Marrakech → Merzouga → Fes
Our 4-day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes goes at a calmer pace, with nights at Ait Ben Haddou, in the Dades Valley and at a Merzouga desert camp.
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One-way tour: starts in Marrakech, finishes in Fes. Want to end somewhere else? Ask us for a custom route. Custom tour
The four-day route covers the same ground as the 3-day tour but splits that first long drive in two, so you actually get time in the places along the way. You sleep the first night near Ait Ben Haddou. Next day you follow the kasbahs and palm groves of Skoura and the Rose Valley to the Dades Valley. On day three you walk in the Todra Gorge on the way to Merzouga, ride a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset and sleep at a desert camp. The last day crosses the Middle Atlas to Fes.
The tour is one-way: it starts in Marrakech and finishes in Fes. It's a good fit if you're heading on to Fes or the north of Morocco and want desert, kasbahs and mountain scenery without a string of very long days. If you need to end in Marrakech or elsewhere, ask us about a custom tour.
The first two days are fairly easy. Day three is full and ends with the camel trek, and the last leg to Fes is long, around 8–9 hours with stops. For an extra day in the desert, have a look at the 5-day tour.
Day 1
We pick you up from your hotel or riad in Marrakech in the morning. The road winds up through Amazigh villages and terraced valleys into the High Atlas and over the Tizi n'Tichka pass. We stop at the viewpoints on the way.
You get to Ait Ben Haddou in the afternoon, with time to walk up through the ksar. It's a fortified earthen village, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you may recognise it from a film or two. A local guide is optional (paid on site). Because you sleep here, you can see the ksar in the late afternoon light, once most of the day visitors have gone.
Stops: High Atlas villages · Tizi n'Tichka pass · Ait Ben Haddou
Day 2
Less driving today. We go through Ouarzazate and stop near the Taourirt Kasbah, then carry on to the palm grove of Skoura with its old earthen kasbahs. Further east the road runs along the Rose Valley around Kelaat M'Gouna, known for its damask roses and rose products. The harvest is usually in spring.
You reach the Dades Valley in the afternoon. Here the road twists between odd rock formations and small villages. If there's time, you can go for a short walk before dinner.
Stops: Ouarzazate (Taourirt Kasbah) · Skoura palm grove · Rose Valley (Kelaat M'Gouna) · Dades Valley
Day 3
After breakfast we drive to Tinghir and you walk into the Todra Gorge, where the canyon closes in between high rock walls. Then we continue through Tinejdad and Erfoud to Merzouga, right at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Late in the afternoon a local camel guide leads you on foot into the dunes as the sun sets. You get to the desert camp in time for dinner. On a clear night the sky is full of stars. Pack a small bag for the night, as your main luggage normally stays in the vehicle.
Stops: Tinghir · Todra Gorge (short walk) · Erfoud · Merzouga · Sunset camel trek into Erg Chebbi
Day 4
Up early for sunrise over the dunes, then back by camel for breakfast. Heading north, we pass Rissani and Erfoud and follow the Ziz Valley, looking down on long strips of palm grove, before climbing to Midelt for lunch.
In the afternoon we cross the Middle Atlas through the cedar forests around Azrou and Ifrane. Barbary macaques sometimes hang around near the road. Please don't feed them. You arrive at your hotel or riad in Fes in the evening, after a long day in the vehicle.
Stops: Sunrise in Erg Chebbi · Rissani · Erfoud · Ziz Valley · Midelt (lunch stop) · Ifrane / Azrou area · Fes
About 1,100–1,150 km over four days. Days one and two are around 4–5 h with stops. Day three is around 6–7 h plus the camel trek, and the final day to Fes approx. 8–9 h. You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with a driver who speaks basic English and/or French; we'll confirm the language when you book. On a private tour you have the vehicle to yourselves. On a shared tour you're in a minibus with other travellers.
Dinner and breakfast are normally included all three nights (3 breakfasts, 3 dinners). Lunch isn't, but your driver stops at local restaurants along the way.
No, it's one-way and finishes in Fes. If you'd like to end in Marrakech or another city, ask us for a custom tour.
The 4-day tour splits the drive from Marrakech to the Dades Valley over two days, with a night near Ait Ben Haddou and time in Skoura and the Rose Valley. The 3-day tour still covers the main sights, but the days are longer.
The rose harvest around Kelaat M'Gouna is usually in spring, often around April–May, though it varies from year to year. The rest of the year you'll still find rose products in the local shops.
On a private tour, yes: pick a standard camp or a luxury camp. Shared tours normally use a standard camp.
From about November to February nights can be cold, sometimes close to freezing. Bring warm layers. The camp provides blankets, and whether there's heating depends on the camp.
3 daysMarrakech → Merzouga → Fes
Our 3-day desert tour from Marrakech takes you over the High Atlas to the Merzouga dunes for a night in a desert camp, and finishes in Fes.
from €120 per person
5 daysMarrakech → Merzouga → Fes
Our 5-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga gives you two nights in the dunes and a whole day for Rissani and Khamlia before you finish in Fes.
from €250 per person
4 daysFes → Merzouga → Marrakech
Our 4-day Fes to Merzouga desert tour runs one way to Marrakech, with a whole day in Merzouga and a night at a desert camp.
from €190 per person
Camel treksThe sunrise camel trek in Merzouga leaves in the half-light and gets you onto a dune crest in Erg Chebbi just as the sun comes up.
from €20 per person
Sunset, stars & photographyDesert stargazing in Merzouga: a short night walk into the dunes, away from camp lights, to look at the sky with the naked eye.
Request a quote
Quad, buggy & 4x4Quad biking in Merzouga: a guided ATV ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes, 1 or 2 hours long, with a safety briefing first so beginners can join.
from €40 per person