
Marrakech To Fes Desert Tour
From 155 /per person- 3 Days
- Superb1187 Reviews4.9
Delve deep into the Moroccan Sahara desert on this 3-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour. Ride camels in Erg Chebbi dunes, watch a spectacular sunset and spend a night in a luxury Sahara desert camp. This Morocco desert tour from Marrakech to Fes will introduce you to the best Moroccan Sahara desert has to offer : From High Atlas Mountains to desert canyons, oases and sand dunes. Visit adobe Casbahs and Berber nomads on your way from Marrakech to Fes.
Your 3-day Marrakech to Fes Desert Trip will depart from your hotel or riad at 07h30 AM to Kasbah Ait Ben Hadou through Tizi Ntichka pass and the high Atlas Mountains.
Numerous stops will be made along the way. Visit the UNESCO world heritage Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, which was also served as a set for various Hollywood blockbusters before continue to Ouarzazate for lunch (At leisure).
In the afternoon, we drive to the oasis of Skoura and visit one of the best-preserved Kasbahs in Morocco: Amridil. From here we continue to Kalaa Mgouna via the Valley of the Roses before we reach our boutique guest house located in Dades Valley.
Dinner and overnight.
After breakfast, today’s journey will start by driving along the road of 1001 Kasbahs to Tinghir oasis.
You will be enjoying the amazing scenery along the way of the remaining of fortified villages that were hosting the caravan roads until early 20th century.
Upon arrival at Tinghir, which was a military post during the French occupation, we will deviate into a secondary road to the oasis. Feel free to walk next to the stream and watch the locals farming and herding their cattle. Your walk will end at one of the magnificent scenes of your tour: Todgha Gorges.
After lunch at leisure at one of the local cafés, we continue to Rissani, which is one of the holiest towns in Morocco as the actual dynasty ruling Morocco ‘’The Alaouites‘’ is originated here, and its founder is buried locally. Rissani is also famous as a starting point of the ancient caravan roads crossing the Sahara desert all the way to Tomboctou.
In the Mid afternoon, we will cross some rocky terrain all the way to Merzouga, where our camel caravan will be waiting for you. Enjoy a camel ride over Erg Chebbi dunes to watch an amazing sunset, before you arrive at your Sahara desert camp.
Enjoy dinner under the stars while entertained by your local nomads hosts playing their drums all night.
Overnight at your Sahara desert camp.
After an early wake up to enjoy an amazing sunrise camel trek over the dunes of Erg Chebbi, we will reach the camp operator's lodge in Merzouga for breakfast and shower (If you choose to upgrade to the luxury camp, breakfast will be served at the camp, and showers are available at your tent)
Meet your driver/guide and depart on a scenic drive to Fes crossing the Ziz Vlley through Errachidia which is the capital of Tafilalt region.
We carry on our journey to Midelt where we will have lunch at leisure before we keep driving across the Middle Atlas Mountains with its Cedar Forests and Berber towns of Imouzzar and Ifran, which are both famous as winter ski resorts for Moroccans.
Your driver might spot some Barbary apes on the way and seize the opportunity to take some pictures.
We arrive at Fes late in the afternoon. Your Morocco desert tour from Marrakech to Fes will end with a drop off at your Fez hotel or riad.
Number of Participants | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7-9 | 10-13 | 14-17 |
Price per person | 665€ | 365€ | 285€ | 235€ | 195€ | 185€ | 175€ | 165€ | 155€ |
Number of Participants | Price per person |
1 | 665€ |
2 | 365€ |
3 | 285€ |
4 | 235€ |
5 | 195€ |
6 | 185€ |
7-9 | 175€ |
10-13 | 165€ |
14-17 | 155€ |
Marrakech to Merzouga distance is 560 Km. However, it will be split in two days on the way in, with a night in Dades Valley. On the way back, you will spend the day driving back to Marrakech.
It is roughly 1 hour for sunset and an other hour for sunrise the following day. Time depends on season, Day light saving time, and sunset / sunrise time.
In the comfortable desert camp ( already included in the tour price ), bathrooms are shared and located outside your tent. Luxury camp bathrooms are private inside your tent.
Yes you can. A separate 4×4 can take you to the desert camp if you choose to skip the camel ride ( An extra fee of 30 Euros / return transfer will apply ). If you choose to upgrade to the luxury desert camp, not extra fees will apply for a 4×4 return transfer.
Yes you can. there are plenty of ATV rental companies in Merzouga who supply good quality quad bikes and dunes buggies to try in Erg Chebbi dunes. Your guide will assist you with that, and you directly pay the supplier in Merzouga. They cost 50 Euros per quad per hour
Not in the comfortable Merzouga desert camp. Showers will be available at the camp operator’s lodge in Merzouga the following day before departure to Fes. Only shared toilets are available at the comfortable camp. If you choose to upgrade to a luxury desert camp, you will have private shower and toilet inside your deluxe tent.
The distance between Marrakech and Fes is 520 Km via the motorway through Casablanca and Rabat. If you choose to drive via the Middle Atlas Mountains and Beni Mellal , the distance is 570 Km. The drive through the Middle Atlas Mountains is more scenic, but you need to spare a full day to enjoy the itinerary. There is an even longer and more popular way to get to Fes from Marrakech: Through Merzouga and the Moroccan Sahara desert. It is 1030 Km, and it requires a minimum of 3 days.
You mainly need 2 days in Fes Morocco in order to fully explore it. A full day guided tour of the Medina of Fes will introduce you to discover the hidden gems of the ancient Medina, and an extra day to explore the Souks on your own. Now, with the nearby blue city of Chefchaouen becoming more and more popular, you could add an extra day to do a full day trip of Chefchaouen from Fes ( 200 Km each way )
Fes is considered the Athens of Morocco: It is the oldest Medina in Morocco. It is also the intellectual, cultural, craftsmanship and culinary capital of Morocco. Its narrow streets and centuries old Medina is amazing. Fes is a heaven for historians, archaeologists and intellectuals from all over the world. The oldest university in the world ( Al Quaraouiyine) is located in the center of the Medina. Fes used to be the capital of various Moroccan dynasties who ruled North Africa, actual Spain and sub-Saharan Africa all the way to Niger River and Sudan for centuries.
Fes is as safe as any other city in Morocco. It is even safer than most touristy cities in Europe. Police are now patrolling the Medina and they are visible everywhere. You just need to to take the common precautions like anywhere else in the world: Avoid empty Medina streets, especially unlit narrow alleyways of Fes at night Women traveling alone need to dress moderately. The more less attractive you dress, the less attention you get. Do not carry a lot of cash on you. Be prepared to be annoyed by touts and fake guides every now and then. Just ignore them, and a firm ”NO” would keep them away. A local registered guide hired by your riad or tour company would be of great efficiency in the Medina of Fes. Not only by explaining a big deal of history, architecture, religion, etc, but also by keeping you safe all the time. very rare pickpocketing cases were registered recently in Fes. Keep your valuables, passports, and jewelry at your hotel safe. Physical aggression is very rare.
There will be electricity outlets in your Merzouga Sahara desert camp public areas, restaurant and camp courtyard. However, the electric generators are shut down around midnight.
The distance from Fes to the Sahara desert (Merzouga dunes) is 463 Km (287 miles). However the journey is full of amazing sceneries and various stops along the way.
Your luxury Sahara desert camp in Merzouga has electric outlets in the restaurant, as well as in your tents. However, the camp electric generators are shut down around midnight.
The tour was incredible! Our party consisted of four people, and we took a three-day tour from Marrakech the Sahara desert and a stay at an amazing luxury camp in Merzouga. I chatted with Abdessamad for three months since my group was concerned about COVID, and he answered immediately, providing a wealth of information up to the day before the trip to ensure we were prepared. Throughout the journey, he checked in with our driver and was very sensitive to our requirements.
Our three-day excursion to Fes was fantastic! We saw a variety of locations, cities, landscapes, and traditions, as well as learning about Moroccan history and cuisine. Our tour guide, Mohamed, ensured that we were always comfortable, safe, and extremely satisfied. We'll carry many memories and a close friend with us from Morocco; thank you, Mohamed, for being a wonderful part of our journey; we hope to see you again, my buddy!
We visited Morocco last month and took the Marrakech desert trip from to Fez. It was fantastic. For the four of us, we had a good driver named Mohammed (2 couples). He was quite competent. It took a lot of driving, but it was well worth it. I saw a lot of diverse sights and camped in a nice tent in a Saharan camp. I'd want to return sometime. Unforgettable adventure.