3-Day Marrakech to Fes via the Sahara

Overview

If your trip includes both Marrakech and Fes, this is the smartest way between them. Instead of a train back north, you cross the High Atlas, follow the valleys of kasbahs to the Sahara, spend a night in the dunes, then drive up through the Middle Atlas to Fes.

There's no long backtrack, and every hour of driving shows you something new.

Highlights

• Aït Benhaddou and the High Atlas
• Dades and Todra gorges
• A night in our Erg Chebbi camp
• Ziz valley and the Middle Atlas
• One-way: no backtracking

The route

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• Marrakech: Pick-up around 7:30.
• Aït Benhaddou: UNESCO ksar.
• Dades valley: Night 1.
• Todra gorge: Walk in the gorge.
• Merzouga: Camel trek, night 2 at camp.
• Ziz valley: Palm groves.
• Fes: Drop-off at your riad.

Day by day

1. Day 1: Marrakech to Dades

   Cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, visit Aït Benhaddou, then continue via Ouarzazate and Skoura to the Dades valley.

2. Day 2: Todra gorge to Merzouga

   Dades gorge, Todra gorge, then the desert road via Erfoud to Merzouga. Sunset camel trek and night at camp.

3. Day 3: Merzouga to Fes

   Sunrise on the dunes, breakfast, then north through the Ziz valley, Midelt and the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas to Fes, arriving in the evening.

The best way to travel between Marrakech and Fes

If you're visiting both Marrakech and Fes, you have two choices: a fast train or flight via Casablanca, or a road trip through the south that turns the journey into one of the highlights of your trip. This tour takes the long way, across the High Atlas, through the kasbahs and gorges, into the Sahara for a night in the dunes, and back north over the Middle Atlas to Fes.

Because it's one way, you never drive the same road twice, and in three days you see more of Morocco's landscapes than many visitors see in two weeks.

Day 1: mountains and kasbahs

We leave your riad in Marrakech around 7:30 and climb into the High Atlas to the Tizi n'Tichka pass, 2,260 metres up. On the far side, the UNESCO-listed ksar of Aït Benhaddou rises above its river; a local guide takes you through the lanes to the top, where the view over the valley is superb.

After lunch you continue past Ouarzazate, the 'door of the desert', and the palm grove of Skoura with its earthen kasbahs, to the Dades valley. In spring the fields around Kelaat M'Gouna are full of roses. You spend the night in a family-run hotel or kasbah in the valley.

Day 2: the gorges and the Sahara

In the morning you see the Dades gorge and its spectacular switchbacks, then drive to the Todra gorge, where you walk between rock walls about 300 metres high. After lunch in Tinghir, the road crosses wide stony plains and passes the old caravan towns of Erfoud and Rissani.

In the late afternoon you reach Merzouga, at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes. Your camels are waiting: you ride into the sand for the sunset and on to our camp for dinner, music and a night under the stars.

Day 3: from the desert to Fes

Sunrise from a dune, breakfast at camp and the camel ride back to Merzouga. Then the road heads north up the Ziz valley, a long green ribbon of palm trees and earthen villages between red cliffs, through Errachidia and the Ziz gorges to Midelt and the Middle Atlas.

You cross the cedar forests near Azrou, where Barbary macaques often wait by the road, pass through Ifrane and arrive in Fes in the evening. We drop you at your riad or the nearest gate of the medina.

What makes this route special

• Two mountain ranges in one trip: the High Atlas and the Middle Atlas
• Aït Benhaddou, one of the most beautiful earthen villages in Morocco
• Two great gorges, Dades and Todra
• A sunset camel trek and a night in the dunes of Erg Chebbi
• The Ziz valley, one of the longest palm groves in Morocco
• No backtracking: every kilometre is new

Luggage, comfort and timing

You travel with all your luggage in your private vehicle. At the desert, you take a small bag for the night on the camel, and your suitcases stay safe at our guesthouse in Merzouga, or go to camp by 4x4 if you choose a luxury tent.

The drives are long but broken up by stops every hour or two. Day 3 is the longest, around 8 to 9 hours to Fes with stops, so expect to arrive in the evening. If you'd like a slower pace, add a day: the 4-day version has a free day around Erg Chebbi.

Starting in Fes instead

Prefer to go the other way? The 4-Day Fes to Marrakech via the Sahara follows the same roads in reverse, with an extra day in the desert. A 3-day version from Fes to Marrakech is also possible on request, though the last day to Marrakech is long.

Tell us your dates and where you're staying in both cities, and we'll send you a clear plan and price.

Best time of year for this tour

The route crosses two mountain ranges and the desert, so the weather changes a lot in three days. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with mild days everywhere. In winter both passes can see snow and the desert nights are cold, so pack warm clothes; in summer the desert and the valleys are hot, and we time the stops to avoid the midday heat.

Whatever the season, you'll appreciate layers: a jacket for the passes and the desert night, light clothes for the afternoons.

Who this tour suits

This one-way tour is ideal if you're visiting both cities and want the desert in between: honeymooners on a grand tour of Morocco, friends on a two-week trip, or families who'd rather see the country than sit on a train. It works best if you're comfortable with long days in the car, broken up by many stops.

If long drives worry you, choose the 4-day Fes to Marrakech instead, which has a full day around Merzouga, or ask us to add a night anywhere along the way.

Our tips for the trip

• Sleep well in Marrakech the night before: day 1 starts early
• Keep a small day bag in the car with water, snacks, a scarf and a warm layer
• Bring cash in dirhams for lunches, entrance fees and tips
• Charge your phone and camera every night; the camp has a charging point
• Tell your driver what you'd like to see more of: he'll adjust the stops

How this compares with the train

The train from Marrakech to Fes takes about seven hours via Casablanca and Rabat, through towns and farmland. This tour takes three days instead of one, but on the way you cross the High Atlas, see Aït Benhaddou and two gorges, ride a camel into the Sahara and sleep in the dunes. For most of our guests it's the part of their trip they remember best, and it saves a separate return journey to the desert.

Where you'll sleep in the desert

Your night in the dunes is at our own family camp in Erg Chebbi, about an hour by camel from Merzouga. Every group has its own tent.

Best time to go

Spring (March to May) and autumn (October and November) are ideal for the road trip: the passes are clear, the valleys are green or golden and desert nights are mild. In winter, snow can close the Tizi n'Tichka pass or the Middle Atlas for a few hours, and we adapt the route. In summer the vehicle is air-conditioned and we plan stops around the hottest hours.

Photos

Questions about this tour