4-day desert tour Fez to Marrakech: Erg Chebbi dunes

Four days in the Sahara: from cedar forests to desert sunrise over Erg Chebbi

A 4-day tour from Fez to Marrakech that crosses the Middle Atlas and the Eastern Sahara, ending in Merzouga. You travel by 4x4 through the Ziz Valley and Ziz Gorges, spend a night in a Berber camp deep in the Erg Chebbi dunes after a camel ride at sunset, and return via the Todra Gorges, Valley of Roses, and the fortified ksar of Aït-ben-Haddou. The route includes three hotel nights and passes through nomadic villages, oases, and Berber towns.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Fes to Merzouga via Atlas Mountains

• Pick up at hotel in Fes
• Drive through Middle Atlas cedar woods
• Stop at Ifrane village
• Visit Azrou Berber town
• Pass Ziz Valley and Ziz Gorges
• Drive through Midelt and Arfoud villages
• Arrive at Merzouga desert hotel

Day 2: Explore Erg Chebbi dunes and villages

• Enter desert in 4x4 vehicle
• Visit nomadic villages and oasis
• Cross Erg Chebbi dunes
• Visit Khamlia village and meet gnaouas
• Ride camels to Berber camp at sunset
• Dine and overnight in Berber camp

Day 3: Merzouga sunrise and Ouarzazate journey

• Watch sunrise in desert
• Camel ride back to hotel
• Shower and breakfast at hotel
• Drive through Rissani and Tafilalet
• Visit Todra Gorges and Dades Valley
• Pass Valley of Roses and Skoura Palmeraie
• Arrive and overnight in Ouarzazate hotel

Day 4: Ouarzazate to Marrakech via Aït-ben-Haddou

• Breakfast at hotel
• Visit ksar of Aït-ben-Haddou
• Drive through almond tree valley and Berber villages
• Cross Tizi n'Tichka pass
• Stop for lunch in Tadart village
• Continue drive to Marrakech

The experience

The tour starts with a pickup from your hotel in Fez and heads south through the Middle Atlas, a mountain range that stretches 350 kilometers across northern Morocco. You'll pass through Ifrane (known locally as Moroccan Switzerland for its alpine architecture), and stop in Azrou, a Berber town in the cedar woods. The route then follows the Ziz Valley and Ziz Gorges, passing through villages like Midelt and Arfoud before reaching Merzouga. You spend the first night in a hotel near the dunes.

Day two is the heart of the desert. A 4x4 takes you into Erg Chebbi, where you visit nomadic villages and cross the dunes themselves. In the afternoon you reach Khamlia, a village where gnaouas (a nomadic tribe descended from African slaves) perform their traditional folk music. At sunset you return to the hotel to mount a camel for the ride into the dunes, ending at a Berber camp where you eat and sleep under the stars.

The third day begins with a desert sunrise, followed by a camel ride back to the hotel for breakfast and a shower. From there the route turns west through Rissani and Tafilalet, the birthplace of the Alaouite dynasty, then climbs into the Todra Gorges and the Dades Valley. You pass through the Valley of Roses, famous for its rose cultivation, and the Palmeraie of Skoura before arriving in Ouarzazate for the night.

The final day takes you from Ouarzazate to Aït-ben-Haddou, a fortified ksar and UNESCO site that has appeared in films like Gladiator. You can walk inside the ruins to explore the kashbah, then continue through almond tree valleys and Berber villages. The route crosses the Atlas at the Tizi n'Tichka pass, 2,260 meters high, with a meal stop in the village of Tadart before the drive down to Marrakech.

What’s included

• Private transportation throughout the four days.
• three nights of accommodation (one near the Merzouga dunes, one in a Berber camp in Erg Chebbi, one in Ouarzazate).
• hotel pickup in Fez and drop-off in Marrakech.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00, 07:30 and 08:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (14 and older) · Under 14: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic

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 15 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Planet of Morocco

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're arriving in Fez without a rental car and want to reach the Sahara and Marrakech in one journey. The fixed itinerary and included pickup mean you travel as a group on set dates, and the four-day span is what fits all three regions (the Middle Atlas, Erg Chebbi, and the southern valleys) into a single trip.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic.

What is the Erg Chebbi and what do you do there?

Erg Chebbi is the massive dune field of the Eastern Sahara near Merzouga. You enter it by 4x4 to see nomadic villages and oases, then ride a camel at sunset to a Berber camp in the heart of the dunes where you spend the night, and return on camel at sunrise the next morning.

Do I need any experience to ride a camel?

No experience is required. The camel rides are part of the tour itinerary: one at sunset to reach the Berber camp and one at sunrise to return to the hotel the following morning.

What are the Todra Gorges and how much time do you spend there?

The Todra Gorges are a dramatic valley carved between high cliffs in central Morocco. The tour passes through them on day three, allowing you to view the valley from the hillside as you travel from Merzouga toward Ouarzazate.

What is Aït-ben-Haddou and why is it on this route?

Aït-ben-Haddou is a fortified ksar (walled city) and one of Morocco's most famous historical sites, known worldwide from films like Gladiator. On day four you can enter the ruins to explore the kashbah before continuing to Marrakech.

How many nights do you sleep in hotels versus the Berber camp?

You stay two nights in hotels: one near the Merzouga dunes on day one and one in Ouarzazate on day three. The second night is spent in a Berber camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes.