The 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga is a private round trip that leaves Fes in the morning, crosses the Middle Atlas to the Erg Chebbi dunes, then gives you a full day in the Sahara before bringing you back to Fes on the third evening. You travel in your own air-conditioned vehicle with a driver, ride camels into the dunes at sunset and later sleep two nights beside Erg Chebbi. Because the trip starts and ends in the same city, you keep your hotel booking in Fes and you do not pay for a one-way transfer.
One thing makes this drive unusual, though, and almost nobody mentions it. On the morning of day one you pass through Ifrane, where in fact the thermometer once read −23.9 °C on 11 February 1935 — the lowest temperature ever recorded anywhere in Africa. Seven hours later you are standing on a Sahara dune. Moreover, our drivers work every week with travellers from Spain and Latin America, so you can ask for a Spanish-speaking driver at no extra cost on most dates.
Key facts at a glance
| Duration | 3 days / 2 nights |
| Start and finish | Fes (riad, hotel or airport) |
| Driving, one way | 472 km, about 7 h 45 |
| Driving, whole trip | About 945 km over two travelling days |
| Day with no long drive | Day 2, spent entirely around Merzouga |
| Nights in the Sahara | 2, at Erg Chebbi |
| Highest point | Ifrane, 1,665 m |
| Dunes | Erg Chebbi: 28 km long, 5–7 km wide, up to 150 m high |
| Group type | Private only; nobody else joins your vehicle |
| Languages | Spanish, English, French or Arabic driver on request |
| Best months | March to May and September to November |
| Price | On request; a written quote comes back within 24 hours |
Quick answers
Does the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga come back to Fes?
Yes. It is a round trip, so your riad in Fes can simply keep your booking. You drive south on day one, then spend day two in the desert around Merzouga before driving back north on day three along the same road. Meanwhile your luggage can stay in your Fes riad if you prefer to travel light.
How long is the drive from Fes to Merzouga?
Google Maps routes it at 472 kilometres and about 7 hours 45 minutes of driving, specifically through Ifrane, Azrou, Midelt, Errachidia and Erfoud. We break it into short stretches with stops for photographs, coffee and lunch, so the day feels much lighter than the number suggests.
How many nights do you sleep in the desert?
Two. Both nights are at Erg Chebbi, so you unpack only once, either in a Berber camp with shared bathrooms or in a luxury tent with its own bathroom and a real bed. Indeed, sleeping twice in the same place is what separates this itinerary from the rushed two-day versions.
Is the camel trek compulsory?
No. A 4×4 can take you to the camp instead, at no extra charge. Some travellers ride out at sunset and then come back by car in the morning, which is a good middle ground.
What is the best time of year?
Generally, March to May and September to November give mild days and comfortable desert nights. July and August are hot at midday in the south, so we start earlier. Meanwhile, from December to February the Sahara nights are cold and snow can close the Middle Atlas passes for a few hours.
What you actually see on the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga
Most operators describe this drive as “scenic landscapes” and then leave it there. In fact the road crosses four distinct worlds in a single morning, and knowing what they are makes the day far more interesting.
Ifrane, the coldest place ever recorded in Africa
Ifrane sits at 1,665 metres in the Middle Atlas, and because of its pitched roofs, clean streets and winter snow locals call it Little Switzerland. On 11 February 1935 a thermometer here read −23.9 °C, and since then that has remained the lowest temperature ever observed in Africa and in the Arab world. Generally we stop for coffee by the stone lion carving.
The Azrou cedar forest and its endangered monkeys
Shortly beyond Ifrane the road enters the Atlas cedar forest around Azrou, home to Barbary macaques. This animal is the only macaque species living outside Asia and the only monkey in Africa north of the Sahara. Moreover, the IUCN lists it as Endangered, with roughly 12,000 to 21,000 left across Morocco and Algeria. Please do not feed them, because human food is one of the pressures on the population.
The Ziz valley, a ribbon of palms in a red canyon
After Midelt, an apple town wedged between the Middle and High Atlas, the road finally drops into the Ziz. The river carved a canyon through red rock, and as a result the valley floor is one unbroken palm grove with earthen ksour built along its edge. Overall, the viewpoint above the Ziz gorges is the best photo stop of the whole drive.
Sijilmassa, the gold city nobody stops to see
Further south, about one kilometre north of Rissani, lie the ruins of Sijilmassa. Founded in 757 AD, this was the northern terminus of the western trans-Saharan caravan route and, specifically, the place where Sudanese gold was minted into dinars. The geographer Ibn Hawqal recorded a single bill of 42,000 dinars between merchants here, larger than any he had seen anywhere. Subsequently the World Monuments Fund listed the site as endangered, and excavations ran between 1988 and 1996. Almost every tour drives past without naming it, so we make a point of stopping.
Highlights of the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga
The drive south on day one
- Coffee stop in Ifrane, 1,665 m, where Africa’s record low of −23.9 °C was measured in 1935
- Atlas cedar forest at Azrou and its endangered Barbary macaques
- Midelt, the apple town between the Middle and the High Atlas
- Ziz gorges viewpoint and the long palm ribbon of the Ziz valley
- Erfoud, built on beds of 400-million-year-old marine fossils
- First sight of the Erg Chebbi dunes rising straight out of the flat hamada
The Sahara itself
- Sunset camel trek over the crests to the camp
- Two nights at Erg Chebbi, in a Berber camp or a luxury tent with a private bathroom
- Dinner under the tent and Berber drums afterwards
- Sunrise from a dune on the morning of day two, with no drive to rush for
- 4×4 run to Dayet Srji, the seasonal lake that fills after heavy rain
- The abandoned mining village of Mfis and the black-stone fossil fields
- Tea with a nomad family who still move with their herds
- Gnawa music at Khamlia, played on the guembri and metal qraqeb
- Sandboarding on the dunes, or simply an afternoon of doing nothing at all
The way back on day three
- Ruins of Sijilmassa and the Rissani souk, held on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday
- The Ziz valley again, this time in the opposite light
- Second chance at the cedar forest if you missed the macaques on the way down
- Arrival back in Fes in the evening, dropped at your riad or the airport
The itinerary, day by day
Day 1: Fes – Ifrane – Azrou – Midelt – Ziz valley – Erfoud – Merzouga
Day one of the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga starts when your driver collects you from your riad in Fes after breakfast, and the road climbs straight into the Middle Atlas. Soon the first stop appears: Ifrane, all pitched roofs and clean air, where we take coffee and you hear about that 1935 record. Then comes the cedar forest at Azrou, where Barbary macaques come down to the roadside.
After Midelt we stop for lunch. Then, in the afternoon, the landscape changes completely as the road drops into the Ziz. You follow the palm valley south through Errachidia and Erfoud until, by late afternoon, the golden wall of Erg Chebbi appears. A camel trek carries you over the crests to camp while the sand turns orange, then pink, then violet. Dinner is served under the tent and the drums keep going as long as you want them to.
- Driving: 472 km, about 7 h 45
- Overnight: desert camp at Erg Chebbi, standard or luxury
- Meals: dinner
Day 2: A full day in the Merzouga desert
Above all, get up for sunrise. It is worth the alarm, because the light shifts minute by minute and the silence is total. After breakfast a 4×4 takes you beyond the main dune cordon to Dayet Srji, the seasonal lake that fills after heavy rain, then to the abandoned mining village of Mfis and the fossil beds that made this corner of Morocco famous with geologists. You take tea with a nomad family, and afterwards you continue to Khamlia, a village founded by descendants of sub-Saharan communities, where Gnawa musicians play their hypnotic rhythms on the guembri and metal qraqeb. Afterwards the afternoon is yours: sandboarding, a second camel ride, or a book in the shade. This is the day the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga is really built around, because nothing on it is a transfer.
- Driving: local 4×4 circuit, about 60 km
- Overnight: desert camp or hotel beside the dunes
- Meals: breakfast and dinner
Day 3: Merzouga – Rissani and Sijilmassa – Ziz valley – Midelt – Azrou – Fes
Finally, the last day of the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga leaves the dunes after breakfast and stops at Rissani, the modern town that grew up next to Sijilmassa. If it is a Sunday, a Tuesday or a Thursday the souk is on, and it is one of the last genuine date and livestock markets in the south. Then you retrace the Ziz valley north, climb back through Midelt and cross the cedar forest again in the late afternoon. Ultimately you reach Fes in the evening, and your driver drops you at your riad or at the airport, depending on your plans.
- Driving: 472 km, about 7 h 45
- Overnight: not included; drop-off in Fes
- Meals: breakfast
Route, distances and driving times of the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga
Every figure below for the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga was checked leg by leg against Google Maps driving directions rather than copied from a brochure. Distances shift a little with your exact riad and with road works, so treat them as close estimates.
| Leg | Distance | Driving time | Day |
| Fes to Ifrane | 63 km | 1 h 05 | 1 |
| Ifrane to Azrou through the cedar forest | 17 km | 25 min | 1 |
| Azrou to Midelt | 124 km | 1 h 55 | 1 |
| Midelt to Errachidia through the Ziz | 142 km | 2 h 05 | 1 |
| Errachidia to Erfoud | 80 km | 1 h 10 | 1 |
| Erfoud to Merzouga | 46 km | 50 min | 1 |
| Merzouga 4×4 desert circuit | about 60 km | 3 h | 2 |
| Merzouga back to Fes by the same road | 472 km | 7 h 45 | 3 |
| Total | about 945 km | about 15 h 30 over two travelling days |
Day two involves no road transfer at all, which is the point of taking three days instead of two. Consequently you get one complete day in the Sahara rather than a few hours squeezed between two long drives.
Photo gallery of the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga
These photographs of the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga follow the order of the itinerary, from the blue gate of Fes to the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Of course you can click any image to open it at full size.
What is included and what is not included
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver, fuel and tolls
- Spanish-speaking, English-speaking or French-speaking driver on request
- Pick-up and drop-off at your riad, hotel or the airport in Fes
- 2 nights of accommodation at Erg Chebbi
- Sunset camel trek into the dunes
- 4×4 excursion around Merzouga with the nomad visit and Gnawa music at Khamlia
- Dinner on both nights and breakfast on days 2 and 3
- Bottled water in the vehicle for the whole trip
- All road transfers listed in the route table above
Not included
- Flights and travel insurance
- Lunches, drinks and personal spending
- Entrance fees to monuments and museums
- Optional activities such as sandboarding, quad bikes or a second camel ride
- Tips for the driver and the camp staff
- Accommodation in Fes before or after the tour
Map of the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga
The map shows the southbound leg, since day three follows exactly the same road back north. All of it runs on surfaced roads in good condition. However, the mountain stretch between Ifrane and Midelt is slower than the rest.
Accommodation on the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga
On the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga you pick one of three camp levels. We do not publish camp names on this page because availability changes week by week, and advertising a property we cannot confirm would be dishonest. Instead, once you send your dates we reply with the actual camp held for you, with photographs.
| Level | Tent | Bathroom | Power |
| Standard | Traditional Berber tent, mattresses and blankets | Shared | Solar, limited charging hours |
| Comfort | Larger tent with beds | Private | Solar, hot water |
| Luxury | Suite tent, real bed, rugs and furniture | Private, hot shower | Generator, usually Wi-Fi |
If you would rather not sleep under canvas at all, we can book a hotel in Merzouga village for one or both nights instead. For example, some travellers take the camp on night one and the hotel on night two.
Price
The price of the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga depends on three things: firstly how many of you are travelling, then which camp level you choose, and finally the season. We do not publish a number on this page because a figure for four people in November would be misleading for two people at Easter. So tell us your dates, the number of travellers and the comfort level, and a written quote comes back within twenty-four hours with nothing hidden in the small print.
How to book the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga
To begin with, send us your arrival date in Fes, the number of travellers and the camp level you prefer. Then email favoritesmoroccotours@gmail.com, message WhatsApp +212 786 278943, or use our contact page. Nothing is charged until the itinerary and the camp are confirmed in writing.
Three days or two? An honest comparison
| Point of comparison | This 3-day round trip | Typical 2-day version |
| Nights in the desert | 2 | 1 |
| Days with no long drive | 1 (day 2) | 0 |
| Time actually spent at Erg Chebbi | About 36 hours | About 15 hours |
| Khamlia, nomads and the 4×4 circuit | Included | Usually skipped |
| Sijilmassa and the Rissani souk | Included on day 3 | Not on the route |
| Driving per travelling day | 7 h 45 | 7 h 45, but on both days |
| Vehicle | Private, your group only | Often a shared minibus |
In short, the two-day version is not cheaper in any meaningful sense; it removes the one day that makes the journey worth the drive. If you only have two days free, we would rather tell you honestly that the desert is a long way from Fes than sell you a rushed trip.
Know before you go on the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga
What to pack
For the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga, bring comfortable shoes, sunglasses, a hat and sun cream. Add a warm jacket for the desert nights and the Middle Atlas passes, even in summer, because the temperature drop after dark is sharp. A scarf is also useful against blown sand. Sockets are European, two round pins at 220 volts, and a power bank matters because standard camps run on solar panels with limited charging hours. Finally, our guide on what to wear in Morocco has a fuller list.
Money, water and phone signal
The currency is the dirham and you change money in Fes before you leave, since there is no bank at the dunes. Cards work in Fes and in larger hotels, but cash matters everywhere south of Midelt. Do not drink tap water; instead, bottled water is included in the vehicle. Signal is good along the road, though patchy inside the dunes, which most people end up enjoying.
Children, luggage and comfort
Families do the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga often, and therefore child seats are available on request at no charge. One large suitcase and one cabin bag per person fit comfortably. Also, since you leave Fes and come back, the big case can stay at your riad. Occasionally, for very young children, we add a night in Midelt, which turns each long drive into two easy halves.
Reviews
Favorites Morocco Tours holds a 5.0 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor from 14 traveller reviews at the time of writing. Those reviews cover the agency as a whole rather than this particular route, so we do not present them as a score for the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga. Of course you can read all of them, unedited, on our TripAdvisor page. In short, we do not publish invented testimonials on this website.
Frequently asked questions about the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga
Can I do the Merzouga desert from Fes in two days instead of three?
You can, and we run that trip, but the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga exists for a reason. Specifically, two days means one night at the dunes and roughly fifteen hours there in total, with a long drive on both days. By comparison, three days buys you a whole day with no transfer at all.
Can the tour end in Marrakech instead of returning to Fes?
Yes, although that becomes a different itinerary. From Merzouga to Marrakech you would go through the Todgha gorge, the Dades valley, Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou, so a fourth day is needed to make it comfortable. In any case, our 3 days tour from Fes to Marrakech and the 4 days desert tour from Fes to Marrakech both cover that direction.
Will I see the Barbary macaques?
Usually, yes. They gather near the roadside in the cedar forest between Ifrane and Azrou, so the driver stops there in both directions. Sightings are not guaranteed, since these are wild animals. Please do not feed them, because the species is listed as Endangered and human food harms them.
How cold does the desert get at night?
Colder than people expect. Especially in December and January the Sahara night can approach freezing, and even in spring it drops sharply after dark. Camps provide heavy blankets, but bring a warm layer of your own.
What is Sijilmassa and why does it matter?
Sijilmassa was a medieval city founded in 757 AD whose ruins lie about a kilometre north of Rissani. It was the northern end of the western trans-Saharan caravan route, that is, the point where gold from West Africa entered the Mediterranean world and was minted into dinars. Since then the World Monuments Fund has listed the ruins as endangered. Still, almost no tour stops there, which is exactly why we do.
Is there Wi-Fi and electricity at the camp?
Standard camps run on solar panels with limited charging hours and therefore usually have no Wi-Fi. Luxury camps generally offer both, along with hot water and a private bathroom. Bring a power bank whichever you choose, because sockets are shared.
Which meals are part of the price?
Dinner on both nights and breakfast on days 2 and 3. Lunches are not, because stopping where you feel like stopping makes a better trip than a fixed restaurant list. Besides, lunch on the road costs very little in Morocco.
How much luggage fits in the vehicle?
One large suitcase and one cabin bag per person. We use minivans or minibuses depending on the group size, and for six travellers or more we assign a larger vehicle so luggage never takes a passenger seat. Since the trip returns to Fes, most people leave the big case at their riad.
Can I join an existing group to pay less?
Not on this itinerary, because it is private only. Shared desert trips from Fes do exist and they are cheaper, but you travel on somebody else’s schedule and usually stop where the driver has an arrangement.
What happens if it rains?
It rarely does, and when it does the dunes look extraordinary afterwards. Occasionally heavy rain floods the track to some camps, in which case a 4×4 picks you up from a different point. Rain also fills Dayet Srji, which is when the lake is actually worth seeing.
Do you stop at shops on commission?
No. We stop at the fossil workshops in Erfoud only if you ask, and there is no obligation to buy anything anywhere on the route.
How far in advance should I book?
Two to three weeks is comfortable most of the year, and longer for Easter, August and the Christmas period, when the good camps fill first. Last-minute departures are often still possible.
Do I need a visa for Morocco?
Citizens of Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru and most Latin American countries do not need one for tourist stays of up to ninety days. Besides, a passport valid for six months is enough. Rules change, so confirm your own nationality before you fly.
Who we are
Favorites Morocco Tours is a local agency with drivers from the south of Morocco, several of whom grew up in the villages this road passes. Furthermore, we run the 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga as a private trip only, we do not sell seats in a shared minibus, and we do not build commission stops into the itinerary. Finally, there is more about the team on our about us page.
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Book your 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga
Ready to go? Then send your dates in Fes, the number of travellers and the camp level you want, and a complete quote comes back within twenty-four hours. Otherwise, email favoritesmoroccotours@gmail.com, message WhatsApp +212 786 278943, or use the contact page. Of course we will be glad to build this 3 days tour from Fes to Merzouga with you from start to finish.
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