5 Days Tour from Fes to Marrakech

This 5-day tour starts from Fes early in the morning. You head south via the Middle Atlas Mountains — the road passes through Ifrane, a mountain town at 1,650 metres that looks like it belongs in Switzerland, and through the cedar forest around Azrou where Barbary macaques sit in the trees along the roadside.

The Middle Atlas gives way to the pre-Saharan south. The landscape opens up completely. You make a stop in the Ziz Valley — a long date palm oasis running through the desert through Erfoud and Rissani before the dunes appear on the horizon.

You reach the desert camp at Erg Chebbi in the late afternoon. The sunset camel ride into the dunes takes about 45 minutes. The luxury camp is inside the Erg Chebbi dunes — private tent, en-suite bathroom, hot water, air conditioning. Dinner at the camp, a fire, live music, and a sky with no light pollution. Breakfast included.

490 km  ·  approx. 9 hours driving  ·  Overnight: Desert camp, Erg Chebbi

Wake up early for the sunrise from the dune ridge before the 4x4 arrives. This is the day the 5-day tour earns its place — a full day in the Sahara desert with nowhere to be until dinner.

The guided 4x4 excursion covers three stops. First is a nomad family living in a traditional Berber tent in the Moroccan desert — tea and conversation through your local guide. Second is Khamlia village, about 10 km from Merzouga, home to a community with sub-Saharan African roots and a live Gnawa music tradition unlike anything else on the route. Third is Dayet Srji — a seasonal lake at the edge of the dunes.

Back in Merzouga by early afternoon with the rest of the day free. Night two is at a Merzouga hotel. If you want to spend the night at the desert camp again instead of the hotel, tell us when you book — we will arrange it.

Breakfast at the hotel on day three morning. Dinner included.

approx. 60 km  ·  approx. 3 hrs  ·  Overnight: Merzouga hotel

You leave the Merzouga desert in the morning and head west. The road crosses the flat pre-Saharan plain to Todra — limestone gorge walls rising to 300 metres and narrowing to about 10 metres at the tightest point. Walk the base of Todra Gorge before 11am for the best light and the fewest people.

After Todra the road continues west through the Dades Valley canyon. Old kasbahs cling to the cliff sides and the Dades river runs along the canyon floor. The Moroccan landscape here is all red rock and carved canyon walls — completely different from the sandy desert you left this morning.

You arrive at your hotel or riad in the Dades Valley in the late afternoon. Canyon views, dinner and breakfast included.

approx. 220 km  ·  approx. 4 hours driving  ·  Overnight: Dades Valley

You leave the Dades Valley and head west through the Valley of Roses — a river canyon that blooms in April and May for the rose festival — and south toward the Draa Valley. Morocco's longest valley is lined with date palm oases, traditional market towns, and old Berber kasbahs that stretch for kilometres along the riverbed.

The Draa Valley earns its own full day on this tour rather than being squeezed into a long return drive. You follow the valley west to Ouarzazate — Morocco's film capital, sitting at the crossroads of the desert and the Atlas mountains.

Ouarzazate has been the base for some of the biggest productions in film history. Dinner and breakfast included at your Ouarzazate hotel.

approx. 310 km  ·  approx. 4 hours driving  ·  Overnight: Ouarzazate

The shortest and most scenic drive of the tour. You leave Ouarzazate in the morning and make a stop at Ait Ben Haddou — a UNESCO World Heritage site of packed earth towers and kasbahs sitting above a dry riverbed, used as a filming location for Game of Thrones, Gladiator, and Lawrence of Arabia. Your driver-guide leads the full circuit through the ksar. No entry fee required. Allow about one hour.

After Ait Ben Haddou the road climbs north through the High Atlas Mountains via Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 metres. The views from the top are panoramic. The road descends into the Haouz plain and you reach Marrakech in the early afternoon — well ahead of any city checkout time, with time left for the medina or Majorelle Garden if you booked tickets in advance.

This is the Marrakech via Merzouga desert route done properly — no rushing, no marathon drives, and a relaxed arrival in the city of Marrakech.

approx. 200 km  ·  approx. 3 hours driving  ·  End: Marrakech

Fes to Merzouga is 490 km and approximately 9 hours. This is the only long drive on the 5-day tour. Every other day is under 5 hours. Leave Fes by 7am to reach the Erg Chebbi dunes in time for the sunset camel ride. The Middle Atlas section passes quickly. The Ziz Valley is worth a short stop.

The sunset camel ride on day one takes about 45 minutes into the Erg Chebbi dunes. If you prefer not to ride camels, a 4x4 transfer to the desert camp is available at no extra cost. Let your driver-guide know before arrival in Merzouga.

If you want to spend the night at the desert camp again on day two rather than at the Merzouga hotel, tell us when you book. We will arrange it. The camp tents are fully equipped — private bathroom, hot water, air conditioning.

Night four in Ouarzazate is what separates this tour from the 4-day version. Instead of the long drive from the Dades Valley all the way to Marrakech, you stop in Ouarzazate and the day five drive is only 3 hours. If you have a late afternoon flight from Marrakech, this works very well.

Your driver-guide leads the walk through Ait Ben Haddou on day five. No entry fee required. Allow about one hour before continuing to Marrakech.

The pass sits at 2,260 metres. The switchbacks are long. Take motion sickness medication before day five if you are sensitive to winding mountain roads.

We offer customized and tailor-made tours — if you want to adjust any day, add a stop, change accommodation tier, or extend the itinerary, tell us when you enquire. We will build an itinerary based on your preferences.

Private transport for all 5 days, English-speaking driver-guide, one night at a luxury camp at Erg Chebbi with dinner and breakfast, one night at a Merzouga hotel with dinner and breakfast, one night in the Dades Valley with dinner and breakfast, one night in Ouarzazate with dinner and breakfast, the sunset camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes, sandboarding, and the full guided 4x4 desert excursion on day two covering a nomad family, Khamlia village, and Dayet Srji lake. Lunches on all five days are not included.

Day one: Fes south through the Middle Atlas to the Ziz Valley and Merzouga. Day two: full day in the Merzouga desert with a guided 4x4 excursion. Day three: west through Todra Gorge to the Dades Valley. Day four: west through the Rose Valley and the Draa Valley to Ouarzazate. Day five: Ait Ben Haddou and Tizi n'Tichka into Marrakech. Total distance across five days is approximately 1,280 km. The 5-day Fes to Marrakech desert tour is the same southern Morocco route as shorter versions — with the driving spread more comfortably across five days.

The main difference is day four. On the 4-day tour, the drive from the Dades Valley to Marrakech is one long day. On this 5-day tour that drive is split across two relaxed days — day four takes you through the Draa Valley to Ouarzazate for the night, and day five is a short 3-hour drive through Ait Ben Haddou to Marrakech. No single day on the 5-day feels long.

Yes. If you want to spend the night at the Sahara desert camp on both night one and night two, tell us when you book. We will arrange it subject to availability. The camp has private en-suite tents with hot water and air conditioning.

Yes. Day one from Fes to Merzouga is the only long drive — 490 km and 9 hours. Every other day is between 3 and 4 hours. Leaving Fes at 7am on day one gets you to the dunes in time for the sunset camel ride. Days two through five all have short driving sections with time at each destination.

Yes. We offer tailor-made tours and trips all around Morocco — if you want to adjust any stop, add a day, change accommodation tier, or extend beyond Marrakech, tell us when you enquire. We will confirm an itinerary based on your preferences and travel dates.

Contact us on WhatsApp or fill in the enquiry form on this page. We confirm availability and send full pricing for your group size within a few hours. A small deposit secures your dates. Check our cancellation policy for full details.