3 days desert tour from Marrakech to Fes

Overview:

A 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga is the most popular point-to-point Saharan route in Morocco. It connects two imperial cities while taking you through the High Atlas Mountains, dramatic canyons, and the towering dunes of Erg Chebbi. Because Day 3 requires a massive 7-to-8-hour drive to Fes, this itinerary is packed with high-mileage sightseeing.

Highlights:

Wind through the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260m), stopping for panoramic views.

Explore the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site and backdrop for films like Gladiator.

Drive through Ouarzazate (the Hollywood of Morocco) and cross the lush Skoura Palm Grove and the Rose Valley.

Arrive at Boumalne Dades. Enjoy a traditional tagine dinner and sleep in a local hotel or riad nestled in the Dades Gorges.

Dades Valley to Merzouga (Erg Chebbi Dunes) Travel from the Dades Valley toward Tinghir. Take a scenic walk under the 300-meter-high limestone cliffs of the Todra Gorge.

Pass through the fossil-rich town of Erfoud as the landscape shifts into arid desert plains. Arrive at the edge of the dunes in Merzouga.

Mount a camel for a sunset trek into the golden Erg Chebbi dunes. Arrive at your desert camp for dinner around a campfire, live Berber drumming music, and an overnight stay in a traditional luxury desert tent.

Merzouga Desert to Fes via Midelt & IfraneMorning: Wake up early for an unforgettable Sahara sunrise over the sand dunes. Trek or take a 4x4 back to Merzouga for breakfast and showers. Begin the long drive north, passing the beautiful oasis lines of the Ziz Valley.

Stop for lunch in the apple capital of Midelt. Continue through the Middle Atlas Mountains into the Azrou Cedar Forest, where you can spot wild Barbary macaque monkeys.

Take a quick coffee break in Ifrane (known as the "Switzerland of Morocco" for its alpine architecture). Arrive in Fes for a drop-off at your hotel or riad by 5:00 PM–7:00 PM.

Day 1: Marrakech – Tizi N Tichka – Ait Benhaddou – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley.

At 8 am we’ll start our Three Days trip from Marrakech to Fes with a pickup from your accommodation and drive to Dades Valley via the High Atlas Mountains and the pass of Tizi N Tichka pass we will stop and enjoy impressive landscapes and Berber hamlets; we will visit the universal Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou Kasbah as it has been named by Unesco in 1987. This Berber Kasbah has been used as an important destination for international filmmakers for more than 20 films and also one of the most important fortress strongholds on the old Salt Road where caravans brought slaves, gold, ivory, salt, and silk from Sub Saharans countries to Marrakech and beyond.

We’ll pass through Ouarzazate, or what we call African Hollywood since it has been a very famous destination for filmmakers. After Ouarzazate, we will continue to Dades Valley, through the M’gouna, Skoura Berber villages around the valley.

Day 2: Dades Valley – Todra Gorges – Erfoud – Merzouga Sahara.

After breakfast, we’ll start our desert trip from Dades to the Erg-Chebbi Sahara Desert.

The first stop will be in Todra Gorges which is the Biggest Canyon in Morocco .

In Todra gorges you’ll have some free time to walk beside the river to explore Todra Gorges, and then we’ll drive to Erfoud in which we’ll feel the beginning of the Sahara Desert, we’ll stop in some restaurant to have lunch, and we continue to the Merzouga desert , we will take you to your hotel or riad in Merzouga.

In the afternoon, you’ll reach Merzouga, where the magical Sahara Desert awaits. Here, you’ll switch to camels and trek across the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi just in time for a breathtaking sunset. Enjoy the tranquility of the desert as you make your way to a traditional Berber camp. Spend the night under the stars, savoring a delicious Moroccan dinner, accompanied by local music and stories around the campfire.

Day 3: Erg Chebbi Desert (Merzouga) – Ziz Valley – Midelt – Ifrane – Fes.

After taking a shower and breakfast we’ll start our tour back to Fes , through the middle Atlas Mountains , visiting Ziz Valley. Medilt. Azrou.We will arrive in Fes in the evening.

As you travel towards Fez, take in the changing landscapes, from arid desert to fertile plains. The tour ends with your arrival in the ancient city of Fez, one of Morocco’s most significant cultural and historical hubs.