Marrakech - Fes: Desert tour with camel ride & kasbahs

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.91 (23 reviews) 91% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/11

Duration3d

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · FR +1

PickupAt your hotel

Cross Morocco’s wild heart: dunes, kasbahs & Berber stories

You’ll travel from Marrakech to Fes with your own local guide, stopping in ancient kasbahs, riding camels across Sahara dunes at sunset, sleeping under stars in a luxury desert camp, and sharing laughter over Moroccan meals along the way. Expect moments of wonder (and maybe sore legs) you’ll remember long after you’re home.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Marrakech to Dades Valley

Drive through Atlas Mountains and visit Ait Ben Haddou kasbah
Lunch in Ait Ben Haddou village
Visit Ouarzazate
Drive to Dades Gorge via Skoura and Rose Valley
Overnight in Dades Gorges

Day 2 — Dades Valley to Sahara Desert

Drive to Erg Chebbi dunes via Todgha Gorge and Berber villages
Camel ride at Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset
Sandboarding and dinner at luxury desert camp
Overnight in private tent with bathroom

Day 3 — Sahara to Fes via Cedar Forest

Sunrise at Erg Chebbi dunes
Breakfast at desert camp
Camel ride back from desert
Drive to Fes via Ziz Valley, Midelt, and Cedar Forest
Stop to see monkeys in Cedar Forest
Lunch at local restaurants
Drop off at accommodation in Fes

The Experience

I’ll be honest — I booked this Marrakech to Fes desert tour mostly for the idea of riding a camel at sunset. But it turned out to be so much more than that. The drive out of Marrakech felt like peeling away layers of noise and color until suddenly we were winding up into the Atlas Mountains. Our driver, Youssef, kept pointing out Berber villages tucked into the hillsides — he’d slow down so we could see kids waving or women carrying baskets along the road. At Ait Ben Haddou, I tried to imagine what it was like when caravans passed through here centuries ago (and yeah, it’s wild seeing places from Game of Thrones in real life). Lunch was tagine in a sunlit courtyard — I still remember the smell of mint tea mixing with dust and cumin.

The second day is when Morocco really got under my skin. We stopped at Todgha Gorge for a quick walk — cool air bouncing off red stone walls, a few goats clattering past. Then came Merzouga and those Erg Chebbi dunes. I didn’t expect how soft the sand would feel under my feet or how quiet everything got as we rode camels toward the sunset. My guide Hassan laughed when I nearly slid off trying sandboarding (not my hidden talent). That night at camp, dinner was under a sky thick with stars, and local nomads played drums by the fire. It’s hard to describe that mix of tiredness and awe — you just sit there grinning at strangers who suddenly feel like friends.

Waking up before dawn for sunrise over the Sahara was rough (I’m not a morning person), but worth every bleary step up the dune. After breakfast back at camp, we rode camels again — legs definitely sore by then — before piling into the car for the long road to Fes. There were sleepy villages, stretches of rocky nothingness, then suddenly green valleys and even cedar forests where monkeys watched us from above. Somewhere near Midelt we stopped for lunch; I can’t remember what I ate but I do remember laughing with Youssef about my terrible French.

By the time we reached Fes, dusty and full of stories, it felt like weeks had passed instead of days. There’s something about crossing Morocco this way — slow enough to notice things but always moving forward — that sticks with you long after you unpack.

What’s included

Your experience includes hotel pickup in Marrakech, all transport in a comfortable air-conditioned car with your private driver/guide (who’ll stop wherever you want), an overnight stay in Dades Gorges hotel with dinner and breakfast, another night in a luxury Sahara camp (private tent with bathroom), camel rides across Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset and sunrise views, sandboarding fun if you’re up for it, plus easy walks through Ait Ben Haddou kasbah and Todgha Gorge before arriving in Fes.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Guided Desert Morocco