4-Day Private Desert Crossing: Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga
- Duration
- 4 Days / 3 Nights
- Tour type
- Private
- Tour category
- Desert Tours
- Availability
- To be confirmed by MTT operations. No fixed departure calendar is published. We confirm availability inside 24 hours of your enquiry, and enquiring needs no deposit. A seasonal schedule flip runs from March to September, described under Important Information.
- Languages
- English, French, Spanish
About this tour
4 Days / 3 Nights from Marrakech to Merzouga and Erg Chebbi. From EUR 315 per person.
Tour highlights
- A full day in the Sahara rather than a single overnight, including sandboarding and time simply spent in the dunes
- Khamlia village and a live Gnaoua performance
- Camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset
- A luxury ensuite desert camp with a private tent, real beds, a hot shower, electricity and Berber drumming
- Sunrise over the Erg Chebbi dunes
- A Merzouga lodge with air-conditioned ensuite rooms, a swimming pool and a restaurant
- Aït Ben Haddou, UNESCO-listed, walked with a local Berber guide, and a set for Gladiator and Game of Thrones
- The Tizi n'Tichka Pass at 2,260m over the High Atlas Mountains
- Kasbah Amridil, restored, in the Skoura oasis
- The Valley of the Roses on the way into the Dades Valley
- Todra Gorge and its 300m limestone cliffs, entered through the Tinghir palm oasis
- Erfoud with its fossil and date market, and Rissani
- Ouarzazate, with the Atlas Film Studios as an option
- Wild Barbary macaques in the Azrou cedar forest of the Middle Atlas
- Midelt and the palm groves of the Ziz Valley
- Air-conditioned 4x4 or van kept for your group, a dedicated driver-guide, one way Marrakech to Fes
Route at a glance
4 Days / 3 Nights · Marrakech → Erg Chebbi
- Marrakech Starting point
- Merzouga
- Erg Chebbi
About this tour
You start in Marrakech and finish in Fes, and in between you get a whole day that belongs to the Merzouga desert rather than to the road. Day 1 lifts over the High Atlas at Tizi n'Tichka for Aït Ben Haddou, then Ouarzazate, the Skoura palm grove and the Rose Valley, ending with a night in the Dades Valley. Day 2 is gorges and market towns, Tinghir and Todra, Erfoud and Rissani, finishing at a lodge outside Merzouga that has a pool. Day 3 stays put: Khamlia village and its Gnaoua musicians in the morning, dunes and sandboarding in the afternoon, then a camel at sunset out to a luxury ensuite camp. Day 4 leaves at first light for the Ziz Valley, Midelt and the cedar forest at Azrou, reaching Fes in the afternoon. The fare covers your own air-conditioned 4×4 or van and a dedicated driver-guide, collection in Marrakech, three nights on half-board and delivery to the door in Fes.
Day by day itinerary
Print this itinerary- Day 1 of 4
Marrakech - Tizi n'Tichka - Aït Ben Haddou - Skoura - Rose Valley - Dades (6h drive)
The Atlas crossing, a UNESCO ksar and the Skoura palm grove
Marrakech is behind you by 07:30 AM. The road climbs southeast through the High Atlas to the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260m, stopping where the views and the traditional Berber villages are worth it. At Aït Ben Haddou a local Berber guide walks you through the UNESCO-listed kasbah, and Ouarzazate follows, where the Atlas Film Studios can be added if you want them. The afternoon brings the Skoura oasis, among the largest in Morocco, where Kasbah Amridil stands restored, and then the Valley of the Roses on the way into the Dades. Dinner and the night at a Dades Valley boutique hotel, half-board. A different Dades Valley hotel can be substituted for a supplement of 40 EUR per person, with dinner and breakfast included.
- Day 2 of 4
Dades - Tinghir - Todra Gorge - Erfoud - Rissani - Merzouga lodge (4h drive)
Gorge walls, desert markets and an afternoon by the pool
A short run to Tinghir, where you walk out through the palm-lined oasis, and then into the Todra Gorge: a flat riverbed with limestone rising 300 metres on either side. Lunch is at the gorge. The afternoon takes in Erfoud, known for its fossils and its date market, and Rissani, where Morocco's ruling dynasty began. You arrive at the lodge on the edge of Erg Chebbi, which has ensuite bathrooms, air-conditioned rooms, a restaurant and a swimming pool. Check in and do nothing for a while. Dinner and overnight, half-board.
- Day 3 of 4
Merzouga - Khamlia village - Gnaoua music - desert exploration - sunset camel trek - luxury camp
A day that stays in the Sahara, ending on camelback
Breakfast at the lodge, then a visit to Khamlia to meet the Berber nomad community that lives there. Khamlia is known for Gnaoua: African rhythms braided with Berber tradition and Sufi devotion, played on castanets and drums. Tea on arrival and a close-quarters performance are both part of the visit. The afternoon is yours in the desert, walking the dunes, taking photographs, riding a sandboard down them. As the light drops you mount a camel and ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes to the luxury desert camp, where the tent is private and ensuite, with real beds, quality linens, a hot shower and electricity to hand. Dinner is Moroccan, taken outside under the stars, and the drumming starts afterwards. Overnight at the luxury desert camp outside Merzouga, half-board.
- Day 4 of 4
Merzouga - Ziz Valley - Midelt - Azrou (cedar forest and Barbary apes) - Fes (7h drive)
Sunrise over the dunes, then north through cedar country to Fes
You are up before first light for sunrise on the Erg Chebbi dunes, and breakfast follows at camp. Then the long leg northeast begins. The Ziz Valley comes first, date palm groves below sheer cliffs, followed by Midelt and lunch up in the mountains. The afternoon crosses the Middle Atlas and the cedar country around Azrou, where the Barbary macaques are usually visible from the roadside. Fes comes up late in the day, and you are set down at your hotel or riad.
What's included
Included
- Air-conditioned private 4x4 or van with a driver-guide of your own, 4 full days, Marrakech through to Fes
- Pickup from your hotel or riad in Marrakech
- Night 1: a Dades Valley boutique hotel, private ensuite room with air conditioning, half-board
- Night 2: a Merzouga lodge, air-conditioned room, swimming pool, half-board
- Night 3: a luxury ensuite desert camp at Erg Chebbi, private tent, hot shower, half-board
- Camel trek at sunset on Day 3, sunrise on Day 4
- Delivery to your Fes hotel or riad at the end
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Entry charges and local guides, settled directly
- Optional add-ons: quad biking and the 4x4 dune circuit
- Gratuities, entirely as you see fit
- Travel insurance, which we recommend
What to bring
- To be confirmed by MTT operations
Frequently asked questions
What does the extra day at Merzouga actually give me?
Khamlia village and its Gnaoua musicians, a long stretch of desert time, sandboarding, and the camel trek out to the luxury camp at sunset. That full Sahara day is what separates this itinerary from the three-day version.
How does the spring and summer schedule flip work?
Between March and September the camp becomes Night 2 and the lodge Night 3. In hot weather that ordering is kinder, because the air-conditioned room and the pool come after your night in the dunes.
What is the Merzouga lodge like?
Ensuite bathrooms, air conditioning, a restaurant and a swimming pool, right at the edge of Erg Chebbi. Half-board is included.
Who lives at Khamlia, and what is Gnaoua music?
Khamlia is a Berber nomad community close to Merzouga, known for Gnaoua, which brings together African rhythms, Berber tradition and Sufi devotion. Your visit includes tea on arrival and a performance at close quarters.
What is the difference from the 3-day Marrakech to Fes tour?
On the three-day itinerary you reach Merzouga and set off for Fes the following morning. Four days buys you Khamlia village, a lodge night with a pool, Skoura, and a long stretch of desert time before the camel trek.
Is this suitable for children?
Yes. There is no charge for child seats and we provide them on request. The lodge pool, and the Barbary apes at Azrou on Day 4, tend to be the parts children remember.
Can you cater for particular diets?
Yes. We adapt for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets and for allergies, as long as you let us know when booking. The hotels, the lodge and the desert camp can each accommodate them.
Do I see both a desert sunset and a desert sunrise?
You do. The camel trek at sunset falls on Day 3, sunrise on Day 4, and both are included.
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