Fes
Depart 08:00. If you are late you miss the sunset on the dunes.
3–4 days from €430
Fes to Marrakech via Desert
Land in Fes, finish in Marrakech, and never drive the same road twice.
Anyone flying into one city and out of another, who wants the Sahara on the way.
Message us about this route- 14 STOPS
- 638.8 KM OUTBOUND
Roadbook
The road, hour by hour.
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▲ 1650 m -
Ifrane
09:15–09:35 Ifrane Coffee and a clean bathroom. Looks like a Swiss alpine village built in the 1930s. The famous monkeys are not here — they are 20 minutes on, in the Azrou cedar forest.
▼ 1583 m -
Azrou cedar forest
Macaque monkeys.
▼ 1469 m -
Midelt
Lunch around 12:30.
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Ziz Valley viewpoint
A massive canyon filled with palm trees.
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Merzouga
Arrive 16:30–17:00.
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Camp transfer
From a hotel on the edge of the dunes where big suitcases stay behind; you take only a small backpack. Camel 1–1.5 hours, or 4x4 across the dunes in 25 minutes if you hate camels. The light goes between 18:00 and 19:30 depending on the month and the dunes turn deep red. Sunrise means waking at 05:30 and 30–45 minutes to dress in the cold and climb the highest dune in the dark. Day 1 works as long as you do not dawdle at lunch.
- Day 2 · Merzouga to Dadès
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Desert camp
Depart 09:00, after riding the camels back, showering and eating breakfast.
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Todra Gorge
12:00–14:15 Todra Gorge 1.5 hours walking between the 300-metre canyon walls, plus 45 minutes for lunch. Midday sun is harsh but inside the gorge it is shadowy and cool. It is mostly a flat paved path beside a stream, not a hiking expedition.
Midday sun is harsh but inside the gorge it is shadowy and cool.
▼ 1540 m -
Boumalne Dadès
Arrive 16:00. Day 2 is an easy day.
▲ 1638 m - Day 3 · Dadès to Marrakech
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Dadès
Depart 08:30.
▼ 1275 m -
Aït Ben Haddou, via Ouarzazate
Stay 1.5–2 hours to climb to the top of the village, plus lunch. Extremely bright, zero shade — sunglasses and a hat. People still live in some of the houses. Do not walk into an open door thinking it is a museum.
Extremely bright, zero shade — sunglasses and a hat.
▲ 2260 m -
Tizi n'Tichka pass
2,260 metres. Blind corners and sheer drops.
▼ 468 m -
Marrakech
17:00–17:30 Marrakech Arrive 17:00–17:30. 17:00 is realistic in April. In January with ice, or stuck behind slow watermelon trucks on the Tichka, expect 18:30. Heavy snow can close the pass completely; you wait in Ouarzazate until the snowploughs clear it, which can take a full day, or take an 8-hour detour south through Taroudant. In July, the asphalt melts, heavy trucks break down on the steep inclines, and traffic backs up.
What is covered
Included and not included.
Included
- Private driver for the full route, with you the whole way
- Vehicle, fuel, tolls, and all the driver's costs
- Accommodation for every night of the route
- Breakfast daily, and dinner at the desert camp
- Airport or riad pickup and drop-off
- Bottled water in the car
- A local guide for the medina days, arranged where you want one
- One WhatsApp contact from booking until you fly home
Not included
- International flights
- Travel insurance — we strongly recommend it
- Lunches on the road, usually €8–15 per person
- Entry tickets to monuments and kasbahs
- The camel ride at Merzouga, if you want one
- Tips for the driver and guides
- Anything you buy in the souks
People
Your driver for this route.
Driver
Youssef Berrada
12 years driving this route
- Based
- Fes
- Languages
- Arabic — native, French — fluent, English — good, Spanish — basic
I have a wife and three kids in Fes. I want to go home to them. I will drive safe.
Sleeping
Where you sleep.
Desert camp
Merzouga camp
Standard is a basic tent, heavy blankets, and walking outside in the cold to a shared toilet. Luxury is a large canvas tent with a king bed, real hot water and a private en-suite. What ruins it: a camp next to the ATV rental tracks. You want silence, not engines.
Guesthouse or kasbah
Boumalne Dadès
Standard is a basic roadside guesthouse. Good is a boutique kasbah built into the cliffside with a balcony over the valley. What ruins it: no heating in winter.
FAQ
Questions before you book.
Is three days enough?
It is what most people book, but day one is a 7.5-hour drive from Fes to the camp. With back problems or children, take four.
When should I not come?
July and August. Merzouga reaches 45–50°C, you cannot walk barefoot on the sand, and engines overheat on the passes.
What happens if it snows on the pass?
The police close it. You wait in Ouarzazate, up to a full day, or take an 8-hour detour via Taroudant.
Do I have to ride a camel?
No. A 4x4 crosses the dunes to the camp in 25 minutes.
What do I take to the desert camp?
A small backpack. Big suitcases stay at a hotel on the edge of the dunes.
Is Todra Gorge a hike?
Mostly a flat paved path alongside a stream.
Start
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