Rated 4.86Premium journey to Fes
3 days, pickup at your door
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Guide · One-way
Marrakech to Fes desert tour: three days via Merzouga
A Marrakech to Fes desert tour swaps the long drive back for a new road north, through the Ziz valley and the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas. Here is how the days run.
Check availabilityfrom $137 · free cancellation
Editorial team, marrakech-to-merzouga.comUpdated October 24, 20266 min read29 sources
Quick answer
- 01Duration
- 3 days, from 7:00 AM on day 1 to about 8:00 PM in Fes on day 3.
- 02Day 3 route
- Erfoud, then the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas.
- 03Longest day
- One tour lists the last day to Fes at about 9 hours.
- 04Price
- The most-reviewed trip here starts from $138.
- 05Reverse
- Tours also run from Fes to Marrakech the other way.
Why go one-way to Fes
A round trip from Marrakech to Merzouga spends day 3 retracing the road you came in on. A one-way tour turns north instead and ends in Fes, and the last day shows you new country: the oasis towns of the Tafilalt, the Ziz valley and the forests of the Middle Atlas. If Fes is already on your list, the desert costs you no extra day of travel, and you arrive in a second great medina rather than back where you started.
Fes is worth arriving in. Britannica calls it the oldest of Morocco's four imperial cities, founded by Idris I around 789 and Idris II around 809.1 UNESCO describes its medina as one of the most extensive and best conserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world, and listed it as a World Heritage site in 1981.23
The trade-off is luggage and onward plans. You leave Marrakech for good on the first morning, so book your Fes riad before you go, and keep in mind that the drop-off is in Fes, not at an airport. The tour compared first on this page drops you at your hotel in Fes, with the same rule as its pickup: at the door if a car can reach it, otherwise at a meeting point within 5 minutes on foot.
The last day
From the dunes to Fes
-
Dawn
Sunrise camel ride
A sunrise ride across the dunes and breakfast.
-
Morning
Ziz valley
Palm groves and old villages along the Ziz.
-
Late morning
Erfoud
A stop in the town known for its fossils.
-
Midday
Lunch in Midelt
Lunch at your own cost on one tour.
-
Afternoon
Cedar forests
A stop for the Barbary macaques.
-
Evening
Arrival in Fes
Drop-off at your hotel around 8:00 PM.
Days 1 and 2: the same road as the round trips
The first two days of a one-way tour follow the road every desert trip from Marrakech uses: over the High Atlas by the Tichka pass, 2,267 m high, and down to the Saharan side, where Ouarzazate stands as an oasis and road junction.45 One Fes tour spends night 1 in a hotel in the Kelaa M'Gouna area, in an air-conditioned private room with its own bathroom.
The second night is the desert. The tour compared first here sleeps in private tents, standard ones with shared bathrooms or luxury ones with private bathrooms, and includes camel rides, sandboarding and meals. If a camel is not for you, it offers a free 4x4 transfer to camp instead, and quad biking for 1 hour as an extra with a minimum of 2 people.
Pickup works as on the round trips. You receive the time and place by 5:00 PM the day before by WhatsApp and email, and the tour starts at 7:00 AM. Pack a small bag for the camp; another Fes tour keeps your luggage safely in the van while you camp and asks for a small backpack for the camel ride.
Side by side
One-way desert tours between Marrakech & Fes
| Tour | Direction | Last day | Reviews | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert tour to Fes | Marrakech-Fes | Erfoud, cedar forests | 3,478 | from $138 |
| Sahara trip to Fes | Marrakech-Fes | Ziz, Midelt, Ifrane | 1,776 | from $120 |
| Luxury camp to Fes | Marrakech-Fes | Ziz, Azrou forests | 1,112 | from $114 |
| Quad option to Fes | Marrakech-Fes | About 9 hours | 668 | from $157 |
| Luxury camp from Fes | Fes-Marrakech | Tichka pass | 684 | from $217 |
Routes, review counts and starting prices from each GetYourGuide listing; prices are from-prices, not quotes.
Three one-way trips
Three ways to reach Fes through the desert
Rated 4.86
FastestMerzouga in 2 days
On to Fes or back
- Pickup
- Around 5 to 6 AM
- Drive
- Around 10 hours
- Rating
- 4.73
Other directionLuxury camp from Fes
Fes to Marrakech
- Night 2
- Ouarzazate
- Ait Ben Haddou
- 1.5 hours
- Price
- from $217
Decision helper
Which trip north fits you?
Start from the way you travel
Desert tour to Fes
3,478 reviews at 4.84, with 4.9 for guide, transport and value.
Sahara trip to Fes, deluxe
Its deluxe tents list AC or heating and a private bathroom.
Luxury camp from Fes
It runs Fes to Marrakech with nights in camp and in Ouarzazate.
2-day trip from Fes
Fes to Merzouga and back with one camp night, rated 4.80.
A round trip instead
One operator warns its long driving days may not suit back problems.
Founded in the 9th century, Fez reached its height in the 13th-14th centuries under the Marinids, when it replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom.
Day 3: from the dunes to Fes
The last day starts in the dark with the sunrise. One tour lists a sunrise camel ride across the dunes and a traditional breakfast, then the Ziz valley with its palm groves and old villages, Erfoud, and lunch in Midelt. Another describes breakfast in the desert, the camel back to Merzouga and the drive to Fes across the Ziz valley through Errachidia.
Erfoud belongs to the Tafilalt, the largest Saharan oasis of Morocco, with palm groves stretching 50 km along the Wadi Ziz.910 The tour compared first here stops in Erfoud for its fossils. The Ziz itself is one of the small streams that rise on the dry eastern slopes of the High Atlas and flow into the Sahara.11
North of Midelt the road climbs into the Middle Atlas, a range that rises to 3,340 m at its crest.12 Here the tours stop in the cedar forests for the Barbary macaques; one names the forests near Azrou, another passes through Ifrane. With government protection, the macaque thrives in these forests.13 Look, but do not feed them.
Map
From Marrakech over the Atlas to the dunes
First the whole road with Fes and Zagora, then the two gorges at Boumalne and Tinghir, then the oasis towns and the sand sea of Erg Chebbi.
1Marrakech2Tizi n'Tichka3Ait Ben Haddou4Ouarzazate5Boumalne Dades6Tinghir7Errachidia8Merzouga9Zagora10Fes11Midelt
5Boumalne Dades6Tinghir12Kalaat M'Gouna13Dades Gorges14Todra Gorge
8Merzouga15Erfoud16Rissani17Erg Chebbi
- 1Marrakech
Start and end of the round trip; its medina, founded in 1070-72, has been a World Heritage site since 1985.1415
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Tizi n'Tichka
The High Atlas pass on the road to Ouarzazate, 2,267 m high.45
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Ait Ben Haddou
An earthen ksar on the southern slopes of the High Atlas, a World Heritage site since 1987.1617
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Ouarzazate
An oasis and road junction on the Saharan side of the High Atlas, near where its river joins the Draa.185
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Boumalne Dades
The private-tent tour from Marrakech stops here for its first night; the Dades runs 350 km south to the Draa.19
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Tinghir
The private-tent tour lists 40 minutes in Tinghir and 20 minutes at the Todra River.
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Errachidia
The WMO climate station behind this site's month-by-month figures, at 1,037 m.20
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Merzouga
The village beside the dunes, where a large aquifer feeds palm groves and fields.21
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Zagora
An oasis on the Draa and the goal of the 2-day desert trips from Marrakech.22
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Fes
Where the one-way desert tours end; its medina has been a World Heritage site since 1981.3
In Google Maps ↗ - 11Midelt
The lunch stop on the last day of two one-way tours to Fes.
In Google Maps ↗ - 12Kalaat M'Gouna
A 20-minute break on the private-tent tour; the food-included safari sleeps in this area on night one.
In Google Maps ↗ - 13Dades Gorges
The gorges of the Dades River, a popular tourist destination.23
In Google Maps ↗ - 14Todra Gorge
The Fes to Marrakech luxury-camp tour lists 1 hour at the Todra River.
In Google Maps ↗ - 15Erfoud
One of the fortified villages of Tafilalt, the largest Saharan oasis of Morocco.910
In Google Maps ↗ - 16Rissani
A Tafilalt village; the oasis's old capital Sijilmassa was founded in 757 CE.1024
In Google Maps ↗ - 17Erg Chebbi
Star dunes, some over 100 m high, that formed more than 13,000 years ago.2526
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
Before a one-way tour to Fes
01
Plan the ends
- Book your Fes riad before you leave Marrakech
- Check how close a car can get to your riad
- Expect arrival in Fes in the evening
02
For day 3
- Water and snacks for a long drive
- Cash for lunch in Midelt
- A warm layer for the sunrise
Cost calculator
Price the trip to Fes for your group
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Total from$276
pp from $138
Check availabilityfree cancellationThe sum multiplies each trip's GetYourGuide from-price by the size of your party and converts it at the day's ECB rate; checkout shows the final figure.
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How long the drive to Fes takes
Day 3 is the longest day of the trip. One tour says the final day from the Merzouga desert to Fes is about 9 hours, and adds that it is quite long, so be prepared. Another lists its arrival in Fes by early evening, around 7:00 PM, and the tour compared first here ends around 8:00 PM.
The direct road is shorter than the tour day. A 2-day trip from Fes to Merzouga says the drive takes around 7 hours without stops. The tour days add the sunrise, the camel ride back, breakfast, lunch, the fossil shops and the macaque stop, and a day that starts before dawn ends after dark.
If long drives are hard for you, take it seriously. One operator states plainly that its trip involves long hours of driving and may not suit people with back problems or motion sickness. Ask for a front seat, bring water and something to eat, and use the lunch stop in Midelt to walk around.
The tours compared
The trip with the most reviews among the one-way tours compared here starts from $138 and is rated 4.84 from 3,478 reviews, with guide, transportation and value for money each at 4.9. It runs with guides in Arabic, English, French and Spanish and sells a private group as an option.
A second one-way trip starts from $120, rated 4.58 from 1,776 reviews. It spells out its camp grades, standard tents of basic comfort or deluxe tents with air conditioning or heating and a private bathroom, and it names Midelt for lunch and Ifrane on the last day. A luxury-camp version starts from $114, rated 4.86 from 1,112 reviews.
A third route adds a quad option and an English-speaking guide, starting from $157 and rated 4.82 from 668 reviews. All of these list free cancellation up to 24 hours before; you can hold a place while you settle the rest of your trip.
The same trip the other way round
If you start in Fes, look for a Fes to Marrakech desert tour, which runs the same loop in reverse. One luxury-camp version lists the legs in detail: 2.5 hours and 2 hours by van with lunch in Midelt, sunset in the Merzouga desert and a night in camp, then the Todra River, Boumalne Dades, a night in Ouarzazate, Ait Ben Haddou and the Tichka pass before Marrakech. It starts from $217.
If you only want the desert from Fes and plan to return there, the shorter option is a 2-day trip. The one compared here runs from Fes to the dunes and back with a night in camp, rated 4.80 from 2,038 reviews and starting from $113. It notes that guests who cannot ride a camel can reach the camp by van if they say so in advance.
Whichever direction you choose, the desert night in the middle is the same: the Erg Chebbi dune field near Merzouga in the southeast of the country, with its tent camps on the east side of the sand.2728 What changes is which city you wake up in two days later.
Fes or Marrakech at the end: how to decide
Choose the one-way tour if your trip continues north to Fes, Chefchaouen or the Mediterranean coast, or if you fly home from Fes. You save a full day of travel compared with a round trip plus a separate train or bus north, and you see the Middle Atlas on the way.
Choose the round trip if Marrakech is your base and your flight leaves from there, or if you have a riad booked for the whole stay. The round trip this site recommends returns you to your hotel or riad in Marrakech and is rated 4.87 from 22,054 reviews.
For weather, Fes and the desert are not the same place. In July the average daily high is 35.1 °C at Fes Sais and 39.5 °C at Errachidia; in January it is 16.0 °C and 15.9 °C.67 Fes is also much wetter, with 487.7 mm of precipitation in a normal year.29
Your desert trip
Three days, one night in the dunes.
Pick a date, get collected at your riad, and cancel free up to 24 hours before.
You ask,we answer.
How long is the Marrakech to Fes desert tour?
3 days, with 2 nights. One tour starts at 7:00 AM on day 1 and ends around 8:00 PM on day 3 in Fes.
How many hours is the drive from Merzouga to Fes?
About 9 hours on the tour day. One tour lists the final day at about 9 hours; the direct drive is around 7 hours without stops.
Do you see monkeys on the way to Fes?
Often, in the cedar forests. Tours stop in the Middle Atlas forests where Barbary macaques live under government protection.13
Where does the tour drop you in Fes?
At your hotel or riad. If a car cannot reach it, at a meeting point within 5 minutes on foot.
Is there a tour from Fes to Merzouga and back?
Yes, in 2 days. A 2-day round trip from Fes includes a night in a Merzouga camp, rated 4.80.
Can I skip the camel ride on a tour to Fes?
Yes, ask for the 4x4. One tour offers a free 4x4 transfer to camp instead of the camel ride.
Which is better, ending in Fes or in Marrakech?
It depends on your next stop. One-way tours end in Fes; round trips return you to your riad in Marrakech.
Sources
What this text is based on
- 1Encyclopaedia BritannicaFes↩
- 2UNESCO World Heritage CentreMedina of Fez↩
- 3UNESCO World Heritage CentreMedina of Fez↩
- 4Encyclopaedia BritannicaHigh Atlas↩
- 5Encyclopaedia BritannicaOuarzazat↩
- 6World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: FES SAIS, WMO 60141↩
- 7World Meteorological OrganizationWMO Climate Normals, Station Errachidia (WMO 60210), 1991 to 2020↩
- 8UNESCO World Heritage CentreMedina of Fez↩
- 9Encyclopaedia BritannicaTafilalt↩
- 10Encyclopaedia BritannicaTafilalt↩
- 11Encyclopaedia BritannicaMorocco: Relief↩
- 12Encyclopaedia BritannicaMorocco: Relief↩
- 13Encyclopaedia BritannicaMorocco: Climate↩
- 14UNESCO World Heritage CentreMedina of Marrakesh↩
- 15UNESCO World Heritage CentreMedina of Marrakesh↩
- 16UNESCO World Heritage CentreKsar of Ait-Ben-Haddou↩
- 17UNESCO World Heritage CentreKsar of Ait-Ben-Haddou↩
- 18Encyclopaedia BritannicaOuarzazat↩
- 19Encyclopaedia BritannicaDades River↩
- 20World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: ERRACHIDIA, WMO 60210↩
- 21NASA Earth ObservatorySandy Sculptures in Morocco's Erg Chebbi↩
- 22Encyclopaedia BritannicaDraa River↩
- 23Encyclopaedia BritannicaDades River↩
- 24Encyclopaedia BritannicaTafilalt↩
- 25NASA Photojournal (NASA/JPL, Terra ASTER)Star Dunes, Morocco (PIA26287)↩
- 26NASA Photojournal (NASA/JPL, Terra ASTER)Star Dunes, Morocco (PIA26287)↩
- 27NASA Earth ObservatorySandy Sculptures in Morocco's Erg Chebbi↩
- 28NASA Earth ObservatorySandy Sculptures in Morocco's Erg Chebbi↩
- 29World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: FES SAIS, WMO 60141↩
