3-Day Fes to Marrakech Desert Tour: Sahara, Gorges & Kasbahs

Cross the Atlas and the Sahara in three days, sleeping in the dunes and waking to sunrise over Merzouga.

A 3-day private tour departing Fes that crosses the Middle Atlas cedar forests, descends into the Sahara for an overnight camel trek and desert camp stay, then climbs back through Todra Gorge and Dades Valley to reach Marrakech. The route includes stops at Ifrane, Azrou, Midelt, Rissani market, Erfoud fossil workshops, and the UNESCO kasbah at Ait Ben Haddou. A live guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian or French. Hotel pickup is included, and the itinerary pairs two nights of accommodation (one under canvas in the dunes, one in a hotel in Dades Valley) with private air-conditioned transport throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Fes to Merzouga Desert and Camel Trek

• Pick up from hotel in Fes
• Visit Ifrane mountain village
• Stop at Azrou cedar forest
• Travel through Midelt and Tizi N'talghamt pass
• Lunch in Errachidia
• Drive through Ziz Valley to Merzouga
• Drink mint tea in Merzouga
• Camel ride on Merzouga dunes
• Dinner and overnight in desert camp

Day 2: Merzouga Desert to Dades Valley

• Sunrise on desert dune
• Camel ride back to Merzouga camp
• Breakfast at camp
• Visit Rissani market
• Tour Erfoud fossil marble factories
• Visit Touroug and Tinjdad palm groves
• Explore Todra Gorges and walk
• Lunch in Todra Gorges
• Drive to Dades Valley via Boumalne Dades
• Stop at "monkey legs" viewpoint
• Dinner and overnight in Dades Valley hotel

Day 3: Dades Valley to Marrakech via Kasbahs

• Breakfast in Dades Valley
• Visit Dades Valley lookout point
• Drive along "One Thousand Kasbahs Road"
• Stop at Roses Valley and Skoura palm grove
• Visit Kasbah of Taourirt in Ouarzazate
• Visit Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah
• Lunch in Ait Ben Haddou town
• Drive through Tizi Ntichka mountain pass
• Arrive and transfer to hotel in Marrakech

The experience

You start in Fes, picked up from your hotel or riad, and head south through the Middle Atlas toward the desert. The first day moves through Ifrane, a mountain village built in European style, and Azrou, where cedar forests shelter free-roaming monkeys. After a lunch stop in Midelt, the landscape shifts as you pass through the Tizi N'talghamt pass and Ziz Gorge, the High Atlas plateau giving way to hints of sand. By afternoon you reach Merzouga, where mint tea waits and a camel man leads you out onto the golden dunes. Dinner comes in front of your tent, and you sleep in the desert camp.

Day two begins before dawn. You climb a high dune near the camp to watch sunrise paint the sand, then return on camel for breakfast. The route then swings to Rissani market (bustling on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday) before Erfoud, where fossil marble workshops show how the stone is worked. Todra Gorge, a cliff-sided canyon an hour onward, gives you free time to walk through and eat lunch surrounded by high rock walls. In the afternoon you continue to Dades Valley, also called the figs valley, stopping at the "monkey legs" rock formation before settling into a hotel in Dades for the night.

The final day starts with a mountain viewpoint overlooking Dades Valley and its scattered kasbahs. The route follows the "One Thousand Kasbahs Road" through the Roses Valley and Skoura palm grove to Ouarzazate, where the Kasbah of Taourirt (the former residence of the Marrakech pasha) stands open to visit. Half an hour onward sits Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified village and UNESCO World Heritage site where Gladiator, The Mummy and other films were shot. You have free time to explore and eat. The final leg crosses the Tizi Ntichka mountain pass with photo stops, the landscape shifting from moonlike rock to color as you descend into Marrakech, arriving around 6 pm.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned transportation throughout the three days.
• pickup from your Fes hotel or riad.
• one night in a desert camp in Merzouga with camel trekking included.
• one night in a hotel in Dades Valley.
• a live guide in English, Spanish, Italian or French.
• entry to Ait Ben Haddou kasbah.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00, 08:30 and 09:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (5 and older) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Italian

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 10 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Morocco desert trips

Is this one for you?This is a private tour with a dedicated guide and driver, so the pace and stops are yours to shape within the itinerary: ideal if you want to linger at Todra Gorge or skip the cinema studios in Ouarzazate. The overnight desert camp is the centerpiece. If sleeping under canvas appeals to you, this three-day span is the only way to fit the Sahara sunrise and the High Atlas gorges into one journey from Fes.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

What's the camel trekking like on the first night in Merzouga?

An experienced camel man leads you out onto the golden sand dunes of Merzouga in the evening, then returns you to the desert camp for dinner and overnight. The trek is part of the included experience, and you sleep in a tent in the dunes.

Do I need to arrange my own lunch, or is it included?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. You'll have free time and the option to eat at stops like Todra Gorge and Ait Ben Haddou, where local restaurants are available.

What happens if I visit Rissani market on a day it's not open?

Rissani market operates on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. If your tour falls on one of those days, you'll visit the bustling marketplace. On other days, the route continues through the area without the market stop.

How many nights do I spend in the desert versus a hotel?

You spend one night in a tent at the desert camp in Merzouga, and one night in a hotel in Dades Valley. The third night is in Marrakech after arrival around 6 pm.

What's included in the transport and accommodations?

Private air-conditioned vehicle transport is included for all three days; overnight stays at a desert camp and a hotel in Dades Valley; and a camel trek in Merzouga. Specialized infant seats are available on request.