A family crossing from Fes to Marrakech with something for every age: monkeys in the cedar forest, a camel ride, sandboarding, a canyon to walk through and a kasbah that looks like a film set, because it is one.
Tour overview
A family crossing from Fes to Marrakech with something for every age: monkeys in the cedar forest, a camel ride, sandboarding, a canyon to walk through and a kasbah that looks like a film set, because it is one. After the first long drive the days are short, with a free day in the desert to run in the dunes.
Our 5 Day Family Morocco Tour from Fes begins in Fes and ends in Marrakech, covering about 1,100 km by road over five days. Along the way you will experience the Tizi n'Tichka pass over the High Atlas, the UNESCO-listed ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades Valley and Todra Gorge, 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, one night in a comfortable hotel in Merzouga, one night in a kasbah-style guesthouse in the Dades Valley and one night in a riad or boutique hotel in Ouarzazate. 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 families with children of almost any age. We keep the stages short, build in time to run about and can shorten or skip anything that does not work for your family on the day. 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
A day of changing landscapes for the whole family. From Fes the road climbs to Ifrane and the cedar forest, where children can see Barbary macaques up close.
After the high pastures, lunch is in Midelt, with plenty of breaks along the way. In the afternoon the Ziz gorges and the palm-filled valley make a good stop for photos.
After Erfoud the dunes appear, and in Merzouga everyone climbs onto a camel for the ride into Erg Chebbi at sunset. Dinner, drums and a night in a desert tent follow.
Children who manage an early start are rewarded with a spectacular sunrise from the top of a dune, and with the fun of rolling or sliding back down. After breakfast in camp the family returns to Merzouga by camel or 4x4.
The 4x4 adventure that follows is a highlight for all ages. In Khamlia, Gnawa musicians invite children to try the drums and the iron castanets, and in the black desert a nomad family welcomes you to their tent, where young visitors can meet the goats and baby camels. Fossil hunting among the rocks is another favourite.
The afternoon is free for the pool or sandboarding, and the night is in a family-friendly hotel at the foot of the dunes.
Children who wake early can climb a dune for sunrise and slide back down before breakfast. Then a camel or 4x4 brings the family back to Merzouga.
On the way west you stop in Rissani, where, on market days, children love the donkey park beside the souk. The road then crosses a stony plain with lines of holes from the old khettara water channels, a good chance to explain how oases were watered.
Todra Gorge is a favourite with families: a shady canyon where everyone can paddle in the stream. After the walk, a short drive takes you to the Dades Valley for dinner and the night.
An easy day after the desert, with short drives that suit children. You follow the Dades River down to Kalaat M'Gouna, where the family can watch rose petals being turned into rosewater at a small cooperative.
In the palm grove of Skoura you explore Kasbah Amridil, a real earthen castle with towers, hidden rooms and an old olive press that children love to discover.
You reach Ouarzazate in the early afternoon. The Atlas Film Studios, with their giant sets of temples and palaces, are a favourite with young travellers, and Taourirt Kasbah is the alternative. You spend the night at a family-friendly hotel in Ouarzazate.
A shorter drive makes today easy for children. After breakfast you leave Ouarzazate and drive half an hour west to Ait Ben Haddou.
Ait Ben Haddou looks like a sandcastle come to life. Children love hopping across the river on the stepping stones and climbing the lanes to the granary at the top, with a wide view of the valley.
After lunch the road crosses the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka, with stops whenever anyone needs a break, and you reach Marrakech in the late afternoon.
Your driver drops you at your hotel in Marrakech, which marks the end of the tour. We will happily arrange an extra night or your airport transfer.
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.
The tour ends at your accommodation in Marrakech or at Menara Airport. On tours that arrive in the evening, we recommend booking a flight for the following day.
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 1,100 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 Marrakech. Tell us what you have in mind and we will adjust the route and send a new quote.
Yes, it was planned with children in mind. Driving days are kept short, there are frequent stops, the camel ride can be shortened or replaced by a 4x4 transfer, and we book family or connecting rooms where they exist. Child seats are provided on request.
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.
Night 3
Kasbah-style guesthouse
A family-run guesthouse or kasbah hotel built in the local earthen style, with en-suite rooms, a terrace over the valley and a home-cooked dinner.
Night 4
Riad or boutique hotel
A traditional house built around a courtyard, in or beside the old town, with individually decorated rooms and breakfast served on the roof terrace or in the patio.
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.
Quick answers for planning your 5 day family Morocco tour from Fes with Magic Morocco Tours.
5 days in Morocco on this route means about 1,100 km by private vehicle from Fes to Marrakech, with nights in Erg Chebbi dunes, Dades Valley and Ouarzazate. Spent this way, your 5 days in Morocco leave time to cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass and to walk through the UNESCO ksar of Ait Ben Haddou.
The 5 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 – Rissani – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley; day 4, Dades Valley – Valley of Roses – Skoura – Ouarzazate; day 5, Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Tizi n'Tichka – Marrakech. As the tour is private, this 5 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.
