6-Day Private Desert Tour from Fes to Marrakech

The day starts with an early departure from Fes, climbing into the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and on to the cedar forests around Azrou, where wild Barbary macaques are often spotted along the road.

Past Midelt, the route follows the Ziz Valley south, a long corridor of palm groves running beside the Ziz River, before the tarmac gives way to open desert and the first dunes of Erg Chebbi come into view near Merzouga.

In the late afternoon, camels carry the group from the edge of the erg into the dunes to watch the sunset — a 4x4 transfer can replace this if you'd prefer not to ride — before arriving at a traditional Berber tent camp for the first of two nights in the desert.

Most travelers rise before dawn to climb a nearby dune and watch the sunrise turn the sand from grey to deep red and gold, before heading back to camp for breakfast.

The day continues with a visit to a nomad family living at the edge of the dunes — a local guide facilitates the visit, an opportunity to see how desert life is organized around herding and the seasons, share mint tea, and ask questions through the guide, approached as a respectful visit rather than a photo stop.

The afternoon leaves room for sandboarding, a swim at a nearby auberge pool, and a quieter second sunset over the erg before a second night is spent in the desert camp, this time deeper in the dune field.

Leaving the dunes behind, the route heads west to the Todra Gorge, where limestone cliffs rise sharply above a narrow river canyon. A short, flat walk along the gorge floor is included.

From Todra, the road continues into the Dades Valley, known as the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs for its cluster of earthen fortresses set against rose-coloured rock. The night is spent at a kasbah-style guesthouse overlooking the valley.

The morning covers more of the Dades Gorge before continuing to the Skoura palm oasis, one of the oldest and largest in Morocco, its groves dotted with historic kasbahs slowly returning to the earth.

From Skoura, the route passes through Ouarzazate, home to Morocco's film studios, before reaching Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed fortified village and one of the country's best-preserved examples of earthen architecture — and a historic stop on the caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech, long before its film appearances. The night is spent in Ouarzazate or at Ait Ben Haddou itself.

Called "a striking example of the architecture of southern Morocco" by UNESCO World Heritage

With an extra day built into the schedule, the morning is free to explore Ait Ben Haddou's ksar on foot before heading into the mountains toward Telouet, home to the crumbling but still striking kasbah of the former Glaoui pashas.

The afternoon continues through Berber villages and terraced valleys in the High Atlas foothills, at a noticeably slower pace than the drive to Marrakech usually allows. The night is spent in a mountain guesthouse before the final crossing the next day.

The final morning crosses the Tizi n'Tichka pass, the highest major road pass in Morocco, with sweeping views over the High Atlas before the road descends toward the plains around Marrakech.

The tour concludes with drop-off at your riad or hotel in Marrakech, typically around midday or early afternoon, bringing the six-day crossing from Fes to a close.