4-day Fez to Marrakech desert tour: Merzouga camel trek

Drive the Sahara from Fez to Marrakech, riding camels across Merzouga's tallest dunes

A 4-day private tour from Fez to Marrakech through Morocco's Sahara, centered on Merzouga. You travel by AC vehicle through the Middle and High Atlas mountains, ride camels across Erg Chebbi dunes with an overnight desert camp, visit Dades Gorge and the fortified kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, and end in Marrakech. A guide in your choice of English, Spanish, French or Arabic leads the route. Hotel pickup in Fez is included, and all four nights' accommodations are provided.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Drive from Fes to Merzouga Desert

• Pick up after breakfast
• Drive through Ifrane and Midelt
• Stop at cedar forest to see apes
• Lunch in Midelt
• Drive along Ziz Valley
• Visit Berber villages to Erfoud and Rissani
• Arrive Merzouga, welcome tea and check-in

Day 2: Explore Merzouga Desert and Camel Trek

• Breakfast at riad
• Visit Gnawa village and learn music
• Tour nomad households in desert
• Lunch with local family (Berber pizza)
• Optional visit to Rissani souk
• Return to Merzouga
• Camel ride into sand dunes
• Dinner at desert camp

Day 3: Sunrise Camel Ride and Todgha Gorges

• Early camel ride for sunrise
• Return to Merzouga by camel
• Shower and breakfast at riad
• Visit Todgha Gorges and valley walk
• Drive to Dades Valley
• Check-in at local hotel or riad

Day 4: Dades Valley to Marrakech via Kasbahs

• Drive through Dades Valley
• Stop at Kalaat M'Gouna rose cooperative
• Continue to Ouarzazate and Skoura Kasbah
• Visit Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou
• Cross Tizi n'Tichka Pass
• Arrive and check-in in Marrakech

The experience

The route runs from Fez south through Ifrane and the Ziz Valley, where you'll stop in Morocco's largest cedar forest to see Barbary apes, then continue toward the desert. By the time you reach Merzouga at the end of day one, the landscape has shifted from mountain to sand. Day two is built around the camel trek: after breakfast at your riad, you travel to the Gnawa village to learn about the people who migrated from Mali, Senegal and Sudan, then ride out across the dunes with a camel guide for an afternoon trek. Dinner is served in front of the tent where you'll sleep that night in the desert camp.

Day three starts before dawn so you can watch the sunrise over Erg Chebbi from camel-back, then returns to Merzouga for a shower and breakfast. From there, the tour heads to Todgha Gorges, Morocco's highest and narrowest gorge system, where you can walk for an hour and meet local people. The afternoon drive continues to Dades Valley, known as the way of a thousand kasbahs for its stacked fortified villages carved into the landscape. Day four takes you west through Kalaat M'Gouna in rose valley (you can visit the rose cooperative), then through Ouarzazate and past the kasbah film studios. The route crosses the Tizi n'Tichka Pass through the High Atlas at 2,260 meters, where you'll stop to watch Berber women making argan oil. You arrive in Marrakech by late afternoon.

The tour is built for travelers who don't mind long driving days but want genuine depth in the Sahara rather than a quick dune visit. All accommodations are included: riads in Merzouga and Dades Valley, and the desert camp on night two. Your guide speaks English, Spanish, French or Arabic, and the vehicle is air-conditioned. Pickup from your Fez hotel is part of the booking.

What’s included

• Private AC vehicle for the entire 4-day route.
• pickup from your Fez hotel.
• four nights' accommodation in riads and a desert camp.
• camel ride across Merzouga's dunes with an overnight in the desert camp.
• a local desert guide in English, Spanish, French or Arabic.
• breakfast and dinner at all accommodations.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 85 years) · Youth (7 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 6 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 40 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Morocco Tours 4x4 - Day Tours

Is this one for you?Four full days in the car means you cover a lot of ground (from the cedar forests of the north to the Sahara and back across the High Atlas), so this suits travelers who want to see the full arc of Morocco's geography in one trip rather than stay based in one place. The camel trek and desert camp night are fixed parts of the itinerary, so if you're looking for flexibility to skip activities or change the route, a shorter or more modular tour would work better.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (7 to 17 years); Child (3 to 6 years); Infant (under 3).

What's the camel ride actually like in Merzouga?

You ride across Erg Chebbi, Morocco's tallest sand dunes, in the afternoon with an expert camel guide who knows the terrain. The dunes shift color throughout the day with the light, and you spend the night in a desert camp with dinner served in front of your tent. The next morning, your guide wakes you early to ride back through the dunes and watch the sunrise over them before returning to the riad for breakfast.

How much time do we spend driving each day?

Day one is the longest drive, from Fez to Merzouga through Midelt and the Ziz Valley with several stops to see the cedar forest and landscape changes. Days two and three center on Merzouga and the gorges, with shorter drives between sites. Day four is a full drive from Dades Valley to Marrakech, passing through rose valley and crossing the High Atlas. The tour is designed for travelers comfortable with substantial time in the car.

What are Dades Gorge and Ait Benhaddou?

Dades Gorge is a dramatic valley in central Morocco known for its towering rock formations, including shapes locals call "monkey feet," and for the stacked kasbahs (fortified villages) built into its sides. Ait Benhaddou is a 19th-century kasbah built by a Berber chieftain and now home to many Glaoui people. It sits on the route between Dades Valley and Marrakech and is a UNESCO site often used in film productions.

Are meals included in the tour price?

Breakfast and dinner are included at your accommodations each night. Lunch is not included, though on day two you eat a traditional Berber pizza with a local family in the desert, and the tour stops at places where you can purchase meals at other times.

Do I need experience to ride a camel?

No experience is needed. The camel trek is led by an expert camel guide, and the tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Children and infants can participate. Specialized infant seats are available, and small children can ride in a pram or stroller during vehicle portions of the tour.