Fes to Marrakech desert tour: 3 days with camel trekking

Camel trekking at sunset, towering gorges, a fortified kasbah, and nights between desert camp and mountain hotel

A 3-day tour from Fes to Marrakech that crosses the Merzouga desert by camel, sleeps in a luxury camp under the stars, and visits Todra Gorge, Dades Gorge, and Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah with an English-speaking guide. The tour includes camel trekking or 4x4 transport to the camp, all meals at the camp and hotel, and sandboarding. You choose between a small shared group (10 people max) or a private tour for your group only. Lunches and gratuities are not included, and optional activities like quad biking or buggy driving cost extra.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Fes to Merzouga desert journey

• Pick up travelers in Fes Medina
• Short walk in Ifrane
• Stop at Cedar forest in Middle Atlas
• Lunch at roadside restaurant
• Stop for panoramic oasis view
• Arrive Merzouga desert
• Camel ride to luxury desert camp
• Watch sunset from high dune
• Dinner and campfire with Berber music

Day 2: Merzouga desert to Dades Gorges

• Watch sunrise in desert camp
• Breakfast at camp
• Depart camp by camel or 4x4
• Optional quad biking or buggy driving
• Stop at Rissani souk (on market days)
• Walk in Todra Canyon
• Visit monkey fingers rock formations
• Panoramic view of Dades Gorges

Day 3: Dades Gorges to Marrakech via Ouarzazate

• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive to Ouarzazate via Kelaat Mgouna
• Photo stop at Atlas Studio
• Visit Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah
• Drive over High Atlas Mountains
• Arrive in Marrakech and drop off

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from the Medina of Fes and heads south through Ifrane (a French colonial town built in 1928 with gabled roofs), and the Middle Atlas Mountains, where you may spot Barbary macaques in a cedar forest. After lunch along the way, you'll pass an oasis full of palm trees before reaching Merzouga in the afternoon. Here the desert begins: you ride a camel across the huge sand dunes of Erg Chebbi for about an hour and 40 minutes, stopping on a high dune to watch the sunset. If you prefer not to ride, a 4x4 vehicle is included at no extra cost. Either way, you arrive at a luxury desert camp where staff show you to a private tent with an en-suite bathroom.

The night at the camp includes dinner, a campfire with traditional Berber music and drums, and a view of the starry sky. On day two, waking early for sunrise is recommended. After breakfast, you choose again between camel or 4x4 to leave the camp. If your dates fall on Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday, the tour stops at Rissani to walk through a traditional Moroccan souk: the market runs only three days a week. Then you drive to Todra Gorge, the deepest canyon in Morocco with cliffs over 300 meters high, for a walk beneath them. The day ends at a hotel in Dades Gorges with another private room and en-suite bathroom.

Day three takes you west through Kelaat Mgouna, known for roses (a stop in springtime when the valley fills with them), to Ouarzazate. You'll see the Atlas Studio from outside (the world's largest film studio by land area, used for Aladdin, Vikings, and Prison Break), and can pay extra for an inside tour lasting about an hour and a half. The guide then escorts you through Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, a fortified village and former caravan stop featured in Gladiator and Game of Thrones, explaining its Moroccan architecture and history. The final leg crosses the High Atlas Mountains with stops for views before dropping you at your hotel in Marrakech in the late afternoon.

What’s included

• Private tent with en-suite bathroom at a luxury desert camp.
• camel trekking across Erg Chebbi dunes or 4x4 transport to the camp.
• all dinners and breakfasts at the camp and hotel.
• private room with en-suite bathroom at a hotel in Dades Gorges.
• air-conditioned vehicle throughout.
• English-speaking driver and guide.
• guided tour of Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah.
• sandboarding activity.
• walks through Todra Gorge and Dades Gorge.

Options for this experience

2 options

Small shared tour (maximum 10 people)Guide in English · No fixed timeLuxury desert camp: you will stay at Africa Luxury Camp on the first night and Hotel Babylon Dades on the second night, or similar accommodations. Camel riding experience: this tour includes camel trekking to your desert camp or, if you prefer, a 4x4 car transfer at no extra cost. Best service. Duration: 3 days. 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts: you will enjoy dinner and breakfast at each accommodation during your stay. High quality vehicles: for 4 to 8 people, we use a Mercedes-Benz Vito or Ford Tourneo Custom; for 8 to 10 people, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibus. Pick-up and drop-off: we meet all travelers at a designated spot in Fes. After the tour, we will drop you at the location closest to your hotel or riad.

Private tour (exclusively for your group)Guide in English · No fixed timeLuxury desert camp: you will stay at Africa Luxury Camp on the first night and Hotel Babylon Dades on the second night, or similar accommodations. Camel riding experience: this tour includes camel trekking to your desert camp or, if you prefer, a 4x4 car transfer at no extra cost. Private desert tour: experience the flexibility of a private tour with your chosen companions. Enjoy a unique desert trip. Duration: 3 days. 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts: you will enjoy dinner and breakfast at each accommodation during your tour. High quality vehicles: depends on your group size; we use a Toyota Land Cruiser, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Ford Tourneo Custom, and Mercedes-Benz minibus. Pick-up and drop-off: we will pick you up from your hotel or riad in Fes. After the tour, we will drop you off at your hotel or riad in Marrakech.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 3d, runs every day with no fixed time, from US$ 385 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 10 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day

AgesUp to age 90

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availableNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Morocco Fabulous travel

Is this one for you?Book the shared group if you want to meet other travelers and split costs, or choose private if you need flexibility to linger at stops and set your own pace.

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Top questions

Can I ride a camel the whole way, or do I have to use the 4x4 vehicle?

Camel trekking is included and takes about an hour and 40 minutes across Erg Chebbi dunes to the camp. A 4x4 vehicle is also included at no extra cost if you prefer not to ride. You can choose either option on both day one and day two.

What is Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah and why is it on this tour?

Ait Ben Haddou is a fortified village and UNESCO-listed kasbah in southern Morocco that was once a caravan stop on Sahara trade routes. It is featured in major films including Gladiator and Game of Thrones, and your guide will walk you through it explaining its architecture and history.

How deep are Todra Gorge and Dades Gorge?

Todra Gorge is the deepest canyon in Morocco with cliffs over 300 meters high. You walk beneath them on day two. Dades Gorge, where you stay that night, features rock formations called monkey fingers and panoramic views of the canyon itself.

What happens if my tour dates fall on a day the Rissani souk is not open?

The Rissani souk runs only on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. If your tour does not fall on one of those days, you will not stop there. The route continues directly to Todra Gorge instead.

Can I add activities like quad biking or buggy driving to this tour?

Yes, quad biking or buggy driving can be added on the morning of day two for an extra fee. Let your guide know the evening before if you are interested, and you will arrange the cost then.

What is included in the price and what costs extra?

Included are the air-conditioned vehicle, English-speaking guide, camel trekking or 4x4 transport, private tent at the luxury desert camp with en-suite bathroom, private room at the hotel in Dades Gorges with en-suite bathroom, all dinners and breakfasts, sandboarding, and entry to Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah. Lunches, gratuities, and optional activities like quad biking, buggy driving, or the inside tour of Atlas Studio are not included.