5 Days from Fes to Marrakech via Desert

5-Day Desert & Imperial Cities Tour from Fes to Marrakech

Departure: Fes · End: Marrakech · Duration: 5 days / 4 nights · Total distance: approx. 1,100 km

Overview

Experience the best of Morocco on this 5-day journey from Fes. Cross the Middle Atlas Mountains, explore the Sahara Desert and discover breathtaking valleys, gorges and historic kasbahs. Enjoy a camel ride across golden dunes, spend a night in a desert camp and finish your adventure with a guided tour of vibrant Marrakech.

Highlights

• Ifrane, “the Switzerland of Morocco”, and Barbary macaques in the cedar forest
• Scenic views of the Ziz Valley and its palm groves
• Gnawa music in Khamlia and a camel ride at sunset in the Erg Chebbi dunes
• Night in a Sahara desert camp
• Todra Gorge and the Dades Valley
• Ouarzazate and the UNESCO-listed Ait Ben Haddou
• Guided tour of Marrakech: Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs and Jemaa el-Fna Square

Route Map

Distances are approximate and may vary slightly depending on the exact route and stops.

Day 1 – Fes → Ifrane → Azrou → Midelt → Ziz Valley → Merzouga (≈ 470 km)

After breakfast, pick-up at your riad or hotel in Fes. Drive to Ifrane, a charming mountain resort known as “the Switzerland of Morocco”, and Azrou, a handicraft centre famous for its cedar wood work. Continue to Midelt, then in the afternoon drive via Errachidia and the palm-dotted Ziz Valley to Erfoud. Arrive in Merzouga and spend the night in a hotel near the Sahara dunes.

Day 2 – Merzouga: Desert Tour & Camel Trek

Explore the desert around the magnificent Erg Chebbi dunes, discover the way of life of the nomads and visit the village of Khamlia to listen to Gnawa music. Lunch on a traditional Berber “pizza” (madfouna). In the late afternoon, watch the sunset over the dunes from your camel and spend the night in a desert camp, with dinner, mint tea, traditional Berber music and a sky full of stars.

Day 3 – Merzouga → Erfoud → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley (≈ 290 km)

Wake up early for a beautiful sunrise and breakfast. Drive to Erfoud, famous for its fossils, then through lovely palm groves to Todra Gorge for lunch and a walk through the rocky canyon, its vegetable gardens and villages along the stream. Continue to the Dades Valley. Dinner and overnight in a hotel.

Day 4 – Dades Valley → Skoura → Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou → Marrakech (≈ 325 km)

After breakfast, travel through the palm grove of Skoura to Ouarzazate, “the Hollywood of Africa”. Enjoy a guided walk through the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou, backdrop of films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven. Cross the High Atlas via the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260 m), with plenty of photo stops, and arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon. Overnight in a hotel or riad.

Day 5 – Guided Tour of Marrakech

Discover the gardens, monuments and historic sites of the Red City: the Majorelle Garden, the Koutoubia Mosque, the Saadian Tombs and the Bahia Palace, finishing at Jemaa el-Fna Square and the souks. End of our services.

Prices & Accommodation Options

All our tours are private. Choose the accommodation level that suits you; the price per person decreases as your group grows.

Included

• Pick-up from your riad or hotel in Fes
• Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver-guide
• Accommodation in hotels/riads
• 1 night in a Sahara desert camp tent
• 4 breakfasts and 3 dinners
• Camel ride in the Merzouga desert
• Drop-off at your hotel or the airport at the end of the tour

Not Included

• Lunches and drinks
• Dinner in Marrakech
• Museum and monument entrance fees
• Tips and personal expenses

We offer a selection of tours from Fes for travelers who want to explore Morocco in a short time: 3 days from Fes and 4 days from Fes. All our tours are private and can be customized to your dates and travel style.