5 Days Desert Tour Fes to Marrakech

Your driver collects you from your Fes hotel or riad at around 8:30 am, and your five-day desert adventure begins — from Fes to Marrakech via Merzouga, heading for the sands of Erg Chebbi.

After a day’s drive across the Atlas Mountains, you reach Tafilalet, the biggest oasis in southern Morocco — a string of villages and palm groves anchored by the two main Saharan towns, Erfoud and Rissani.

There are plenty of stops along the way: the mountain town of Ifrane, the Azrou cedar forest with its monkeys, Midelt for lunch, and the Ziz Valley with its amazing panoramic views over palm trees and the green valley running into the Sahara. Then we travel on to the Erg Chebbi dunes.

As you venture deeper into the desert, the dunes gradually rise into view. After a day of exploration, look forward to a relaxing evening at a hotel with a pool, nestled right on the dune line of Erg Chebbi — the perfect way to unwind after day one.

Today we discover the desert region and the fantastic dunes of Erg Chebbi. We tour the dunes, where you can watch the desert’s striking, shifting contrasts and glimpse the nomadic way of life.

Our next stop is Khamlia, a village that has become a cultural hub, where you meet Gnawa musicians and immerse yourself in their captivating music. Then savour a traditional Berber pizza lunch in the historic capital of Rissani. After lunch, a camel ride carries you to a breathtaking sunset over the dunes, and you spend the night at a desert camp, deepening the connection.

Out in the breathtaking Sahara, you share a traditional tagine, sip delectable mint tea, listen to Berber music, and watch the moon rise as the stars come out.

We rise early to catch the most stunning sunrise of your life, painting colours and shadows across Morocco’s vast, impressive dunes. Then we return to our hotel in the desert.

After a hearty breakfast, we set off for Tinghir and the awe-inspiring Todra Gorge, Morocco’s largest and narrowest gorge. This isn’t just a place to visit — it’s an adventure waiting to happen. The gorge offers perfect terrain for a thrilling hike, or you can relax at the river’s edge and savour some delicious local Berber dishes.

We have lunch in the middle of the gorge, then travel across the Dades Valley and end the day at a comfortable hotel at the summit of the mountains.

After breakfast at the hotel, we set out along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, where enormous kasbahs line both sides of the highway. A few of these fortified homes are being restored, though sadly many lie in ruin.

We travel through the Dades Valley and climb into the mountains on an off-road route past Berber villages and cave dwellings. Here you visit one of the families and see their everyday life and main work: tending flocks of sheep and goats.

The stunning landscapes of the beautiful Rose Valley follow, before we reach the Skoura palm grove. Another 45 km brings us to Ouarzazate for dinner and the night at a hotel.

After breakfast, we visit the Taourirt Kasbah, then head to the World Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou. The excursion rounds off with visits to the Kasbah El Glaoui and Telouet, a classic Berber town in the High Atlas.

We eat lunch at a restaurant in Telouet before descending the Tizi n’Tichka to Marrakech, where your five-day desert trip from Fes through the Merzouga Sahara ends.