Marrakech to Fes desert tour will take us three days. First night we stay at a private guesthouse with your own en-suite bathroom and the last will be spent sleeping under the stars in a Berber desert camp.
FREE cancellation before 4 days!
6 HOURS DRIVE
In this exciting and thrilling tour around the eastern half of Morocco you will travel in style in a modern air-conditioned minibus. Our guide will pick you up from your Marrakech hotel at 7.15 a.m. and escort you to the departure point. We will travel over the Atlas Mountain range and descend into the Kasbah at Ait Ben Haddou.
The Kasbah (there are actually six of them within a walled city) is a place of wonder. Here you will feel almost like you have stepped back in time to the days of gladiators, desert nomads and ancient trading markets. Lunch on the first day will be taken in the Kasbah at Ait Ben Haddou after the guided tour has finished.
Our next stop on our first day will be at Ouarzazate. We will admire the scenery of a city where several blockbuster movies have been filmed. Classics like The Mummy and Lawrence of Arabia are among the many films which have taken in a city often called “The Gateway to the Desert”.
In the desert’s gateway city we can take stop at a café before venturing on to the Dades Valley. Once here you can relax and unwind at a private guesthouse in Dades with en-suite bathroom and enjoy the culinary delights of a Moroccan evening dinner.
4 HOURS DRIVE
This amazing desert trip from Marrakech to Fes now sets us up in the jaw-dropping landscape of the Todra Gorge. It is a well maintained area with asphalt roads guiding tourists around this vast canyon. You’ll witness rock climbers, people trying to see the top of the cliff face and occasional flooding from the Dades River.
After lunch on day two – and our midday meal can be taken at any one of the many cafes – we head off to Merzouga. This will be our final destination of the day, but the best desert adventure part is yet to come.
Riding on camels through the golden sands of the desert is like something you’ll have only ever witnessed on films like Lawrence of Arabia, but we will hop on a dromedary for the final leg of today’s journey up to the Berber desert camp.
The camels will transport us through the Dunes of Erg Chebbi. If you prefer to walk along with the guides, you can. However, you’ll quickly realise the camel ride is the easiest and most exciting experience of desert travel there is.
Overnight Stay in a Desert Camp
On the final night of our Marrakech to Fes Sahara tour we will be sleeping in Berber desert tent accommodation. The tents are traditional and there will be a feel of the desert at night as you enjoy your evening meal under the stars and with the sound of gentle Moroccan drums to help you unwind.
The clean air, jet black skies and occasional sound of the camels breathing will ensure most sleep peacefully through the desert night. In the morning, you will remain in the camp and sample a filling breakfast and prepare for the final day’s push to Fes.
Accommodation Details:
8 HOURS DRIVE
On last day of our desert tour from Marrakech to Fes, our camels will transport us back to Merzouga, where we will then drive to one of the world’s cleanest and most fascinating cities. Ifrane is known in Morocco as a “Little Switzerland” as it lies high up in the Atlas Mountains and it is known to snow here during the winter season.
It is possible for you to find somewhere to enjoy lunch in Ifrane, or it might be easier (depending on the schedule) to stop over in the Ziz Valley. This beautiful inland Moroccan route is filled with photographic opportunities and stunning landscape scenery.
Our modern air-conditioned minibus (minivan for shared tours) will take us through the beautiful Ziz Valley. Here you will see a number of dramatic gorges, reddish gold dunes and a number of astonishing oases within the Tafilalt. Here you will see the thick, lush canopy of palm trees blooming out from the sides and bottoms of cliff faces, truly spectacular sights of the rose-tinted golden sandstone buildings and the deep gorges that meander throughout this picturesque valley.
Our journey and fascinating adventure culminates with the road to Fes and the drop off here that see you arrive at this vibrant city around 5.00 or 6.00 p.m. Here you shall be dropped off at your hotel or Fes riad.
A shared triple or quadruple room is included in the tour price. To Guarantee a private room, please upgrade during the checkout (costs EUR 10 per person). Private rooms are AC and shared rooms are without AC
No, if you wish to have a private tent, it is possible to upgrade for EUR 10 euro per person. Otherwise you get a quadruple tent to share with the same gender.
No, there are only shared western toilets. Washing sinks are available outside tents. There is an opportunity to take a shower next morning at the hotel.
No towels are provided, please bring your own.
The driver will pick up you from Merzouga hotel after your breakfast at the hotel.
Yes, there are few stops for photos, lunch break, toilets.
The approximate arrival time is between 17:00 – 18:00, depending on the weather conditions, daylight saving, etc.
When you reach Merzouga, you can leave it safely at the camp operator’s lodge in Merzouga before camel trek. The next day you will have a different driver who will pick up you from Merzouga to continue to Fes.
The alternatives for skipping the camel ride are: 1 hour walk beside the caravan or a return transfer with 4×4 (costs extra EUR 30 for a return transfer).
Yes of course. Quadbike is an optional ADD-ON activity you can add to this trip at checkout. A one-hour quad bike trip can take you to see the sunrise for a short hour-long adventure in the dunes.
There are few sand boards at the camp operator’s lodge. Depending on the availability, you can ask to take one with you to the camp.
The duration of the camel trek depends on the season and daylight, but usually it is around 1 hour at sunset and 1 hour at sunrise.
Every review comes from a traveller who booked this tour with us. Our booking system asks each guest for a review after the trip. The score counts every review we received for this tour.
Everything was excellent
You can arrange betterand softer seating on camels.
Le.voyage a été super. Une seule chose j'ai vu que la majorité des excursions dans le désert ont un spectacle plus élaboré le soir avec danseurs, danseuses du ventre et même cracheur de feu. Une note spéciale à notre chauffeur pour le retour j'ai oublié son nom mais il a été vraiment super et très gentil. Les arrêts à l'aller et retour son très bien et très intéressants. Merci bc
The arrangement was perfect. Especially for the professional drivers.
Cogimos la excursión al desierto con salida desde marrakech y llegada a fez. El trayecto de Ida lo hicimos en un microbús con gente que hacía lo mismo que nosotros. La jaima y la experiencia del desierto muy buena. Para el viaje desde merzouga a Fez nos proporcionaron un taxista, Hassane. Le doy un 10 como persona y conductor, nos compró agua cuando él estaba en ramadán y, por tanto, no podía beber durante el día (fuimos en Semana Santa) , hizo las paradas que quisimos dándonos el tiempo que necesitáramos en cada parada. Se adaptó en todo momento a nosotros. Sin duda recomendaría a Hassane Boussetta para cualquier trayecto.
La experiencia fue completisima. Éramos muchas personas pero todo se dio en el tiempo esperado.
Contratamos la experiencia de 3 días de Marrakesh a Fes y nos estaban esperando en el aeropuerto cuando llegamos. Al día siguiente a las 7:30 en punto nos buscaron por nuestro Riad para comenzar la actividad.
El viaje es largo y un poco agotador pero se hacen muchas paradas.
Pasamos por muchos pueblos antes y después de la noche en el desierto. Destaco muchísimo al conductor Hassan que nos llevó de Merzouga a Fes, porque fue atento, muy amable y nos explicó muchísimas cosas. Recomiendo 100%
At “IGoMorocco” we offer a wide range of desert tours and excursions, treks, day trips, dinners, camel riding and even quad biking tours.
