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
3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga at a Glance
| Private tour, price per person | From |
|---|---|
| 2 travellers | $430 per person |
| 3 to 4 travellers | $385 per person |
| 5 to 6 travellers | $325 per person |
| 7 or more travellers | Ask us |
Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour: 3 or 4 Days?
Both lengths follow the same road and end in the same city. The extra day is spent in the desert, not in the car.
3 days, from $430
1 night in the Dades Valley, 1 at a camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes.
The fastest way: you reach the camp for sunset and leave for Fes after sunrise.
You are viewing this tour4 days, from $540
1 night in the Dades Valley, 2 at the same desert camp.
A full day around Merzouga: Khamlia, the black desert by 4x4 and sandboarding, plus the Telouet Kasbah on day 1.
See the 4-day tourAbout the 3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga
This 3 days desert tour from Marrakech to Fes is a private, one-way trip of about 1,040 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 $430 per person in the Standard tier, based on two travellers sharing. Prices are 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 Book the 3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga with MoroccoMagics?
3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga: Day-by-Day 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)."
Places on this route: Marrakech · Aït Benhaddou · Dades Valley · Merzouga · Ifrane · Fes
What to Expect on the 3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga
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."
3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga: Price and What Is Included
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.
Know Before You Go: 3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga
Hot days and cold nights, even in spring: a warm layer for the camp, a scarf against sun and sand, sunglasses and sun cream.
Keep what you need for the night in a small bag; the main luggage stays in the vehicle.
The desert is far from the cities, so expect several hours on the road each way, broken by stops in the gorges and kasbahs.
Lunches, drinks and tips are paid in dirhams, so take out cash before you leave the city. See the money guide.
March to May and September to November are the most comfortable; summer passes 40°C and winter nights are close to freezing. More in our Sahara guide.
Compare the 3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga with Similar Tours
| Tour | Length | From, per person |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga (this tour) | 3 days | $430 |
| Agafay Desert Camel Ride and Sunset Dinner from Marrakech | 1 day | $95 |
| 8 Days Morocco Family Tour with Kids from Marrakech | 8 days | $1,150 |
| 7 Days Morocco Tour from Marrakech | 7 days | $1,090 |
Before and After the 3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga
A day in Marrakech
- Imlil & Atlas Mountains Day Trip from Marrakech$80
- Ourika Valley Day Trip from Marrakech$70
- Essaouira Day Trip from Marrakech$125
- Ouzoud Waterfalls Day Trip from Marrakech$105
- Agafay Desert Camel Ride and Sunset Dinner from Marrakech$95
- Marrakech Hot Air Balloon Ride at Sunrise$230
- Marrakech City Tour & Medina Walk with a Licensed Guide$50
A day in Fes
Every route we run to the dunes, with the nights in the desert and prices side by side: Morocco desert tours from Marrakech and Fes.
Want a different route or extra days? With a private driver in Morocco you set the itinerary, from a day trip to two weeks across the country.
Booking, Payment and Cancellation
- Price basis
- Prices are per person, based on two travellers sharing. Larger groups pay less per person; a solo traveller pays more. The final price is confirmed in your written quote.
- Currency
- Tour prices are in US dollars. Meals, entrance fees and tips during the trip are paid in Moroccan dirhams (MAD).
- Deposit and balance
- A 15% deposit confirms the booking (PayPal, bank transfer or credit card). The balance is paid on arrival in Morocco.
- Cancellation
- Tell us in writing. Your deposit is fully refundable.
- Travel insurance
- Required, covering medical expenses, emergency repatriation and personal liability.
Full details: booking terms and how tour prices work.
3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga: Your Questions
Yes. It starts in Marrakech and ends in Fes, so you never drive the same road twice. If you need to return to Marrakech, take the 3 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga (from $395 per person), which loops back.
About 1,040 km in total. Day 1 is about 330 km (6.5 hours) over the Tizi n'Tichka pass to the Dades Valley, day 2 about 250 km (4.5 hours) to Merzouga, and day 3 the longest, about 459 km (7.5 hours) through the Ziz Valley and the Middle Atlas to Fes.
The route, vehicle and driver are the same. Luxury uses boutique hotels and a desert camp with a private bathroom in your tent; Standard uses comfortable kasbah hotels and a camp with private tents. The from price of $430 per person, based on two travellers sharing, is for Standard; the Luxury tier is quoted on request.
Yes, the route is a starting point. The most common change is a full day around Merzouga, which is what the 4 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga does.
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.
Tour Details
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Open it in our trip planner: add nights, swap places or change the pace, and see the new plan and price straight away.
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