Explore the Sahara desert in Morocco from Fes to Marrakech on an epic trip that gives you a chance to meet locals and have a real desert adventure.
By joining the 3-day Fes to Marrakech desert tour, you will get to ride camels across the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi, spend an unforgettable night in a desert camp, and enjoy the complete silence among the high dunes in Merzouga, a place that feels like a million miles from civilization.
Apart from the camel trekking experience, the sunset and sunrise over Erg Chebbi, and the night in the desert, your 3-day Fes desert tour will take you across the Middle Atlas Mountains to Merzouga and across the High Atlas Mountains to Marrakech. Get to watch the Barbary macaques in the cedar forest near Azrou, one of the famous old-world monkey species. Explore the Todra Canyon, visit the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, and much more.
- Driving across the Middle Atlas Mountains
- Observing Barbary apes in the cedar forest of the Middle Atlas
- Camel trekking excursion through the Sahara desert
- Watching sunset and sunrise over Erg Chebbi dunes
- Spending a memorable night in a desert camp
- strolling under the Todra Gorge in Tinghir
- Exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait Ben Haddou
- Driving through the High Atlas Mountains and its Tizi n’Tichka pass, admiring the spectacular scenery
MARRAKECH DESERT TOUR ITINERARY FOR 3 DAYS:
Read the itinerary of the 3-day Fes to Merzouga to Marrakech tour below to get an idea of what to expect from the trip.
FES; MIDDLE ATLAS; ZIZ VALLEY; MERZOUGA
Your Fes to Marrakech desert tour begins after breakfast in your hotel or riad. Then, drive to the fascinating desert of Morocco. The first stop will be in Ifrane, also known as Morocco’s Switzerland.After a break here, you continue driving via the Middle Atlas Mountains, where you will stop somewhere in the cedar forests to watch the Barbary macaques.
Lunch will be in a restaurant somewhere along the way, depending on when you want to have it. Before you arrive at Merzouga, you will stop for a panoramic view of the Ziz Valley (full of palm trees).
You will reach Merzouga in the evening, then ride camels (one for each) to a desert camp across the sweeping sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. Watch a fabulous sunset from a high sand dune and enjoy the night with Berbers (originally nomads) under the stars in your camp.
Total driving distance: around 500 km.
Driving time: approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes.
DAY 2: MERZOUGA, TODRA GORGE, AND BOUMALNE DADES
An early morning walk today is highly recommended to watch a peaceful sunrise. After a tasty breakfast at your camp, enjoy your last camel trek adventure before leaving the desert.
Drive to Boumalne Dades via Rissani, Erfoud, and Todgha Gorges. If today is Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday, you will get to visit a traditional market in Rissani to discover a part of the southern Moroccan culture. Enjoy a walk along the Todra River under the Todgha Canyon in Tinghir.
Arrive at Boumalne Dades in the evening. Before going to your accommodation here, you will drive along the Dades Valley to a place where you can see the marvelous rock formations, known as the monkey fingers. Spend the night in a hotel in Boumalne Dades.
Total driving distance: around 275 km.
Total driving time: around 4 hours.
BOUMALNE DADES, AIT BEN HADDOU, THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS, AND MARRAKECH
Today is the last day of your 3-day Fez to Marrakesh desert tour. After a delicious breakfast at your accommodation, you will drive to Ait Ben Haddou through the Valley of Roses and Ouarzazate. Along the way, you will pass through many Berber villages.
In Ouarzazate, you can choose to visit the Atlas Studio, where many diverse decorations from the filming of many movies remain, or just take some pictures from outside.
Just 15 km from Ouarzazate, there’s the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, which is used for the Yunkai part of Game of Thrones and for many other famous movies such as Gladiator.
After a visit to the Kasbah and lunch, you will drive to Marrakech through the High Atlas Mountains and the Tizi n’Tichka (2260 m above sea level). Enjoy stunning landscapes along the way. Arrive in Marrakech in the evening.
Total driving distance: around 353 km.
Driving time: approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes.
include:
A/C modern 4×4 SUV or a van, or a minibus
English/Spanish speaking driver or a driver and a tour guide
The first and second-night accommodations
Private tents in a desert camp and private rooms in a hotel in Boumalne Dades
Meals: 2 dinners & 2 breakfasts
Camel riding experience
Pick up from your riad in Fez (private tour option), there is a meeting point for the shared group option
Drop you off at your hotel in Marrakech (private tour option), drop off in the most nearby location to your accommodation if the car not accessible for the group tour option
Not include:
Lunches
Beverages
Entrance fees if needed
Tips (optional)
