3-Day Sahara Desert Tour from Fez: Camel trek & gorges

Cedar forests, five gorges, one desert night on camel

A 3-day guided desert tour departing Fez and ending in Marrakech, with overnight stays in a Sahara camp and a Dades gorges hotel, a camel trek at sunset and sunrise, and stops at Todra Gorge, Dades Gorge, Ait Benhaddou and the Rose Valley. Your local guide speaks English, Spanish, French or German, and hotel pickup is included; the minimum group size is four paying adults.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Fes to Merzouga Desert

• Stop in Ifrane for coffee
• Observe Barbary apes in cedar forests
• Lunch in Midelt
• Drive through Ziz Valley and view oasis
• Visit Erfoud fossil shops
• Camel ride to desert camp at Merzouga

Day 2 — Merzouga to Dades Valley

• Visit Rissani market and donkey parking
• Explore water channels and Todra Gorges
• Drive to Dades Valley with photo stops
• Explore Dades Gorge and monkey fingers
• Check into hotel in Dades Valley

Day 3 — Dades Gorges to Marrakech

• Visit Kelaa M'Gouna rose farms
• Pass Skoura palm grove to Ouarzazate
• Visit Taourirt Kasbah or film studio
• Tour Ait Ben Haddou kasbahs
• Drive over Tizi n Tichka Pass to Marrakech
• Drop off at accommodation in Marrakech

The Experience

If you're arriving in Fez without a car or heading south to Marrakech and want to see the desert without building an itinerary yourself, this tour leaves the planning to a guide who knows the route. Day one takes you south through the Middle Atlas, where you stop to watch Barbary apes in the cedar forests, then descends into the Ziz Valley—a ribbon of palm trees and date plantations—before reaching Merzouga at the edge of the Sahara. Once there, a camel carries you across the golden dunes at sunset while a 4x4 transports your luggage to the camp. You sleep in a private tent with an ensuite bathroom and shower.

Day two moves west through Rissani's livestock market and into the Todra Gorges, where the river has carved a narrow canyon you can walk and explore. The route then climbs into Dades Valley, where the Dades River has sculpted red canyons and old kasbahs cling to the hillside. You overnight in a private room with air conditioning. On the final day, you pass through the Rose Valley—farmland bordered with fragrant rose bushes—and the Skoura palm grove before reaching Ouarzazate, where you can visit a film studio or the Taourirt Kasbah. The last stop is Ait Benhaddou, a fortified city on the former caravan route, before the drive north over the Tizi n Tichka Pass into Marrakech.

A morning camel ride is included on day two if you want it; you can skip it and travel by SUV instead. The guide is with you throughout, and meals at hotels and camps are arranged—you only need to note any dietary requirements when you book. July and August bring intense heat, so spring and autumn are better times to go.

What’s included

• Three nights' accommodation—one in a private Sahara camp tent with ensuite bathroom and shower, one in a private hotel room with air conditioning.
• local guide in English, Spanish, French or German.
• camel trekking at sunset and sunrise (or SUV alternative).
• hotel pickup in Fez and drop-off in Marrakech.
• breakfast and dinner at camps and hotels.
• guided entry to Ait Benhaddou village.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Authentic Sahara Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you're based in Fez without a car—the guide drives you across three days through gorges and desert to Marrakech, handling all transport and camp logistics so you focus on the landscape and camel trekking.

Traveler reviews

4.91★★★★★★★★★★

159 verified traveler reviews

5 ★150

4 ★7

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★2

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What exactly happens on the camel ride in the Sahara?

The camel trek happens twice: an evening ride across the dunes to the camp at sunset, and a morning ride back from the camp at sunrise. Your luggage travels separately by 4x4 so you ride unencumbered. If you prefer not to ride, you can travel by SUV instead.

Where do I sleep on this tour?

Night one is in a private tent with an ensuite bathroom and shower at Sahara Stars Camp or Pueblo Touareg in Merzouga. Night two is in a private room with air conditioning at Riad Rihana Dades or Hotel Atlas Dades in the Dades Valley.

What are the Todra and Dades gorges like?

Todra Gorge is a narrow canyon carved by the river where you can walk and explore the rock walls. Dades Gorge sits in a valley of red-colored canyons and old kasbahs, with a winding road and views the guide will stop to show you; the landscape is dramatic enough that film studios have used it for location shoots.

Does the tour include meals?

Breakfast, dinner and overnight accommodation are included at both camps and hotels. Lunch is not included, but the guide stops in towns where you can eat at local restaurants; the operator asks you to note any dietary requirements at booking.

What languages does the guide speak?

Your guide speaks English, Spanish, French, German or one additional language depending on availability. Confirm the language when you reconfirm your pickup details after booking.

How do I get picked up, and where does the tour end?

Hotel pickup in Fez is included; you'll reconfirm the pickup location and time with the operator after booking. The tour ends with a drop-off at your accommodation in Marrakech on the afternoon of day three.