Desert round trip · From Fes
The fastest way from Fes to a night under the Sahara stars.
About this tour
Fes is the imperial city closest to the dunes of Erg Chebbi, which makes a two-day desert trip possible without cutting corners. In one long, beautiful drive you cross the Middle Atlas, see Barbary macaques in the cedar forest, descend through the palm canyon of the Ziz Valley and arrive in Merzouga in time for a camel ride at sunset.
Your night is spent in a Berber camp among the dunes, with dinner, drumming around the fire and a sky full of stars. The next morning, after sunrise, you return north via the old caravan town of Rissani and the fossil workshops of Erfoud.
It is roughly 460 km each way, so both days are full, but your private driver-guide builds in plenty of stops. If you can spare one more day, the three-day version adds a relaxed day exploring the desert.
Best for: Travellers based in Fes with limited time who want a real night in the Sahara.
Fes · Ifrane · Azrou cedar forest · Midelt · Ziz Valley · Erfoud · Merzouga · about 458 km · About 7 hours of driving
We pick you up in Fes at 8:00 am and head south into the Middle Atlas. The first stop is Ifrane, built in an alpine style with steep roofs for the winter snow and nicknamed the 'Switzerland of Morocco'. Just beyond, the cedar forest around Azrou (about 1,250 metres) is home to the Barbary macaque, the only wild monkey in North Africa; troops often gather near the road. The route continues over high plateaus dotted with Berber villages to Midelt, the 'apple capital', for lunch.
After the Tizi n'Talghemt pass the scenery changes completely. The Ziz Valley carves a canyon of red rock filled with date palms, and viewpoints look down on ruined kasbahs and green gardens. Beyond Errachidia and Erfoud the dunes of Erg Chebbi rise on the horizon. In the late afternoon you meet your camel guide and ride into the sand for about an hour, pausing on a high dune for sunset and a go at sandboarding. At camp: mint tea, a Moroccan dinner, Berber drumming around the fire and a night under the stars.
Merzouga · Rissani · Erfoud · Ziz Valley · Midelt · Ifrane · Fes · about 458 km · About 7 hours of driving
Climb a dune before dawn to watch the sunrise, then return by camel or 4x4 for breakfast. Visit Rissani, the ancient capital of the Tafilalet, whose souk is busiest on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a fossil-marble workshop in Erfoud.
The drive north retraces the Ziz Valley with a panoramic stop, crosses the Middle Atlas via Midelt, the cedar forest and Ifrane, and brings you back to your accommodation in Fes between 5:00 and 7:00 pm.
Every tent is private. Pick the comfort level that suits you; tell us your choice when you book.
Private tents with their own en-suite bathroom, offering a good balance between comfort and the authentic feel of a Berber camp.
Spacious, elegantly furnished tents equipped with air conditioning and heating, so you stay cool on summer nights and warm in winter. Ideal for couples and families.
Absolutely. Every tour is private, so you can add or remove nights, change the camp style, combine routes or start on a different date. Tell us what you have in mind and we will adapt the plan and price.
A private, air-conditioned minivan or 4x4, depending on group size. Our vehicles are under five years old, regularly inspected and insured for tourist transport.
Yes, families travel with us often. Children love the camel ride and the camp. For young children we usually recommend a longer version of the route, with shorter driving days.
Comfortable clothes, a warm layer for the evenings, a hat or scarf, sunglasses, sun cream and closed shoes. For the desert night, a small backpack is enough; your main luggage stays safely in the vehicle.
Both camps have private tents with en-suite bathrooms, hot showers and comfortable bedding. The mid-range luxury camp offers a good balance between comfort and authenticity. The luxury camp adds air conditioning and heating in every tent, plus more spacious, elegantly furnished tents, so you stay comfortable on hot summer nights and cold winter ones.
Before you go
Where the dunes are, the best season to visit and what a night in Erg Chebbi is really like.
Tanneries, madrasas, viewpoints and craft quarters in Morocco's oldest imperial city.
A practical packing list for medinas, mountains and a night in the Sahara, with what to wear in each season.
Related tours
The favourite round trip from Fes. Two nights in the south give you a full day to explore Merzouga's lakes, nomad families and villages before your camel trek.
Link Morocco's two great cities through its wild heart: Middle Atlas forests, a night in Erg Chebbi, the Todra Gorge, the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs and Aït Benhaddou.
The one-way crossing with room to linger: two nights around Merzouga, then the Todra Gorge, the Dades and Rose valleys and a night in Ouarzazate before the Atlas.
Eight days from Fes to Marrakech: a guided medina day, Meknes and Roman Volubilis, two nights at the Merzouga dunes, the gorges and kasbahs of the south and a guided day in Marrakech.
