3-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga
This 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga is the classic one-way crossing of Morocco: over the High Atlas Mountains, down through the Dades and Todra valleys, into the great dunes of Erg Chebbi for a night in our own desert camp, then north to the imperial city of Fes. You travel in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver, and you never double back on yourself.
Why take the Marrakech to Fes desert route?
Most Sahara trips return to Marrakech, which means driving the same road twice. Ending in Fes turns the journey itself into sightseeing: the Ziz Valley palm oases, the cedar forests of Azrou with their Barbary apes, and the alpine streets of Ifrane. It is the most efficient route if you are continuing north to Chefchaouen or Tangier.
A night in the Erg Chebbi dunes
You ride camels over the dunes at sunset and sleep at our own Merzouga desert camp – private tents with real beds and en-suite bathrooms, dinner around the fire, Berber music, and one of the darkest night skies in Morocco. The camp is ours, so we control the standard rather than subcontracting to whoever has space.
Route at a glance
- Day 1: Marrakech – Tizi n Tichka – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – Boumalne Dades
- Day 2: Boumalne Dades – Todra Gorges – Erfoud – Merzouga desert camp
- Day 3: Merzouga – Ziz Valley – Midelt – Azrou – Ifrane – Fes
Who this tour suits
Three days is the minimum for reaching Erg Chebbi properly without rushing, so this suits travellers with limited time who still want a real Sahara night rather than a nearer, smaller dune field. It works for couples, families and small groups, and the vehicle is private to your party. If you would rather finish back in Marrakech, we run the same route in reverse as a round trip – contact us and we will adjust it.
Tour Highlights
- Cross the High Atlas Mountains over the Tizi n Tichka Pass
- Guided visit of the UNESCO-listed Ait Ben Haddou kasbah
- Ouarzazate, Morocco film capital, and the Atlas Film Studios
- Overnight in Boumalne Dades at the mouth of the Dades Gorge
- Walk the 300-metre limestone walls of the Todra Gorges
- Sunset camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga
- Night in our own desert camp - private en-suite tents, fire and Berber music
- Sunrise over the Sahara before heading north
- Ziz Valley palm oases, Barbary apes at Azrou and alpine Ifrane
- One-way route ending in the imperial city of Fes - no backtracking
