3-Day Fez to Marrakech Desert Tour: Camel Ride & Mountain Pass

The Tizi-n'Tichka Pass climbs through high mountain terrain past waterfalls and shifting light before dropping you into Marrakech.

This 3-day guided tour runs from Fez to Marrakech through the Sahara, crossing the Middle Atlas Mountains, riding camels at sunset over Erg Chebbi dunes, and traveling the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs past ancient mud-brick villages and gorges. Groups stay under eight travelers. You sleep two nights (one in a Berber tent at a desert camp, one in a hotel) with breakfasts and dinners included. Camel ride, minibus transport, a professional driver and live guide in English, Spanish, French or Arabic are part of the package. Lunch, drinks and monument entrance fees are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Fes to Merzouga Desert Camp

• Pick up from Fes Medina hotel
• Pass through Ifrane ski resort
• See monkeys in Azrou cedar forest
• Drive across Middle Atlas Mountains
• Stop for lunch in Midelt town
• View Ziz Oasis palm trees
• Arrive Merzouga, have mint tea
• Camel ride to desert camp
• Dinner and stargazing in camp

Day 2: Merzouga to Gorges or Ouarzazate

• Breakfast at desert camp
• Travel Road of a Thousand Kasbahs
• Stop for lunch near Todra Gorge
• Walk into Todra Gorge
• Drive through Dades Valley escarpments
• Dinner at hotel in Gorges or Ouarzazate

Day 3: Ouarzazate to Marrakech

• Breakfast at hotel
• Visit Kasbah of Taourirt
• Tour Atlas Studios movie studios
• Stop for lunch in Ait Ben Haddou
• Visit UNESCO Kasbah in Ait Ben Haddou
• Pass through High Atlas and Tizi-n-Tichka
• Arrive at hotel or riad in Marrakech

The experience

The tour picks you up from your Fez hotel at the medina and heads south through Ifrane, a French-built ski resort from the 1930s that looks transplanted from Switzerland. From there the route climbs into the cedars of Azrou, where you'll see monkeys in the trees, then winds through the Middle Atlas Mountains (jagged rock faces, Berber villages, springs threading through forests) as the landscape shifts from green to drier terrain. You stop for lunch in Midelt, a town known for fossils, then continue toward Merzouga and the Sahara.

In the afternoon you reach the Erg Chebbi dunes and have mint tea before mounting a camel for a one-hour ride across the sand to watch the sunset. The desert camp where you spend the night is a Berber tent. After dinner, you watch the stars. On day two, breakfast comes early, then you drive the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs: an ancient caravan route lined with mud-brick kasbahs that rise like sand castles. This region has been a film location for Hollywood productions including The Last Temptation of Christ and Jewel of the Nile. You walk into Todra Gorge, travel through Dades Valley past dramatic escarpments, and sleep at a hotel in the gorges or Ouarzazate.

The final day begins with a visit to Ouarzazate's Kasbah of Taourirt and Atlas Studios (8 euros per person), then continues to Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage kasbah that appeared in Gladiator, Babel and Lawrence of Arabia. From there the route crosses the High Atlas through the Tizi-n'Tichka Pass, climbing to 2,260 meters through small villages and waterfalls as the landscape shifts color with every turn. You return to your hotel or riad in Marrakech by evening.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned minibus transport with a professional driver.
• camel ride over the Erg Chebbi dunes.
• two nights' accommodation (one in a Berber desert tent, one in a hotel).
• breakfasts and dinners.
• live guide in English, Spanish, French or Arabic.
• live Berber music around the campfire.

Options for this experience

4 options

Shared tent or room for a maximum of 4 peopleGuide in English · 07:00Shared standard accommodation: the first night in a shared tent for up to 4 people with a private bathroom, the second night in a shared room at Hôtel Perle du Sud (or similar). Camp activities include a camel ride over the dunes, sandboarding (available on request from camp staff), and live Berber Sahraoui music. Shared group tour lasting 3 days, with two breakfasts and two dinners; a vegetarian option is available. From Fes to Marrakech: the first night in a desert camp in Erg Chebbi, the second night in a hotel in Ouarzazate. Air-conditioned minibus with pickup and drop-off: hotel pickup from Fes, and drop-off in Marrakech at your hotel or a nearby point to your accommodation. Pickup is included.

Private standard tent and roomGuide in English · 07:00Private tent plus hotel: the first night in a private standard tent with an ensuite bathroom, the second night at Hotel La Perle du Sud (or similar) in Ouarzazate. Shared group tour with a professional, knowledgeable driver, lasting 3 days. Two dinners and two breakfasts, with a vegetarian option available. Air-conditioned minibus and a professional driver; pickup is included.

Deluxe tent with air conditioning and a 3-star hotelGuide in English · 07:00Deluxe tent with air conditioning and a 3-star hotel: a private deluxe tent with air conditioning/heating and a private ensuite bathroom, plus La Perle du Sud (or similar). Shared group tour lasting 3 days. Two dinners and two breakfasts per person, with a vegetarian option available. Fes to Marrakech with stops. Air-conditioned minibus with a professional driver; pickup is included.

Deluxe tent with air conditioning and roomGuide in English · 07:00Deluxe accommodation: the first night in a private deluxe tent with an ensuite bathroom and air conditioning, the second night at Ksar Ben Youssef (or similar) in Ouarzazate. Local guides: a local guide in Rissani and another in Ait Ben Haddou. Group tour for up to 17 people, lasting 3 days. Two dinners and two breakfasts, with a vegetarian option available. Fes to Marrakech via Merzouga: travel via the Atlas Mountains, the cedar forest, the Sahara Desert, the valleys, Atlas Studios and the Ait Ben Haddou kasbah. Comfortable air-conditioned transport in a minivan or minibus depending on group size, with a professional driver. Hotel pickup is available where accessible by vehicle; pickup is included.

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 at 07:00, from US$ 153 per person, with a live guide in English, Spanish, French and Arabic and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 17

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Arabic

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 or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Fes Desert Tours

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want camel riding and desert camping combined with mountain and gorge exploration in one trip, and you can choose between sleeping in a desert camp tent or a hotel room to match your comfort level.

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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: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3).

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 the camel ride like on this tour?

The camel ride crosses the Erg Chebbi dunes for about one hour at sunset, carrying you from the edge of the desert to the Berber tent camp where you spend the night. It's part of the included experience, not an add-on.

Do I sleep in the desert both nights?

No. Night one is in a Berber tent at the desert camp in Merzouga. Night two is in a hotel, either in the Gorges or in Ouarzazate depending on the route taken that day.

What happens at Ait Ben Haddou?

Ait Ben Haddou is a UNESCO-listed kasbah where you arrive around lunchtime on day three. You can visit the famous kasbah itself, which was used as a filming location for Gladiator, Babel and Lawrence of Arabia. Entrance is your own cost.

How many people travel together on this tour?

Groups are kept to a maximum of eight travelers, so it stays small and manageable throughout the three days.

What meals are covered?

Breakfasts and dinners are included at both the desert camp and the hotel. Lunch is not included and is your own cost at stops along the way.

Can I request sandboarding or live music?

Sandboarding is available upon request. Live Berber Sahraoui music plays around the campfire at the desert camp as part of the evening.