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Footprints leading toward a tall dune, with a small palm grove at its foot, Erg Chebbi

Two days, one night in the Merzouga dunes from Fes

Two days is the shortest honest Sahara trip from Fes. Day one is 470 km through the cedars and the Ziz valley to Merzouga, with camels into Erg Chebbi for sunset and a camp night. Day two is sunrise on the dunes and the same road back. Private or small-group, custom-quoted.

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Short on time? Spend one night under the stars and be back in Fes the next evening.Get my custom quote

  • Length: 2 days, 1 night
  • Each way: 470 km, 7–8 hours
  • Camp: Erg Chebbi, Merzouga
  • Format: Private or small-group
Erg Chebbi, Merzouga

One night is enough to remember

The silence is what people talk about afterwards. The camels kneel, the drumming stops, and the only light is the stars over the dune ridges.

At dawn you climb the nearest crest and watch the sand turn from grey to orange. Then breakfast, a shower, and the road home through the palms.

Have a day more?

A 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

The two days

Day 1, 08:00

Leave Fes

Pickup at your riad gate, then south to Ifrane and the cedar forest.

Day 1, 13:00

Lunch in Midelt

Under the Jbel Ayachi range, before the road drops into the Ziz valley.

Day 1, 18:00

Camels at sunset

Ride into Erg Chebbi; dinner and a night in camp.

Day 2, dawn

Sunrise on the dunes

Climb a crest for first light, then breakfast in camp.

Day 2, evening

Back in Fes

The same 7–8 hours road north, with different stops.

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 your Fes riad and back
  • Camel ride into the dunes and a night in an Erg Chebbi camp
  • Dinner and breakfast at the camp

Tell us what matters

  • Comfortable or simple camp
  • Add a second desert night
  • End in Marrakech instead
  • Stop longer in Ifrane

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.

Is a 2-day desert tour from Fes worth it?
It is worth it if two days is all you have, and you go in knowing the drive is long: 7–8 hours each way. You get the cedar road, a sunset camel ride, a night in the dunes and sunrise. With three days you add a full desert day, which most people prefer.
What time do we leave Fes and when are we back?
We usually leave Fes around eight in the morning to reach the dunes before sunset, with stops in Ifrane, Midelt and the Ziz valley. On day two we leave camp after sunrise and breakfast and are back at your riad gate in the early evening, depending on stops and season.
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.
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.
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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