Best 3 days desert tour from Marrakech to Fes : Luxury Camp & Sahara Camel Trek

Day 1: Marrakech → Ait Benhaddou → Boumalne Dades Valley

Departure: 7:30 AM | Distance: 355 km | Duration: 6.5-7 hours

Your adventure in the Moroccan desert begins by leaving your Marrakech accommodation in the early morning and navigating through the breathtaking High Atlas Mountains via the hairpin bends of Tizi n'Tichka pass, which is the highest road crossing in Morocco. As you ascend, the scenery changes dramatically with picturesque Berber villages perched on the mountainsides.

Firstly, we visit the beautiful Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the most famous fortified village in Morocco. From the earthen trading post, you will be able to see some famous films filmed there, such as Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and Lawrence of Arabia. After your visit to the Kasbah, you will have the opportunity to enjoy lunch at a local café before exploring the narrow passageways and winding streets with an optional local guide (€3 per person).

After visiting Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, our Marrakech desert tours continue as we pass through Ouarzazate—the Hollywood of Morocco, a town known for its film studios—and cross the Valley of Roses at Kelaat M'Gouna, famous for its fragrance. As the evening approaches, we arrive in the Boumalne Dades Valley, where sharp, strange rock formations will welcome you to our overnight destination in a comfortable local hotel (for example, Hotel Babylon) with dinner included.

Day 2: Dades Valley → Tinghir → Todra Gorge → Merzouga Sahara Desert

Distance: 310 km | Duration: 5 hours driving + camel trek

Following breakfast, we proceed with our 3-day desert trip from Marrakech to the Sahara. The route in the morning passes through the amazing landscape of the Tinghir Oasis until we arrive at the magnificent Todra Gorge. Allow plenty of time to walk through the spectacular scenery where canyon walls rise a vertical 300 meters on either side, creating a narrow corridor of rock that changes colors throughout every hour of the day. Rock climbers the world over make a pilgrimage to these famous cliffs.

After lunch, the scenery changes quickly as we approach Merzouga and the edge of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes. The expanse of the Sahara appears before you, its golden dunes shining bright in the sun. You will find your camel caravan waiting at the bottom of the sand dunes for the best part of your Marrakech to Fes Sahara tour: a dedicated sunset camel trek over the top of the towering sand, which is the Erg Chebbi dunes. You can expect your Erg Chebbi camel trek to last about 1-1.5 hours; while you sway on your camel at the tops of the undulating dunes, you can watch the desert evolve as the warm hues of sunset cast brilliant oranges, purples, and reds over the desert landscape.

When you arrive at your luxury desert camp, you will be welcomed with traditional mint tea. In your private tent, take some time to refresh yourself before sitting down to enjoy a delicious dinner, mixed with Berber music and bonfire entertainment. Away from the light pollution, the night sky is filled with the Milky Way under light pollution-free stargazing, which will take your breath away.

Note: Your main luggage is transported to the camp by 4x4 vehicle; you only need a small backpack for the camel ride.

Day 3: Merzouga → Ziz Valley → Middle Atlas Cedar Forests → Ifrane → Fes

Distance: 500-520 km | Duration: 7.5-8 hours | Arrival: 5:00-7:00 PM

Get up early to meet the incredible experience of a Sahara sunrise. Witness the power of the first light hitting the dunes, entering an entirely different world as shadows stretch and the true colors of the sands of the desert are revealed. After breakfast, you will return from the camp either by camel or by 4x4 vehicle to finish your journey from Marrakech to Fes.

On our way to Fes, the landscape encounters on this trip provide variations of Morocco for travelers to see. Our initial path continues through the Ziz River valley, where unending palm groves are a green ribbon through otherwise dry land. This natural oasis provides the opportunity for panoramic images and a perfect opportunity to get those Instagram capture-worthy photos for miles ahead. We'll have lunch in Midelt, a town situated between the Middle Atlas and High Atlas mountains with many apple orchards.

We'll then make our way through the Middle Atlas cedar forests near Azrou, where you'll be able to see and get pictures of the Barbary apes (macaques) in the wild. These lively monkeys are a native species to Morocco and never fail to entertain guests. We will stop for coffee in Ifrane, "The Switzerland of Morocco," a stark change of scenery before we travel to our final destination. We arrive in Fes early evening, dropping you off at your hotel in the medina or new city.