Tour Overview
The 2-Day Fes to Merzouga Desert Tour is the ideal choice for travelers who are based in Fes and want to experience the magical Sahara Desert without committing to a longer tour or traveling all the way to Marrakech. In just two days, you travel from the ancient medina city of Fes to the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga — passing through some of Morocco's most spectacular landscapes en route — enjoy a sunset camel trek, spend a night in a traditional Berber desert camp under the stars, watch the Sahara sunrise from a dune summit, and return to Fes in the late afternoon.
The route south from Fes is itself a highlight: you pass through the alpine scenery of Ifrane, stop in the ancient cedar forest near Azrou to look for Barbary macaques, drive through the dramatic Ziz Gorge with its impossible ribbon of date palm oasis, and arrive at Merzouga in time to mount your camel for the sunset trek into the dunes. At €149 per person, this is the most affordable way to experience the authentic Sahara, and it remains one of our most-booked tours — a perennial favourite among solo travellers, couples, and small groups based in Fes.
This is a round-trip tour returning to Fes. If you prefer a one-way trip ending in Marrakech, please see our 4-Day Fes to Marrakech via Sahara tour.
Detailed Itinerary
Fes → Ifrane → Azrou (Macaques) → Ziz Gorge → Merzouga → Camel Trek
Your guide collects you from your Fes hotel or riad at 07:00 AM sharp — an early start is essential to reach Merzouga in time for the sunset camel trek. The first stretch of the drive takes you south through the Middle Atlas, with a welcome stop in Ifrane — Morocco's charming alpine resort town that looks like a slice of Europe transported to North Africa, with its red-roofed chalets, manicured parks, and a famous stone lion sculpture. A short drive further brings you to the ancient cedar forest near Azrou, where one of Morocco's most delightful wildlife encounters awaits: a large colony of Barbary macaques (Barbary apes) that live freely among the enormous cedar trees, some of which are over 400 years old. These charismatic primates will approach your vehicle, play on the roof, and pose for photographs with utterly engaging confidence. Your guide knows the best spots to find them and explains their ecology and the conservation pressures they face. The Middle Atlas landscape then opens into the dramatic scenery of the south as you descend through the town of Midelt — the City of Apples — for a lunch stop at a local restaurant, with time to browse the mineral and fossil stalls that line the roadsides. South of Midelt, the terrain becomes increasingly austere and beautiful as you enter the Ziz Gorge — a spectacular drive alongside an impossibly lush ribbon of date palms and oleander that winds through a canyon of bright ochre rock. This contrast between the verdant oasis strip and the bare, sun-scorched rock walls on either side is one of the most striking natural scenes in Morocco. Emerging from the gorge into the wide Tafilalet basin, you pass through Erfoud — famous for its black fossil marble, where Devonian sea creatures preserved in stone for 380 million years are cut and polished into extraordinary decorative pieces — before the final stretch to Merzouga. As you arrive at the edge of the village, the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi rise dramatically before you — 150 meters high and stretching 22 km to the south, they are breathtaking even before you step into them. After a brief check-in at your desert-edge guesthouse for a quick wash and freshen-up, your camels await. Mount up and begin the unforgettable sunset trek into the dunes — an hour of gentle swaying on camelback as the light transforms the sand from gold to rose to deep red. Arrive at your traditional Berber desert camp in time for aperitif mint tea on the camp cushions as the sky darkens above and the first stars emerge. Dinner is a traditional Moroccan feast: harira soup, fresh bread, lamb tagine, and Berber sweet pastries, eaten around a campfire. Gnawa musicians play as the fire crackles and the Milky Way blazes overhead. Sleep in comfortable tent beds under the extraordinary Saharan sky. Overnight: Traditional Desert Camp, Erg Chebbi.
Sunrise from the Dunes → Breakfast → Return to Fes
Your guide wakes you before dawn (approximately 05:30–06:00 AM, adjusted by season) and leads you barefoot up the face of the nearest tall dune in the cool pre-sunrise darkness. At the summit, you settle and wait as the horizon slowly brightens — from deep indigo to violet, then a burning strip of rose and orange as the sun emerges above the Algerian border and sends long, graphic shadows racing across the entire sand sea below you. This moment — the silence, the scale, the beauty of the Sahara at dawn — is something that every traveler who experiences it describes as profound and unforgettable. Return to camp for a Moroccan breakfast: msemen flatbread with honey and argan oil, a Berber omelette, fresh orange juice, and pot after pot of sweet mint tea. Then it's time to pack up and begin the return journey to Fes. Your camel guide walks you back to the dune's edge, and your driver is waiting to begin the northern route. Stop in the historic town of Rissani — the ancient capital of the Tafilalet and birthplace of Morocco's Alaoui dynasty, with one of the most authentic and unposed souks in southern Morocco, trading in dates, spices, silver jewelry, Berber rugs, and dried roses — for a final browse before the road climbs north through Midelt (optional brief stop for apple products or mineral browsing), then through the cedar forests and Middle Atlas back toward Fes. Lunch is taken at a local restaurant en route. You arrive back in Fes between 18:00 and 20:00, depending on stops and traffic. Your guide delivers you to your hotel with memories of the Sahara that will last a lifetime. End of tour.
What's Included
- Private air-conditioned 4×4 or minivan
- English-speaking guide (both days)
- 1 night in traditional desert camp
- Breakfast and dinner on Day 1
- Breakfast on Day 2
- Sunset camel trek into Erg Chebbi
- Berber music & campfire evening
- Round-trip transfer from/to Fes hotel
❌ Not Included
- Lunches (€8–12 at local restaurants)
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Quad bikes / sandboarding (optional)
- Personal expenses & tips
- Single supplement (available)
Highlights
FAQ
Reviews
"An amazing 2-day escape from Fes. The Barbary monkeys were a delightful surprise and the desert camp was magical. Incredible value for the price. The guide was funny, knowledgeable, and made the whole trip feel personal."
"Perfect for someone who only has 2 days to spare. I was back in Fes in time for my late flight. The Sahara sunrise was worth waking up for — one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Will return for a longer tour."
