DAY 1: FES → IFRANE → MIDDLE ATLAS MOUNTAINS → ZIZ VALLEY → MERZOUGA

Your tour begins with a morning pick-up from your hotel or riad in Fes. The first stop is Ifrane — the “Switzerland of Morocco” — for a short coffee break before the drive continues to the cedar forest near Azrou, where Barbary macaques are often seen in the wild.

The road crosses Midelt (apple country) and continues along the Ziz Valley, a long oasis full of palm trees. You’ll arrive in Merzouga in the afternoon, checking into a riad with views over the golden sand dunes that surround the town.

Approximate driving distance: 500 km
Approximate driving time: 7 hours 30 minutes

DAY 2: FULL DAY EXPLORING THE MERZOUGA DESERT

After breakfast at your riad, the day begins in the small village of Khamlia, where local musicians — whose roots trace back to Sub-Saharan Africa — play traditional Gnawa music. The route continues off-road to M’Fis, an abandoned village with historic galena mines (galena was once used to make kohl).

You’ll then visit a nomadic family living behind the Erg Chebbi dunes near the border, sharing tea in one of their traditional tents and learning about their way of life — a striking contrast to the modern world just beyond the horizon.

In the afternoon, you’ll ride camels across the high dunes to your luxury desert camp. A stop on a high dune lets you try sandboarding while watching the sunset. After dinner, the evening unfolds around a campfire with drumming, Berber music, and a long night under a sky full of stars.

Approximate driving distance: 57 km
Approximate driving time: 1 hour 15 minutes

DAY 3: MERZOUGA → TODRA GORGE → DADES GORGE

An early start catches the sunrise over the dunes. After breakfast, the drive heads west along the “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs” toward the Dades Gorge, passing through Rissani, Erfoud, Tinghir, and the Todra Canyon along the way. If your trip falls on a market day (Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday), you can explore the traditional souk in Rissani — a chance to see local crafts, spices, and street food.

You’ll walk beneath the towering cliffs of the Todra Gorge before the drive continues to the Dades Valley, where dinner and an overnight stay at your hotel follow.

Approximate driving distance: 310 km
Approximate driving time: 5 hours

DAY 4: DADES GORGE → OUARZAZATE → AIT BEN HADDOU → HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS → MARRAKECH

After breakfast, there’s time to explore the Dades area before the drive heads west along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Ouarzazate. Here you can optionally visit the Atlas Studios or take photos from outside. You’ll then visit the UNESCO-listed Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou — a backdrop for many internationally famous productions.

After lunch, the drive continues over the High Atlas Mountains toward Marrakech, passing through charming Berber villages with stops at the best viewpoints. The tour ends with a drop-off at your accommodation in Marrakech.

Approximate driving distance: 353 km
Approximate driving time: 6 hours 30 minutes

IMPORTANT NOTES

– Dietary preferences (vegetarian, vegan, allergies) can be accommodated — please mention this when booking.
– The tour can also be run in reverse — see the Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour 4 Days.
– If you want a shorter, faster route, see the 3 Day Fes to Marrakech Desert Tour.
– If you want to go deeper off the beaten path, see the 5 Day Fes to Marrakech Tour.
– You can choose to spend both nights at a desert camp instead of just Night 2 — just let us know during booking.
– Optional quad biking or buggy driving in the Erg Chebbi dunes can be arranged on request.
– Prefer not to ride a camel? A 4×4 will take you to the camp at no extra cost.
– All our luxury camps feature private tents with en-suite bathrooms.