Desert Tour from
Fez to Merzouga
Overview
3 Days from the Imperial
City to the Sahara
Fez is the closest of Morocco's imperial cities to the Sahara — making it the most direct and effortless gateway to the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi. In just three days you'll travel from one of the world's greatest medieval medinas deep into the silence of the desert, crossing the dramatic landscapes of the Middle Atlas and the Ziz Valley along the way.
This short but richly packed tour is ideal for seniors and couples who want to experience the Sahara without a long journey. The pace is relaxed, the route is scenic, and every detail is handled by your private English-speaking guide.
Tour Highlights
- Depart directly from the heart of Fes medina
- Drive through the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas
- Spot wild Barbary macaques in Azrou forest
- Descend through the spectacular Ziz Valley & Gorges
- Sunset camel ride over the dunes of Erg Chebbi
- Night in a luxury Berber desert camp
- Sunrise over the Sahara at dawn
- Return via Todra Gorges & the Road of the Kasbahs
Day by Day
Your Itinerary
Your private guide collects you from your Fes hotel early in the morning. The day is a journey through some of Morocco's most contrasting and breathtaking scenery — from alpine mountain towns to volcanic plateaus to the first golden dunes of the Sahara appearing on the horizon.
- Pick-up from your Fes hotel and departure south
- Stop in Ifrane — Morocco's alpine "Little Switzerland" town — for a coffee and a stroll among the European-style chalets and manicured gardens
- Drive through the Azrou cedar forest — keep your eyes on the trees for wild Barbary macaques, one of the last populations in Africa
- Lunch stop in Midelt at 1,500m altitude — the gateway between the Middle and High Atlas
- Begin the descent into the Ziz Gorges — a dramatic canyon carved through red rock
- Follow the Ziz River south through an endless ribbon of date palm oases stretching to the horizon
- Pass through Erfoud and Rissani — the ancient caravan crossroads of the southern Sahara
- Arrive in Merzouga as the sun begins to lower over Erg Chebbi
- Mount your camel for a sunset camel trek — ride into the dunes as the sky turns red and gold
- Arrive at your luxury Berber camp — traditional dinner, live music around the fire, and a sky full of stars
🏕️ Overnight: Luxury Berber Desert Camp, Erg Chebbi
A full day surrendered entirely to the Sahara — the only day on the tour with no driving. Wake with the desert, spend the morning in the dunes, the afternoon discovering local life, and the evening under one of the darkest and most star-filled skies on earth.
- Pre-dawn wake-up — your guide leads you up the great dune crest of Erg Chebbi to watch the Sahara sunrise as the sand shifts from purple shadow to shimmering amber and gold
- Traditional Berber breakfast back at camp — mint tea, msemen flatbread, honey and fresh argan oil
- Morning free time in the dunes — walk, photograph, or simply sit in the silence of the desert at its most peaceful
- Visit a Merzouga Berber family home — see how families live at the edge of the Sahara, share mint tea and learn about nomadic traditions
- Optional visit to a fossil and mineral workshop in Erfoud — the region sits above an ancient seabed and is world-famous for ammonite and trilobite fossils
- Optional 4x4 off-road excursion deeper into the erg to visit the black desert, nomad tents, and hidden oasis palm groves
- Visit the Gnawa musicians community of Khamlia village — a short drive from Merzouga, with hypnotic traditional music and dance performed live
- Afternoon rest at camp during the midday heat — relax in your tent, read, or take a camel ride at your own pace
- Second sunset over the dunes — the colours are different every evening
- Dinner at camp followed by stargazing — with no light pollution, the Milky Way is fully visible above the Sahara
🏕️ Overnight: Luxury Berber Desert Camp, Erg Chebbi
After a final morning in the desert, you retrace the great landscape north — watching Morocco transform once more from golden dunes to palm oases, volcanic plateau, cedar forest and finally the ancient walls of Fes.
- Last sunrise at the camp — or a quiet morning coffee watching the dunes in the early light
- Breakfast at camp, pack up and depart Merzouga heading north
- Scenic drive back through the Ziz River palm oasis — extraordinary to see a second time in different light
- Pass through Erfoud and Rissani — stop at the historic Rissani souk if open (Monday, Thursday, Sunday) — one of the most authentic weekly markets in southern Morocco
- Climb back through the Ziz Gorges northward
- Lunch stop in Midelt — the apple capital at the foot of the Atlas
- Drive through the Azrou cedar forest again — the light is different on the return
- Stop in Ifrane for a final coffee among the mountain chalets
- Arrive in Fez in the late afternoon or early evening
- Drop-off at your Fes hotel — tour ends
🏠 Tour ends in Fez — safe and wonderful travels!
What's Covered
Includes & Excludes
✓ Included
- ✓ Private air-conditioned vehicle (4×4 or minivan)
- ✓ Professional English-speaking driver/guide
- ✓ 2 nights at the luxury Berber desert camp
- ✓ Breakfast on Days 2 & 3
- ✓ Dinner on Nights 1 & 2 at the desert camp
- ✓ Sunset camel trek in Merzouga dunes
- ✓ Luxury private tent at desert camp
- ✓ Guided visit to Aït Benhaddou UNESCO site
- ✓ All fuel, tolls and parking fees
- ✓ Bottled water throughout the tour
- ✓ All taxes and service charges
✗ Not Included
- ✗ International flights to/from Morocco
- ✗ Travel insurance (highly recommended)
- ✗ Lunches and dinners (except camp dinner)
- ✗ Personal spending & souvenirs
- ✗ Tips for your guide (appreciated)
- ✗ Atlas Film Studios entrance (~$10, optional)
- ✗ Marrakech guided medina tour (optional)
- ✗ Single room supplement (ask us)
Gallery
Scenes from the Journey
Reserve Your Spot
Ready for the Sahara?
Send us a message and we'll respond within 24 hours to confirm your dates, answer any questions, and personalise your journey. No payment required to enquire.
- Duration 3 Days / 2 Nights
- Group size Private (1–8 pax)
- Departure Fez
- Return Fez
- Pace Easy — Relaxed
- Ideal for Seniors & Couples
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