What you see and do
- A full day at Merzouga with no long drive: time for the village of Khamlia, the dunes and a slow start.
- Listen to Gnawa music in Khamlia, played by families whose roots lie south of the Sahara.
- Ride a camel into Erg Chebbi in the late afternoon and stay the night in a desert camp.
- See Barbary macaques in the cedar forest near Azrou and the palm groves of the Ziz Valley on the way south.
- Walk into the Todra Gorges and see the rock formations known as the Monkey Fingers in the Dades Valley.
- Finish with Ait Ben Haddou and the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at about 2,260 m, before dropping down to Marrakech.
Day-by-day itinerary
4 days, about 1,078 km by road. Tap a day to open it.
Day 1Fes to Merzouga across the Middle Atlas477 km
The hardest day is the first one, so start early. Your driver meets you at your riad or hotel in Fes in the morning and heads south into the Middle Atlas.
The first break is Ifrane, a mountain town with pitched roofs and clean, cool air. A little further on, the cedar forest near Azrou is home to wild Barbary macaques, which are easy to see from the roadside. Lunch is usually in Midelt, a town on the high plateau known for its apples.
After Midelt the country turns dry. The road drops into the Ziz Valley, where a dense belt of date palms runs for many kilometres between bare cliffs, then passes Erfoud, a centre for dates and fossil workshops. You reach Merzouga towards evening and check into a hotel at the edge of the dunes. Nothing else is planned tonight.
Day 2A full day at Merzouga and a night in the dunes
Today the vehicle is used only for short hops around the dunes. After breakfast you visit Khamlia, a small village where Gnawa musicians play for visitors. The outing can also include a stop with nomad families who live near the dunes.
The middle of the day is free. Some travellers rest at the hotel. Others add a quad bike or buggy session on the sand, which is arranged locally and paid for separately.
In the late afternoon you ride camels into Erg Chebbi, arriving at camp as the sun goes down. Dinner is a Moroccan meal at the camp, followed by drumming by the fire, and you sleep in a private tent.
Day 3Merzouga to the Dades Valley by Rissani and Todra271 km
After an early breakfast you leave the dunes for Rissani, a market town that grew up on the old caravan trade across the Sahara.
The road then runs west to Tinghir and the Todra Gorges. You walk in along the river between high cliffs, then have lunch nearby.
The afternoon is spent in the Dades Valley, with terraced fields, earthen villages and several viewpoints worth a stop. The best known is over the Monkey Fingers, a wall of rounded red rock. Dinner and the night are at a hotel in the valley.
Day 4Dades Valley to Marrakech over the High Atlas330 km
The morning drive passes Kelaat M'Gouna and the palm grove of Skoura on the way to Ouarzazate, where a visit to one of the film studios is possible. The studio ticket is paid on the spot.
Ait Ben Haddou follows. The fortified village has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1987 and has appeared in Gladiator and Game of Thrones. Give yourself time to climb to the top for the view over the river and the palm trees.
The final stretch crosses the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass. It is slow and full of bends, with places to pull over for photos. You arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon and are dropped at your accommodation.
Price and what changes it
This 4-day private tour costs €600 to €900 per person. Every trip is tailored, so the final price depends on your group size, hotel and camp level, and what you add.
- How many of you travel. The vehicle and driver cost the same for two people or five, so each person pays less in a larger group.
- The level of the three stays. You choose standard, comfort or luxury for the Merzouga hotel, the camp and the Dades hotel. For the camp options see desert camps in Merzouga compared.
- Optional activities. Quad bikes, buggies and extra 4x4 outings at Merzouga are not part of the base tour and are added at extra cost.
Other lengths are priced on the Morocco tour cost page.
Included and not included
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle from Fes to Marrakech
- English- or Spanish-speaking driver
- Pickup at your accommodation in Fes and drop-off at your accommodation in Marrakech
- One night in a hotel in Merzouga
- One night in a desert camp in Erg Chebbi
- One night in a hotel in the Dades Valley
- Camel ride in the dunes
- Breakfasts and dinners
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Entrance fees to monuments
- Optional quad bike, buggy or 4x4 outings at Merzouga
- Tips
- Flights
Is this the right tour for you?
It suits you if
- You are starting in Fes and ending in Marrakech, for example after arriving in the north.
- You want a whole day near the dunes, with daylight to see them, instead of arriving at sunset and leaving after breakfast.
- You would rather get the longest drive done on day one and have easier days afterwards.
- You are travelling with children or older relatives who need a rest day in the middle.
Think twice if
- You only have three days. The 3-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour covers the same road in the other direction without the extra desert day, and can be reversed on request.
- You get carsick. Day one is about 477 km and days one and four both include mountain roads with many bends.
- A free afternoon in a small desert village sounds dull to you. Day two is quiet by design, unless you pay for extra activities.
- You are travelling in July or August, when Merzouga afternoons often pass 40°C and the middle of day two is best spent indoors. See the best time to visit Morocco.
Places on the route
What travellers say
★★★★★
“Everything was seamless, well-organized, and thoughtfully planned.”
Questions about the 4-day Fes to Marrakech desert tour
How far is Fes from Marrakech?
About 530 km by the direct road. Through Merzouga the distance roughly doubles to about 1,080 km, which this tour spreads over three driving days with a rest day in the desert.
Is the camel ride compulsory?
No. If you prefer not to ride, a 4x4 transfer to the camp can be arranged. Say so when you enquire.
Can I add quad biking or a buggy ride at Merzouga?
Yes. Quad bikes, buggies and 4x4 outings are available on day two at extra cost. Mention it when you enquire so the timing fits around the camel trek.
Are vegetarian or vegan meals available?
Yes. Tell us about any dietary needs in advance so the hotels and the camp can prepare for them.
Why spend the first night in a hotel and not in the camp?
You reach Merzouga towards evening after about 477 km on the road. A hotel at the edge of the dunes means a shower and a proper rest, and the camel trek is kept for the next afternoon when you are fresh.
Can this tour run from Marrakech to Fes instead?
Yes. Every tour is private, so the direction, the number of days and the hotel level can all be changed. Best Morocco Travel also runs a 4-day Marrakech to Fes version: ask us for the route.
