A round trip from Fes for travellers who want real time in the desert, not just a night.
Tour overview
A round trip from Fes for travellers who want real time in the desert, not just a night. With a full day in Merzouga between the two drives, you see Erg Chebbi by camel and by 4x4, meet nomad families and Gnawa musicians, and still return to Fes on the third evening.
Our 3 Day Fes to Merzouga Desert Tour starts and finishes in Fes, covering about 1,000 km by road over three days. Along the way you will experience a sunset camel trek in the dunes of Erg Chebbi, a night in a desert camp, tea with nomad families and Gnawa music in Khamlia and the cedar forests and Barbary macaques of the Middle Atlas. Each stop is a real visit on foot, with your driver-guide explaining what you are looking at and local people adding their own stories.
Accommodation is chosen for character and location rather than size: one night in a desert camp in the dunes of Erg Chebbi and one night in a comfortable hotel in Merzouga. You travel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle, a 4x4 or a minibus depending on the size of your party, with an English-speaking driver-guide who knows these roads well. Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese-speaking guides are available on request.
It suits travellers who have only a few days but still want to reach the real Sahara: couples, friends, solo travellers and families with older children who are comfortable with some time in the car. The longest day on the road is day 1, with 7.5–8 hours of driving; every other day is shorter, and all of them are broken up by visits and stops. Like all our tours it is fully private, so the plan below can be lengthened, shortened or rearranged to fit your dates.
Highlights
Detailed itinerary
Your desert trip starts with an early pick-up in Fes. The road climbs into the Middle Atlas to Ifrane, a town of sloping roofs and parks, and then through the cedar forest, where Barbary macaques gather by the trees.
After the open plateau and the Col du Zad, you stop for lunch in Midelt, at the foot of Jbel Ayachi. The afternoon descends through the Ziz gorges to a viewpoint over a valley filled with date palms.
Beyond Erfoud the orange dunes appear. In Merzouga you leave the car for a camel and ride into Erg Chebbi as the sun goes down, then enjoy dinner and music at your desert camp.
It is worth waking early: the sunrise over Erg Chebbi is short and colours the dunes from grey to pink to deep orange in a few minutes. After breakfast at the camp you return to Merzouga, by camel or by 4x4 as you prefer, with time for a shower before the day's exploring.
Today is spent around the dunes rather than on the road. A 4x4 circuit takes you to Khamlia, a village whose families descend from people brought across the Sahara, and where Gnawa musicians play their hypnotic rhythms for visitors. From there the track continues past old lead mines to the dark volcanic plain known as the black desert, where nomad families still pitch their woven tents; you are welcomed for tea and can ask about a way of life that follows water and pasture.
In season a shallow lake near the village sometimes attracts flamingos, and fossil hunters will enjoy the beds of ancient sea creatures in the rock. The afternoon is yours: rest by the pool, try sandboarding, or add a quad or buggy ride. Dinner and the night are in a hotel at the foot of the dunes, or back in the camp if you would like a second night under the stars.
After sunrise and breakfast you turn north. The first part of the road follows the Ziz River, and at the viewpoint above Aoufous the whole valley lies below: a canyon filled wall to wall with date palms, more than a million of them, and earthen villages along its edges.
Beyond Errachidia the road passes through the Ziz gorges and a tunnel cut by French legionnaires, then climbs to the high plain of Midelt, an apple-growing town between the High and Middle Atlas where we stop for lunch.
The afternoon crosses the Middle Atlas: volcanic plateaux, flocks of sheep, and the cedar forest near Azrou where Barbary macaques come to the roadside. Ifrane, built in the 1930s with pitched roofs and clean streets, feels more Alpine than African and deserves a short stroll. You reach Fes in the evening and check in to your riad.
Arriving in Fes marks the end of the trip. You are taken to your hotel; tell us if you would like us to organise one more night or the airport run.
Good to know
Before you go
Pickup is from your riad or hotel in Fes, or from Fes-Saïss Airport, at around 8:00 am. For riads inside the medina, your driver meets you at the closest gate.
You are dropped at your riad or hotel in Fes, or at Fes-Saïss Airport. If the tour arrives in the evening, plan your flight for the next morning or later.
A different start or end point is rarely a problem. Because every tour is private, we can begin in one city and finish in another; tell us where you are staying and we will adapt the route and the quote.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable seasons for this route. Days are warm and clear, nights are mild, and in April and May the valleys of the south are green and the roses of Kalaat M'Gouna are in bloom.
Winter is a good time for the desert if you bring warm clothes: skies are bright and the dunes are quiet, but temperatures after dark can fall to around freezing and the High Atlas passes occasionally close for a few hours after snow. In July and August the Sahara is very hot in the afternoon, so we shift the camel trek later, start driving earlier and can recommend a camp with air-cooled tents.
During Ramadan the tour runs as normal. Some restaurants close during the day in smaller towns, your driver-guide will know where to stop, and evenings are especially lively after sunset.
Questions and answers
Yes. You travel only with the people in your own party, in a private vehicle with your own driver-guide. That means you choose the departure date, set the pace and can stop wherever you like along the way.
It varies from day to day. The longest stretch is on day 1, with 7.5–8 hours on the road, and the other days are noticeably shorter. In total the tour covers about 1,000 km. All times are approximate and broken up by visits, lunch and photo stops.
Camps in Erg Chebbi have real beds with sheets and blankets, a dining tent and a fire circle. You choose between two options. Our mid-range luxury camp has private tents with en-suite bathrooms, hot showers and comfortable bedding. Our luxury camp has more spacious tents with air conditioning and heating, high-quality bedding and premium bathroom amenities. Dinner and breakfast are served at the camp.
No. The camel trek is included and most guests enjoy it, but if you prefer, we take you to the camp by 4x4. This is also what we suggest for very young children, pregnant travellers and anyone with back or knee problems.
Yes. The programme on this page is a starting point. We can add nights, swap stops, upgrade accommodation or end the tour in another city instead of returning to Fes. Tell us what you have in mind and we will adjust the route and send a new quote.
March to May and September to November offer the most comfortable temperatures. Winter is clear and quiet but cold at night in the desert; in July and August the Sahara is very hot, and we adjust the timings accordingly.
Prices are always quoted on request: the price depends on the number of travellers, the season and the accommodation category, so we quote each request individually. Send us your dates and group size by WhatsApp or email and we will reply with a detailed quote. You can ask for as many changes as you need before confirming.
Accommodation
Carefully selected riads, guesthouses, hotels and desert camps. The exact properties are confirmed with your quote, in the category you choose.
Night 1
Desert camp in Erg Chebbi
A camp among the dunes with proper beds and bedding in each tent, a dining tent and a fire circle. We offer two options, both with private tents, en-suite bathrooms and hot showers: a mid-range luxury camp, and a luxury camp with more spacious tents, air conditioning and heating.
Night 2
Comfortable hotel
A well-located hotel with en-suite rooms, chosen for comfort and convenience after a day on the road.
Your night in the Sahara
We offer two camps in the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Tell us which one you prefer when you enquire.
Included in this tour
Upgrade on request
Gallery
The places you will stand in on this route, in the order you reach them.
Similar tours
Fes · Merzouga · Dades Valley · Marrakech
Fes · Merzouga · Dades Valley · Ait Ben Haddou · Marrakech
Marrakech · Dades Valley · Merzouga · Marrakech
Tell us your dates and group size, and we will send you this itinerary with a personal quote. You can change anything you like before confirming.
Quick answers for planning your 3 day Fes to Merzouga desert tour with Magic Morocco Tours.
3 days in Morocco on this route means about 1,000 km by private vehicle starting and ending in Fes, with nights in Erg Chebbi dunes. Spent this way, your 3 days in Morocco leave time to ride a camel into Erg Chebbi at sunset and to spend a night in a Sahara desert camp.
The 3 day Morocco itinerary, day by day: day 1, Fes – Ifrane – Cedar Forest – Midelt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga; day 2, Merzouga – Khamlia – Nomad Families – Erg Chebbi by 4x4; day 3, Merzouga – Ziz Valley – Midelt – Cedar Forest – Ifrane – Fes. As the tour is private, this 3 day Morocco itinerary can be changed before or during the trip.
As a Fes to Merzouga desert tour, this trip reaches the Erg Chebbi dunes on day 1. There you ride a camel into the dunes and spend a night at a mid-range luxury desert camp (luxury camp on request). Shorter and longer Fes to Merzouga desert tour options are on our Tours from Fes page.
