18 October 2026 · 5 min read
What to pack for a Morocco desert tour
A desert camp has electricity, hot showers and real beds, so you need less than you think. Here is what actually matters, and what the camp already has.
3-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga
The one-way route: Atlas, kasbahs, a night in the Sahara and the cedar forests on the way to Fes.
- 3 days · 2 nights
- Departure: Marrakech
- Private tour
- Desert
- Imperial cities
- UNESCO site
Overview
If you are travelling between Marrakech and Fes, this one-way tour turns the transfer into the best three days of your trip. You see the same kasbahs, gorges and dunes as the round trip, then continue north through the Ziz Valley, the apple orchards of Midelt and the cedar forest of Azrou, where Barbary macaques wait by the road.
You arrive in Fes in the early evening, dropped at your riad, with no need to backtrack to Marrakech. The tour also runs in the opposite direction, from Fes to Marrakech.
Highlights
- Tizi n'Tichka pass and Ait Ben Haddou
- Dades Valley and the Todra Gorges
- Camel trek, sunset and a night in a camp in Erg Chebbi
- Ziz Valley oases, Midelt and the cedar forest of Azrou
- Drop-off at your riad in Fes
Itinerary
1Marrakech → Ait Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate → Dades Valley
Early departure, Tizi n'Tichka pass, guided visit of Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate and the Valley of the Roses. Night in the Dades Valley.
- Meals:
- Dinner
- Overnight:
- 4-star kasbah hotel, Dades Valley
2Dades Valley → Todra Gorges → Merzouga
Walk in the Todra Gorges, lunch in Tinghir, drive to Merzouga. Camel ride into Erg Chebbi for the sunset, dinner and music at the camp.
- Meals:
- Breakfast, dinner
- Overnight:
- Desert camp, Erg Chebbi
3Merzouga → Ziz Valley → Midelt → Ifrane → Fes
Sunrise on the dunes, breakfast, then north along the Ziz Valley. Lunch in Midelt, a stop in the cedar forest to see the monkeys, a look at the alpine town of Ifrane and arrival in Fes around 18:30.
- Meals:
- Breakfast
What's included
- Pick-up in Marrakech and drop-off at your riad in Fes
- Private air-conditioned vehicle and English-speaking driver
- 1 night in a 4-star hotel in the Dades Valley, half board
- 1 night in a desert camp in Merzouga, half board
- Camel trek and sunset in the dunes
- Local guide in Ait Ben Haddou
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Entrance fees
- Tips
- Travel insurance
Questions travellers ask
Can I do this tour from Fes to Marrakech?
Yes, the same itinerary runs in reverse. Tell us where you start and we will plan it.
Can we add a night in Fes?
Of course. We can book a riad and a guided day in the Fes medina as an extension.
Guides to read before you go
All guides
18 October 2026 · 5 min read
Marrakech to Fes: how to travel, and why the desert route wins
Marrakech and Fes are 530 km apart and almost everyone visits both. The direct options take a day you will not remember; the desert route takes three days you will not forget.
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