when it was already dark, so everything was way more complicated.
However, we found a good spot on a small forest trail with enough wood to make a fire. Today there is nothing right and left on the street.
No trees, no hills, only a lot of small rocks and dry ground.
After a long search, we find a small hill apart from the road. It is not a perfect place, but we have no choice.
We prepare something to eat and look for wood which is not an easy task here. During such a trip, you learn to appreciate things like water or a piece of wood.
We enjoy the calm and stress-free atmosphere—only we …. and suddenly hundreds of huge, black, and loud screaming beetles.
Stopped by the Moroccan police
This night I slept despite the many beetles much better. Well recovered and with new energy, we want to drive to the Erg Chebbi dunes near Merzouga.
We are back on the main road and come fast closer to the dunes. Well … a bit too fast.
After a sloping curve, two Moroccan policemen are waiting for us, equipped with a radar gun. 50 km/h too fast.
They ask for our driving license, and we must pay 300 Dirham (about 27 Euros).
We try to explain that we do not have that much money with us with a mix of English, Spanish, and French.
They get angry and want to collect our driving license, which we can then pick up in the next city on the next day.
It is a strange situation, and it seems they want to pocket the money. We agree on paying in the next city.
The police officers are less than thrilled and let us go without paying anything, which seems to approve our assumption.
Suddenly in a heavy sandstorm
This night we want to sleep only with our sleeping bags outside in the Erg Chebbi dunes.
From Merzouga, we take the road to Taouz and find a path from the main road to the dunes. The next village is 10 km away.
We take a bottle of water along, explore the area, and find a perfect spot soon, a small dune behind some trees and not visible from the road.
We pack everything we need in our Backpacks and want to walk back to the place when the sky suddenly darkens.
The temperature decreases and a storm comes up.
We drive as fast as possible back to the main road. The path is unsurfaced, and we are scared to get stuck in the sand.
It also starts raining, and there is far and wide no one to see.
Many people drown in the desert every year when it suddenly starts raining, and we are glad to be back on the road to Merzouga.
While driving through the empty streets, a group of children suddenly appears. They scream and wave and are pretty curious.
We stop, and they immediately come up to us. It is a nice situation, although we cannot communicate with words.
I gift them a small honeydew melon and give it to the youngest. He has to carry it with both hands and is so proud of it; really sweet.
However, on the other hand, you can see that people do not have anything.
Many children are even playing with rubbish on the streets.
From Merzouga, we drive toward the Valley of Dades, hoping the weather will be better soon.
We are lucky.
The wind stops, and the sun comes out again. Merzouga and the dunes of Erg Chebbi are now behind us, and we find an excellent place for the night.
We make a fire and prepare something to eat. As we do not have a grillage, we must be creative and build construction with a branch.
While we are eating, an older man comes around with a donkey and many, many sheep.
After a short ride on the donkey, it is already time for sleep… Of course, outside, next to the campfire under the starry sky.
It is a unique experience, and I really recommend you do it when you have the chance.
Valley of Dades
Today is already the fifth day. Time flies, but the absolute highlight is still ahead of us—the famous Valley of Dades.
I am looking forward to it and cannot wait to start today. After one hour, we finally arrived in the valley, and I prepared the camera.
One could photograph everything, and every photo would be beautiful…
… but check it out yourself, as a picture paints a thousand words.
Do you like it?
Well, I really enjoyed it, and it even outdid my expectations.
After this breathtaking tour, we drive to Ouarzazate, where we stay for one night in a pretty nice hotel room with a balcony and a nice view over the big square.
While the square is almost deserted during the day, hundreds of people sing and eat together at night, and many children play and enjoy the time together.
It is a nice atmosphere; everyone seems to be happy.
Arrived in Marrakesh with the last drop of fuel
From Ouarzazate, we take the road through Aït-Ben-Haddou to Marrakesh.
Aït-Ben-Haddou is an old village with many loam houses and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Moreover, it is the filming spot of more than 20 Hollywood productions, for example, Gladiator and The Mummy.
While we are enjoying the last day of our trip, we recognize that we have to refuel pretty soon.
We are looking desperately for a petrol station, but there is simply nothing on our road.
Meanwhile, the warning light is shining, and we are already thinking about a plan for what to do when we have a breakdown.
The last 60 kilometers go mainly downhill so that we can save some fuel.
However, there is another high mountain which we have to cross, and the next village is another 50 kilometers away.
It is an exciting final, and we finally arrive in Marrakech with the last drop of fuel.
On the one hand, I am happy to be back in civilization as it was sometimes really tiring.
On the other hand, however, I will miss this time.
We could do whatever we wanted; there was no schedule; we just stopped wherever and whenever we felt like it.
Every day was a new adventure; we never knew what would happen after the next curve.
Marcus and Christoph, thank you for this awesome time. I hope to meet you again soon!!!
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Tim Kroeger, founder of Universal Traveller, leverages extensive experience in luxury travel and tourism to offer firsthand insights into emerging hospitality trends.
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