This tour takes you through panoramic mountain roads to kasbahs, gorges, valleys, monkey forests and palm groves
Departing from Fes and returning to Marrakech, this 5 day/4 night tour is our ultimate desert experience from Fes. We will take you through panoramic mountain roads to kasbahs, gorges, valleys, monkey forests and palm groves. The highlight of the trip will be spending the night beneath the stars in a traditional nomadic tent in the Sahara dunes.
This is our longest desert trip from Fes and if you have time during your trip, we recommend this tour to enjoy the desert at a leisurely pace, soaking in the landscape, atmosphere and hospitality of the nomadic peoples.
All of our tour plans are only guides. We don’t take a one size fits all approach and one thing we love about offering private trips is that every trip is unique – once you get in touch with us, we will work with you to plan the perfect itinerary, activities and accommodation for a truly memorable experience!
We can organize additional activities for you before, during and after your trip.
Options include:
This itinerary gives you a flavor of the trip, however all our trips are custom designed, so once you get in touch with us, we can make any additions or adjustments based on your dream itinerary!
We will pick you up at your hotel and will leave Fes travelling towards Ifrane. Situated in the northwestern slope of the Middle Atlas at 1630 meters above water level. With its broad avenues, wooden ski-style chalets and manicured gardens, this city is called ‘the Switzerland of Morocco.’
Stopping at the Cedar forest of Azrou, the largest one in Morocco, if we are lucky we will sight some Barbary apes. We will then head to Midelt along the magnificent hills and mountains of the Atlas. After Midelt we will drive through the fascinating Tiz n’Talghamt pass and the Ziz Gorge, taking in views of the High Atlas plateau. You’ll notice how the scenery changes to reveal hints of the desert as we approach the city of Errachidia. Here we will have lunch.
Afterwards, we will travel along the Ziz Valley, stopping for panoramic views along the way to Erfoud and Rissani. Arrive at Merzouga in the afternoon. Here you will begin your camel ride, guided by an experienced camel man to explore within the golden sand sea of Merzouga. Overnight will be at our desert camp. Enjoy sunset and dinner before spending the night in the dunes, listening to Amazigh music, or stargazing.
This is a complete ‘desert day.’ This morning you have a ‘date with the sunrise.’ When you are in the middle of the desert, waking up early is a must to watch the spectacular sunrise from the top of a dune close to the camp. After breakfast we will return to Merzouga by camel. Then, we will skirt Erg Chebbi, a great extension of sandy desert where we can find the Big Dune of Morocco, more than 250m high.
We will continue by the former ‘Paris-Dakar Rally Road,’ stopping at the Tissardmin oasis where we can find fossil quarries still present in the area. We will continue by road, passing nomad settlements, where we can stop and enjoy tea with the families living there to learn more about their way of life. The next stop will be a high viewpoint where you can see the whole of Erg Chebbi.
Next we will reach Kamilia Village. The inhabitants of Kamilia came to Morocco from Mali, and we will take a relaxing cup of tea whilst listening to some of their traditional Gnawa music. In the afternoon, we will head to your Merzouga desert hotel, where you have free time to enjoy the town or the dunes next to the hotel to see the sunset. Dinner and night in the hotel.
After breakfast, we will head to Rissani, where we will visit the traditional market (market days are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday).
Next we continue to Erfoud, where many fossils have been found, before making our way to the Touroug and Tinjdad palm groves. One hour later we will best the Todra Gorges. The course of the river has carved out a cliff-sided canyon. You will have some free time to walk through the gorge to better appreciate the beauty of the landscape, before having lunch.
In the afternoon we continue to the Dadès valley, also known as the fig valley. We will have dinner and spend the night in Dades. Your hotel has panoramic views of the valley and a beautiful outdoor swimming pool.
After breakfast in our hotel we will drive through the Dades Valley towards Kalaat Mgouna and Ouarzazate. The route through Dades Valley is ‘the way of the thousand Kasbahs’ – providing numerous opportunities to take some of your best photographic shots of the trip. We’ll stop at Kalaat Mgouna, “the rose city,” to purchase rosewater, which will make your linen smell good a long time after your trip is over!
Continue to Ouarzazate via Amridil Kasbah, one of the last Berber chieftains during the 18th century. We will spend the night in Ouarzazate, the city known as the ‘gateway to the desert.’
After an early breakfast in the riad, we start our journey to reach the ksar (fortified village) of Ait Ben Haddou, where we will visit the famous Kasbah (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Famous films have been shot in this spectacular stage, including Gladiator and Game of Thrones.
After visiting the kasbah we will head to Marrakech through the Tizi n’Tchka pass. At 2.260m we can enjoy spectacular views. We will enjoy beautiful landscapes from the viewpoints along the way, before arriving to Marrakech at early evening where our adventure ends.
We focus on authentic, locally owned accommodation for all of our trips, both to offer you a truly ‘Moroccan’ experience but also to support sustainable tourism and the local economy. On this tour you will stay in a mix of hotels and a desert camp. Once you contact us to book your trip, we will work with you to select the perfect accommodation for your budget and needs.
We work with solo travelers, couples, families – all the way to large groups – and have a range of transport options to suit groups of all sizes.
If it works with your flights, a Marrakech-Fes tour can allow you to see more of Morocco and have a more diverse tour, as you will return from the desert via the Middle Atlas. However, flights are often cheapest booked as return trips to Marrakech, so depending on your time and budget this may be the better option.
Our shortest desert trip is a 3 day trip. If possible, we recommend spending as long as possible on your desert trip to reduce the traveling time each day and allow you to really soak up the desert atmosphere, and slower pace of life in the South East. If you’re traveling all the way to the Sahara desert, you may as well make the most of it!
We believe the magic of the Moroccan desert is best experienced away from large tour groups and rigid schedules. A private tour allows you to travel at your own pace, stop whenever you like for photos or breaks, and enjoy a much more authentic and comfortable journey.
Unlike many shared group tours, there are no forced shopping stops, crowded vehicles, or rushed itineraries. You’ll have your own private driver, personalized service, and carefully selected accommodations to ensure a more relaxed and memorable experience.
For families or groups travelling together, private tours also offer excellent value, as the cost per person can often be similar to a shared tour — but with a far higher quality experience.
To confirm your trip, we require a 20% deposit, which can be securely paid online using a debit or credit card.
We are a UK registered company and accept all major international cards, including American Express, with no additional payment fees.
The remaining balance is due 14 days before your arrival date.
We understand that travel plans can sometimes change, and we always try to be as flexible and helpful as possible wherever we can.
You can read our full cancellation policy and terms & conditions on our website. If you do need to cancel or amend your trip, please contact us as soon as possible and we’ll do our best to assist you.
We focus on authentic, locally owned accommodation for all of our trips, both to offer you a truly ‘Moroccan’ experience but also to support sustainable tourism and the local economy. On this tour you will stay in a mix of hotels and a desert camp. Once you contact us to book your trip, we will work with you to select the perfect accommodation for your budget and needs.
The starting price for this trip is £400 per person, based on a family of 4 travelling. Please note that the price per person varies dependent on group size, choice of accommodation and time of year.
Please use the below form to email us and we will get back to you as soon as possible. If you do not hear back from us within 24 hours, please send us a WhatsApp message at +212675321420. We look forward to hearing from you.