Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour 3 Days | Private & Shared
The best 3 day trip from Marrakech to Fes — Atlas Mountains, Aït Benhaddou, Sahara Desert camel trek, and the ancient medina of Fes. Daily departures from your hotel door.
3 Days / 2 Nights
Private & Group
EN · ES · FR · IT
Daily Departures
From €195 per person
From Marrakech
Best Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour 3 Days
The Marrakech to Fes desert tour 3 days via Merzouga Sahara is one of the most popular journeys in Morocco — and for good reason. You start in the red city of Marrakech and end up 3 days later in the ancient spiritual capital of Fes, having seen the High Atlas Mountains, a UNESCO fortress city, the most dramatic canyon in North Africa, the golden dunes of the Sahara Desert, and a completely different Morocco at every stop. It is not just a transfer between two cities. It is the middle of Morocco, properly seen, at a pace that lets you actually feel it.
The 3 days tour from Marrakech to Fes is designed so every day feels like its own adventure. Whether you book the private 3 day tour from Marrakech to Fes for a couple or family, or join the shared Marrakech to Fes desert tour 3 days as a solo traveler — the experience is the same: authentic, well-paced, and handled by people who genuinely love this part of Morocco.
Photos of a 3-Day Desert Tour
See what awaits you on the 3-day tour from Marrakech to Fes—from the High Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert dunes and the ancient medina of Fes.
3 Days Marrakech to Fes Tour Highlights
- High Atlas Mountains — Tizi n'Tichka Pass at 2,260 metres
- Aït Benhaddou — UNESCO World Heritage ksar (Gladiator, Game of Thrones)
- Valley of Roses — Dadès Valley rose cooperative and perfumed gorge
- Todra Gorge — 300m limestone canyon, only 10m wide at the base
- Camel Trek — sunset ride into the Erg Chebbi Sahara Desert dunes
- Desert Camp — luxury desert tent, campfire, Gnawa music and Sahara stars
- Sahara Sunrise — watch the Erg Chebbi dunes turn gold at dawn
- Cedar Forest — Azrou cedar forest and Barbary macaque monkeys
- Arrival in Fes — the world's largest medieval medina, 1,200 years old
Full Itinerary — 3 Day Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour
3 days, 2 nights. Pickup from your Marrakech hotel at 7:00–8:00 AM on Day 1. Drop-off in Fes on Day 3 evening around 5:00–7:00 PM.
Marrakech to Dades Valley — Crossing the Mountains
Marrakech → Tizi n'Tichka → Aït Benhaddou → Ouarzazate → Valley of Roses → Dades Gorge
Your 3 days Marrakech to Fes journey begins with an early pickup from your hotel or riad at around 7:30 AM. You head south immediately, climbing into the High Atlas Mountains on the N9 road toward the famous Tizi n’Tichka pass at 2,260 metres — the highest paved road in Morocco. The views from the top stretch across the Atlas range in every direction. Snow-capped peaks in winter, deep green valleys in spring, and dramatic red-grey rock all year round.
Coming down the southern side of the mountains you arrive at Aït Benhaddou — the UNESCO World Heritage ksar built entirely from red clay and straw, and the filming location for Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, Game of Thrones, and Babel. You cross the river on foot, climb through centuries-old alleys with your guide, and reach the top for views over the valley.
After lunch at a local restaurant you continue through Ouarzazate — known as “the Door of the Desert” — and on through the Valley of Roses in the Dadès Valley, stopping at a local rose cooperative where you can see rose water and oil being extracted.
You arrive at the Dades Gorge in the late afternoon as the canyon walls turn orange and gold. Check in at your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Overnight: Riad Gabsi Dades or similar— Dinner & Breakfast included
Into the Sahara — Todra Gorge & Merzouga Camel Trek
Dades Valley → Tinghir → Todra Gorge → Erfoud → Merzouga Dunes → Camel Trek → Desert Camp
After breakfast you drive east toward Tinghir, a beautiful oasis town surrounded by date palms. Here you visit the magnificent Todra Gorge — limestone walls rising 300 metres from the valley floor, just 10 metres wide at the most dramatic point. The cold river runs along the bottom. The scale of the canyon walls rising straight up around you is extraordinary and one of the most memorable stops on any 3 day trip from Marrakech to Fes.
Continuing east you pass through Erfoud — Morocco’s fossil capital — and Rissani, the ancient caravan town and birthplace of the Alaouite royal dynasty. In the afternoon you arrive in Merzouga at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes. Your camels are waiting.
The sunset camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes is the moment every traveler on the best Marrakech to Fes tour says they will never forget. You ride across the golden sand as the sun drops to the horizon, the dunes turning orange and red.
At the camp, a traditional Moroccan dinner — harira soup, tagine, bread, mint tea — followed by Berber drum music around the campfire and stargazing in the clear Sahara sky. Zero light pollution. The Milky Way is visible with the naked eye on every clear night.
Overnight: Mirage Luxury Camp or similar—dinner & Breakfast included
Sahara Sunrise & Drive North to Fes — Through the Cedar Forest
Merzouga Sunrise → Ifrane → Azrou Cedar Forest → Fes Medina
Wake up early for the Sahara sunrise — the defining moment of the 3 days Marrakech to Fes journey. Climb to the top of the dune as the sky behind the Erg Chebbi turns from black to dark blue to blazing gold. After breakfast at the camp, you begin the long drive north to Fes.
The northern route is completely different from the landscape you drove through on Days 1 and 2. You leave the desert and the dunes behind and drive through the Middle Atlas Mountains, passing through Ifrane — Morocco’s “Little Switzerland”, a small alpine town at 1,650 metres altitude that looks more like the Alps than Africa.
From Ifrane, you continue to the Azrou cedar forest, where wild Barbary macaque monkeys live among ancient cedar trees. A completely unexpected and genuinely beautiful stop on the way to Fes.
You arrive in Fes in the late afternoon, where your driver drops you off at your accommodation inside or near the medina. The ancient city of Fes — 1,200 years old, the world’s largest medieval medina, home to the Chouara tanneries and the oldest university on earth — is now your home for the evening. Your 3 day Marrakech to Fes desert tour is complete.
Drop-off in Fes at your accommodation approximately 5:00–7:00 PM. We recommend booking your Fes hotel before departure so we have an exact address for drop-off.
Price Includes & Excludes
- Private air-conditioned vehicle
- English-speaking driver / guide
- 1 night hotel — Dades Valley (private room)
- 1 night desert camp — Merzouga (private tent)
- Camel trek — one camel per person
- Sandboarding on the dunes (free, optional)
- Dinner & breakfast (Day 1 & Day 2)
- Hotel pickup in Marrakech
- Drop-off at your accommodation in Fes
- Berber campfire music
Included
- Lunches & drinks
- Entrance fees (if applicable)
- Personal expenses & tips
- Optional desert activities (quad, buggy)
- Travel insurance
Excluded
Need a different duration? We can shorten this to 2 days / 1 night or extend it to 4 days / 3 nights. Standard or luxury camp — your choice. Contact us for a custom itinerary and pricing.
Which Tour Is Right for You? — Private or Shared
Both options cover exactly the same route, stops, camel trek, and desert camp on the 3 days tour from Marrakech to Fes. The difference is who you share the journey with.
Private Tour
The private 3 day tour from Marrakech to Fes — vehicle and guide exclusively for your group, no one else.
- Stop anywhere, go at your own pace
- Only your party in the vehicle
- Guide is exclusively yours
- Fully flexible itinerary
- Perfect for couples and families
- Camel trek included
- Desert camp night included
Group Tour
The shared Marrakech to Fes desert tour 3 days — comfortable minivan, up to 17 travelers. Private room and tent both nights.
- Lowest price per person
- Max 15 travelers — always small group
- English-speaking shared guide
- Same stops as private tour
- Great for meeting other travelers
- Camel trek included
- Camel trek included
- Desert camp night included
3 Day Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour Route Map
Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour 3 Days — Full Route Map with All Stops
Best Time for the Marrakech to Fes 3 Day Tour
We run this tour every day of the year. Every season offers a different experience.
Spring (Mar–May)
Perfect. 22–32°C, rose season, comfortable nights. Best time.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Very hot — up to 45°C. Possible but demanding.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
Excellent. Cooler, date harvest season. Second-best.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Clear skies, mild days. Cold nights in desert camp.
Traveler Reviews
What guests say about the 3 days tour from Marrakech to Fes
FAQ — 3 Days Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour
The best Marrakech to Fes tour goes via the High Atlas Mountains, Aït Benhaddou UNESCO site, Ouarzazate, Valley of Roses, Dades Gorge (Night 1), Todra Gorge, Merzouga Sahara Desert with camel trek and desert camp (Night 2), then north via Ifrane and Azrou cedar forest to arrive in Fes (Day 3 afternoon). This route shows you 5 completely different landscapes in 3 days.
The 3 day trip from Marrakech to Fes covers approximately 950 km total. Day 1 goes from Marrakech to Dades Gorge (about 350 km with stops). Day 2 goes from Dades Gorge to Merzouga via Todra Gorge (about 250 km). Day 3 goes from Merzouga to Fes via the Middle Atlas Mountains (about 350 km). We stop every 1 to 2 hours so the drive feels like part of the experience.
Included in the 3 days Marrakech to Fes tour: private or shared air-conditioned vehicle, English-speaking guide, 1 night guesthouse in Dades Gorge, 1 night luxury Berber desert camp in Merzouga, breakfast both mornings, dinner both evenings, camel trek, sandboarding, campfire music, Sahara sunrise, hotel pickup in Marrakech and drop-off at your Fes accommodation. Not included: lunches, entrance fees, travel insurance, and tips.
On the private 3 day tour from Marrakech to Fes the vehicle and guide are exclusively for your group — fully flexible, your pace, your schedule. On the shared Marrakech to Fes desert tour 3 days you travel in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan with up to 17 other travelers, but you have your own private room at the Hotel and your own private tent at the desert camp both nights.
Yes — the shared Marrakech to Fes desert tour 3 days is especially popular with solo travelers and backpackers. It is the most affordable way to travel between Morocco’s two most popular cities while seeing the Sahara Desert. You share the vehicle but have your own private accommodation both nights and will typically meet other solo travelers from around the world on the same tour.
Yes. We offer the same itinerary in reverse — starting in Fes and ending in Marrakech, covering the same stops in the opposite direction. Contact us directly and we will arrange pickup from your Fes accommodation. The 3 days Marrakech to Fes and 3 days Fes to Marrakech both cover exactly the same landscapes and stops.
Pickup from your Marrakech hotel or riad is between 7:00 and 8:00 AM on Day 1. Drop-off in Fes is approximately 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Day 3 at your accommodation. We recommend booking your Fes hotel in advance so we have an exact drop-off address. Make sure you book for at least the night of Day 3 arrival.