3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga
Over the High Atlas, a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes and north through the Middle Atlas to Fes
Tour Overview
This 3 days desert tour from Marrakech to Fes is a private, one-way trip of about 1,050 km. It crosses the High Atlas to Aït Benhaddou and the Dades Valley, spends a night at a camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes and ends in Fes by way of the Middle Atlas.
It is the fastest way to combine the Sahara with the journey between Morocco's two great medinas. You travel in your own vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide, and nobody else joins your group.
The tour comes in two accommodation tiers on the same route. Luxury uses boutique riads, Relais & Châteaux properties and a private-bathroom desert camp. Standard uses comfortable, well-reviewed riads and hotels in the same towns. Everything else, the driver, the vehicle and the visits, is identical.
- Route: Marrakech → Aït Benhaddou → Dades Valley → Todra Gorge → Merzouga → Ifrane → Fes
- Length: 3 days, 2 nights
- Start and end: pickup in Marrakech, drop-off in Fes, at the airport or your hotel
- Group: private, 1 to 6 travellers in one vehicle
- Price: from $650 for your group in the Standard tier. Prices are per group, not per person, and indicative: the final price is set once the itinerary is personalised. The Luxury tier is quoted on request.
- Best months: March to May and September to November. Summer days in the desert pass 40°C and winter nights at the camp drop close to freezing, but the tour runs all year.
- Customisable: add nights, swap a stop or change the pace. The route is a starting point, not a fixed package.
Highlights
Tizi n'Tichka: Cross the High Atlas on the highest road pass in the range.
Aït Benhaddou: Walk through the UNESCO-listed earthen ksar used as a film set for Gladiator.
Dades Valley: Spend the night in the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs.
Todra Gorge: Walk the riverbed between limestone walls that rise more than 300 meters.
Erg Chebbi: Ride a camel into dunes up to 150 meters high for sunset and sleep at a desert camp.
Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest: Look for Barbary macaques in the Middle Atlas on the way to Fes.
Why Choose a Private Tour?
Detailed Itinerary
The Journey
"Your driver collects you in Marrakech and climbs the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, the highest road pass in the range. You walk through Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed earthen ksar used as a film set for Gladiator, pass Ouarzazate and follow the Rose Valley around Kelaat M'Gouna to the Dades Valley for the night."
The Journey
"You start with the hairpin road and red rock formations of the Dades Gorge, then walk along the river in the Todra Gorge between cliffs more than 300 meters high. The road crosses the pre-Saharan plain through Tinghir and Erfoud to Merzouga. Camels wait at the edge of Erg Chebbi for a sunset ride of 1 hour or 90 minutes, as you prefer, to your desert camp. Dinner is served under the stars."
The Journey
"Watch the sunrise over the dunes before riding back to Merzouga for breakfast. The road north follows the palm groves of the Ziz Valley, climbs the Middle Atlas past Midelt and passes through the cedar forest near Azrou, where Barbary macaques live, and the alpine town of Ifrane. You arrive in Fes in the late afternoon, where your driver drops you at your riad or at Fes-Saïss Airport (FEZ)."
Trip Logistics & Comfort: What to Expect
VIP Airport Welcome
Your private driver meets you in Marrakech with a sign bearing your name, at the airport, the port or your hotel.
Your Private Vehicle
Your Driver & Guide
"Your driver is more than a chauffeur; he is your local host."
Transparent Pricing & Inclusions
The price covers your private vehicle, fuel, driver-guide, 2 nights of accommodation in the tier you choose, the camel ride and the visits listed below. You pay separately for lunches, drinks, entrance fees and tips.
What is Included
- Private TransportationToyota Land Cruiser Prado with A/C, fuel and highway tolls included.
- Driver-GuideEnglish-speaking driver-guide dedicated to your group for all 3 days.
- Door-to-Door ServicePickup at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) or your hotel in Marrakech, and drop-off at Fes-Saïss Airport (FEZ) or your hotel in Fes.
- Accommodation (2 nights)Luxury tier properties are listed below. Standard tier uses comfortable riads and hotels in the same towns. Similar properties are booked if one is full.
- • Night 1 (Dades Valley): Xaluca Dades Hotel or Hotel Chez Pierre.
- • Night 2 (Merzouga): Sahara Magic Luxury Camp or Desert Luxury Camp.
- Meals
- • Breakfast every day.
- • Dinner in the Dades Valley (Night 1) and at the desert camp (Night 2).
- Experiences
- • Camel ride into Erg Chebbi at sunset (1 hour or 90 minutes, as you prefer) and back at sunrise.
- • Walk through the Todra Gorge and Aït Benhaddou.
What is Not Included
- LunchesAllow approximately €10–€12 (100–120 MAD) per person, per meal. (We stop at clean, local restaurants).
- DrinksWater, soda, and alcohol at hotels.
- Entrance FeesMonuments, museums and gardens, such as the Hassan II Mosque, the Bahia Palace and the Majorelle Garden.
- TipsDiscretionary tips for your driver, local guides and porters.
- Flights & InsuranceInternational or domestic flights and travel insurance.
Places on this route: Marrakech · Aït Benhaddou · Dades Valley · Merzouga · Ifrane · Fes
Tour Details
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