Ifrane
A mountain town about 1,650 metres up, with pitched red roofs, wide streets and a park around a small lake. It looks nothing like the medina you left that morning.
Fes, Morocco· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
A snow day in the Middle Atlas, from Fes
In most winters, snow falls on the cedar forests an hour south of Fes. We drive you up to Ifrane and Michlifen, walk among the Azrou cedars where the Barbary macaques live, and bring you back to your riad by evening. Private, and only on days when snow is likely.
- Private car and driver
- Planned around the forecast
- Back in Fes by evening
Where the snow falls
Four stops in the cedar country between Fes and Azrou. We pick the order on the morning, from the forecast and the roads.
Michlifen
The snowy slopes just outside Ifrane, where Moroccan families come to sledge and build snowmen on a winter weekend. Bring gloves.
The Azrou cedars
Old Atlas cedars, and the Barbary macaques that live among them. Your driver knows where they tend to gather. Please don't feed them.
On the way: Ifrane National Park
Dayet Aoua
A lake in the hills on the way back to Fes, quiet in winter, with snow on the ridges above it in a good year.
An hour from the medina, the cedars are white.
IfraneHow the day runs
About eight to nine hours, door to door. Slower if the snow is good.
The evening before
We check the forecast together
If snow is unlikely, we say so, and you decide whether to go anyway or keep the day for something else.
Morning
Up through the cedar road
Your driver collects you at the riad gate. The road climbs out of the Saïss plain into oak and then cedar forest.
Late morning
Snow at Michlifen
Time to play, walk or just look. Children can stay as long as their gloves hold out.
Lunch
Something hot in Ifrane or Azrou
A tagine and mint tea somewhere warm, with a fire if we can find one.
Afternoon
The cedars and the macaques
A walk in the forest, then back down to Fes by way of the lakes, at your riad before dinner.
Snow day questions
The questions people ask us most before they plan a trip.
Is there snow near Fes?
Yes, in most winters. Ifrane sits about 1,650 metres up in the Middle Atlas, roughly an hour's drive south of Fes, and snow falls there and in the cedar forests around Azrou on some days between December and February, occasionally into March. It is never guaranteed, so we watch the forecast with you and only commit the day when snow is likely.
What if there is no snow on the day?
The day still works. The cedar forest, the macaques, Ifrane's red-roofed streets and the Dayet Aoua lake are worth seeing in any weather. If the forecast is clear, we tell you before you confirm, and you can swap the day for something else.
Can the roads close?
After heavy snowfall the authorities sometimes close mountain roads for a few hours or longer. Your driver checks conditions on the morning of the trip and changes the route if needed. Safety comes before the plan.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes. Families play in the snow at Michlifen, and children usually like the macaques in the cedars most. Bring warm layers, gloves and waterproof shoes; the medina is mild in winter, but the mountains are much colder.
How much does the snow day cost?
We don't publish prices. The day is private, with your own driver and an optional guide, and we quote it for your date and group. Tell us when you're in Fes and we send a written plan.
Tell us when you're in Fes. We'll watch the snow for you.
- Tell us what drew you in. Your dates, who is travelling and what you want to see.
- A person reads it. We write a day-by-day plan for your group, private or small-group.
- You change anything. Then we confirm the guides, drivers and riads.