2-Day Merzouga Desert Tour from Fez: Luxury Camp & Camel Ride

Two days crossing the Middle Atlas to sleep under stars in a desert camp

A 2-day private tour from Fez to Merzouga Desert with an English or French-speaking driver, air-conditioned minivan transport, and one night in a luxury desert camp. Day one crosses cedar forests and Berber villages to reach the Sahara, where a 4x4 takes you to camp for a camel ride at sunset, dinner and stargazing. Day two includes a Berber market visit before the return drive to Fez.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Merzouga Desert and Sunset

• Pick up from hotel in Fez
• Drive through Ifrane, Little Switzerland
• Visit cedar forest and see wild monkeys in Azrou
• Lunch at Berber restaurant in Ziz Valley
• Explore fossils in Erfoud
• 4x4 ride to luxury desert camp
• Drop off luggage and greet camels
• Camel ride to watch sunset
• Dinner with Berber music and campfire

Day 2: Return to Fez via Rissani

• Breakfast at desert camp
• Visit Berber market in Rissani
• Lunch at Berber restaurant
• Drive back to Fez

The experience

How much of the drive is actually scenic, and how much is just getting there? The route itself is the point: you leave Fez heading southeast through the Middle Atlas, a mountain range that stretches 350 kilometers across Morocco. The first real stop is Ifrane, a city built at 1,650 meters with architecture and climate so Swiss that locals call it Little Switzerland. From there the road enters the cedar forests of Azrou, where wild Barbary macaques live among the trees. You stop to watch them and take photos. A Berber restaurant in the Ziz Valley breaks up the drive with lunch and views over the river, then you push on to Erfoud, an oasis town on the edge of the Sahara where the landscape shifts to desert.

When you arrive in Merzouga, a 4x4 jeep takes over from the minivan and carries you to the luxury camp. You drop your bags, then mount a camel and ride into the dunes to watch the sunset. Dinner happens around a wood fire with Berber music and the group. Afterward, the sky fills with stars. Breakfast comes early the next morning, then you visit Rissani, the Berber market town closest to Erg Chebbi, the largest sand desert in Morocco. A final lunch stop and the drive back to Fez closes the tour.

The private setup means no fixed departure time and no strangers on the bus. Your driver speaks English or French and handles all the logistics: hotel pickup, the vehicle swap in Merzouga, the camel arrangements. One night in the camp is included, along with dinner, breakfast, bottled water, and the camel ride itself. You pay separately for lunch.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned minivan transport from Fez.
• private 4x4 jeep transfer to the luxury camp.
• one night accommodation in the luxury desert camp.
• camel ride in the Merzouga dunes at sunset.
• dinner with Berber music and wood fire.
• breakfast the next morning.
• bottled water throughout.
• English or French-speaking driver.
• hotel pickup and return.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day11 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 12:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (4 to 80 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Fes City Travel

Is this one for you?Two days is long enough to cross the mountains, reach the Sahara and spend a night under stars, but short enough to fit into a longer Morocco itinerary without eating up a week. If you need to stay in Fez or explore another city on the same trip, this length works. A 4-day version would push deeper into the desert.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

What is Ifrane, and why do people stop there?

Ifrane is a city in the Middle Atlas at 1,650 meters altitude, nicknamed Little Switzerland for its European-style architecture, climate and landscapes. It sits on the route between Fez and Merzouga and marks the transition from lowland travel to mountain scenery.

Do I ride a camel in the desert, or just see them?

You ride a camel into the Merzouga dunes at sunset on the first evening. After dropping your bags at the luxury camp, the camel ride is the main activity before dinner and stargazing.

What happens on the second day?

Day two starts with breakfast at the camp, then you visit Rissani, a Berber market town near Erg Chebbi, the largest sand desert in Morocco. After lunch at a Berber restaurant, the drive returns you to Fez, ending the tour in the afternoon.

Is the Ziz Valley worth the stop, or is it just a lunch break?

The Ziz Valley stop includes lunch at a traditional Berber restaurant and panoramic views over the Ziz River. The valley is home to hundreds of kasbahs and ksars (fortified villages), so the location itself is part of the route's scenery.

What's included in the price, and what do I pay for separately?

Included are private transport in an air-conditioned minivan, the 4x4 transfer to camp, one night in the luxury camp, dinner, breakfast, bottled water, and the camel ride. Lunch on both days is not included in the tour price.

Will I be alone, or is this a group tour?

This is a private tour, so you travel with your own driver and group only. No strangers join the vehicle or the camp experience.