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A guide leading two camel riders across the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi

Sahara desert tours from Fes

Yes, you can reach the Sahara from Fes. The Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga are 470 km by road, 7–8 hours through the Middle Atlas cedars and the Ziz valley. Choose two days with one dune night, three days with two, or a one-way crossing that ends in Marrakech. Every trip is custom-quoted.

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Pick how long you want the dunes and we'll handle the road.Plan this with us

  • Fes to Merzouga: 470 km, 7–8 hours
  • Route: Ifrane, Midelt & the Ziz gorges
  • Trip lengths: 2, 3 or 4 days
  • Format: Private or small-group
Erg Chebbi, Merzouga

The road south is half the trip

Leave the medina after breakfast and in a little over an hour the plain gives way to the cedar slopes around Ifrane and Azrou, where Barbary macaques sit by the road. Past Midelt the Atlas falls away into the Ziz valley, a ribbon of palms in red rock.

By late afternoon the orange wall of Erg Chebbi rises out of the gravel plain. Camels wait at the edge of the sand, and the camp is lit by the time you arrive.

TripLengthEnds inHighlights
Fes to Merzouga, 2 days2 days, 1 nightFesOne dune night, sunrise, the cedar road
3-day Sahara tour3 days, 2 nightsFesTwo desert nights, Rissani and Khamlia
Fes to Marrakech via the Sahara3 daysMarrakechDunes, Todra and Dadès gorges, Ait Ben Haddou
Fes to Marrakech in 4 days4 daysMarrakechTwo desert nights or a gorge night, slower days
People sitting under a black nomad tent on the sand at Erg Chebbi

Fes to Merzouga: 470 km, 7–8 hours.

Erg Chebbi, Merzouga

Every desert trip from Fes

Footprints leading toward a tall dune, with a small palm grove at its foot, Erg Chebbi2 days, 1 nightFes to Merzouga in 2 daysOne night in a dune camp, back in Fes the next evening.See the tripA sharp dune ridge snaking across the Erg Chebbi sand sea under a blue sky3 days, 2 nights3-day Sahara tour from FesTwo desert nights and the return to Fes.See the tripShadows of a camel caravan and its riders thrown across a dune slope in Erg Chebbi3 days, one wayFes to Marrakech via the SaharaMerzouga dunes, the Todra and Dadès gorges, then Marrakech.See the tripRooftops and towers of Ait Benhaddou above the green Ounila valley4 days, one wayFes to Marrakech in 4 daysThe same crossing, slower: two desert nights or a gorge night.See the trip

How the first desert day goes

08:00

Riad pickup in Fes

Your driver meets you at the gate nearest your riad.

10:00

Ifrane and the cedar forest

Coffee in the Swiss-style town, then the macaques among the Azrou cedars.

13:00

Lunch in Midelt

Midelt is 200 km from Fes, under the Jbel Ayachi range.

15:30

The Ziz valley

Viewpoints over the palm gorge on the way to Errachidia and Erfoud.

18:00

Camels into Erg Chebbi

Ride into the dunes for sunset and a night in camp.

Road distances and times are typical ranges for a private car, without stops.

Who's with you

A driver-guide from Fes who knows this road, in English, French or Spanish, with Arabic and Berber on the way. We name your driver and any local guides in the written proposal, so you know who is meeting you before you travel.

What we arrange

  • Private car and driver from Fes for every day of the trip
  • Camel ride into the dunes and a night in a desert camp
  • Dinner and breakfast at the camp
  • Hotel or riad nights on one-way crossings, matched to your style

Tell us what matters

  • One, two or three dune nights
  • Return to Fes or end in Marrakech
  • Simple or comfortable camp
  • Add a Fes medina day

How we work

  • Private or small-group
  • Operated by Serenity Morocco Tours
  • Riad pickup in Fes
  • Written itinerary and custom quote

Before you ask us

The questions people ask us most before they plan a trip.

How far is the Sahara from Fes?
Merzouga, on the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes, is 470 km from Fes by road, about 7–8 hours of driving via Ifrane, Midelt & the Ziz gorges. With stops for the cedar forest, lunch and the Ziz viewpoints, the day runs from breakfast to sunset. It is a long day, but the road is the most varied in Morocco.
How many days do you need for a desert tour from Fes?
Two days is the minimum: one night in the dunes and a long drive each way. Three days gives you two desert nights and a calmer pace. If you are heading on to Marrakech anyway, the three or four-day one-way crossing uses the drive to see the gorges and Ait Ben Haddou.
When is the best time for the Sahara from Fes?
October to April is the comfortable window: warm days, cold nights, clear skies. Late March to May and October are the sweet spots. June to August is very hot at midday, so we start early and rest through the afternoon. December and January nights in the camp can drop close to freezing.
What is the desert camp like?
Camps sit among the Erg Chebbi dunes, a camel ride or a short drive from Merzouga. Tents have proper beds and blankets; many have private bathrooms. Dinner is tagine under the stars, often with drumming by the fire. Tell us whether you want simple or more comfortable and we match the camp.
Is the tour private or shared?
You choose. Private means only your group, your own car and driver, and a timetable you set. Small-group means sharing the car and camp with a few other travellers on fixed dates. Either way we send a written itinerary and a custom quote; nothing is charged until you approve it.

Keep planning

Photo credits (Wikimedia Commons)

Tell us your dates. We'll plan it with you.

  1. Tell us what drew you in. Your dates, who is travelling and what you want to see.
  2. A person reads it. We write a day-by-day plan for your group, private or small-group.
  3. You change anything. Then we confirm the guides, drivers and riads.
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