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Hong Kong to Morocco: Marrakech, the Sahara at Merzouga and Fes

Hong Kong → Marrakech → Merzouga (Sahara) → Fes

Jemaa el-Fnaa
"Djemaa_el_Fna.jpg" by Boris Macek, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Marrakech, Morocco (5421595453) (5) (Marrakech)
Photo: YoTuT from United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Morocco imperial cities & Sahara Best season (general guide): Mar–May, Sep–Nov

This route crosses Morocco from its busiest city, through the Atlas Mountains to the edge of the Sahara, and back north to its oldest imperial capital. From Hong Kong, expect to connect in the Gulf or Europe on the way to Marrakech. After that, everything goes by road, and you fly home from Fes.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Marrakech: day one, Jemaa el-Fna; day two, souks and Bahia Palace; day three, Majorelle Garden. Then spend days four and five in Merzouga (Sahara): day four, over the High Atlas via Aït Benhaddou and the gorges; day five, Erg Chebbi, then desert camp. Then spend days six to eight in Fes: day six, north through the Middle Atlas to Fes; day seven, Fes el-Bali with a guide, then tanneries; day eight, free day in the medina.

Marrakech is lively from the start: the Jemaa el-Fna square, the souks that branch off it, the Bahia Palace and the Majorelle Garden. The road east climbs over the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass, past the fortified village of Aït Benhaddou, and through the Dades and Todra gorges, so the drive to Merzouga makes a long day on the road. At Merzouga, the orange dunes of Erg Chebbi rise beside the village, and a night in a desert camp is the highlight for many people. The road north to Fes passes cedar forests in the Middle Atlas. In Fes, the medina's alleys, the dye pits of the tanneries and the craft workshops are best explored with a local guide.

Spring, from March to May, and autumn, from September to November, are the best times for this combination. In July and August, Merzouga and Fes are both very hot. Winter days can be pleasant, but desert nights get close to freezing, so warm layers are needed whatever the season.

Many travellers hire a driver for the long drive from Marrakech to Merzouga and on to Fes, since public transport to the desert is limited. Medina guesthouses, called riads, usually sit down lanes that cars can't reach, so expect to walk the last stretch with your luggage.

Suggested outline

  1. Hong Kong

    Start

  2. Marrakech

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    The medina's souks surround Jemaa el-Fna square, which fills with food stalls in the evening.

  3. Merzouga (Sahara)

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    Reached by a long road trip over the High Atlas. Camel or 4x4 trips go out to camps in the Erg Chebbi dunes.

    Erg Chebbi
    "Merzouga_Dunes_2011.jpg" by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

  4. Fes

    Overland · 3 nights suggested

    Fes el-Bali is a car-free medieval medina, known for its leather tanneries and the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university.

    Fes el Bali
    "Fes_Bab_Bou_Jeloud_2011.jpg" by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Marrakech — Arrive; Jemaa el-Fna· Hong Kong → Marrakech (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Marrakech — Souks and Bahia Palace
  3. Day 3 · Marrakech — Majorelle Garden
  4. Day 4 · Merzouga (Sahara) — Over the High Atlas via Aït Benhaddou and the gorges· Marrakech → Merzouga, Sahara (overland)
  5. Day 5 · Merzouga (Sahara) — Erg Chebbi; desert camp
  6. Day 6 · Fes — North through the Middle Atlas to Fes· Merzouga, Sahara → Fes (overland)
  7. Day 7 · Fes — Fes el-Bali with a guide; tanneries
  8. Day 8 · Fes — Free day in the medina
  9. Day 9 · Fes — Travel home from Fes· Fes → Hong Kong (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

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Marrakech

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Merzouga (Sahara)

Nearest airport: Marrakech Search fares · Marrakech ↗

Fes

Nearest airport: Fez

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