Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour: Camel Trek & Berber Camp

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Duration3d

GroupUp to 18

LanguagesEN · PT +2

PickupAt your hotel

Crossing Morocco’s desert by camel from Marrakech to Fes

You’ll cross Morocco from Marrakech to Fes in three days: climb Atlas passes with a local driver, explore ancient kasbahs, ride camels into Merzouga’s dunes at sunset, then sleep under stars in a Berber camp with music drifting through the sand. Wake early for sunrise before meeting monkeys near Azrou—this journey lingers long after it ends.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Marrakech to Tinghir via Ait Benhaddou

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 via Rose Valley
Overnight in hotel in Tinghir

Day 2 — Tinghir to Merzouga Desert Camp

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 dunes
Walk to highest dunes for sandboarding and sunset
Overnight in Berber nomad desert camp

Day 3 — Merzouga to Fes via Azrou 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, and Azrou
See monkeys in Azrou cedar forest
Visit Ifrane and take pictures
Arrive in Fes late afternoon
Drop off at hotel or nearest riad

The Experience

"You’ll want to hold on tighter," our driver Youssef grinned as we started winding up the Tizi-n-Tichka pass out of Marrakech. I could smell mint tea from his thermos and honestly, my stomach was already a little nervous — those mountain roads twist more than you’d think. We stopped at a roadside stall where an old woman sold bread so warm it steamed in the cool morning air. The Atlas villages flashed by in ochre and pink, laundry flapping like flags. At Ait Benhaddou, I tried to picture all those old films shot there but mostly just ended up staring at the mud walls, wondering how they survive the wind.

Lunch was tagine in Ouarzazate — heavy with cumin, not too spicy — and then we rolled through Rose Valley where the scent was faint but real if you leaned out the window. Tinghir felt quieter than I expected; our hotel had this rooftop view over palm groves and I remember just sitting there, not saying much, watching kids chase each other below. Maybe it was tiredness or just that kind of travel daze you get after hours on Moroccan roads.

The next day, after breakfast (flatbread, honey, strong coffee), we drove toward Merzouga. The land got emptier and redder until suddenly dunes appeared — way bigger than photos make them look. Our guide Hassan handed us scarves for the camel trek ("for sand and sun," he said). I probably tied mine wrong because he laughed gently before fixing it for me. Riding into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset felt surreal; all orange light and soft wind, camels snorting now and then. At camp that night under Berber tents, someone played drums while we ate lamb cooked over coals. Sand everywhere — in shoes, hair — but I didn’t care.

Dawn came early with cold air and silence except for one distant rooster (where do they even live out here?). Watching sunrise over those dunes is something I still think about when city life gets noisy again. On the way to Fes we stopped near Azrou where monkeys darted through cedar trees; I tried tossing them a bit of bread but they were quicker than me. By late afternoon we reached Fes — dusty, tired, happy. Can’t really describe it better than that.

What’s included

Your journey includes pickup from your Marrakech riad or hotel (or nearby spot), private transport with a professional driver-guide throughout all three days, overnight stays in both a Tinghir hotel and Berber tented camp in Merzouga (with breakfast), plus your own camel for trekking into the Sahara dunes before returning by road to Fes late afternoon on day three.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Morocco Global Adventures