The 5 Days Morocco Desert Tour from Marrakech ends in Fes rather than doubling back, and uses the extra time to slow down the two hardest stages of the trip: the desert and the long haul north.
You get a night on the sand at Erg Chebbi and a full day around Merzouga for nomad camps, the black desert and Gnaoua music at Khamlia. Then, instead of driving from the dunes to Fes in one push, you break the journey at Midelt in the Middle Atlas, which turns a nine-hour day into two comfortable ones.
The result is a route that covers the whole south, sees both imperial cities, and never asks you to spend a full day looking at the back of a headrest.
Pickup in Marrakech in the morning and straight into the High Atlas over the Tizi n Tichka pass, stopping at the viewpoints along the climb.
At Ait Ben Haddou you cross the riverbed and walk up through the earthen ksar to the granary, with the Ounila valley spread out below. Lunch in the village.
The afternoon takes you through Ouarzazate, the Skoura palm oasis with its scattered kasbahs, and the rose-growing town of El Kelaa des Mgouna, ending in the Dades Valley among the red cliffs.
Accommodation: Hotel or guesthouse in the Dades Valley
Short drive to Todra Gorge for a walk between limestone walls that rise about 300 metres on either side of a narrow streambed.
The road east runs through Tinghir and Erfoud, where fossils are cut from the surrounding rock, then out into flat, stony country until Erg Chebbi appears.
You reach Merzouga in the afternoon and ride into the dunes by camel, arriving at camp for sunset. Dinner under the tent, music around the fire, and a night in a private tent on the sand.
Accommodation: Berber desert camp, Erg Chebbi
Sunrise on the dunes, then back by camel for breakfast and a shower.
A 4×4 circuit fills the day: tea with a nomad family living on the hamada, the seasonal lake at Dayet Srji where flamingos stop in spring, the black volcanic desert, and the abandoned mine workings at Mfis.
The afternoon ends at Khamlia, a village of Gnaoua musicians descended from sub-Saharan communities, and then a second sunset at the edge of the erg.
Accommodation: Hotel or kasbah in Merzouga
After breakfast, a stop at Rissani and its covered market, the trading centre of the Tafilalet and the birthplace of the ruling dynasty.
The road then follows the Ziz Valley north, a dense band of date palms running between bare cliffs, with a viewpoint over the gorge that is one of the best photo stops on the route. You cross the Tizi n Talghomt pass onto the high plateau.
Arrival in Midelt in the afternoon, with time to visit the fossil and mineral workshops or simply rest before dinner. The town sits at around 1500 metres, so the evening is cool.
Accommodation: Hotel in Midelt
A short and scenic final day. The road climbs into the Middle Atlas through Zeida and Azrou, where the cedar forest holds the largest population of Barbary macaques in the country. There is time to walk among the old cedars.
Next is Ifrane, a town of pitched roofs and clipped gardens built in the 1930s that looks transplanted from the Alps, and a good place for coffee.
You reach Fes around midday or early afternoon, with drop-off at your riad or hotel, leaving the rest of the day free for the medina.
Because Merzouga to Fes in one day is nine hours of driving. Splitting it gives you an easy afternoon in the Middle Atlas and a short, pleasant final morning through the cedar forest.
Same route and same desert programme, but the last stage is spread over two days instead of one. If long drives tire you, take this version.
Yes. We can book accommodation before or after the tour and arrange airport transfers.
Yes, private vehicle and driver throughout. Local guides in the cities can be added on request.
An air-conditioned sedan, minivan or 4×4 depending on group size. The 4×4 excursion around Merzouga uses a separate desert vehicle with a local driver.
Dinners and breakfasts are included and can be made vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free with advance notice. Lunches are taken at stops along the road so you can choose freely.
This is the version people take when they want the desert and the drive to both be enjoyable. Two nights at Erg Chebbi, a full desert day, and no nine-hour marathon at the end.
It also solves the usual planning problem: you finish in Fes with your luggage, ready to fly out or continue north, instead of returning to your starting point.
