3-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour: Merzouga camel ride

Three days crossing Morocco's desert on camel, on your own schedule

A private 3-day tour from Marrakech to Fes with your own driver and guide, passing through Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades Gorge, and Merzouga's Erg Chebbi dunes. You ride a camel at sunset and sunrise, try sand boarding in the Sahara, and sleep in a traditional kasbah and a luxury desert camp. The driver stops wherever you want along the route, and the itinerary includes two nights' accommodation, all transport, and a guide who speaks English, Spanish or French.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Dades Valley via Ait Ben Haddou

• Pick up at 8 am in Marrakech
• Drive through Atlas Mountains and Berber villages
• Visit UNESCO site Ait Ben Haddou
• Have lunch in Ait Ben Haddou village
• Visit Ouarzazate
• Drive through Skoura and Rose Valley
• Arrive and overnight in Dades Gorge

Day 2: Dades Valley to Sahara Desert Camp

• Drive to Todgha Gorge for short walk
• Pass through Tinghir and Erfound villages
• Cross rocky terrain to Merzouga desert
• Enjoy camel ride at Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset
• Arrive at luxury desert camp
• Do sand boarding
• Dinner under stars with traditional music
• Overnight in private tent with bathroom

Day 3: Merzouga to Fes via Cedar Forest

• Watch sunrise at Erg Chebbi dunes
• Breakfast at desert camp
• Camel ride back from desert
• Drive through villages and Middle Atlas Mountains
• Stop at cedar forest to see monkeys
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Arrive and drop off in Fes

The experience

Pickup happens at 8 am in Marrakech. The first day is a 7-hour drive south through the Atlas Mountains, stopping at Berber villages and the UNESCO site of Ait Ben Haddou. A 12,000-year-old kasbah that has stood in for ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in films like Indiana Jones, Lawrence of Arabia, and Game of Thrones. You'll have lunch in the village itself, then continue through Ouarzazate and the rose valley to the Dades Gorge, where you spend the night in a traditional riad or hotel.

Day two takes you deeper into the desert. You drive toward Merzouga, passing through Todgha Gorge for a short walk and crossing rocky terrain into the Sahara. A camel caravan meets you at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes. You ride across the sand to watch the sunset, then return to a luxury desert camp with a private tent and bathroom. After dinner under the stars (served with traditional music and drums around a campfire), you can try sand boarding on the dunes.

The final morning offers an early sunrise ride back across the dunes. After breakfast at the camp, the 7-hour drive to Fes passes through the Middle Atlas Mountains, with a stop at the cedar forests if you want to see monkeys. Lunch is at a local restaurant along the way, and you're dropped at your accommodation in Fes by evening.

What’s included

• Pickup at your Marrakech accommodation at 8 am.
• private transport with air conditioning and a professional driver/guide.
• entry to Ait Ben Haddou kasbah with an easy optional hike.
• lunch on day one in Ait Ben Haddou village.
• overnight accommodation in a riad or hotel in Dades Gorge with dinner and breakfast.
• a short walk in Todgha Gorge on day two.
• one camel each for sunset and sunrise rides across the Erg Chebbi dunes.
• one night in a luxury desert camp with a private tent and bathroom.
• dinner and breakfast at the desert camp.
• sand boarding in the Sahara.
• breakfast on day three and lunch at a local restaurant on the drive to Fes.
• drop-off at your Fes accommodation.

Information

Lasts 3d, runs every day at 07:30, from US$ 390 per person, with a live guide in English, Spanish and French, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30Other times ›

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (19 to 65 years) · Senior (66 and older) · Youth (11 to 18 years) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupPrivate12 in a group ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and FrenchOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight 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 effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Guided Desert Morocco

Is this one for you?The 3-day length lets you cross the full desert without rushing: two nights in the Sahara instead of one, and time to stop at villages and gorges along the way. If you need to reach Fes from Marrakech and want the desert experience built into the journey, this route does both without backtracking.

Traveler reviews

4.91★★★★★★★★★★

23 verified traveler reviews

5 ★21

4 ★2

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 18 years); Child (5 to 10 years); Infant (under 5): free.

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

Ait Ben Haddou is a UNESCO-listed kasbah village that originated 12,000 years ago and was a crucial stop on the Salt Road. It's famous as a filming location for major movies and TV series including Indiana Jones, Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Game of Thrones season 3. You'll visit it on day one with time for lunch in the village itself.

Do I ride a camel in the desert, and for how long?

Yes, you get one camel each for a sunset ride across the Erg Chebbi dunes on day two, and another sunrise ride on day three before breakfast. Both rides are included, and you'll spend the night at a luxury desert camp between them.

What's included in the accommodation, and where do I sleep?

Night one is in a riad or hotel in the Dades Gorge with half-board (dinner and breakfast). Night two is in a luxury desert camp in Merzouga with a private tent and bathroom. Both are included in the tour price.

Can the driver stop at places I want to see along the way?

Yes, because this is a private tour, your driver will stop wherever you want during the entire journey from Marrakech to Fes. The route passes through Berber villages, and you'll have time for a walk in Todgha Gorge on day two.

Is sand boarding included, and what else can I do in the desert camp?

Sand boarding is included and available in the evening after you arrive at the desert camp. You can also enjoy dinner under the stars with traditional music and drums played by local nomads around the campfire.