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Large sand dune of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga, Sahara desert, Morocco

Photo: Siem / Unsplash

4 Days from Fez to Marrakech via the Desert

From Fez to Marrakech through the Sahara: a dune camp, Todra and Dades gorges, Skoura and a night in Aït Ben Haddou.

  • Duration4 days · 3 nights
  • StartFez
  • EndMarrakech
  • Trip typePrivate tour

Overview

This Fez to Marrakech desert tour is a one-way trip that shows you the best of the south. You sleep in a Merzouga camp, a hotel in the Dades Valley and inside the old village of Aït Ben Haddou. On the last day you cross the High Atlas and reach Marrakech in the afternoon.

It is the reverse of our 4 days from Marrakech to Fez. If you start in Tangier, you can combine it with our 8-day tour from Tangier.

Highlights

  • Ifrane and the Middle Atlas
  • Camel ride and camp in Erg Chebbi
  • Rissani, Todra Gorges and the Dades Valley
  • Rose Valley and Skoura oasis
  • Evening and morning in Aït Ben Haddou

Day-by-day itinerary

  1. 1

    Day 1

    Day 1: Fez – Ifrane – Midelt – Merzouga camel ride and camp

    Your driver picks you up in Fez at about 08:00. You cross the Middle Atlas, with a stop in Ifrane and the cedar forest where Barbary macaques live. After lunch in Midelt, you drive along the Ziz valley with its palm trees. In Merzouga you ride a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset. Dinner and night in a desert camp under the stars.

    Overnight: Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)

  2. 2

    Day 2

    Day 2: Sunrise – Rissani – Todra Gorges – Dades

    After the sunrise and breakfast, you drive to Rissani, an old market town. Then you go west to Tinghir and walk in the Todra Gorges, a deep canyon with very high walls. In the afternoon you continue to the Dades Valley, with red rocks and old kasbahs. Your driver can stop at a viewpoint over the famous winding road for photos. Dinner and night in a kasbah-style hotel in Dades.

    Overnight: Dades Valley

  3. 3

    Day 3

    Day 3: Rose Valley – Skoura – Ouarzazate – Aït Ben Haddou

    You drive through the Rose Valley and the palm oasis of Skoura, with its old earth kasbahs. After lunch in Ouarzazate, you continue to Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed ksar. You sleep in the village, so you can walk up to the top at sunset when the light is beautiful and the day visitors are gone. Dinner and night in Aït Ben Haddou.

    Overnight: Aït Ben Haddou

  4. 4

    Day 4

    Day 4: Tichka pass – Marrakech

    After breakfast you leave Aït Ben Haddou and drive up into the High Atlas. You cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 metres, with stops for photos of the mountains and Berber villages. You can visit a women's argan cooperative on the way down. You arrive in Marrakech in the early afternoon, and your driver takes you to your riad or hotel.

Route map

Fez → Ifrane → Midelt → Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) → Todra Gorges (Tinghir) → Dades Valley → Ouarzazate → Aït Ben Haddou → Tizi n'Tichka pass → Marrakech

What's included

  • Private air-conditioned vehicle (4x4 or minivan) with fuel
  • Private English-speaking driver
  • 3 nights: desert camp, Dades hotel and Aït Ben Haddou hotel
  • Dinner and breakfast every night
  • Camel ride and desert camp night in Erg Chebbi
  • Pick-up in Fez and drop-off in Marrakech
  • Bottled water in the vehicle

Not included

  • Lunches and drinks
  • Entrance tickets and local guides
  • Optional activities
  • Travel insurance (mandatory)
  • Tips and personal expenses

Accommodation by category

Choose your hotel category. The final hotel names are confirmed when you book, depending on availability.

NightLocationStandardSuperiorLuxury
1Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)Desert camp, tent with private bathroomComfort camp, tent with private bathroomLuxury camp, large tent with private bathroom
2Dades ValleyFamily-run kasbah hotelBoutique kasbah with poolLuxury kasbah lodge
3Aït Ben HaddouFamily-run kasbah hotelBoutique kasbah with poolLuxury kasbah lodge

Photo gallery

Frequently asked questions

Is this tour one-way?

Yes. It starts in Fez and ends in Marrakech, so you do not drive the same road twice.

Why sleep in Aït Ben Haddou?

Most visitors only stop for one hour. Sleeping there lets you see the ksar at sunset and sunrise, when it is quiet and very beautiful.

Can I add a second night in Merzouga?

Yes. We can make it a 5-day tour with a full day in the desert.

Want to change this itinerary?

Add days, change the start city or the hotels. We design it for you, free of charge.

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