3-Day Marrakech to Fes Tour: Merzouga Desert & Camel Trek

Ride camels into the Sahara at sunset, sleep under stars in a Berber camp, and wake to the dunes at dawn.

A 3-day guided tour from Marrakech to Fes that crosses the High Atlas, visits the UNESCO site of Ait Benhaddou, and spends a night in the Merzouga desert with camel treks at sunset and sunrise. The tour includes two nights' accommodation, a professional driver, a vehicle with fuel, and sandboarding on the dunes; you choose your guide's language (English, Spanish, Portuguese or French) at checkout. Lunch, drinks and tips are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Marrakech to Tinghir via Ait Ben Haddou

• Pick up from accommodation at 7:00 am
• Drive across Tizi-n-Tichka Atlas pass
• Visit traditional High Atlas Berber villages
• Visit UNESCO site Ait Benhaddou
• Have lunch at Ait Benhaddou
• Stop at supermarket in Ouarzazate
• Continue to Tinghir
• Overnight in hotel

Day 2 — Tinghir to Merzouga Desert

• Breakfast at hotel
• Depart to Erg Chebbi Sahara desert
• Pass through Todra Gorges, oasis, Tinjdad, Jorf, Erfoud
• Arrive at hotel in Merzouga
• Pack small bag for desert night
• Ride camels across Erg Chebbi sand dunes
• Walk to highest sand dunes for sandboarding
• Watch sunset in desert
• Overnight in Berber nomad camp with music

Day 3 — Merzouga Desert to Fes via Midlt and Ifrane

• Wake early to watch sunrise in dunes
• Ride camels back to Merzouga
• Breakfast and shower at camp
• Drive to Fes via Rachidia, Midelt, Azro
• See monkeys in Midelt
• Visit Ifrane and take photos
• Arrive in Fes late afternoon
• Drop off at hotel or riad

The Experience

The tour starts at 7am from your Marrakech accommodation, heading south across the Tizi-n-Tichka pass through the High Atlas with views across the mountains and traditional Berber villages. You'll stop at Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage kasbah, for a guided visit and lunch, then continue through Ouarzazate to Tinghir, where you spend your first night in a hotel.

On day two, the route heads east toward the Sahara, passing through the Todra Gorges, oasis settlements, and the town of Erfoud before reaching Merzouga. After checking into your hotel, you'll leave most of your luggage behind and take a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes with just what you need for the night. The trek crosses the sand toward the highest dunes, where you'll watch the sunset and try sandboarding before settling into a Berber nomad camp for the night, complete with drums and music under the open sky.

Day three starts early so you can ride camels back across the dunes to watch the sunrise, then return to camp for breakfast and a shower. The drive to Fes takes you north through Midelt and Ifrane—known as the Switzerland of Morocco for its cedar forests and cooler climate—with a chance to see Barbary macaques along the way. You'll arrive in Fes around 6:30pm and be dropped at your hotel or the nearest accessible point.

What’s included

• Professional driver and air-conditioned vehicle with fuel.
• two nights' accommodation (hotel in Tinghir, Berber nomad camp in Merzouga).
• two camel rides, one at sunset and one at sunrise.
• sandboarding on the Erg Chebbi dunes.
• breakfast on days two and three.
• shower facilities at the Merzouga hotel.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Imperial Trail Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're arriving in Marrakech and want to reach Fes without renting a car or coordinating your own transport across the Atlas and desert—the fixed itinerary and included driver mean the three days hold together without you building them. The overnight in the Berber camp is the draw: most travelers see the Sahara as a day trip from a city; this one lets you sleep there.

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Top questions

What's included in the 3-day Marrakech to Fes tour?

The tour includes two nights' accommodation (one in a hotel in Tinghir, one in a Berber camp in Merzouga), a professional driver and vehicle with fuel, two camel rides (one at sunset, one at sunrise), sandboarding on the dunes, and transport throughout. Lunch, drinks and tips are not included.

Do I need experience to ride camels in Merzouga?

No. The camel treks are suitable for all fitness levels, and the tour operator provides camels and guidance for both the sunset and sunrise rides. Each person rides their own camel.

What happens to my luggage when I go into the desert camp?

You leave most of your luggage at the hotel in Merzouga and carry only what you need for the night in a small bag. Your main bags stay secure at the hotel while you're in the Berber camp.

Which guide languages are available?

The tour is led by a live guide in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French. You select your preferred language when you book.

How long is the drive from Marrakech to Merzouga?

The first day's drive from Marrakech to Tinghir crosses the Atlas and takes most of the day, with stops at Ait Benhaddou and Ouarzazate. The second day's drive from Tinghir to Merzouga passes through the Todra Gorges and oasis towns and takes several hours before the camel trek begins in the afternoon.