One-way desert crossing · From Fes
Link Morocco's two great cities through its wild and beautiful south.
About this tour
This one-way private tour is the most popular way to travel from Fes to Marrakech. Instead of a train, you take the long way round, through the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, into the dunes of Erg Chebbi, through the Todra and Dades gorges and over the High Atlas.
In three days you see an astonishing range of landscapes: alpine towns and Barbary macaques, the palm canyon of the Ziz Valley, the Sahara at sunset and sunrise, the oasis of Tinghir, the Valley of Roses, the kasbah of Aït Benhaddou and the high pass of the Tizi n'Tichka.
Around 1,000 km in total, with the longest drive on day one. You spend one night in a desert camp and one in a hotel in the Dades Valley, and your driver-guide delivers you to your riad in Marrakech on the third afternoon.
Best for: Travellers heading from Fes to Marrakech who want to see the desert and the south on the way.
Fes · Ifrane · Azrou cedar forest · Midelt · Ziz Valley · Erfoud · Merzouga · about 458 km · About 7 hours of driving
The first day of your crossing to Marrakech is the longest, but also one of the most varied. Leaving Fes at 8:00 am, you climb into the Middle Atlas via Ifrane, a tidy mountain resort with alpine-style chalets, and the great cedar forest around Azrou, where you are likely to spot Barbary macaques. Lunch is in Midelt, surrounded by apple orchards and the snow-capped Jbel Ayachi.
Crossing the Tizi n'Talghemt pass, the scenery switches to desert: the Ziz River has cut a deep gorge through red rock, and its banks are lined with palm groves and earthen villages. Past Errachidia and Erfoud, you reach Merzouga in the late afternoon and head straight into the dunes by camel. Watch the sunset from a crest, then enjoy mint tea, dinner and drumming around the fire in your desert camp.
Merzouga · Rissani · Erfoud · Tinjdad · Tinghir · Todra Gorge · Dades Valley · about 265 km · About 5 hours of driving
Watch the sun rise over the dunes, then ride back by camel or 4x4 for breakfast and a shower. Drive to Rissani, the historic capital of the Tafilalet and the cradle of Morocco's ruling Alaouite dynasty; its souk, with a donkey 'parking' and piles of dates, is busiest on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Continue past the palm groves of Tinjdad to Tinghir.
Walk into the Todra Gorge, where limestone walls rise around 300 metres and narrow to a few metres above the stream, and stop for mint tea or lunch in the canyon. In the afternoon, follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to the Dades Valley and drive a little way up the Dades Gorge to see the Monkey Fingers rock formations before dinner.
Dades Valley · Kalaat M'Gouna · Skoura · Ouarzazate · Aït Benhaddou · Tizi n'Tichka · Marrakech · about 353 km · About 6.5 hours of driving
Head west through Kalaat M'Gouna, heart of the Valley of Roses, where cooperatives distil rosewater from Damascus roses (the harvest festival takes place each May), and the Skoura palm oasis. Pass through Ouarzazate, home of the Atlas film studios, to Aït Benhaddou.
Explore the UNESCO-listed village on foot after lunch: cross the river, wander the earthen lanes and climb to the granary for the view. Then cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 metres), with stops above the Berber villages, and arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon.
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
A fast but unhurried taste of the Sahara from Fes: cedar forests and Barbary macaques, the Ziz Valley canyon, sunset on the dunes and a night in a desert camp.
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.
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.
