3-Day Fez to Merzouga Desert Tour and Back to Fez

Discover the Sahara Desert on this private 3-day tour from Fez to Merzouga and back to Fez. The journey combines the landscapes of the Middle Atlas, traditional towns, the Ziz Valley and the spectacular dunes of Erg Chebbi. Travel in comfort with a private driver, scenic stops and time to experience the Merzouga desert region.

This itinerary is ideal for travelers who want to visit the Sahara while keeping Fez as both their starting and finishing point. The tour includes one night at a desert camp and a second night at accommodation in the Merzouga area.

Itinerary: 3-day Fez to Merzouga desert tour and return to Fez

Day 1: Fez – Ifrane – Midelt – Ziz Valley – Merzouga

Your driver will pick you up from your accommodation in Fez in the morning. Travel through the Middle Atlas Mountains and stop in Ifrane, a town known for its distinctive architecture and green spaces. Continue towards the cedar forests near Azrou, where Barbary macaques may sometimes be seen in their natural habitat.

The journey continues to Midelt, a town between the Middle and High Atlas Mountains, where you can stop for lunch. In the afternoon, the scenery gradually changes as you reach the Ziz Valley, famous for its palm groves, oases and traditional earthen villages. Enjoy scenic viewpoints and take photographs along the way.

Upon arrival in Merzouga, admire the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Depending on your chosen arrangement, you can ride a camel at sunset or transfer to the desert camp by 4×4. Enjoy the changing colors of the dunes, a traditional dinner and an evening around the campfire with Berber music. Overnight at the desert camp.

Accommodation: Sahara desert camp. Meals: dinner.

Day 2: Merzouga – Erg Chebbi – Desert Villages – Merzouga

Wake up early to watch the sunrise over the dunes as the first light changes the colors of the sand. After breakfast, return to Merzouga and spend the day discovering the desert surroundings.

Explore the area around Erg Chebbi, learn about local communities and discover how people adapt to life in the Saharan environment. Depending on the available time and your interests, the excursion may include Khamlia, a village known for Gnawa music, as well as nearby oasis areas and former desert tracks.

You will also have time to relax, enjoy the landscape or choose optional activities such as quad biking or a buggy excursion with a local provider. These activities must be booked separately unless they are specifically included in your selected package.

In the afternoon, return to your accommodation in the Merzouga area. Enjoy a relaxed evening and a traditional dinner. Overnight in a hotel, riad or local guesthouse, according to the accommodation category you reserve.

Accommodation: hotel or riad in Merzouga. Meals: breakfast and dinner.

Day 3: Merzouga – Ziz Valley – Midelt – Ifrane – Fez

After breakfast, begin the return journey to Fez. Travel once more through the Ziz Valley, with its palm groves and panoramic views. Stops are planned along the way for rest breaks, photographs and lunch.

Continue through the Midelt region and the Middle Atlas Mountains. If time and road conditions allow, make a short stop in Ifrane or the surrounding cedar forests. The journey offers a final opportunity to appreciate Morocco’s changing scenery, from the arid Sahara to mountain landscapes and woodland.

Arrive in Fez in the afternoon or evening, depending on traffic, stops and road conditions. Your driver will drop you off at your accommodation or another agreed location in Fez. This concludes your private 3-day tour from Fez to Merzouga and back to Fez.

Meals: breakfast.

Included

• Private air-conditioned transport throughout the tour.
• Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Fez, subject to agreed access.
• Professional driver and fuel.
• One night at a Merzouga desert camp.
• One night at a hotel, riad or local guesthouse in the Merzouga area.
• Dinners and breakfasts specified in the itinerary.
• Sunset camel ride if included in the selected booking option.

Not included

• Lunches, drinks and personal expenses.
• Monument entrance fees and optional activities.
• Quad biking or buggy excursions unless expressly booked.
• Tips and services not listed in the included section.

Frequently Asked Questions