Our 5-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour combines Morocco’s two greatest imperial cities with the vast beauty of the Sahara Desert. Starting in Marrakech and finishing in Fes, this one-way journey eliminates backtracking and maximizes your sightseeing. You’ll explore ancient kasbahs, drive through dramatic gorges, trek camels into the Sahara at sunset, and end in the medieval labyrinth of Fes — one of the world’s largest living medinas.
This 5-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour packs an incredible variety of experiences into just three days:
Departure: 8:00 AM from your Marrakech hotel/riad
Cross the High Atlas Mountains via Tizi n’Tichka. Visit Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. Continue through the Rose Valley and the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to the Dades Valley.
Accommodation: Hotel/Riad in Dades Valley (HB)
Explore Dades Gorge and its hairpin bends. Drive to Todra Gorge for a walk through the canyon. Continue to Erfoud and arrive in Merzouga for a sunset camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Accommodation: Luxury Desert Camp in Erg Chebbi (HB)
Watch the Sahara sunrise. After breakfast, visit Rissani souk. Drive north through the stunning Ziz Valley Gorge — Morocco’s grand canyon — lined with palm oases. Pass through Errachidia and continue to the mountain town of Midelt, at the foot of the Middle Atlas.
Accommodation: Hotel in Midelt (HB)
Drive through the Middle Atlas Mountains, stopping at the famous Azrou Cedar Forest — home to troops of Barbary macaque monkeys (the only wild monkeys in Africa north of the Sahara). Continue to the charming town of Ifrane, known as “Little Switzerland” for its clean streets and Alpine architecture.
Arrive in Fes in the afternoon. Free time to begin exploring.
Accommodation: Hotel/Riad in Fes (HB)
Optionally enjoy a guided walking tour of Fes el-Bali — the world’s largest car-free urban zone. Visit the famous Chouara Tanneries, the Bou Inania Medersa, the ancient University of Al-Qarawiyyin (the world’s oldest university), and wander through the labyrinthine souks.
Tour ends after the Fes city tour (or drop-off at your Fes hotel/riad, or airport).
See the full route of our 5-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour on the map below:
Route: Marrakech → Ait Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate → Dades → Todra Gorge → Merzouga → Ziz Valley → Midelt → Azrou → Ifrane → Fes
Total distance: ~1050 km (one-way)
