3-day desert tour Fez to Marrakech: Merzouga & Atlas Mountains

Three days through cedar forests, Sahara dunes, and mountain passes from the Riad in Fez

A 3-day tour from Fez to Marrakech crossing the Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert, with camel trekking in Merzouga, stops at Ziz gorges and Todra Gorge, and nights in a Berber tent and hotel. Pickup from your Fez riad is included; a live guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian or French; children from age 1 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Fez to Merzouga through Middle Atlas

• Pick up from Riad in Fez
• Drive through Ifrane and Azrou cedar forest
• Lunch break in Midelt
• Enjoy views of Ziz gorges and Palm oasis
• Relax with mint tea at traditional Kasbah
• Camel trek across sandy dunes
• Dinner and overnight in Berber tent

Day 2: Merzouga to Ouarzazate via Todra Gorge

• Early morning camel ride back to driver
• Drive through Rissani, Erfoud, and Road of a Thousand Kasbahs
• Lunch stop
• Walk in Todra Gorge
• Drive through Dadès Valley
• Dinner and overnight in Ouarzazate hotel

Day 3: Ouarzazate to Marrakech via High Atlas

• Visit Kasbah of Taourirt and Atlas Studios
• Stop at Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah
• Drive through High Atlas and Tizi-n-Tichka pass
• Pass small villages and waterfalls
• Arrive in Marrakech in afternoon

The experience

The route starts with a morning pickup from your Fez riad and heads south through the middle Atlas: Ifrane, the cedar forest of Azrou, jagged rock faces and Berber villages. You stop for lunch in Midelt, then push into the Ziz gorges and Palm oasis before reaching Merzouga. After a cup of mint tea at a traditional kasbah, you mount a camel for an hour across the sandy dunes to a private Berber tent, where dinner and your first night wait.

Day two starts early to catch the sunrise, then you ride camels back to the vehicle. The drive heads northeast through Rissani and Erfoud along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, with a lunch stop and a walk through Todra Gorge. The route then cuts through Dadès Valley past dramatic escarpments, arriving in Ouarzazate by afternoon for dinner and an overnight in a hotel.

On the final day, you tour Ouarzazate itself (the Kasbah of Taourirt and the Atlas Studios movie studios) before stopping at Ait Ben Haddou to see the famous kasbah. The drive then climbs through the High Atlas, crossing the Tizi-n-Tichka pass and passing small villages and waterfalls as the landscape shifts through the mountains. You reach Marrakech in the afternoon and the tour ends.

What’s included

• Pickup from your Fez riad.
• air-conditioned vehicle for three days.
• a live guide in English, Spanish, Italian or French.
• camel trekking in Merzouga.
• two breakfasts.
• dinner at the Berber tent and in Ouarzazate.
• one night in a luxury tent at a private Berber camp and one night in a hotel in Ouarzazate.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

AgesAdult (12 to 20 years) · Senior (21 to 63 years) · Youth (4 to 11 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Explore Travel Tours

Is this one for you?Pickup from your Fez riad means you don't need a car or a rental to leave the city. The tour collects you and handles the full route to Marrakech, so you travel as a passenger from start to finish.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (4 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 3 years).

What's the camel trekking like on this tour?

You ride camels for about an hour across the Merzouga dunes on the first evening, heading to the private Berber tent where you spend the night. The next morning you ride back to the vehicle at sunrise.

Where do I sleep on this 3-day trip?

Night one is in a luxury tent at a private Berber camp in Merzouga. Night two is in a hotel in Ouarzazate.

Does the tour include meals?

Breakfast is included on two mornings. Lunch stops happen in Midelt on day one and in Todra Gorge on day two. Dinner is provided at the Berber tent and in Ouarzazate.

What's included in the price?

Pickup from your Fez riad, the air-conditioned vehicle for all three days, two breakfasts, and the camel trek are included. A live guide in English, Spanish, Italian or French travels with the group.