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6-Day Desert Tour from Fes to Marrakech

A slower Fes-to-Marrakech desert route with a genuine rest day in Midelt built into the drive south, plus a full day exploring around Merzouga before the Dades Valley and Ait Ben Haddou.

Duration 6 Days / 5 Nights

Route Fes → Marrakech

Group Private — your group only

Transport Private 4x4 or minivan with driver-guide

Overview

A slower Fes-to-Marrakech desert route with a genuine rest day in Midelt built into the drive south, plus a full day exploring around Merzouga before the Dades Valley and Ait Ben Haddou.

This is a 6 Days / 5 Nights private tour for your group only, starting with pickup from your accommodation in Fes and finishing in Marrakech. You travel in a private 4x4 or minivan with driver-guide, so the pace, stops and photo breaks are set around you.

Gallery

The Chouara tannery seen from a terrace in Fes

An earthen house on the road south through the Middle Atlas

A camel caravan silhouetted at sunset in the Sahara

The rounded 'monkey fingers' rock formations of the Dades Valley

Statues at the film studios in Ouarzazate

Highlights

✓Middle Atlas cedar forest and Barbary macaques near Azrou
✓A full day in Merzouga — Khamlia village, Gnawa music, and a nomadic family visit
✓Walk Todra Gorge's 300-meter canyon walls
✓Drive the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs" through the Dades Valley
✓Visit the Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate and UNESCO-listed Ait Ben Haddou

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1 Fes to Midelt Day 2 Midelt to Merzouga Day 3 A full day in Merzouga Day 4 Merzouga to Dades Valley Day 5 Dades Valley to Ouarzazate Day 6 Ouarzazate to Marrakech

Day 01

Fes to Midelt

Rather than pushing straight to the desert in one long day, this route splits the drive south in two. We climb into the Middle Atlas through Ifrane — a hill town built in a European chalet style, nicknamed "the Switzerland of Morocco" — and the Azrou cedar forest, where Barbary macaques, a tailless monkey species found only in this region and a few spots in Gibraltar, are often spotted roadside. From there the road passes through Berber villages on the plateau before reaching Midelt, a quiet market town where we spend the first night.

Driving time: About 3.5 hoursOvernight: Hotel in Midelt

Day 02

Midelt to Merzouga

We continue south into the Ziz Valley, a long palm-lined gorge that follows the Ziz River through otherwise arid terrain, and reach Merzouga by afternoon. From here the vehicle stops and camels take over for the ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes — Morocco's tallest, some reaching over 150 meters — timed for sunset. Camp is a Berber-style tent setup with dinner; expect a noticeably cold night even if the day was warm.

Driving time: About 4.5 hoursOvernight: Luxury Desert Camp, Merzouga

Day 03

A full day in Merzouga

With no driving to do today, we visit Khamlia village to hear its resident Gnawa musicians and share tea with a local nomadic family, then spend the rest of the day exploring the dunes and desert landscape around camp at an easier pace — a chance to actually experience Erg Chebbi rather than just pass through it. The night is at a riad in Merzouga, or back at the desert camp if you prefer.

Driving time: Little driving, a day in the desertOvernight: Riad Azawad or similar, Merzouga (or the Luxury Desert Camp if you prefer)

Day 04

Merzouga to Dades Valley

An early climb for sunrise over the dunes, then breakfast and departure. We walk part of Todra Gorge, where canyon walls climb roughly 300 meters above the valley floor, before following the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs" — the valley route lined with old fortified earthen structures — into the Dades Valley for the night.

Driving time: About 5 hoursOvernight: Riad Dades Paradise or Riad Sahara Stars

Day 05

Dades Valley to Ouarzazate

We pass through the Valley of Roses around Kelaat M'Gouna, center of Morocco's rose-water production, and the Skoura palm oasis before reaching Ouarzazate, a town built up around Morocco's film industry — sometimes called "the Hollywood of Morocco" for the studios based there. We visit the Taourirt Kasbah, a large 19th-century fortified residence that was once home to the powerful Glaoui family, before the night in town.

Driving time: About 2 hoursOvernight: Dar Chamaa

Day 06

Ouarzazate to Marrakech

A short drive brings us to Ait Ben Haddou, Morocco's most famous ksar and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, used as a backdrop in numerous film and TV productions. The site sits on a hillside above the Ounila River with narrow lanes and uneven stone paths, worth 45-60 minutes on foot. From there we cross the High Atlas at the Tizi n'Tichka pass into Marrakech.

Driving time: About 4.5 hours

Want to change the pace or add a night?

Every tour is private and can be adjusted. Send us your dates and group size.

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✓ Included

✓Pick-up in Fes and drop-off in Marrakech
✓Private trip — your group only
✓Private transportation in an air-conditioned, comfortable vehicle (van or 4WD SUV)
✓Fuel and all vehicle expenses
✓Private English-speaking, well-experienced driver-guide for the whole trip
✓4 nights hotel/riad accommodation
✓1 night desert camp near Merzouga, including camel trek
✓Breakfast every morning at your hotel, riad or desert camp
✓5 dinners — 1 in Midelt, 2 in Merzouga, 1 in the Dades Valley and 1 in Ouarzazate
✓Khamlia village and nomadic family visit
✓Sandboarding at the desert camp (optional)
✓Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel or riad every day

✕ Not included

✕Lunches
✕Drinks and bottled water
✕Entrance fees, including at Ait Ben Haddou and the Taourirt Kasbah
✕Tips and personal expenses
✕Travel insurance

Route map

View route on Google Maps

Frequently asked questions

Why start in Midelt instead of driving straight to Merzouga?

Splitting the drive over two easier days instead of one long one, so nobody's stuck in the car for seven-plus hours on day one.

Is this good for a first Morocco trip?

It's one of our more relaxed desert itineraries — a good fit for couples, families, or anyone who wants the full Sahara experience without a rushed pace.

Is this a private tour?

Yes, fully private throughout — your own vehicle, driver-guide, and pace for all 6 days.

Is the camel trek and desert camp included?

Yes — one night at a Berber-style camp near Merzouga with a sunset camel trek in and a sunrise dune climb the next morning.

What does the full free day in Merzouga actually involve?

With no driving that day, it's a slower-paced mix of the Khamlia village Gnawa music stop, tea with a nomadic family, and time to explore the dunes and camp surroundings rather than a packed schedule of activities.

Will we see Barbary macaques near Azrou?

Sightings are common but not guaranteed, since it's a genuinely wild population rather than a managed park — we stop where they're regularly seen.

Is this trip suitable for families or older travelers?

Yes — this is one of our more relaxed desert itineraries specifically because of the built-in rest day in Midelt and the free day in Merzouga, which suit slower travelers well.

What should we pack?

Layers for the cedar forest, desert days, and cold desert nights, plus comfortable shoes for Todra Gorge and Ait Ben Haddou's uneven paths.

Are entrance fees to Ait Ben Haddou and the Taourirt Kasbah included?

No — those entrance fees, along with lunches and drinks, are excluded and paid on-site.

Customize your journey with Through Morocco

Want to add a day, skip a stop, or travel at a different pace? This itinerary is a starting point — tell us what you have in mind and we'll adjust the route.

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