This 3 Days Morocco Desert Tour from Fes takes you from Fes across the Middle Atlas to the great Sahara dunes of Erg Chebbi and back. You cross Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest, follow the palm-lined Ziz Valley, spend a full day exploring the Merzouga desert and its nomad life, and return to Fes — with nights in a desert camp under the stars.
We leave Fes in the morning and drive into the Middle Atlas Mountains, passing the alpine-style town of Ifrane, the “Switzerland of Morocco”, and the cedar forests of Azrou, where we stop to look for the wild Barbary macaques. We continue over the mountains and descend along the beautiful Ziz Valley, with its vast palm groves and panoramic viewpoints.
After a stop at Erfoud we reach Merzouga in the late afternoon, where a camel caravan takes us over the dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset to our desert camp for dinner, music around the fire and a night under the stars.
Today is a full day to discover the Sahara at Merzouga. After sunrise and breakfast you explore the great dunes of Erg Chebbi by 4×4, visit the village of Khamlia to hear its Gnaoua music, and meet nomad families to learn about their way of life. You can also see spots such as Dayet Srji lake, the old mines and Hassi Labied village, before returning to camp for another sunset, dinner and a night in the desert.
After a final desert sunrise and breakfast we begin the drive back to Fes. We retrace the palm-lined Ziz Valley and climb into the Middle Atlas Mountains, stopping again in the cedar forests of Azrou to look for the Barbary macaques and passing through Ifrane. We arrive in Fes in the evening, where the tour ends.
Is this a private tour?
Yes, all our tours are private — just you and your group with your own driver and vehicle, so the pace and stops can be adapted to you.
When do we ride the camels and sleep in the desert?
In the late afternoon a camel caravan takes you over the dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset to the camp, where you spend the night.
What is the accommodation like?
You stay in traditional riads or hotels along the route and in a desert camp near Merzouga, with private tents and dinner and breakfast at the camp.
Will we have Wi-Fi in the desert?
There is usually service in Merzouga village, but deep in the dunes it is intermittent — a great chance to unplug and enjoy the stars.
