The fastest way from Fes to the great dunes: cedar forests, the Ziz valley and one night in a camp in Erg Chebbi.
Short on time in Fes? In two days you can still sleep among the dunes of Erg Chebbi. We leave early, cross the Middle Atlas and reach Merzouga in time for a camel ride at sunset.
The shortest way to sleep in the great Sahara dunes from Fes. The drives are long, about seven hours each way, but the scenery changes all the time and we stop often.
If you can add one more day, our 3-day tour from Fes lets you enjoy the desert with much more calm.
Tour highlights
Ifrane and the cedar forest
Barbary macaques
The Ziz gorges
Camel ride at sunset
A night in the desert camp
Sunrise over the dunes
The route
1Fes
2Ifrane
3Midelt
4Merzouga
Day by day
Day1
Fes – Ifrane – Midelt – Merzouga
Early departure through Ifrane and the cedar forest, lunch in Midelt and the Ziz valley to Merzouga. Camel ride and night in the desert camp.
Leaving Fes, you climb into the Middle Atlas to Ifrane, a surprising town with alpine roofs, and the cedar forest of Azrou, where Barbary macaques live in the wild. After lunch in Midelt, at the foot of the snowy Ayachi, the road follows the Ziz gorges and its endless palm groves past Errachidia and Erfoud to Merzouga, at the edge of the dunes.
Day2
Merzouga – Fes
Sunrise over the dunes, breakfast and the drive back north to Fes.
After the sunrise over Erg Chebbi and breakfast, you travel north through the Tafilalet palm groves and the Ziz valley, with a stop at a viewpoint over the gorges. Lunch in Midelt, then the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, Azrou and Ifrane, before arriving in Fes in the evening.
Included
Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel, riad or the airport
Private air-conditioned 4x4 or minivan
Professional driver who speaks several languages
Fuel, tolls and parking
Nights in hand-picked hotels, riads or kasbahs
Breakfast and dinner every night
Camel ride into the dunes at sunset
Night in a desert camp
Not included
Lunches
Drinks
Entrance fees to monuments
Local city guides (on request)
Tips and personal expenses
Good to know
This is a private tour: only your group travels in the vehicle. You can add days, change cities or choose the level of the hotels.
The price depends on the number of travellers and the hotels you choose. Ask us and we will send you the exact price.
Frequently asked questions
Are the tours private?
Yes. Only your group travels in the vehicle, with your own driver. We do not run shared tours.
How much does a tour cost?
The price depends on the number of travellers, the season and the level of accommodation. Send us your dates and we will reply with a clear price.
Can I change the itinerary?
Of course. You can add days, start or finish in another city, or choose different hotels. Every tour can be adapted.
What is the desert camp like?
Our camps in Merzouga have tents with real beds, dinner and breakfast. Luxury tents with private bathroom are available on request.
When is the best time to travel?
Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) are ideal. Winter days are sunny but desert nights are cold; summer is very hot in the south.
