A private Fes round trip with enough time for the road south, a camp night and a full day around Merzouga.
Tour overview
If you're visiting Fes and want an unforgettable Sahara desert experience with limited time, the 3-day Fes to Merzouga desert tour is the ideal option. During the tour, you'll get to visit Ifrane, which is famous for its alpine-style architecture and nearby ski slopes, as well as the Cedar forest in Azrou, where barbary macaque monkeys live, and the Ziz valley, which is the second-longest river in Morocco.
This tour will allow you to spend ample time exploring the desert and its surrounding areas, including visiting Berber nomad families, fossil mines, and riding camels to watch the sunset and sunrise over the Erg Chebbi dunes. You'll also get to spend a night at the Merzouga desert camp.
On the third day of the tour, you'll return to Fes, with stops along the way to admire the scenery and take pictures. The tour will conclude in the late afternoon or evening when you'll be transferred to your hotel.
This 3 days Fes to Merzouga desert tour gives more time in Erg Chebbi than the two-day version. It combines the Middle Atlas drive with a desert excursion around Merzouga before returning to Fes.
The itinerary fits travellers based in Fes who want the Sahara experience without continuing to Marrakech.
Day by day
Day 1
At 8:30 a.m, our driver from Morocco Sahara Trips company will pick you up from your hotel in Fes to start your 3-day journey to Merzouga. As we make our way through the middle Atlas mountains, we'll pass by charming Berber villages and enjoy the picturesque scenery. During our trip, we'll make a stop in the beautiful city of Ifrane, which is often referred to as the "Moroccan Switzerland". We'll then continue to the famous cedar forest of Azrou, where you can observe the monkeys. Next, we'll have a break for lunch in the town of Midelt. After lunch, we'll head south towards Erfoud, which is renowned for its fossils and yearly festival dates market. On the way, we'll pass through the stunning Ziz Valley and stop to admire the panoramic view of the oasis. In the late afternoon, we'll arrive at the impressive Erg Chebbi dunes, where we'll have dinner and spend the night at a hotel in Merzouga.
Day 2
We'll start our Merzouga 4×4 adventure to see many fascinating sights around the Erg Chebbi dunes after breakfast at your accommodation. The Hassi Labied oasis will be our first destination so we can see out the irrigation system and the farming there. After there, we'll go south to see the ephemeral Sriji lake (if there is water in it). Our next destination will be in the town of Khamlia, where you can hear the Gnawa music of the dark-skinned immigrants who were transported to Morocco as slaves more than a century ago. We'll then go to the M'ifis mines. The Merzouga desert is well-known for its minerals and fossils in addition to its tourist industry. We'll get the chance to see a nomadic Berber family who are still living in their tent in the Sahara on our Merzouga 4×4 desert trip. We'll converse with them over a cup of mint tea while finding out about life in the desert.
Day 3
After waking up early to catch the sunrise, you'll have a tasty breakfast and a chance to shower before riding the camels back to the starting point, or we can provide transportation in a 4WD vehicle if you prefer. We will then continue our journey towards Fes, passing through the scenic Ziz Valley, which is the second-longest river in Morocco, and crossing the Middle Atlas Mountains, where you'll have the opportunity to take in breathtaking views. We'll stop at a restaurant for lunch, and later on, we'll make a stop at the Cedar forest in Azrou to see the wild monkeys and take a brief walk through the forest to snap some photos. Our next stop will be Ifrane, often referred to as the "little Switzerland of Morocco." Finally, we'll arrive in Fes in the late afternoon and drop you off at your hotel, marking the end of our 3-day Fes to Merzouga Desert Tour.
The route
An overview of the main stops on this journey. Exact stops and timings are adapted to your dates and pace.
When to go
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable seasons for this route: warm days, cool desert nights and clear light over the dunes. Summer brings very hot afternoons in the south, so days start early and rest hours fall in the middle of the day. Winter is quiet and bright, with cold nights in the desert and possible snow on the High Atlas passes.
Read the seasons guideGallery
Private travel
This tour runs privately for your group only. You travel in your own vehicle with a local driver who knows the roads, the villages and the seasons, so the itinerary can shift during the trip if you would rather stay longer somewhere or set off earlier.
Families, couples and small groups all travel the same way, with accommodation chosen to match the comfort level you ask for — from simple guesthouses to more comfortable hotels and desert camps.
To book this private 3 days tour from Fes, send us your travel date, number of travellers, pick-up location in Fes and preferred accommodation category through the request form.
Please mention any special requirements, including child seats, dietary needs, a private 4×4 transfer to the desert camp or optional activities such as quad biking and dune buggy rides.
After receiving your request we confirm availability and send you the final itinerary, accommodation details and total price. Your reservation is confirmed once the required deposit has been received.
To secure your reservation, a deposit of €100–€200 is required. The exact amount is stated in your final quotation and depends on the total booking value and the services you choose.
The deposit can be paid securely through PayPal. The remaining balance is normally paid in cash directly to your driver at the start of the tour.
Card payment can also be arranged. A 5% processing fee applies to payments made by card.
Your booking is fully confirmed once the deposit has been received and written confirmation has been sent with the final itinerary, desert camp details and payment summary.
We share pick-up times, accommodation details and packing suggestions for the desert once your dates are confirmed.
Good to know
What travellers say
74 reviews from travellers who booked with us. Figures checked September 2026.
“Our recent tour through Morocco was nothing short of spectacular, but what truly made the experience stand out was the exceptional service we received. A special shoutout goes to our driver, Omar, who was the highlight of our trip. What we appreciated most was how he catered to our specific interests, often suggesting stops and experiences that perfectly matched what we were looking for.”
“We just finished a 14 days tour of Morocco. The travel agency designed a travel plan for us that brings us from the modern Casablanca to the exotic Chefchaouen, Fes and Sahara. We were all well looked after by our driver Omar, who is courteous, gentle and humourous. He seems to know everyone wherever we visit.”
“We just returned from an unforgettable 10-day trip to Morocco with my wife and our three children, and I can't recommend this travel agency enough. They planned a perfectly balanced itinerary covering Marrakesh, Tangier, Chefchaouen, and Casablanca, giving us a wonderful mix of culture, history, and relaxation.”
Other routes
2 daysA short desert escape from Fes across the Middle Atlas and Ziz Valley to the dunes.
3 daysJourney south from Fes to Merzouga, then follow Morocco’s kasbah road across the High Atlas.
4 daysAn unhurried desert crossing with time for mountain towns, oasis valleys and the Erg Chebbi dunes.
3 daysA rewarding one-way route linking two imperial cities through valleys, kasbahs and the Sahara.
Your Morocco journey starts here
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