Fez to Marrakech: 3-Day Desert Trip & Ait Benhaddou Kasbah

What happens when you trade the medina for the Sahara for three days straight

You get picked up in Fez and driven south through Ifrane and the cedar forests, arriving in Merzouga for a camel ride at sunset and a night in a desert camp under open sky. The second day moves you through the Anti-Atlas to the Dades Gorge. On day three, you visit Ait Benhaddou's 11th-century kasbah, cross the High Atlas at 2,260 meters, and return to Marrakech. All transport, two nights' accommodation, meals, and the camel ride are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Fes to Merzouga Desert Camp

• Pick up from hotel in Fes
• Drive through Ifran village
• Stop at Azrou for Berber monkeys
• Lunch in Midelt town
• Panoramic view of palm oasis
• Arrive Merzouga, drink mint tea
• Camel ride to desert camp
• Dinner and stargazing at camp

Day 2 — Merzouga to Dades Gorge

• Sunrise over dunes
• Breakfast at desert camp
• Camel ride back to driver
• Drive through Anti-Atlas and Nkob village
• Lunch at kasbah restaurant
• Drive through Draa Valley
• Sunset in Atlas Mountains
• Check in hotel in Dades Gorge
• Dinner at hotel

Day 3 — Dades Valley to Marrakech

• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive to Ouarzazate via Road of Kasbahs
• Visit Ait Benhaddou ksar
• Climb ancient granary for views
• Pass through High Atlas and Tizi-n-Tichka
• Return to Marrakech hotel or riad
• Drop off at accommodation

The Experience

The driver pulls up to your riad in Fez before dawn, and you realize you're actually doing this. Ifrane comes first—the "Moroccan Switzerland" with its alpine architecture and cedar forests where Berber monkeys move through the trees like they own the place. Then Azrou, where the landscape starts to shift, and by Midelt you're halfway across the country, eating lunch in a town famous for fossils while the terrain flattens toward the south. The drive is long, but that's the point: you're not rushing through Morocco, you're crossing it.

Merzouga hits different when you arrive in the afternoon. The dunes of Erg Chebbi rise up in front of you, and after mint tea at camp, you're on a camel for an hour as the sun drops. The desert camp is a Berber tent with real beds, not a tourist trap—you eat dinner under stars that have no light pollution for a hundred kilometers. Wake before sunrise the next morning and you'll see why people talk about that moment for years. The light comes up slow, turning the sand gold, then orange, then the color of honey.

Day two takes you through the Anti-Atlas toward Ouarzazate, past Nkob with its 45 kasbahs and the Draa Valley's date palms and abandoned ksour. You're moving through landscape that feels older than maps. By evening you're in the Dades Gorge, checked into a 4-5 star hotel or riad, watching the light leave the canyon walls. The third day is the payoff: Ait Benhaddou, the UNESCO kasbah that's been standing since the 11th century and looks like it was built yesterday. Climb to the ancient granary for the view—the whole settlement spreads below you, mud-brick and terracotta. Then the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass, climbing to 2,260 meters through the High Atlas, waterfalls and switchbacks and villages that appear and disappear in the mist. You're back in Marrakech by evening, three days older and a different kind of tired.

What’s included

Your three days include private air-conditioned transportation throughout, hotel or riad pickup in Fez and drop-off in Marrakech, two nights' accommodation (one night in a luxury desert camp in Merzouga, one night in a 4-5 star hotel or riad in the Dades Gorge), all meals starting with lunch on day one, a one-hour camel ride through the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset, and breakfast before sunrise on day two. The driver handles navigation and timing; you handle the experience.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Bekben travel

Is this one for you?Right for travelers with three days to spare who want to see the Sahara, the High Atlas, and a UNESCO kasbah without arranging separate transport, camps, and meals. Expect a full day of driving on day one and day three—that's what makes reaching Merzouga and returning to Marrakech possible in the same trip.

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Top questions

How long is the drive from Fez to Merzouga on day one?

It's a full day's drive with stops in Ifrane, Azrou, and Midelt for lunch. You arrive in Merzouga in the afternoon.

What's included in the price?

Private transportation, two nights' accommodation (one desert camp, one hotel or riad), all meals, camel ride, and lunch on the first day.

Is the camel ride difficult?

It's about an hour at sunset and suitable for all fitness levels. The camp provides the camels and handles the logistics.

What's the accommodation like in the desert camp?

It's a luxury Berber tent with real beds, mint tea service, and dinner under the stars. Breakfast is served before sunrise.

Can you visit Ait Benhaddou if you're not a Game of Thrones fan?

Yes. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site from the 11th century with real historical significance as a trans-Saharan trading post. The Game of Thrones connection is just a bonus.

What's the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass?

A mountain pass in the High Atlas that climbs to 2,260 meters. The drive crosses through small villages, waterfalls, and changing landscape on the way back to Marrakech.

Do you need special fitness for this tour?

No. It's suitable for all fitness levels. Most of the time is spent in a vehicle or on a camel; there's some walking at Ait Benhaddou and the desert camp.

What if you're traveling with an infant?

Specialized infant seats are available in the vehicle. Confirm this when you book.