Day Trip To The Middle Atlas
- 8 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
The rugged roads of the Atlas Mountains are not for the faint-hearted. So leave the driving to the professionals and appreciate the sweeping views as you explore three traditional villages: Imouzzer, Ifrane, and Azrou. See scenic lakes, flower-lined alleyways, Barbary apes, and traditional Berber crafts. Enjoy a cup of tea in a Berber cave house and talk to locals about their lives, cultures, and traditions. This small-group tour is door-to-door. Visit three Middle Atlas villages: Imouzzer, Ifrane, and Azrou, Safrou, Bhalil Meet Berbers in a traditional cave house and learn about their culture Take it easy with door-to-door round-trip transfers.
Inclusions
What's included
- Private transportation
- Professional English- and French-speaking driver
- Air-conditioned vehicle
Itinerary
The trip leaves Fez at around 10am for an exciting 30km drive towards the south across the breadbasket of Morocco to the foothills of the Middle Atlas ranges and the small town of Sefrou. Near the town there are some attractive waterfalls. The town has a small authentic medina and on Thursdays there is a souk which, whilst being small in scale, is very traditional. It is a quiet town, an interesting contrast to the hubbub of Fez, except during the Cherry Festival in early June when the place is buzzing for three days.
From Sefrou your journey takes you up the escarpment to the remains of a French military outpost that has spectacular views over the town, surrounding countryside and the distant Rif mountains. The journey continues on to the village of Bahlil which, though pretty in its own right, is most interesting for its cave dwellings, which are still in use today and can be visited with a guide.
From Bahlil the route winds through the countryside southwards to the small 1920s French-built hill station of Immouzèr Du Kandar (1,220m). Here you can stop by the Kasbah for a look at the little medina and take in the pleasant Saiss Plateau and distant Fez, before continuing on to the squeaky-clean Moroccan pseudo-Swiss town of Ifrane (1,650m), with its slanted, russet-tiled roofs hidden amidst a cedar forest which clothes the hills above 1,600m. Ifrane is mainly a winter ski resort and a summer hideaway for rich Moroccans wishing to escape the hustle and heat of the large cities.
After lunch the road takes you alongside the trailing edge of the cedar forest close to Azrou where you will have the chance to undertake a short walk into the forest and if you are lucky you will see, and possibly feed, Barbary macaques, an endangered species. At around 4.30pm you depart the forest returning to Fez at around 6.30pm.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Know before you go
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Morocco Classic Tours
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Fez
- Its from-price is 67% above the median of the 344 city tours we list in Fez.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Fez
Fez is Morocco's old imperial capital and cultural heart, with a vast walled medina of lanes, souks, tanneries and medieval religious schools.
Fes el-Bali, the old medina, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a living medieval city where donkeys and handcarts still carry goods through narrow lanes. Its best-known gateway, the Bab Bou Jeloud with its blue and green tiles, leads into a maze of souks, fountains and old caravanserais.
Top-ranked sights in Fez: Medina of Fez (Fes el-Bali), Bab Bou Jeloud (Bab Boujeloud), Volubilis.
Special offers in Fez
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
