5-Day Sahara and Fes Tour from Marrakech

The desert, the imperial city of Fes and the Middle Atlas in one loop that ends back in Marrakech.

5 days · 4 nights
Departure: Marrakech
Private tour
Desert
Imperial cities
UNESCO site

Traditional leather dye vats of the Chouara tannery in the Fes medina

Golden sand dunes of Erg Chebbi in the Sahara Desert near Merzouga

Towering rock walls of the Todra Gorge near Tinghir under a blue sky

Overview

Five days is the sweet spot for travellers who fly in and out of Marrakech but refuse to miss Fes. The loop takes in everything on the southern desert route, then heads north through the Ziz Valley and the cedar forests to the oldest imperial city, where a licensed guide walks you through the medina and the tanneries.

The last day is a long transfer back to Marrakech by motorway, with a stop in Beni Mellal. We can also end the tour in Fes if you prefer to fly from there.

Route

MarrakechAit Ben HaddouDades ValleyMerzouga & Erg ChebbiMidelt & the Ziz ValleyIfrane & the Middle AtlasFesMarrakech

Highlights

Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades Valley and the Todra Gorges
Camel trek and a night in a Sahara camp in Merzouga
The Ziz Valley, Midelt and the Barbary macaques of Azrou
A full guided day in the Fes medina, Al Quaraouiyine and the Chouara tannery
Return to Marrakech via Beni Mellal

Itinerary

1Marrakech → Ait Ben Haddou → Dades Valley
Atlas crossing, guided visit of Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Valley of the Roses.
Meals:
Dinner
Overnight:
Kasbah hotel, Dades Valley
2Dades Valley → Todra Gorges → Merzouga
Todra Gorges, Erfoud, camel trek into Erg Chebbi at sunset, dinner and music at the camp.
Meals:
Breakfast, dinner
Overnight:
Desert camp, Erg Chebbi
3Merzouga → Ziz Valley → Midelt → Ifrane → Fes
Sunrise in the dunes, Ziz Valley oases, lunch in Midelt, cedar forest and Ifrane. Arrival in Fes in the evening.
Meals:
Breakfast
Overnight:
Riad in the Fes medina
4Fes guided tour
Full day with a licensed guide: Bab Boujloud, Bou Inania madrasa, the Chouara tannery, Al Quaraouiyine, the Mellah and the Royal Palace gates. Free evening.
Meals:
Breakfast
Overnight:
Riad in the Fes medina
5Fes → Beni Mellal → Marrakech
Drive back to Marrakech (about 6 hours) with a lunch stop in Beni Mellal. Drop-off at your riad mid-afternoon.
Meals:
Breakfast

What's included

Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Marrakech
Private vehicle and English-speaking driver for 5 days
4 nights: kasbah hotel, desert camp, 2 nights in a riad in Fes
Half board in the Dades Valley and the desert, breakfast in Fes
Camel trek in Merzouga
Licensed guides in Ait Ben Haddou and Fes

Not included

Lunches and dinners not listed
Entrance fees
Tips
Travel insurance

Questions travellers ask

Can we fly out of Fes instead of returning to Marrakech?

Yes, and it saves you a day. Ask for the 4-day version ending in Fes.

Is the guide in Fes included?

Yes. A licensed local guide for the full day, which is the only sensible way to see the medina.

Guides to read before you go

All guides

Guide leading camels across the Sahara Desert dunes, Morocco

18 October 2026 · 5 min read

3 or 4 days for a desert tour from Marrakech?

The question we get most on WhatsApp. The difference is not what you see, it is how much of the trip you spend looking at it through a window.

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.

Tell us what you dream of. We'll make it a plan.

No commitment, no bots. A real person from Marrakech replies within a few hours.

Start planning on WhatsApp Use the contact form

WhatsApp Request a quote