The 4-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga is a one-way journey for travellers crossing Morocco who want a relaxed pace, a full day in the Erg Chebbi dunes and a night in a desert camp, ending with drop-off at your accommodation in Fes. It starts from €240 per person with three nights, dinners and breakfasts included, in a small group or private.
Most desert tours drive out and back from Marrakech. This one continues north, so you never cover the same road twice and you arrive in Fes ready to explore the medina. Spreading the roughly 1,000 km over four days means shorter driving days than the three-day tours and a whole day in the Merzouga area rather than a quick overnight.
Night one is in a hotel in the Dades Valley, night two in a kasbah-style hotel at the foot of the dunes in Merzouga, and night three in a desert camp in Erg Chebbi, reached by camel at sunset. Camps have Berber-style tents with proper beds, and luxury tents with private bathrooms are available as an upgrade. Our guide to Merzouga desert camp categories explains the options.
It is ideal if you are flying into Marrakech and out of Fes, or continuing north to Chefchaouen or Tangier. The extra day makes it the best choice for families and anyone who wants time to enjoy the dunes rather than simply sleep there. Days one and four are the longest, at around 8 hours on the road with stops; days two and three are much lighter.
Plan your packing with our list of what to pack for a Sahara desert tour. Nights in the Middle Atlas and the desert are cold from November to March, and the road via Ifrane and Azrou can see snow in midwinter, which our drivers are used to handling.
On a private tour you can reverse the route, starting in Fes, or add a night in Chefchaouen at the end.
07:30 pickup in Marrakech. Tizi n'Tichka pass, guided visit of Aït Benhaddou around 11:30, lunch (own expense), then Ouarzazate, Skoura and the Valley of Roses. 18:30 dinner and overnight in a Dades Valley hotel.
09:00 departure via the Todra Gorge, with a walk between its 300 m walls, lunch in Tinghir (own expense) and the route via Erfoud. 16:30 arrival at a kasbah hotel beside the dunes; free time at the pool or on the sand. Dinner and overnight.
09:30 half-day excursion around the dunes: Khamlia village and its Gnawa musicians, the nomad areas and Rissani's market (busiest on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays). Afternoon at leisure. 17:00 camel trek into Erg Chebbi for sunset. Dinner and overnight in the desert camp.
06:00 sunrise over the dunes, camel ride back and breakfast. 08:30 drive through the Ziz Valley and Midelt, then the cedar forest near Azrou and Ifrane. 17:30 drop-off at your hotel or riad in Fes.
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Sahara Desert Tours
3-day Sahara tour from Marrakech to Merzouga: Tizi n'Tichka, Aït Benhaddou, Dades and Todra gorges, a sunset camel trek and a night in an Erg Chebbi desert camp. From €140.
Sahara Desert Tours
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