Fès to Merzouga Excursion:Guided Sahara Desert Tour

What do you cross in the Middle Atlas before the scenery changes?

The road leaves Fès heading for Ifrane, nicknamed the Moroccan Switzerland for its steeply pitched roofs and cedar forests.

The air there is fresh, sometimes cold in winter — a sharp contrast with what lies further south.

Then the road descends again, the cedars disappear, and the vegetation thins out.

This northern route is markedly different from the classic road via Marrakech, where kasbahs and mountain passes line the way.

Here, the Ziz valley dominates the landscape, with its palm grove stretching for kilometres along the riverbed.

What is there to see between Errachidia, the Ziz valley and Erfoud?

After Errachidia, the road runs alongside one of the largest palm groves in Morocco.

Then come Rissani, the ancient capital of Tafilalet, and Erfoud, gateway to the desert and a town known for its fossils.

From there, only about thirty kilometres remain before the first dunes.

It is a long day on the road, with no detours.

Unlike the route via Marrakech, there is no major UNESCO-listed site to visit along the way — the reward comes in the form of the landscape itself, which changes almost hour by hour.

What happens when you arrive at the dunes?

At Erg Chebbi, the road ends.

Camels take over for a ride of about 1 hour 30 to the desert camp, just in time for sunset.

In the evening, a traditional dinner and Berber songs around the fire.

Nothing specific to the Fès departure at this stage: the experience in the dunes is the same, whatever your starting point.

What really sets a tour from Fès apart is everything that comes before this arrival.

How many days should you plan from Fès?

Allow 3 days and 2 nights: we do not offer a 2-day option departing from Fès.

This format gives you time to catch your breath in the Middle Atlas and the Ziz valley without rushing.

Many travellers also prefer not to return to Fès and instead complete the loop to Marrakech, which turns the journey into a genuine 4-day tour covering the whole of southern Morocco rather than a simple there-and-back.

See our dedicated 4-day tour page for full details of the stops and rates.

What should you know before you go?

An early morning departure improves the quality of the light in the Middle Atlas and avoids arriving in the desert in the peak heat.

Desert camp nights remain cool, sometimes genuinely cold in winter, even after a day when the thermometer has climbed high in Erfoud — a warm layer is never a luxury.

In high season, between October and May, book the tour several weeks in advance: vehicles and desert camps fill up fast on this less-travelled but equally popular route.

Find the full programme, dates and rates on our Marrakech → Merzouga → Fès tour page.