4-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga
Overview
4 days / 3 nights · Marrakech → Sahara (Merzouga) → Fes
4-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga — at a glance
- PriceFrom €299 / person
- Duration4 days / 3 nights
- StartMarrakech — pickup at 8 am
- EndFes, around 6 pm
- GroupPrivate car & driver
- Best seasonMarch–May and September–November
- LanguagesEnglish, French, Spanish, Arabic
This 4-day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga links Morocco’s two great imperial cities through the south. Day one crosses the High Atlas to Aït Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, the Skoura palm grove and the Valley of Roses before a night in the Dades Valley. Day two follows the Todra Gorges to Merzouga, where a one-hour camel ride brings you to a camp among the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Day three is a full desert day: sunrise from the dunes, the old Paris–Dakar track, the Tissardmine oasis and its fossils, nomad settlements and Gnawa music in Khamlia, with a night in a hotel at the foot of the dunes. On the last day you drive north through the Ziz Valley, Midelt, the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas — home to Barbary macaques — and Ifrane, reaching Fes around 6 pm.
Highlights
- Aït Ben Haddou and the Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate
- Skoura palm grove and the Valley of Roses
- Dades Valley and Todra Gorges
- Camel trek and a night in an Erg Chebbi desert camp
- A full desert day: nomads, fossils and Gnawa music in Khamlia
- Ziz Valley, Ifrane and the Middle Atlas cedar forest
Tour Plan
4-day itinerary, step by step
Marrakech – High Atlas – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley
Pick up from your accommodation in Marrakech at 8 o’clock in the morning, and depart to the High Atlas, of the Moroccan Atlas mountains, going through Tizi N’Tichka pass with stops for panoramic views and taking pictures of the Berber small villages that camouflage in the landscape. Then we continue south to the ksar (fortified village) of Ait Ben Haddou where we will visit the famous Kasbah (declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Famous films have been shot in this spectacular stage, including Gladiator, Obelix, The Mummy, The Jewel of the Nile, Sahara with Penélope Cruz…etc. Free time for lunch in town. Then we continue to Ouarzazate also known as “The gate of the desert” that in Berber language means “noiseless or without confusion”. Here we’ll see the Taourirt kasbah, one of the most spectacular ksars in Morocco. The next site to visit is the Rose Valley going through the big Skoura palm grove; a beautiful place to contemplate more than 700.000 palms and numerous kasbahs that are built in the surrounding area. In this Valley damascenes roses are raised for cosmetic use such as the valued rosewater. The Rose Festival is held here annually in May, it is an important museum for Moroccan culture. Finally we reach the Dades valley where we’ll spend the night.
Dades Valley – Todra Gorges – Merzouga – Camel Trek and overnight in the berber tent
After breakfast we’ll enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the Dades Valley from one strategic lookout in the mountains, from there we can appreciate the great number of kasbahs and the scenic characteristics of each one. A very good asphalt road leads up the valley from the city of Tinerhir to the gorge and then to the desert. After some stops on the way we’ll reach the Todra Gorges. The scenery is spectacular. Local people live in the area and can be seen in their adobe villages. Thanks to its rock sides with many uneven surfaces, these gorges are popular among rock climbers. After a short walk in the Todra gorges you’l have free time for lunch in Tinejdad or Touroug and then we continue our way to the desert to reach the spectacular dunes of Merzouga. We’ll take there a camel ride of one hour to our nomad camp located in the middle of a sea of dunes (Erg Chebbi). Before dinner we’ll see the sunset at the top of a dune for then sleep in a tent under a beautiful starry sky.
Merzouga Desert – Nomads Families – Khamlia Village – Erg Chebbi
This is a complete Desert day. “Date with the sunrise” If you are In the middle of the desert, it’s absolutely worth getting up early to contemplate the most spectacular sunrise you’ve ever seen at the top of a dune close to the camp and enjoy this landscape that is a gift of nature. After sunrise we return to Merzouga on the camels where a hearty breakfast is waiting for us. Then we’ll skirt the Erg Chebbi, great extension of sandy desert where we can find the Big Dune of Morocco. which has more than 250mts high. We continue then by the road that was formerly used for the “Paris – Dakar” and ends in the mountains that limit with Agelia. Stop at Tissardmin oasis where we can find fossil quarries still present in the area, we continue then by a road where we can see nomad settlements and learn their secrets and manners. The next stop will be at a viewpoint to contemplate the hole Erg Chebbi. We’ll reach then Khamlia Village, originally from Mali, where we’ll take a relaxing cup of tea meanwhile we listen to a concert of the spiritual music of Gnawa.Transfer to your accommodation and free afternoon to enjoy the town or the dunes next to the hotel to see the sunset. Dinner and night in the hotel.
Merzouga Desert – Ziz Valley – Cedar forests of Azrou – Fes
After breakfast we start our last day to the north through the Tafilalet palm grove, the biggest in the world. You’ll see thousands of palm trees along the 20km of road. This way leads us to the Ziz valley, which river comes down from the high Atlas and feeds the palm grove. Here we make a stop and from this high viewpoint, enjoy a magnificent view of the valley and the town of Aoufous. We make another stop in Midelt, just in the heart of the Atlas where you’ll have free time for lunch and rest for a while. In the afternoon we continue our way through the Cedar Woods where, if we are lucky, we’ll see some monkeys. The next place we’ll visit is the city of Ifrane, situated in the northwestern slope of the Middle Atlas at 1630 meters above the water level. Its broad avenues, its urban development with perfect cleanness, the gardens, the green areas and its architecture make this city look like a swiss town. Ifrane feels misplaced in Morocco. That's why it’s named the moroccan Switzerland, and if that’s not enough it has an important ski resort, Michlifen, About 6 pm we arrive at Fez, transfer to the hotel, and end of our services.
Included / Not included
So you know exactly what the price covers
Included
- Pickup at your hotel or riad in Marrakech
- Drop-off at your accommodation in Fes
- Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver
- 3 nights: Dades Valley hotel, Erg Chebbi desert camp, Merzouga hotel
- Breakfast and dinner every day
- 1-hour camel ride to the camp
- Desert excursion around Erg Chebbi (Khamlia, Tissardmine)
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Entrance fees
- Local guides (optional)
- Accommodation in Fes
- Tips
- Travel insurance
Location
Route map — Marrakech → Ait Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate → Dades Gorges → Merzouga → Midelt → Ifrane → Fes
One-way route: the tour ends in Fes.
Calendar & Price
Pick a date, then send your request
Prefer the booking form? Send a booking request — no payment online, you pay in cash on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers before you book
How much does this tour cost?
This tour starts from €299 per person. The final price depends on your date and the size of your group: send us your date and number of people on WhatsApp (+212 661-757505) and we confirm the price quickly. Payment is in cash on the day, in dirhams or euros.
Does the 4-day tour return to Marrakech or end in Fes?
It ends in Fes. This is a one-way crossing, which suits travellers who want to continue north to Fes, Chefchaouen or Tangier rather than double back over the Atlas to Marrakech.
What does the route cover day by day?
Day one crosses the Tizi n Tichka pass to Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate. Day two follows the Dades Valley and Todra Gorge. Day three reaches Merzouga for the camel trek and a night in the dunes. Day four drives north through Erfoud, Midelt and the cedar forests of Ifrane into Fes.
Is four days enough for the Moroccan Sahara?
It is the shortest sensible version of this route. The driving days are long because the distances are real, so if you want more time on foot in the gorges and valleys, the 7-day version covers the same ground at a calmer pace.
Where do you stay along the way?
Guesthouses or small hotels in the Dades or Todra area and near Merzouga, plus one night in a tented camp among the Erg Chebbi dunes. The final night in Fes is usually arranged separately, since most travellers continue on their own from there.
Is this tour suitable for children?
Yes, families do this route often. The long drives are the main consideration for young children, so tell us their ages when you book and the daily stages can be adjusted with more stops.
When is the best time to do the Marrakech to Fes desert route?
Spring and autumn are ideal. Summer brings extreme heat in the Sahara and around Erfoud, while December to February gives clear days but very cold desert nights, so pack a warm layer for the camp.
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Booking Tour
Final price depends on your date and group size. Send us a WhatsApp and we confirm 4-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga quickly.
Book on WhatsAppCall +212 661-757505- Local team based in Marrakech
- Pay in cash (MAD or EUR)
- We speak English, Français, Español, العربية
or send a booking request
