Private Morocco tours · Sahara Desert specialists

Two travellers in desert turbans watching the sunset over Erg Chebbi – 6 Day Honeymoon Desert Tour from Fes

Honeymoon 6 Days / 5 Nights Private tour

6-Day Honeymoon Desert Tour from Fes to Marrakech via Merzouga

A honeymoon that moves slowly on purpose.

  • Private Tour
    Only
  • Local
    Driver-Guides
  • Comfortable
    Vehicles
  • Handpicked
    Accommodation
  • Fully
    Customisable

Tour overview

A Private Journey for Two

A honeymoon that moves slowly on purpose. Short driving days leave the afternoons free, the desert has two nights instead of one, and the places you stay are chosen for atmosphere: a mountain hotel, a luxury camp, a kasbah guesthouse above the Dades and a terrace facing Ait Ben Haddou at sunset.

Our 6 Day Honeymoon Desert Tour from Fes begins in Fes and ends in Marrakech, covering about 1,100 km by road over six 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: 5 nights in all, in riads and boutique hotels in the medinas and old towns, kasbah-style guesthouses in the southern valleys, comfortable hotels where they suit the route better and one night in a desert camp in the dunes of Erg Chebbi. 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 is designed for couples: honeymooners, anniversaries, or simply two people who want a few days to themselves. Everything is private, and the accommodation is chosen for atmosphere as much as comfort. The longest day on the road is day 4, with 4.5–5 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.

  • Duration6 days / 5 nights
  • StartFes
  • EndMarrakech
  • Tour typePrivate honeymoon tour
  • GroupJust your own party
  • LanguagesEnglish, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese
  • TransportPrivate 4x4 or minibus with A/C
  • AccommodationComfortable hotel, Luxury desert camp, Kasbah-style guesthouse and Riad or boutique hotel

Highlights

Tour Highlights

  • Cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass
  • Walk through the UNESCO ksar of Ait Ben Haddou
  • Explore the Dades Valley and Todra Gorge
  • Ride a camel into Erg Chebbi at sunset
  • Spend a night in a Sahara desert camp
  • See the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas

Detailed itinerary

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1

Day 1: Fes – Ifrane – Azrou Cedar Forest – Midelt

  • 200 km
  • 3.5 hours
  • Midelt
  • Dinner
A Barbary macaque in the cedar forest near Azrou

Rather than one long drive to the desert, you take two easy days. Leaving Fes, you climb to Ifrane, a mountain town of stone houses and steep roofs, with a short walk by the lake.

Near Azrou you walk together through a forest of giant cedars, where Barbary macaques live and often come close.

In the afternoon you cross the high plateaux of the Middle Atlas to Midelt, facing the snowy ridge of Jbel Ayachi, where you spend the night in a comfortable hotel.

  • Ifrane, the "Switzerland of Morocco"
  • Stroll in the cedar forest
  • Barbary macaques
  • Views of Jbel Ayachi
Day 2

Day 2: Midelt – Ziz Gorges – Errachidia – Erfoud – Merzouga – Camel Trek

  • 270 km
  • 4.5 hours
  • Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)
  • Breakfast and dinner
A couple walking hand in hand up the orange dunes of Erg Chebbi at Merzouga

From Midelt you cross the eastern High Atlas by the Tizi n'Talghemt pass and descend into the Ziz gorges, where fortified villages cling to the riverbanks.

After Errachidia, a lookout shows the Ziz Valley as a long ribbon of date palms. In Erfoud, workshops polish black marble full of fossils, and you stop for lunch.

You reach Merzouga in the afternoon with plenty of time. Two camels carry you into Erg Chebbi for a relaxed sunset on the dunes, followed by a romantic dinner and a night at your desert camp.

  • Talghemt pass
  • Palm valley of the Ziz Gorges
  • Erfoud fossil workshops
  • Sunset camel trek
Day 3

Day 3: Merzouga – Khamlia – Nomad Families – Erg Chebbi by 4x4

  • 60 km
  • about 2 hours, off-road
  • Merzouga
  • Breakfast and dinner
A traditional nomad tent in the desert near Merzouga

A slow morning for two begins with sunrise over the dunes, watched from a quiet ridge, followed by breakfast at the camp and a return to Merzouga by camel or 4x4.

Later a private 4x4 excursion takes you around the desert: the Gnawa musicians of Khamlia, the open black plain where nomads still live, and tea in a family tent. Your driver can add a stop at the fossil beds or, after rain, at the flamingo lake.

The rest of the day is for each other: the pool, a hammam or a sunset walk in the sand. Dinner and the night are at a hotel by the dunes, or in camp if you would rather stay under the stars.

  • First light on the dunes
  • Gnawa drums at Khamlia
  • Visit to a nomad family
  • Black stone desert and fossils
Day 4

Day 4: Merzouga – Rissani – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley

  • 260 km
  • 4.5–5 hours
  • Dades Valley
  • Breakfast and dinner
Evening light in the Todra Gorge

One last desert sunrise for the two of you, from a ridge above the camp, before a camel ride or 4x4 back to Merzouga for breakfast.

Heading west, you pass through Rissani, the old caravan town of Sijilmassa, with its colourful souk on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and cross a plateau scattered with the mounds of khettara water channels.

In Todra Gorge you walk between towering cliffs beside a clear stream, then drive on to the Dades Valley, where a kasbah guesthouse and a quiet dinner end the day.

  • Sunrise in the dunes
  • Old trading town of Rissani
  • Todra Gorge
  • Kasbahs of the Dades Valley
Day 5

Day 5: Dades Valley – Valley of Roses – Skoura – Ouarzazate

  • 120 km
  • 2.5 hours
  • Ouarzazate
  • Breakfast and dinner
Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate

A gentle day for the two of you. You drive down the Dades Valley to Kalaat M'Gouna, where a small cooperative sells rosewater, rose oil and creams made from the pink roses of the valley, a lovely souvenir of the trip.

In the palm oasis of Skoura you wander together through Kasbah Amridil, an old earthen fortress whose shaded rooms and rooftop terraces look out over the date palms.

After lunch in Ouarzazate, you can visit Taourirt Kasbah or the film studios before checking in to your hotel, where a romantic dinner ends the day.

  • Rose gardens of Kalaat M'Gouna
  • Skoura palm grove
  • Glaoui kasbah of Taourirt
  • Evening in Ouarzazate
Day 6

Day 6: Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Tizi n'Tichka – Marrakech

  • 195 km
  • 4 hours
  • End of the tour
  • Breakfast
Ait Ben Haddou seen from the dry riverbed

Your last day together on the road is an easy one, beginning with a short morning drive west from Ouarzazate to the ksar of Ait Ben Haddou.

The ksar is at its best in the morning, quiet and golden. Walk up its lanes hand in hand to the hilltop granary and take in the view of the valley and the High Atlas.

After lunch the Tizi n'Tichka pass leads you over the mountains to Marrakech, where you arrive in time for a last romantic evening in the medina.

In Marrakech your tour comes to an end at your hotel. Whether you need another night or a transfer to the airport, we can organise it for you.

  • Morning drive to Ait Ben Haddou
  • Stepping stones and lanes of the ksar
  • View from the hilltop granary
  • Tizi n'Tichka crossing to Marrakech

Good to know

What’s Included

Included in the tour

  • Private air-conditioned vehicle (4x4 or minibus, depending on your group size) for the whole tour
  • English-speaking driver-guide; Spanish, Italian, French or Portuguese-speaking guides on request
  • Fuel, tolls and parking
  • Pickup and drop-off at your hotel, riad, airport or port
  • 5 nights of accommodation with breakfast
  • Dinner on the nights shown in the itinerary
  • Sunset camel trek in Erg Chebbi, one camel per person
  • Night in a luxury desert camp with dinner, breakfast and music around the fire
  • Sandboarding at the camp
  • 4x4 excursion around the dunes: Khamlia, nomad families and the black desert
  • Private tent in the desert camp and a romantic dinner set-up for two
  • Free stops for photographs, tea and walks whenever you wish

Not included

  • International and domestic flights
  • Lunches and drinks
  • Entrance fees to monuments, museums and film studios
  • Tips for your driver-guide, local guides and camp staff
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal expenses and optional activities

Optional activities

  • Quad or buggy ride in the dunesOne or two hours on the sand around Erg Chebbi with a guide, bookable on the day in Merzouga.
  • Second night in the desertStay an extra night in camp for a slower pace, a walk in the dunes at dawn and time to do nothing at all.
  • Atlas Film Studios in OuarzazateA guided walk through the sets of films and series shot in the region. Entrance is paid on site.
  • Moroccan cooking classShop for ingredients in the market and learn to prepare a tagine, salads and bread with a local cook.

Before you go

Practical Information

Pickup and drop-off

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.

What to bring
  • Comfortable walking shoes or trainers, plus sandals for the camp
  • Sun hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen
  • Light, loose clothing for the day and a warm layer for the evening
  • A small overnight bag for the desert; your main luggage stays safely in the vehicle or at the hotel in Merzouga
  • A scarf or cheche for the camel ride (you can buy one on the way)
  • A warm jacket from November to March, when desert nights can drop close to freezing
  • Head torch or phone light for the camp
  • Passport and a copy of your travel insurance
  • Cash in Moroccan dirhams for lunches, tips and small purchases; ATMs are scarce between the main towns
  • Camera, spare battery and a power bank
  • Any personal medication, and motion-sickness tablets if mountain roads affect you
Best time to travel

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.

Important information before booking
  • This is a private tour. The vehicle, the driver-guide and the departure date are yours alone, and the itinerary can be changed before or during the trip.
  • Driving times are approximate and do not include stops. We stop often, so expect each day to take longer than the hours shown.
  • Prices depend on the number of travellers, the season and the accommodation category you choose. Tell us these three things and we will send an exact quote.
  • The camel ride to the camp takes about an hour to an hour and a half. If you would rather not ride, or are travelling with small children or have back problems, we take you to the camp by 4x4 at no extra cost.
  • We offer two desert camp 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. Please say which you prefer when booking.
  • Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal meals are easy to arrange; let us know about allergies or dietary needs in advance.
  • Roads in the mountains are winding. If you suffer from motion sickness, sit in the front and bring medication.
  • Most nationalities do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days, but please check the entry requirements for your passport before travelling.

Questions and answers

6 Day Honeymoon Desert Tour from Fes: Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 6-day tour from Fes private?

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.

How much driving is there each day?

It varies from day to day. The longest stretch is on day 4, with 4.5–5 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.

What is the desert camp like?

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.

Do I have to ride a camel to reach 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.

Can I change the itinerary or the start and end point?

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.

Can you arrange something special for our honeymoon?

Yes. Tell us it is your honeymoon and we will arrange a private tent, a table for two away from the other guests and small touches along the way. If you have a particular idea, such as a photographer in the dunes, ask and we will tell you honestly what is possible.

What is the best time of year for this tour?

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.

How much does it cost and how do I book?

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

Where You’ll Stay

Carefully selected riads, guesthouses, hotels and desert camps. The exact properties are confirmed with your quote, in the category you choose.

A Barbary macaque in the cedar forest near Azrou

Night 1

Midelt

Comfortable hotel

A well-located hotel with en-suite rooms, chosen for comfort and convenience after a day on the road.

A tent of a desert camp in Erg Chebbi glowing at dusk, with a terrace on the sand

Night 2

Erg Chebbi dunes, Merzouga

Luxury desert camp in Erg Chebbi

A luxury camp among the dunes: a spacious private tent with an en-suite bathroom, hot shower, air conditioning and heating, and dinner served by lantern light.

The seasonal lake near Merzouga with the Erg Chebbi dunes behind

Night 3

Merzouga, at the foot of the dunes

Comfortable hotel

A well-located hotel with en-suite rooms, chosen for comfort and convenience after a day on the road.

Kasbahs and palm gardens in the Dades Valley

Night 4

Dades Valley

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.

Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate

Night 5

Ouarzazate

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

Choose Your Desert Camp

We offer two camps in the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Tell us which one you prefer when you enquire.

A desert camp glowing under the night sky in Erg Chebbi Available on request

Mid-Range Luxury Camp

  • Private tents with en-suite bathrooms
  • Hot showers
  • Comfortable bedding
  • Good balance between comfort and authenticity
A traveller sitting on a dune as the sun sets over the Sahara

Ready for Your Moroccan Adventure?

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.