3 Day Desert Tour from Fes to Marrakech
Start in Fes, finish in Marrakech, and spend the night in between deep in the Sahara. This private one-way tour is the perfect bridge between the two cities: cedar forests and alpine villages on day one, the dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset, then the gorges, kasbahs and High Atlas on the way to Marrakech.
- Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
- Starts: Fes
- Ends: Marrakech
- Route: Fes → Ifrane → Ziz Valley → Merzouga → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley → Ait Ben Haddou → Marrakech
- Price: on request, depends on group size and camp level
Highlights
- The cedar forests of the Middle Atlas and their Barbary macaques
- Panoramic views over the Ziz gorges and Tafilalet palm groves
- Sunset camel ride into Erg Chebbi and a night in a desert camp
- The sheer walls of the Todra Gorge
- Kasbah hotels of the Dades Valley and the Valley of Roses
- A guided walk through the UNESCO-listed ksar of Ait Ben Haddou
Day by Day
Day 1: Fes → Ifrane → Midelt → Merzouga desert camp
Pick-up at your riad at 7:30. Stops in Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest, lunch in Midelt, then the Ziz Valley and Erfoud. In the late afternoon you ride camels from Merzouga into the dunes to watch the sunset and spend the night in camp.
Day 2: Merzouga → Rissani → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley
Sunrise from the dunes and breakfast, then west through Rissani and Tinghir to walk in the Todra Gorge. You continue to the Dades Valley for a night in a kasbah hotel facing the cliffs.
Day 3: Dades → Skoura → Ait Ben Haddou → Marrakech
Drive through the Valley of Roses and the Skoura palm grove to Ouarzazate, then visit Ait Ben Haddou before the final climb over the Tizi n'Tichka pass. Arrival in Marrakech around 19:00.
Included
- Private air-conditioned 4x4 or minivan with professional driver
- 1 night in a desert camp in Erg Chebbi, with dinner and breakfast
- 1 night in a kasbah hotel in the Dades Valley, with dinner and breakfast
- Camel ride to and from the camp
- Local guide in Ait Ben Haddou
- Fuel, tolls and bottled water
Not included: lunches, entrance fees, luxury camp upgrade, tips.
Good to Know
- Reverse route: see the 3 day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes.
- Want more time? We can stretch this route to 4 or 5 days with an extra night at the dunes or in Skoura.
- Best time: October to April.
- Round trip from Fes: see the 3 day desert tour from Fes to Merzouga.