3-Day Marrakech to Fes Tour: Desert Camp & Ait Ben Haddou

You sleep in the Sahara under stars with live music and a campfire, not in a hotel.

A 3-day guided tour from Marrakech to Fes crossing the High Atlas Mountains, the UNESCO site of Ait Ben Haddou, and the Sahara Desert with an overnight stay in a Berber-style desert camp. The tour includes a camel ride at sunset across Erg Chebbi's golden dunes, traditional Moroccan dinner and breakfast, and a driver-guide who speaks English and Spanish; you travel with a small group of up to 18 people in a shared vehicle. Lunches and drinks are not included, and a guide at Ait Ben Haddou can be hired separately for about 20 MAD per person.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Marrakech to Dades Valley via Ait Ben Haddou

• Drive through High Atlas Mountains
• Visit Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah
• Drive through Ouarzazate and Valley of Roses
• Lunch stop at local restaurant
• Drive Road of 1000 Kasbahs to Dades Valley
• Check-in and relax in Dades Valley

Day 2 — Dades Valley to Merzouga Desert Camp

• Morning drive and photo stops in Dades Valley
• Visit Todra Gorge
• Drive through palm groves and Berber villages
• Lunch stop near Tinejdad
• Arrive Merzouga and camel trek into dunes
• Arrive desert camp and evening activities
• Overnight in Berber-style desert tent

Day 3 — Merzouga to Fes via Middle Atlas

• Optional sunrise in dunes
• Breakfast at camp and transfer to minibus
• Drive through Ziz Valley with photo stops
• Drive through Midelt and lunch break
• Drive through cedar forests and visit Ifrane
• Drive to Fes and drop-off

The Experience

You leave Marrakech in the morning and drive through the High Atlas Mountains, crossing the Tizi-n'Tichka Pass at 2,260 meters with photo stops along the way. Your driver points out Berber villages and mountain life as the landscape opens up. By midday you reach Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed clay fortress that has appeared in films like Gladiator and Game of Thrones; you walk through its narrow alleys and climb to the top for views across the desert. The route then winds through Ouarzazate and the Valley of Roses before following the Road of 1000 Kasbahs—a series of traditional mudbrick structures lining the road—into Dades Valley, where you spend your first night in a hotel or riad.

Day two takes you deeper into the Sahara. You start with morning views of Dades Valley's dramatic rock formations, then walk between the towering canyon walls of Todra Gorge, where cliffs rise over 300 meters high. As you travel through palm groves and remote Berber villages toward Merzouga, the landscape shifts from green to sand. In the late afternoon you switch to camels for a ride across the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi—about an hour as the sun sets. You arrive at a Berber-style desert camp in the heart of the dunes, where you're welcomed with mint tea, then gather around a campfire for traditional Moroccan dinner and live music under the stars. The camp provides basic bedding in shared tents with shared bathroom facilities; a deluxe upgrade adds private en-suite bathrooms and improved bedding and meals.

On the final day, early risers can climb a nearby dune to watch sunrise over Erg Chebbi before a simple Moroccan breakfast. You return by camel or 4x4 (the 4x4 costs extra) to where the minibus waits, then drive through the Ziz Valley with its dramatic rock formations and date palms. After a lunch stop in Midelt, you pass through cedar forests near Azrou—where wild monkeys sometimes appear—and make a brief stop in Ifrane, known as the "Switzerland of Morocco" for its clean, modern streets. Your driver drops you at your accommodation in Fes, Morocco's oldest imperial city, ending the tour.

What’s included

• Transport in a shared minibus with a driver-guide who speaks English and Spanish.
• one night in a Berber-style desert camp with traditional Moroccan dinner and breakfast.
• a camel ride across the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset.
• sandboards available to use at the camp.
• entry to Ait Ben Haddou (guide not included but available for hire locally).

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Discover sahara tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a guided route through the imperial cities and Sahara in one trip with transport included; choose the standard camp for shared accommodations or upgrade to deluxe for a private tent.

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Top questions

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

The tour includes transport in a shared minibus, a driver-guide who speaks English and Spanish, one night in a Berber desert camp with dinner and breakfast, a camel ride across Erg Chebbi's dunes, and sandboards to use at the camp. Lunches and drinks throughout the three days are not included, and you pay separately if you want a guide at Ait Ben Haddou.

How many people travel together on this tour?

The shared excursion accommodates a maximum of 18 guests in one vehicle, so it remains a small group rather than a large coach tour.

What's the desert camp like, and can I upgrade it?

The standard camp provides basic bedding in shared Berber-style tents with shared bathroom facilities. A deluxe upgrade option gives you a private en-suite bathroom in your tent, upgraded bedding, and better meals—you choose at checkout.

Do I need to be fit to do the camel ride and hike Todra Gorge?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The camel ride lasts about an hour at a gentle pace, and the walk through Todra Gorge is at your own speed with no fixed distance—you simply walk between the canyon walls and return when you're ready.

What happens if I arrive in Marrakech late or want to leave Fes early?

The tour departs Marrakech in the morning on day one and ends with a drop-off in Fes on day three. If your flight arrives late, you'll need to arrange separate accommodation for the night before the tour starts. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need to adjust your schedule.

Are meals included, and what if I have dietary restrictions?

Dinner and breakfast at the desert camp are included in the tour price. Lunches on all three days and all drinks and beverages (including water) are not included, so you'll buy these at stops along the way. Let the operator know about dietary needs when you book.