Sahara & Desert
Fes to Marrakech Desert Tour: The Route Stage by Stage
Crossing Morocco from Fes to Marrakech via the Sahara: distances, drive times, the stops worth making and why the one-way route saves a day.
A one-way desert crossing from Fes to Marrakech: Middle Atlas cedar forests, a camel trek and night in Erg Chebbi, the Todra Gorge and Ait Benhaddou.
This tour turns the journey between Morocco's two great imperial cities into the trip itself. Instead of flying or taking the train from Fes to Marrakech, you travel south through the Middle Atlas to the Sahara, sleep in the dunes of Erg Chebbi, and arrive in Marrakech three days later having crossed the High Atlas. Because it runs one way, there is no backtracking, which makes it one of the most efficient ways to include the desert in a wider Morocco itinerary.
The first day is the longest, at around 470 km and 8 to 9 hours with stops. You pass through Ifrane, a tidy mountain town at about 1,650 m, and the cedar forest near Azrou, where Barbary macaques are often seen by the roadside. The road then crosses the Midelt plateau and descends the Ziz Gorges and the palm-filled Ziz Valley to Erfoud and Merzouga, arriving in time for a camel trek into the dunes and a night at a desert camp.
On day two you watch sunrise over the sand before heading west to the Todra Gorge and the Dades Valley, with its red-earth rock formations, for a night in a hotel. Day three follows the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through Kelaat M'Gouna and Skoura to Ouarzazate and the UNESCO-listed ksar of Ait Benhaddou, then climbs over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m) to reach Marrakech in the early evening.
Expect a lot of time in the vehicle, balanced by constantly changing landscapes. The tour works best at the end of a stay in Fes; our Fes destination guide covers what to see in the medina before you leave. If you are starting from Marrakech instead, the 3-day Marrakech to Merzouga desert tour is a round trip from the Red City.
Pickup around 07:00 and drive south through Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest. Lunch stop in Midelt, then continue through the Ziz Gorges and Ziz Valley to Merzouga for a sunset camel trek and a night in the desert camp.
Sunrise over the dunes, camel ride back and breakfast in the village. Drive via Tinghir to the Todra Gorge for a walk, then on to the Dades Valley for dinner and the night in a hotel.
Continue through Kelaat M'Gouna, Skoura and Ouarzazate to Ait Benhaddou for a visit of the ksar. Cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass and arrive at your hotel in Marrakech around 18:00-19:00.
Pickup from your hotel or riad in Fes. For riads inside the medina we usually meet at the nearest car-accessible gate, such as Bab Boujloud; the exact point is confirmed the day before.
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Crossing Morocco from Fes to Marrakech via the Sahara: distances, drive times, the stops worth making and why the one-way route saves a day.
How big the Erg Chebbi dunes are, how to reach them, the villages around them and the best things to do in and around Merzouga.
What actually separates a luxury desert camp in Merzouga from a standard one, what it costs, and how to add an upgrade to a desert tour.
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