3-day Fez Desert Tour: Merzouga & Erg Chebbi with Camel Ride

Cross the Atlas Mountains and sleep under stars in the Sahara

A 3-day tour from Fez to the Sahara and back, traveling through cedar forests and Berber villages across the Middle Atlas Mountains, spending two nights in luxury accommodations (one in a traditional kasbah in Merzouga, one in a desert camp on the Erg Chebbi dunes) with a professional driver-guide, camel ride, and Moroccan meals included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel from Fez to Merzouga

• Depart early from Fez
• Pass through Ifrane and visit cedar forest
• See monkeys in Azrou
• Drive across Middle Atlas Mountains
• Stop for lunch in Midelt
• Continue to Merzouga
• Check in at Kasbah hotel
• Enjoy Moroccan dinner

Day 2: Relax and desert activities in Merzouga

• Have breakfast
• Relax and explore Nomads and Berbers
• Choose activities like sandboarding or hiking
• Rest with mint tea
• Ride camels across Erg Chebbi dunes
• Watch sunset on camel ride
• Arrive at desert camp
• Enjoy Moroccan dinner and Saharian music

Day 3: Return from Merzouga to Fez

• Watch sunrise over sand dunes
• Return to camp for shower and breakfast
• Visit Rissani Medina and Souk
• Drive back to Fez with stops in Midelt and Ifrane or Azrou
• Arrive at accommodation in Fez

The experience

The route climbs out of Fez through Ifrane, a French-built ski resort that looks transplanted from the Alps, then descends into the cedar forests of Azrou where you'll spot Barbary macaques. The drive crosses the Middle Atlas on winding roads past jagged rock faces and Berber settlements, with a lunch stop in Midelt, a town known for fossils, before arriving at your kasbah in Merzouga. The first night is spent in a traditional stone building with Moroccan dinner and time to settle in.

Day two splits between rest and activity. The morning and early afternoon are yours: swim, sandboard, hike, or walk through nearby nomadic camps. After mint tea, camels and your guide are ready. You'll ride across the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi for an hour as the sun sets, then reach the luxury desert camp where you'll sleep under open sky. Dinner and Saharan music happen at the camp. If you want to catch the sunrise, you can walk the dunes at dawn: the Algerian border sits about 50 kilometers away.

The return journey on day three reverses the route, with time to explore Rissani's medina and souk, and stops in Midelt and Ifrane for rest and lunch before your driver delivers you back to your Fez accommodation. The air-conditioned vehicle stays with you throughout, and your guide speaks English, Spanish or French.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver-guide for all three days.
• two nights' accommodation in a luxury kasbah in Merzouga and a luxury desert camp on Erg Chebbi.
• camel ride across the dunes at sunset.
• Moroccan dinners at both accommodations and breakfast at the desert camp and kasbah.
• hotel pickup in Fez and return to your accommodation.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Luxury Holidays Morocco

Is this one for you?Book this if you want everything bundled together (transport, two nights' lodging, and a guide who knows the desert's history), so you can focus on the experience rather than piecing together separate bookings.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 2 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's included in the 3-day Fez desert tour?

The tour includes accommodation for two nights (one in a kasbah in Merzouga, one in a luxury desert camp), a camel ride across Erg Chebbi, all transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, a professional driver-guide, and Moroccan dinners. Breakfast is included at the desert camp and kasbah, though lunch on travel days is not.

Do I need experience to ride a camel across the dunes?

No experience is required. The camel ride lasts about an hour and crosses the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset. You should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness for the tour overall, which involves long driving days and walking.

What happens on the second day in Merzouga?

Day two is split between free time and the camel experience. In the morning and early afternoon, you can relax at the hotel, swim, sandboard, hike, or visit nearby nomadic Berber camps. After tea, the guide brings camels for the sunset ride to the desert camp, where you spend the night under stars.

Can I see the sunrise from the Sahara?

Yes. On the morning of day three, you can wake early and walk the sand dunes to watch the sunrise from behind the Algerian border, which is roughly 50 kilometers from Merzouga. You'll return to the camp to shower and have breakfast before heading back to Fez.

What's the drive like through the Atlas Mountains?

The route winds through cedar forests, past rock faces and Berber villages as it crosses the Middle Atlas. You'll pass through Ifrane, a ski resort built in the 1930s to resemble a Swiss village, and stop in Midelt for lunch. Most of day one is spent on these mountain roads, arriving in Merzouga by evening.