Ifrane
Ifrane looks unlike the rest of Morocco by design. It was built during the French protectorate in an alpine style, and sits high enough in the Middle Atlas to see snow in winter. The cedar forests nearby are home to Barbary macaques, and it makes a natural stop between Fez and the south.
Planning a visit to Ifrane
How long to stay
A half day is enough for Ifrane and the cedar forest, and a full day lets you add Azrou. It is about 65 km southeast of Fez, roughly one to one and a half hours by road, so it fits as a break on the drive south.
What a visit looks like
Ifrane is a tidy mountain town of chalet-style houses, often called Morocco's Little Switzerland. The cedar forests around Azrou are home to Barbary macaques, the only wild monkeys in Africa north of the Sahara. Please don't feed them.
When to go
Spring and autumn are best for forest walks. July and August can be hot at midday. Snow usually falls between late November and March, and the Michlifen area is the nearby ski spot, though snow is not guaranteed.
How it fits with the rest of a trip
Ifrane and Azrou are on the road from Fez to the Sahara, and our Fez to Merzouga routes pass through here before the long southern descent through the Ziz valley.
Ifrane in photos
Itineraries that include Ifrane
4-Day Fez to Marrakech Desert Tour via the Sahara
A private 4-day Fez to Marrakech desert tour through Ifrane and Azrou, Merzouga, the Todra Gorge and Ait Ben Haddou. The shortest way from Fez to Marrakech through the Sahara: Ifrane and Azrou, a night at a desert hotel and a night in a luxury camp, Todra Gorge, Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou.
Visits Fez · Sahara Desert · Todra and Dades Gorges · Ouarzazate · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · +1 more
From€917(≈ $1,025 USD)€1,079 (≈ $1,205 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
7-Day Casablanca to Marrakech Tour via Fez and the Sahara
A private 7-day Casablanca to Marrakech tour that runs through the imperial cities and out into the Sahara. You see Rabat, Volubilis and Meknes on the way to Fez, spend a night in a desert camp at Erg Chebbi, and come back over the High Atlas past Ait Benhaddou, finishing with a full guided day in Marrakech.
Visits Rabat · Fez · Sahara Desert · Todra and Dades Gorges · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · +5 more
From€1,741(≈ $1,945 USD)€2,048 (≈ $2,290 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
7-Day Family Morocco Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech
A private 7-day family tour of Morocco from Casablanca to Marrakech, built around things children actually remember: a giant mosque over the sea, the blue streets of Chefchaouen, Roman mosaics, wild monkeys in the cedar forest and a night under the stars in a Sahara camp. The pace is gentle at the start and gets wilder as the trip goes on.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Todra and Dades Gorges · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · +5 more
From€1,741(≈ $1,945 USD)€2,048 (≈ $2,290 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
8-Day Marrakech Loop Tour via the Sahara, Fez and Chefchaouen
A private 8-day loop from Marrakech that goes straight into the Atlas and the Sahara, swings north through Fez and Chefchaouen, and returns down the Atlantic coast through Rabat and Casablanca. It spends two nights at Erg Chebbi and a full day in Fez, and the last day brings you back to Marrakech for your flight or onward trip.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Todra and Dades Gorges · Sahara Desert · Fez · Chefchaouen · +5 more
From€2,205(≈ $2,465 USD)€2,594 (≈ $2,900 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
8-Day Fez to Marrakech Tour via the Sahara and the Rose Valley
A private 8-day Fez to Marrakech tour that heads straight for the Sahara and then takes the long way over the Atlas. You get an afternoon in the Fez medina, a night in a desert camp, two nights in the Todra and Dades valleys, a night in Ouarzazate and a full day in Marrakech.
Visits Fez · Sahara Desert · Todra and Dades Gorges · Ouarzazate · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · +1 more
From€2,017(≈ $2,255 USD)€2,373 (≈ $2,650 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
8-Day Casablanca Loop Tour via Marrakech, the Sahara and Chefchaouen
A private 8-day loop from Casablanca that runs south to Marrakech, across the Atlas to the Sahara, up to Fez and the Rif, and back to Casablanca. It includes two nights in the Erg Chebbi dunes, a full guided day in Fez and a night in Chefchaouen, and you fly out from the same airport you arrived at.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Todra and Dades Gorges · Sahara Desert · Fez · Chefchaouen · +5 more
From€2,017(≈ $2,255 USD)€2,373 (≈ $2,650 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
9-Day Morocco Tour from Marrakech to Casablanca via the Sahara and Chefchaouen
A private one-way 9-day Morocco tour from Marrakech to Casablanca. It starts with a guided day in the Marrakech medina, crosses the Atlas to the Sahara for two nights in the dunes, goes north through Fez to a night in Chefchaouen, and finishes down the coast through Rabat to your flight from Casablanca.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Todra and Dades Gorges · Sahara Desert · Fez · Chefchaouen · +6 more
From€2,575(≈ $2,875 USD)€3,029 (≈ $3,385 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
10-Day Morocco Tour from Fez to Marrakech via the Sahara and Essaouira
A private 10-day Morocco tour that starts in Fez and ends in Marrakech, with three nights in the Fez medina, a night in Chefchaouen and two nights in the Sahara. It finishes with a day trip to Essaouira and a guided morning in Marrakech.
Visits Fez · Chefchaouen · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +4 more
From€2,625(≈ $2,935 USD)€3,088 (≈ $3,450 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
10-Day Imperial Cities and Sahara Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech
A private 10-day Morocco tour from Casablanca to Marrakech that links the Atlantic coast, the blue Rif, the imperial cities and the Sahara. You get two nights at Erg Chebbi, a full day in Fez, a night in Ouarzazate and a morning in Marrakech before you leave, with no day rushed.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Todra and Dades Gorges · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · +6 more
From€2,625(≈ $2,935 USD)€3,088 (≈ $3,450 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
10-Day Morocco Tour from Tangier via the Imperial Cities, Sahara and Essaouira
A private 10-day Morocco tour that runs south from Tangier through Tetouan and Chefchaouen to Fez, the Sahara, the Atlas kasbahs and Marrakech, finishing on the Atlantic coast at Essaouira. The route has a full guided day in each of Fez and Marrakech and a night in the Sahara, without doubling back.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +5 more
From€2,625(≈ $2,935 USD)€3,088 (≈ $3,450 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
12-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Casablanca via Tangier, the Sahara and Essaouira
A private 12-day Morocco tour that starts at Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque and works clockwise round the country: the Atlantic coast to Tangier, the blue Rif, Fez, two nights in the Sahara, the Atlas kasbahs, Marrakech and finally Essaouira. It is the full country in one trip, with a guided day in each of the two great medinas.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +7 more
From€3,591(≈ $4,010 USD)€4,225 (≈ $4,720 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
13-Day Grand Morocco Circuit from Casablanca
A private 13-day circuit that leaves Casablanca and returns to it, so you fly in and out of the same airport. It takes in two nights in Chefchaouen, a guided day in Fez, a night in the Sahara, two nights in Marrakech with a free day, and the Atlantic coast through Essaouira and El Jadida on the way back.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +7 more
From€4,752(≈ $5,310 USD)€5,590 (≈ $6,245 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
14-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Marrakech
A private 14-day Morocco tour from Marrakech that circles the whole country in one trip: the Red City, the Atlas and the Sahara, Fez and the Roman and imperial north, the blue streets of Chefchaouen, Tangier and the Atlantic coast, finishing in Essaouira before a last night in Marrakech. It is the slowest way to see Morocco, with long stays in the places that deserve them.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Sahara Desert · Fez · Chefchaouen · Essaouira · +7 more
From€4,006(≈ $4,475 USD)€4,713 (≈ $5,265 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
15-Day Morocco Circuit from Casablanca with Akchour Hike and Essaouira
A private 15-day circuit that leaves from and returns to Casablanca, built for travellers who want time as well as sights. It includes a guided hike to the Akchour waterfalls, two nights in the Sahara, a full guided day in both Fez and Marrakech, and a free day in Essaouira before the Atlantic coast road back to Casablanca.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +7 more
From€7,459(≈ $8,335 USD)€8,775 (≈ $9,805 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
15-Day Morocco Tour from Casablanca via Rabat, Asilah and Ait Benhaddou
A private 15-day Morocco tour from Casablanca that gives each region its own night: Rabat, Chefchaouen with an Akchour hike, Fez, two nights in the Sahara, a night in Ouarzazate, Marrakech and Essaouira. The coast road through Asilah and El Jadida bookends the trip, so you finish in Casablanca where you began.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +8 more
From€7,625(≈ $8,520 USD)€8,970 (≈ $10,020 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room