Marrakech to Fes: Sahara Desert Tour, Camel Trek & Luxury Camp

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration3d

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

From Marrakech’s bustle to Sahara silence, camel rides and Berber rhythms

You’ll cross from Marrakech’s busy streets through Atlas mountain passes, wander ancient kasbahs, ride camels across Erg Chebbi dunes, and share music by firelight in a luxury Sahara camp. Expect laughter, unexpected silences, mint tea under stars—and memories you’ll keep replaying long after you reach Fes.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Marrakech to Dades Gorge via Ait Ben Haddou

Depart Marrakech in morning
Drive through High Atlas Mountains
Stop at Berber villages
Explore Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah
Drive to Ouarzazate
Visit Atlas Studio exterior
Drive through Valley of Roses
See monkey toes and zig-zag road
Arrive at hotel in Dades Gorge
Dinner at hotel

Day 2 — Dades Gorge to Merzouga Desert

Breakfast at hotel
Drive to Todra Gorge via Tinghir
Walk through Todra Canyon
Drive to Merzouga town
Camel ride to desert camp
Stop for sunset on dune
Arrive at luxury desert camp
Relax and shower
Dinner at camp
Enjoy Berber music and drumming

Day 3 — Merzouga Desert to Fes via Ziz Valley

Wake early for sunrise
Breakfast at camp
Return to Merzouga by 4x4 or camel
Drive through Ziz Valley
Stop at oasis
Drive through Middle Atlas Mountains
Stop in cedar forest for Barbary apes
Break in Ifrane
Arrive and drop off near Fes Riad

The Experience

I’ll be honest—I didn’t expect the Atlas Mountains to smell like wild herbs. We left Marrakech early, a little groggy, and suddenly there were these sharp green scents coming through the van window as we climbed higher. Our guide, Youssef, pointed out Berber villages tucked into the hills—mud walls almost blending into the rock. He told us how winter snows sometimes cut people off for weeks. I tried picturing that kind of quiet, but it was hard with everyone laughing over who’d forgotten sunscreen already.

Ait Ben Haddou looked exactly like those movie scenes (Youssef rattled off Gladiator and Game of Thrones), but in real life you notice things like laundry flapping from a rooftop or a kid chasing goats down an alley. I got sand in my shoes before we even hit the desert—classic me. The Dades Gorge hotel had this weirdly perfect silence at night except for distant barking dogs and one motorbike echoing up the valley. The room was simple but cool after all that sun.

The camel ride into Erg Chebbi was way bumpier than I thought—my thighs still remember it—but watching the dunes turn gold at sunset made me forget about sore muscles for a minute. Our camel guy (Hassan? I hope I got that right) taught us how to tie our scarves against the wind; mine kept slipping but he just grinned and fixed it again. That first mint tea at camp tasted sweet and smoky at once—I’m not sure if it was just relief or something about desert air.

After dinner, everyone gathered around the fire for drumming with the crew. They handed out drums and tried to teach us a rhythm; I was hopeless but nobody cared. There’s something about sitting under all those stars with strangers who suddenly feel familiar. Morning came too soon—cold air and pink sky—and then we piled into 4x4s back toward Fes, stopping in cedar forests where Barbary apes watched us like we were the odd ones out. The last stretch through Ifrane felt almost European with its tidy houses and pine trees…not what I pictured Morocco would be at all.

What’s included

Your journey includes hotel pickup in Marrakech, private air-conditioned transport throughout the route to Fes, guided visits to sites like Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah and Dades Gorge, an overnight stay in both a comfortable mountain hotel and a luxury Sahara camp (both with private en-suite bathrooms), breakfast and dinner each day, plus your camel trek across Erg Chebbi dunes—with plenty of time for tea breaks and photos along the way.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Morocco Fabulous travel