Fes Private Tours

Why Fes is the right starting point for a desert tour

Fes sits closer to the Sahara than either Tangier or Casablanca, which makes it a genuinely practical place to begin a desert tour rather than just a cultural stop on someone else's itinerary. The drive to Merzouga runs through the Middle Atlas rather than around it, so the transition from medina to mountains to dunes happens gradually, with real scenery the whole way rather than hours of flat highway. For travellers flying directly into Fes–Saïss Airport, that also means less backtracking than routing through Marrakech first.

The route every one of these tours shares

Whichever length you choose, the road out of Fes follows roughly the same corridor: south through Ifrane and the cedar forest of Azrou, where wild Barbary macaques are a common sight along the roadside, then down through Midelt and the Ziz Valley's palm groves toward Merzouga and the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Longer versions of the route add the Todra and Dades gorges, the Draa Valley, or a detour north to Chefchaouen before turning south — each extra day buys a slower pace rather than a completely different destination.

Matching the tour to your trip

A 3-day tour is really about reaching the Sahara and back with the minimum driving needed to make it worthwhile — fine for travellers with limited time, less so for anyone who dislikes long days in the car. Stretching the same route to 5 or 6 days spreads out the driving and adds real stops, like the Todra Gorge or a visit with a nomad family near Merzouga, while 7 and 8-day versions have room for Chefchaouen or a full night in a second desert camp. For a longer, fuller circuit that continues well past Marrakech, our Morocco Grand Tours pick up where these itineraries leave off. Couples and families tend to ask for different things from the same route too — our honeymoon tours lean toward upgraded camps and more privacy, while our family tours favour shorter driving days and a gentler pace.

If the medina and the light matter as much as the dunes

Fes itself is worth more than a single overnight stop — its medina is one of the best-preserved in the Arab world, and a guided walk through the tanneries, madrasas and souks genuinely benefits from local expertise rather than wandering alone. Travellers who want to properly photograph both the city and the desert often ask about our Morocco photography tours, which are built around light and timing rather than covering ground quickly.