Sahara Desert 2-day tour from Fez: Camel trekking sunrise sunset

Two days crossing the Middle Atlas, the Ziz Valley, and the Merzouga dunes on camel

A 2-day Sahara Desert tour from Fez takes you through Berber villages, the Middle Atlas mountains, and the Ziz Valley oasis to Merzouga, where you trek by camel to watch the sunset and again at sunrise the next morning. You sleep in a traditional Berber tent, travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup and drop-off, and a guide who speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French or German. Lunch is on your own. Dinner and breakfast are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Drive from Fez to Merzouga Desert

• Drive from Fez to Ifran
• Stop at Ifran city
• Visit Azrou to see monkeys
• Lunch in Midelt city
• Drive through Arfoud and Ziz Valley
• Explore nomadic Berber tribes
• Camel trek to see sunset
• Dinner and Berber folklore
• Overnight in Berber tent

Day 2: Sunrise camel trek and return to Fez

• Early morning camel trek for sunrise
• Lunch with Amazigh meal
• Drive back to Fez with stops

The experience

The drive from Fez to Merzouga covers ground in stages, with stops built in so you're not sitting still for hours. You'll pass through Ifran, known as Moroccan Switzerland for its mountain setting, then Azrou where cedar forests and Barbary macaques appear along the road. Midelt comes next, a town in the High Atlas where lunch happens at a local restaurant serving Amazigh food. The landscape shifts as you move south: the Ziz Valley opens up with a river running through green palms and date trees in the middle of arid terrain, and you'll see nomadic Berber encampments where families still live as they have for generations.

By late afternoon you reach Merzouga and the camels are waiting. You mount up for the trek to the dunes to watch the sunset paint the sand, then return to the camp for a traditional dinner under the open sky with Berber music and the sound of wind across the dunes. You sleep in a local tent, not a hotel: canvas walls, the desert floor beneath you, the quiet of the Sahara at night.

Day two starts before dawn. Your camel driver takes you back out to see the sunrise from the dunes, the light spreading across the sand in the pure morning air. After breakfast you begin the return journey to Fez, with several stops along the way to break up the drive and see more of the Moroccan landscape you crossed the day before.

What’s included

• Transport in an air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup and drop-off from Fez.
• a live guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French or German.
• one night in a traditional Berber tent.
• dinner on day one and breakfast on day two.
• mineral water.
• and two camel treks: one at sunset on day one and one at sunrise on day two.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

AgesAdult (13 to 90 years) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years)

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, 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 14 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Morocco Unique Tours

Is this one for you?Book this 2-day version if you want to experience both the sunset and sunrise from the dunes without rushing: the overnight stay in the desert makes both moments possible, and the stops along the way mean you see the landscape change rather than just drive through it.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 3 years).

Do I ride a camel twice on this tour?

Yes. You trek by camel to watch the sunset on the evening of day one, and again early on day two to see the sunrise from the dunes.

What's included in the price?

The tour includes transport from your hotel in Fez and back, an air-conditioned vehicle, accommodation in a traditional Berber tent, dinner on day one, breakfast on day two, mineral water, and a guide who speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French or German. Lunch is not included.

What is Merzouga like?

Merzouga is a town on the edge of the Sahara Desert in southeastern Morocco, known as the gateway to the Erg Chebbi dunes. It's where the camel treks depart and where the Berber tent camps are located.

Is the camel trekking suitable for first-timers?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and camel trekking is a standard activity for visitors to Merzouga with no prior experience required.