Flying into Errachidia puts you two hours from the dunes, so this tour starts with the desert instead of ending with it.
Tour overview
Flying into Errachidia puts you two hours from the dunes, so this tour starts with the desert instead of ending with it. You have a camel trek and a night in camp on arrival, a full day around Erg Chebbi by 4x4, and a scenic drive north through the Ziz Valley and the cedar forests to Fes.
Our 3 Day Errachidia to Fes Desert Tour begins in Errachidia and ends in Fes, covering about 660 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 3, 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 driver-guide meets you at Errachidia airport, the bus station or your hotel. The dunes are only a couple of hours away, which leaves time to enjoy the road: first the lookout over the Ziz Valley, where a canyon packed with date palms runs to the horizon, then the oasis villages along the river.
In Erfoud you can visit a fossil workshop, and in Rissani walk through the old gate into the market of a town that was once the great caravan port of Sijilmassa. If you are hungry, this is the place to try madfouna, the stuffed flatbread sometimes called Berber pizza.
You arrive in Merzouga in the afternoon, leave your luggage and set out by camel across Erg Chebbi for sunset. Dinner, a campfire and a night in a desert camp complete the first day.
Set an alarm for dawn and climb the dune behind the tents: the first light turns Erg Chebbi from grey to rose to copper in a matter of minutes. After breakfast you ride or drive back to the village and freshen up.
The rest of the day explores the edges of the erg by 4x4. In Khamlia, a village founded by families whose ancestors crossed the Sahara from the south, Gnawa musicians play drums and iron castanets for you over a glass of tea. The track then crosses the black stony plain, passing the abandoned lead mines, to the tent of a nomad family who share tea and talk about life with their herds.
Back at the hotel the afternoon is free for the pool, a sandboard session or a quad ride, and the night is spent at the foot of the dunes.
Sunrise over the dunes, then breakfast, and you begin the long drive north to Fes. The first highlight is the Ziz Valley, a deep canyon filled with palm trees, seen from a viewpoint above it.
The road continues through the Ziz gorges and a tunnel cut in the 1920s, and up to Midelt, where you have lunch with the High Atlas behind you.
In the afternoon you cross the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, where Barbary macaques often wait by the road, and pass through Ifrane, before arriving in Fes in the evening.
In Fes the tour is over; your driver accompanies you to your hotel. Extra nights and airport drop-offs are available whenever you need them.
Good to know
Before you go
Your driver meets you at Errachidia Moulay Ali Cherif Airport, the bus station or your hotel. If you arrive on the evening flight, we can adjust the first day or add a night.
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 3, with 7.5–8 hours on the road, and the other days are noticeably shorter. In total the tour covers about 660 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 finish somewhere other than 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.
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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.
