4-Day Desert Tour Marrakech to Fes: Camel Ride & Merzouga Camp

Camel trek into the Sahara, then two nights under stars in a nomad camp

A 4-day tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga, crossing the Atlas mountains and Todra Gorges to reach the Erg Chebbi dunes. You ride camels at sunset and sunrise, spend two nights in a Berber tent camp in the middle of the desert, visit a nomad family, and watch the sand dunes from the highest points. Hotel pickup and an air-conditioned vehicle are included; the guide speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese or French.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Marrakech to Tinghir via Atlas Mountains

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

Day 2 — Tinghir to Merzouga Desert

• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive through Todra Gorges and oasis
• Pass Tinjdad, Jorf, and Erfoud
• Arrive at hotel in Merzouga
• Pack small bag for desert night
• Ride camels into Erg Chebbi dunes
• Walk to highest dunes for sandboarding and sunset
• Overnight in Berber nomad camp with dinner

Day 3 — Nomad Village and Desert Camp

• Early morning start
• Visit Khamlia village for Gnawa music
• Visit nomad family under Berber tents
• Have picnic lunch
• Afternoon sand dune adventure
• Overnight in desert camp with dinner

Day 4 — Merzouga to Fes via Ifrane

• Breakfast at camp
• Camel trek back to hotel for shower
• Drive towards Fes
• Stop for panoramic views over Ziz valley
• Lunch in Midelt
• Pass Azrou and Ifrane cedar forest
• See monkeys in cedar forest
• Continue to Fes

The Experience

The journey starts with a 7am pickup from your Marrakech accommodation and heads south across the Tizi-n-Tichka Atlas pass, where the mountains open into far-reaching views. The first stop is the UNESCO World Heritage kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, a fortified clay village built into the hillside. After lunch there, you'll pass through Ouarzazate and continue to Tinghir, where you spend the first night in a hotel with dinner and breakfast included.

On day two, the route follows the Todra Gorges—a narrow canyon carved through red rock—then passes through oasis towns and Berber settlements before reaching Merzouga. Once there, you leave most of your luggage at the hotel and take only what you need for the night in the desert. A camel carries you into the Erg Chebbi dunes as the sun sets; when you reach the camp, you walk to the highest sand dunes for sandboarding and to watch the light fade across the sand. You sleep in a Berber nomad tent with live drum music and a shared bathroom.

Day three begins before dawn so you can ride camels again to watch the sunrise over the dunes. After returning to the hotel for a shower, the afternoon takes you to the village of Khamlia to hear live Gnawa music, then to a nomad family's tent where you drink mint tea and learn how they live. A picnic lunch is included. You spend another night in the desert camp. On the final day, you ride camels back to the hotel, then drive north toward Fes, stopping at Midelt for lunch and passing through the cedar forests near Ifrane, where you may spot Barbary macaques before arriving in Fes.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle for all drives.
• hotel pickup from your Marrakech accommodation.
• 3 nights' accommodation (one in a hotel in Tinghir, two in a standard desert camp).
• camel rides at sunset and sunrise.
• sandboarding in the dunes.
• visit to a nomad family with mint tea.
• live Gnawa music in Khamlia.
• dinner and breakfast each night.
• lunch on days one and three.
• fuel surcharge.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availableNot for heart conditions

Operated by Morocco Global Adventures

Is this one for you?The tour runs on a fixed schedule across four full days with early starts and long drives, which is what keeps the Atlas passes, the Todra Gorges, the desert camp and the cedar forests all inside one itinerary. The camel rides and nights under canvas are the core of it; if you want a faster route or fewer nights in the desert, a shorter Merzouga trip from Marrakech would suit you better.

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Top questions

What's the camel riding like on this tour?

You ride one camel each for the sunset crossing into the dunes on day two and again for the sunrise ride on day three. The camels carry you across the sand; once at the camp, you walk to the highest dunes for sandboarding and views.

Where do you sleep in the desert?

The two desert nights are in a standard Berber nomad tent camp in the middle of the Erg Chebbi dunes. Bathrooms are shared and basic; you have drums and live music in the evening.

What happens on the third day in Merzouga?

You wake early for a sunrise camel ride, return to the hotel to shower, then visit the village of Khamlia for live Gnawa music and spend time with a nomad family in their tent, drinking mint tea and learning about their daily life. A picnic lunch is included, and you return to the desert camp for a second night.

Does the tour include meals?

Dinner and breakfast are included on nights in hotels and in the desert camps. Lunch on days one and three is included; lunch on day four in Midelt is included. Drinks and meals on the road are not included.

How long are the drives each day?

Day one is roughly seven hours from Marrakech to Tinghir. Day two is about six hours to Merzouga. Day three is a morning camel ride and afternoon village visit. Day four is roughly seven hours from Merzouga to Fes, with stops for views and lunch.

Can children go on this tour?

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available in the vehicle. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, though it is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health.