Marrakech to Fes 3-Day Tour: Small-Group Sahara Desert Exploration in Morocco
5.0
88 Ratings
Marrakech
Embark on a small-group 3-day tour from Marrakech to Fes and explore the Sahara desert of Morocco. Experience camel trekking, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and authentic cultural activities.
Duration: 3 days
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

MARRAKECH → HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS → AIT BEN HADDOU KASBAH → OUARZAZATE → DADES GORGE

Marrakech - Our 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes begins in the morning. We leave Marrakech and drive through the High Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate.

High Atlas Mountains - Along the way, we’ll make some stops to enjoy the beautiful sights of the mountains and see traditional Berber villages.

Ait Ben Haddou - When we reach Ait Ben Haddou village, we’ll explore the most famous Kasbah in Morocco. This Kasbah is a great example of Moroccan architecture and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has also been featured in popular movies and TV shows like Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Babel, and Game of Thrones.

Ouarzazate - After exploring the Kasbah with our guide, we’ll drive to Ouarzazate. This city is known as a gateway to the Sahara Desert and is often referred to as the Hollywood of Africa. We’ll stop at Atlas Studio, the largest film studio in the world, to take some pictures from outside. Then, we’ll continue our journey through the valley of roses.

Dades Gorges - If we have enough time, we’ll drive to see the unique rock formations known as monkey toes and the famous zig-zag road in the Dades Gorges before reaching your hotel. If not, we can visit both places the next morning.

DADES GORGE → TODRA GORGE → MERZOUGA DESERT

Dades Gorges - After a delicious breakfast at our lovely hotel, we’ll drive to Todra Gorge through Tinghir and along the Todra Valley, which is filled with palm trees.

Todra River - We’ll take a walk through the stunning Todra Canyon before continuing our drive to Merzouga.

Merzouga - In the afternoon, we’ll arrive in the town of Merzouga. There, our camels will be ready to take us on an authentic camel ride across Erg Chebbi Dunes to our luxurious camp. We’ll make a stop on a tall dune to witness a breathtaking sunset. Once the sun has set, we’ll continue trekking to the camp.

The camp staff will welcome you with a cup of tea and show you to your private tent. You can relax and perhaps take a shower before dinner. After a delicious meal, you’ll have the pleasure of experiencing an evening of Berber music and drumming around a campfire. Our crew will even teach you how to play the drums.

MERZOUGA DESERT → ZIZ VALLEY → MIDDLE ATLAS MOUNTAINS → IFRANE → FES

Merzouga - It’s highly recommended to wake up early today to witness a calm and beautiful sunrise. After enjoying a tasty breakfast at the camp, we’ll leave the camp and head to the town of Merzouga using 4x4 vehicles. Alternatively, you can choose to return on camels again.

Ziz valley - We’ll begin our journey to Fes by driving through the Ziz Valley, where we’ll make a quick stop to admire the charming oasis.

Azrou Cedar Forest - Then, we’ll continue driving towards Fez, passing through the Middle Atlas Mountains and the city of Ifrane. Along the way, we’ll make some stops. We’ll also take a break near Ifrane in a cedar forest by the roadside to see if we can spot some Barbary apes!

Ifrane - Our last break will be in Ifrane, which is known as the Switzerland of Morocco.

Fes - Your 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes will come to an end as we drop you off at the nearest accessible location by car to your Riad.

What's Included
  • Exhilarating camel ride adventure
  • Delectable dinner feast
  • Comfortable air-conditioned transport
  • Refreshing breakfast included
What's Not Included
  • Lunches
  • Tips
  • Drinks
Additional Information

This Marrakech to Fes desert tour provides an exceptional and memorable journey for adventurers keen to discover the Moroccan Sahara desert. Distinguishing this tour is its exclusive group nature, capped at a mere 10 individuals per session, guaranteeing a close-knit and personalized adventure.
Participants have greater opportunities to engage with the adept local guide, gaining deeper insight into the region’s culture and lore. Included in the tour are stays at a reputable hotel in the Atlas Mountains and a sumptuous desert encampment, blending comfort with genuine local experiences.
The agenda includes visiting the distinguished UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, embarking on camel rides over the majestic Erg Chebbi dunes, and witnessing the captivating desert sunset from an elevated dune.
Attendees also have the chance to partake in lively pursuits such as sandboarding, and to revel in an evening filled with traditional nomadic melodies and rhythmic beats by a campfire.

Location
Le grand balcon du café glacier
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(88 Ratings)
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Welshnickev
May 19, 2024
Unique and Wonderful Experience!! - Had an amazing 3 day small group tour starting in Marrakech and ending in Fes with our driver Hussan Bahddou and new friends Elouise and Michael. We had a wonderful time seeing so many sights in a very comfortable Mercedes van; plenty of rest stops and great photo opportunities. We never felt rushed at any time. Hassan spoke excellent English and was a great driver; really knowledgeable about all the places we visited. He gave us a wonderful insight into the Moroccan culture and the traditional Berber ways. The accomodation that was organised for us was fantastic. Local family run businesses that could not do enough for us. The highlight was the camel ride into the desert and the sunset high on the dunes. Thank you Hassan, Elouise and Michael for an making it a trip to remember
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pacalba22
May 17, 2024
Best anniversary experience without a doubt ♡♡♡♡♡♡ - An unforgettable trip, our 10th anniversary has been super special thanks to our guide Hassam and our driver Hassam, we have created memories for a lifetime, we have visited incredible places, the hotels have been extraordinary and the trip in general has been wonderful thanks to these boys who have stolen our hearts. We definitely recommend this tour to anyone who wants to discover the beauty of this wonderful country. We travel a lot around the world and without a doubt this tour has been one of the best things we have done in our lives. Thank you guys!! Alba and Bruno, your Spanish friends hope to see you again sometime and share more laughs together. Thank you thank you and thank you ♡♡♡♡
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amados89
May 15, 2024
Worth the money for a luxury experience - As you might have noticed, this tour is more expensive, over twice as expensive as the cheapest tour. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. The tour was amazing, and our guide DJ made the trip unforgettable. This was the highlight of our time in Morocco. Below I have listed some things that would be helpful for someone deciding between trips: 1. Accommodation? Food?: At both places we stayed, we had reliable hot water, comfortable and beautiful rooms, and wifi that allowed for calls and video streaming. When you are staying in a tent in the Sahara, or in a canyon way out there in the Dades Gorge, that is not something you generally expect. I appreciated this, and was definitely surprised. I also want to add that all the food was very good; I expected a dip in food quality since we were leaving Marrakech but that did not happen. We ate well. 2. Isn't it a long time in the car? Yeah, it is. For me, I didn't mind. We had a really nice time in our Sprinter van. I found it easy to sleep in there, and the AC worked really well. Unexpected perk, the van had the strongest wifi I have ever encountered in Morocco. Legitimately, I was confused one time because my phone was on wifi in the hotel and I had not put in the hotel wifi password... it was the car's wifi still reaching across the street and up two floors! Oh, and there was a cooler on the bus so that was refreshing too. More than anything else, our super engaging and funny and nice tour guide DJ made constant stops that allowed the trip to go by easily. 3. Camel ride? It was peaceful, and you do ride there for a while (we went for an hour across the sahara and watched the sun set from a dune. It was great. We were thankful for the 4x4 ride back in the morning, the camel was the kind of experience that we appreciated the first time but did not want to do again. The man leading us, Ali, was incredible and I'm pretty sure he was taking videos and pictures the entire time because he gave us some amazing photos and videos for our memories (make sure you tip him, he deserves it!) Overall: It costs more because it gives you more. Read the reviews for the cheaper options closely. Shared tagines, shared accommodations, etc. In my earlier years, when I had less money than time, I would go for that. But to me, its worth it to spend more money and have a luxury experience. I'm not saying the other options are bad, they're just different, and you have to know which one you are looking for. I am incredibly thankful that I went for the luxury experience and I will treasure the memory of this trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fellowtraveler420391
May 12, 2024
Go for it - We're glad to have chosen Morroco Fabulous Travel for our 3 days private Marrakesh to Fes tour. Before booking it, Brahim was simply outstanding answering all our questions and helping us with itinerary related and other doubts. Always responsive and clear, made us feel they were the company to go with from the start. Overnights in Boumalne Dades and in Egg Cherbi did not disappoint - room and tent were very good. Unfortunately, there was too much noise during the night - some people talking and a constant music beat from other camp. It's just a shame, but not something that MFT can be responsible for. Our driver/guide Mustapha was friendly and professional. Thanks man
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Meander10624614549
Apr 17, 2024
The best tour you can choose! - Words can't express how amazing this trip was and it was all thanks to our guide, Omar Anaam! From the moment we met him, Omar was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable, giving us interesting facts and answering all questions with a big smile. The tour takes you through beautiful sights that we didn't know about and would've otherwise missed. The accommodations and food provided were also great, and the camel ride through the dessert was the highlight of the trip for me. All in all, an absolutely brilliant tour. If you're looking for a great experience, book this one! Again, special thanks to Omar for everything he did for us during those three days!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fredquick
Apr 17, 2024
A wonderful guided experience - This tour was really special thanks to our driver and guide Omar Anaam! He was always in good spirits and told us many fascinating things along the way. Everything was on time and exceeded expectations. He gave us freedom to enjoy everything at our own leisure. Thank you for a lovely trip and truly memorable experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
888mohd
Apr 15, 2024
Awesome experience with the dessert safari - I had a fantastic trip during the desert safari from marakesh to Fez. The hospitality was wonderful. The accommodations were excellent and our guide, Omar was fantastic and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pathfinder459464
Apr 11, 2024
An unforgettable experience in the Sahara - This review is for a private 3-day tour where I travelled with my friend and his sister. From the moment we were picked up from our Riad in Marrakech to the drop off in Fez, Yidir was professional throughout. He made us feel comfortable during each stop and at the end of the trip, we felt as though we had a new friend. One of the highlights of the trip was definitely the camel ride through the Sahara and watching the sunset. Overall, I would highly recommend this tour and Yidir to everyone who is planning their Morocco trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nomad41081758252
Apr 9, 2024
3-day Sahara Private Tour with Yidir - Marrakech to Fes - This tour was such a breathtaking experience, which includes a full day of activities in the Sahara Desert. First of all, booking with the Tour manager Brahim was extremely smooth. Brahim was very informative and gave us all the information on the various tiers of tour packages we can buy, and even included links to the hotels and desert camp for each package so that you can view the rating of those accommodations. Brahim was also not pushy and only responded when we had additional inquiries. Brahim also responds to messages very quickly (typically within the same day). Our driver, Yidir, was one of the best tour guides I’ve had in my years of travel. He was punctual everyday, he gave us the plan of the day each time he picked us up from the hotels (since we got the private tour, we were able to make adjustments to the plans to our liking). Yidir was incredibly flexible with us changing plans during the tour and even provided options or ideas when we wanted to add an activity - for example, we told Yidir we wanted to look into a reputable trader for Moroccan Rugs and he did his research and found us a highly rated Berbere trader who sold us authentic Moroccan rugs for around €200 each. Yidir was also very knowledgeable about each tour destination and gave us a detailed explanation/history for the historical sites and geographical sites we visited. He was also answered questions we had about Moroccan culture and we had a lovely time conversing with him throughout the tour. Yidir brought us to various local Moroccan vendors (such as Rose extracts, argan oil, and spice traders for example) and these vendors were neither pushy nor pressured tourists to spend money if they didn’t want to. Yidir was also very transparent if a tourist spot had an entrance fee (he would also tell us how much these fees are) and gave us the option to skip these spots if we didn’t want to pay the entrance fees. The Sahara section of our tour (on the second day) includes a camel ride to the desert camp (which is already included in the booking fee). This camel ride was breathtaking as it gives you an approximately 1 hr journey on a camel, with panoramic views of the Sahara desert. But there are also options for alternative desert activities such as quad bikes and desert buggies if you prefer a faster pace of transportation (will cost ~€50 extra). Overall, this trip was well worth it if you wish to see the Sahara and the variety of Moroccan geographical and historical features. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who wishes to visit Morocco.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
X7957bapriscillal
Apr 9, 2024
Unforgettable experience, highly recommend. - My brother, friend and I enjoyed our private tour with Yidir very much. He was timely, helpful and flexible in accommodating to our needs. He was informative and friendly, and made our tour in Morocco felt extremely safe. Going to the Sahara desert was definitely a highlight and an experience I will not forget. Will definitely recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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June 2024
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