Our most balanced route between Fes and Marrakech.
Tour overview
Our most balanced route between Fes and Marrakech. A full day in Merzouga follows the drive south, and the road west is taken in three short stages with nights in the Dades Valley and beside Ait Ben Haddou, which leaves time to walk, photograph and stop wherever something catches your eye.
Our 5 Day Fes to Marrakech Desert Tour 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 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
The tour starts with the great journey south. Leaving Fes early, you climb to Ifrane, a mountain resort with an Alpine look, and drive through the cedar forest, where Barbary macaques often appear.
Across the high plateau and the Col du Zad you reach Midelt for lunch, beneath the peak of Jbel Ayachi. Then the Ziz gorges lead to a viewpoint over the green Ziz Valley and its palm groves.
After Erfoud the first orange dunes appear. In Merzouga you swap the car for a camel and ride into Erg Chebbi for sunset, with dinner and drumming at the camp.
Before breakfast, slip out of the tent and climb a dune: sunrise over Erg Chebbi lasts only a few minutes but colours everything pink and orange. After eating in camp you go back to Merzouga by camel or 4x4.
The middle of the day belongs to a 4x4 tour of the desert's edges. Khamlia is the first stop, a village where the descendants of Saharan travellers play Gnawa music. Then comes the black desert, a vast plain of dark pebbles where you visit a nomad family for tea and see how they live with very little water.
You return to your hotel in the afternoon for a rest, a swim or a sandboarding session, and stay the night at the foot of the dunes before heading west through the gorges.
Watch the sun rise over the sand sea from a ridge near camp, then head back to Merzouga for breakfast before the day's drive.
You leave the desert by Rissani, once the caravan terminus of Sijilmassa, and if it is Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday you can walk through its busy souk. The road then crosses a plateau where rows of mounds mark the old khettara irrigation channels.
By early afternoon you reach Tinghir and walk into Todra Gorge between walls of orange rock. From there the road follows the valley to the Dades, where gardens and kasbahs lead to your guesthouse.
A gentle day with plenty of time for visits. You head down the Dades Valley, lined with crumbling kasbahs and orchards, to Kalaat M'Gouna, the town of the Damascus rose, where a cooperative shows how the petals are distilled into rosewater and essential oil.
In the oasis of Skoura you visit Kasbah Amridil, a family fortress of rammed earth that still keeps its old olive press, grain stores and painted ceilings.
You arrive in Ouarzazate for lunch, with the afternoon free for Taourirt Kasbah, the former residence of the Glaoui family, or the Atlas Film Studios, before the night at your hotel in town.
This morning you leave Ouarzazate and drive west for half an hour to the most famous kasbah village in Morocco.
Ait Ben Haddou, a short drive away, is a fortified village of earthen houses listed by UNESCO. You cross the river, climb through the ksar to its granary and look out over the valley to the High Atlas.
After lunch the road climbs over the Tizi n'Tichka, with stops at the viewpoints, and brings you down to Marrakech by late afternoon.
Your adventure ends with your arrival in Marrakech and a drop-off at your hotel. Let us know in advance if you would like one more night or an airport ride.
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.
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.
