Cross Morocco from the red city to the oldest medina, with a full day and a night among the dunes of Merzouga.
A one-way journey for travellers who arrive in Marrakech and leave from Fes. The extra day lets you enjoy the desert calmly: a 4x4 tour, a visit to the Gnawa musicians of Khamlia and a sunset from the top of a dune.
On the last day we cross the Middle Atlas, its cedar forests and the town of Midelt to reach Fes in the evening.
This one-way route is ideal if you want to see the Sahara and continue your trip in Fes, without coming back to Marrakech. With a full day in Merzouga you are not rushed: there is time for the 4x4 excursion, the nomads, the Gnawa music and a long sunset on the dunes.
On the last day the landscape changes completely, from palm groves and red cliffs to cedar forests and green mountains, showing how varied Morocco is in only a few hundred kilometres.
Tour highlights
Ait Ben Haddou and the road of the kasbahs
The Dades valley and the Todra gorges
A full day in the dunes of Merzouga
Gnawa music in the village of Khamlia
A night in a Sahara camp
The cedar forest and the macaques of the Middle Atlas
The route
1Marrakech
2Ait Ben Haddou
3Dades
4Todra
5Merzouga
6Midelt
7Fes
Day by day
Day1
Marrakech – Ait Ben Haddou – Dades
Over the High Atlas to Ait Ben Haddou, the Atlas film studios of Ouarzazate and the Rose Valley. Night in the Dades valley.
Leaving Marrakech, the road climbs the High Atlas through Berber villages and walnut trees to the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at over 2,200 metres. On the other side you visit Ait Ben Haddou, the fortified ksar of earth that has appeared in many films, then pass Ouarzazate, the Skoura palm grove and the Rose Valley before reaching the Dades valley for the night.
Day2
Dades – Todra – Erfoud – Merzouga
The Todra gorges, the oasis of Tinejdad and the fossil workshops of Erfoud. Afternoon arrival in Merzouga and night in a riad at the foot of the dunes.
In the morning you drive to Tinghir and walk into the Todra gorges, where the river runs between vertical red cliffs that rise hundreds of metres high. The road then crosses the plateau of the ksour, with Tinejdad, Erfoud and the palm groves of the Tafilalet, until the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi appear on the horizon at Merzouga.
Day3
Merzouga: a day in the Sahara
4x4 tour of the desert, nomad families and the village of Khamlia. At sunset, camel ride to the camp for dinner and a night under the stars.
Merzouga is the gateway to Erg Chebbi, a sea of orange dunes up to 150 metres high. By 4x4 you visit a nomad family for tea, the village of Khamlia, where Gnawa musicians of sub-Saharan origin play their hypnotic music, the seasonal lake and the black stone desert. In the late afternoon a camel caravan takes you into the dunes for sunset and the night in the camp, with dinner, drums around the fire and a sky full of stars.
Day4
Merzouga – Midelt – Ifrane – Fes
Sunrise in the dunes, then north along the Ziz valley to Midelt for lunch, through the cedar forest and Ifrane 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.
