Is this tour private?

Yes. Every journey we operate is private by default: your own vehicle, your own driver-guide and your own pace. Shared departures can be arranged on request for solo travellers who prefer to join others.

Can the itinerary be customised?

Completely. Most travellers adjust something — an extra night in the desert, a slower morning in Dades, a detour to the Valley of Roses or Skoura palm grove. Tell us what matters to you and we rebuild the route around it.

Are camel rides included?

A camel excursion into the dunes at sunset or sunrise is included on every itinerary that overnights in Merzouga. If you prefer not to ride, a 4x4 transfer to the camp is arranged instead at no extra cost.

What type of accommodation is provided?

Carefully selected riads, kasbah hotels and guesthouses along the route, plus a luxury Sahara camp with private en-suite tents, real beds and hot water. Standard and premium options are available for every journey.

How much driving is involved?

Southern Morocco is vast and beautiful, and part of the experience is the road itself. Expect four to six hours of driving on the longer days, broken up by viewpoints, villages, tea stops and photo moments.

Layers. Days are warm, desert nights are cool, and the High Atlas can be cold in winter. Bring comfortable shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen, a scarf for the wind, and a light jacket even in summer.

Private journeyClassic RouteSahara ExperienceCultural Discovery

3-Day Fes to MarrakechSahara & Southern Morocco

Fes to the dunes on day one, then the scenic road west.

The route

Fes→Ifrane→Midelt→Ziz Valley→Merzouga→Rissani→Todra Gorge→Dades Valley→Ouarzazate→Ait Ben Haddou→Marrakech

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Tour overview

Why travellers choose this journey

The southbound classic. You reach the Sahara on the first evening, which gives you a full desert night and an unhurried morning before turning west through Todra, Dades and the kasbah valleys to Marrakech.

Travellers who fly into Fes and out of Marrakech consistently tell us this is the most satisfying way to see the country in three days — the landscape changes character every couple of hours and nothing repeats.

Perfect for: Travellers arriving in Fes, one-way itineraries, and anyone who wants their desert night early in the trip.

Journey at a glance

Duration: 3 Days / 2 Nights
Start city: Fes
End city: Marrakech
Sahara experience: Camel trek at sunset, luxury camp night and dune sunrise
Accommodation: Luxury Sahara camp · Dades kasbah hotel · Marrakech riad
Transportation: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide
Ideal for: Travellers arriving in Fes, one-way itineraries, and anyone who wants their desert night early in the trip.
Main destinations: Ifrane · Midelt · Ziz Valley · Erg Chebbi · Todra Gorge · Dades Valley · Ait Ben Haddou

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Day by day

The itinerary, hour by hour

A clear picture of every day: the road, the stops, the landscapes and where you sleep.

Day 1: Fes → Ifrane → Midelt → Ziz Valley → Merzouga

Day01

Day 01

Fes→Ifrane→Midelt→Ziz Valley→Merzouga

Fes to Merzouga through the Middle Atlas

An early departure from Fes into the Middle Atlas: Ifrane's improbable alpine streets, the cedar forest at Azrou, then Midelt for lunch between the two Atlas ranges. The afternoon drive down the Ziz corridor is one of the great Moroccan roads. You reach Erg Chebbi before sunset, ride camels over the dunes to camp, and spend the evening with dinner, music and stars.

Along the way

Ifrane and cedar forest macaques
Midelt and the Atlas crossing
Ziz Valley palm oasis
Sunset camel trek to the Sahara camp

Meals

Dinner at the desert camp

Overnight

Luxury Sahara desert camp, Merzouga

Day 2: Merzouga → Rissani → Erfoud → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley

Day02

Day 02

Merzouga→Rissani→Erfoud→Todra Gorge→Dades Valley

Dune sunrise, Rissani and the gorges

Sunrise from the top of a dune, then breakfast and a westward drive with real stops: the Rissani souk, an Erfoud fossil workshop, the Tinghir palmery viewpoint and finally Todra Gorge, where the cliffs rise 300 metres straight from the riverbed. Evening in the Dades Valley among the red rock formations.

Along the way

Sunrise over Erg Chebbi
Rissani market
Tinghir oasis
Todra Gorge

Meals

Breakfast · Dinner at the hotel

Overnight

Kasbah hotel in Dades Valley

Day 3: Dades Valley → Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou → Tizi n'Tichka → Marrakech

Day03

Day 03

Dades Valley→Ouarzazate→Ait Ben Haddou→Tizi n'Tichka→Marrakech

Kasbah country and over the Atlas to Marrakech

West along the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs, past Skoura's palm grove to Ouarzazate and the Taourirt Kasbah. Ait Ben Haddou is the last great stop — time to cross the river, climb the ksar and look out over the valley — before the High Atlas crossing and the descent into Marrakech in the late afternoon.

Along the way

Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs
Ouarzazate and Taourirt Kasbah
Ait Ben Haddou
Tizi n'Tichka pass into Marrakech

Meals

Breakfast

Overnight

Riad in Marrakech

Dates are limited

Like this itinerary? Secure your dates for the 3-day Fes to Marrakech route.

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Route map

Follow the journey across Morocco

The real road from Fes to Marrakech — roughly 1125 km of driving, mapped stop by stop in travelling order. Tap any marker to see which day you reach it.

13 stops · 1125 km · approx. 18.5 h on the road

Start & finish Stop

Fes→Ifrane→Midelt→Ziz Valley→Merzouga→Rissani→Erfoud→Todra Gorge→Dades Valley→Ouarzazate→Ait Ben Haddou→Tizi n'Tichka Pass→Marrakech

Tour gallery

Scenes from this journey

Every image below belongs to this route — the passes, the kasbahs, the gorges and the dunes you will actually see.

Along the way

Experiences woven into the route

Camel trekking

Riding into Erg Chebbi as the dunes turn copper.

Sahara camp night

Private tents, fire, drums and an unpolluted sky.

Moroccan table

Tagine, bread from the village oven, endless mint tea.

Local encounters

Time with the families and guides who know this land.

What's included

Comfortable air-conditioned transportation throughout the journey
Experienced English-speaking driver or driver-guide
Accommodation according to the selected package
Breakfast according to the accommodation plan
Dinner in Dades Valley where specified
Dinner at the Sahara desert camp where specified
Overnight Sahara camp experience with traditional music
Camel excursion at sunset or sunrise where included

What's not included

Lunches along the route
Drinks unless specified
Monument and museum entrance fees
Personal expenses
Gratuities for driver and camp team
Travel insurance
International and domestic flights
Optional activities such as quad biking or sandboarding

Good to know

Important information

Driving times shown in each itinerary are approximate and measured between the main stops.

Daily timing may change depending on traffic, group pace and the time you wish to spend at each stop.

Weather, seasonal snowfall in the High Atlas and road conditions can occasionally require a route adjustment.

Photo stops and short visits may vary slightly so that the day remains comfortable rather than rushed.

Accommodation may change depending on availability, particularly in high season.

Whenever a substitution is necessary, a property or camp of a similar or higher standard will be provided.

Questions

Frequently asked

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Ready when you are

Ready to experience Morocco?

Tell us your dates and we'll hold this 3 days / 2 nights journey for you — private driver-guide, desert camp and every stop on the route, arranged by the team who lives here.

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3 Days / 2 Nights

Fes to Marrakech

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3-Day Fes to MarrakechSahara & Southern Morocco

Why travellers choose this journey

The itinerary, hour by hour

Fes to Merzouga through the Middle Atlas

Dune sunrise, Rissani and the gorges

Kasbah country and over the Atlas to Marrakech

Like this itinerary? Secure your dates for the 3-day Fes to Marrakech route.

Follow the journey across Morocco

Scenes from this journey

Experiences woven into the route

Camel trekking

Sahara camp night

Moroccan table

Local encounters

Important information

Frequently asked

Is this tour private?

Can the itinerary be customised?

Are camel rides included?

What type of accommodation is provided?

How much driving is involved?

What should I pack?

Is the Sahara camp comfortable?

Can families join?

Can dietary requirements be accommodated?

Other Sahara journeys

Marrakech to Merzouga

Marrakech to Fes

Fes to Marrakech

Ready to experience Morocco?

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