5-Day Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour

Five days is the gentle way to travel between Morocco’s two great imperial cities. Instead of rushing to the dunes, this private tour follows the old caravan route through the High Atlas at a walking pace, with nights in Ouarzazate, the Dades Valley, the Erg Chebbi dunes and a riad at the edge of the Sahara. The first two days are short, so you have time to explore on foot, and the desert gets a sunset, a night at camp and a full day of exploration before you head north to Fes.

If you’re interested in history and architecture, this is the tour for you: it’s the only one of our Marrakech to Fes routes that includes Telouet and the Amridil kasbah, as well as Ait Ben Haddou.

The route at a glance

• Day 1: Marrakech → Tizi n’Tichka → Telouet → Ounila Valley → Ait Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate (about 205 km)
• Day 2: Ouarzazate → Skoura → Kelaat M’Gouna → Dades Valley (about 145 km)
• Day 3: Dades Valley → Todra Gorge → Tinghir → Alnif → Merzouga, then by camel to camp (about 290 km)
• Day 4: A 4x4 day around Erg Chebbi: nomads, Mfis and Khamlia, then a night at a riad by the dunes (about 60 km)
• Day 5: Merzouga → Ziz Valley → Midelt → Azrou → Ifrane → Fes (about 470 km)

The kasbah trail

For centuries, the road from Marrakech over the High Atlas was controlled by powerful local families who built fortified kasbahs to guard it. This tour visits three of the finest.

Telouet is where the story begins. In the early 20th century, it was the stronghold of the Glaoui family, whose leader Thami El Glaoui became Pasha of Marrakech and one of the most powerful men in Morocco. From the outside, his kasbah is a crumbling mass of earth. Inside, a handful of reception rooms survive, covered from floor to ceiling in carved plaster, painted cedar ceilings and zellige tilework. Few visitors make the detour, so it’s usually quiet.

Ait Ben Haddou lies at the end of the old caravan road that runs down the Ounila Valley from Telouet, passing small earthen villages and terraced fields along the way. The ksar is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the best-preserved fortified village in the region. You arrive in the afternoon, when the light on its walls is at its warmest.

Amridil, in the Skoura palm grove, is a 17th-century family kasbah, once pictured on the Moroccan 50-dirham banknote. Its rooms, towers and courtyards show how a large household lived, stored grain and defended itself in the oasis.

Day by day

Day 1. A relaxed 8:30am pickup in Marrakech. After the Tizi n’Tichka pass, you turn off the main road to Telouet, then follow the Ounila Valley down to Ait Ben Haddou. It’s a short day, ending in Ouarzazate in time for dinner at your riad.

Day 2. A drive of just three hours, spread across the whole day. In Skoura you explore the Amridil kasbah and walk among the palms. In the Valley of Roses around Kelaat M’Gouna, you stop to meet a local family, and in spring the air smells of roses from the harvest. In the Dades Valley, there’s time for an optional guided walk through the red “monkey fingers” rock formations before dinner at your kasbah hotel.

Day 3. Walk the floor of the Todra Gorge between cliffs about 300 metres high, then drive via Tinghir and Alnif to Merzouga. In the late afternoon, ride a camel into the dunes of Erg Chebbi for sunset, and spend the night at our luxury camp with dinner and drums by the fire.

Day 4. After sunrise, a 4x4 carries you around the erg: tea with a nomad family, the abandoned lead-mining village of Mfis near the Algerian border, and Gnawa music in Khamlia. Spend the afternoon relaxing at your riad at the foot of the dunes, perhaps with a last walk up the sand for sunset.

Day 5. The long drive north: through Erfoud, along the palm-filled canyon of the Ziz Valley, up to Midelt for lunch and over the Middle Atlas. Stop in the cedar forest near Azrou to see Barbary macaques, then have a coffee in Ifrane before continuing to Fes.

Walking on this tour

This is the most active of our Marrakech to Fes tours, but nothing is strenuous. Expect:

• Short walks through Telouet, the Amridil kasbah and the lanes of Ait Ben Haddou, including a climb to the top of the ksar.
• A flat walk of 30–60 minutes through the Todra Gorge.
• An optional hike of about two hours through the “monkey fingers” in the Dades Valley, on uneven paths.
• Dune walks at sunrise and sunset. Climbing soft sand is harder than it looks, so take your time.

Comfortable, closed walking shoes are a good idea, plus sandals for the camp.

Where you’ll sleep

• Ouarzazate: a riad with a private room and bathroom.
• Dades Valley: a kasbah-style hotel with a private room and bathroom.
• Erg Chebbi: our luxury camp, with a private tent for your booking, an en-suite hot shower and flushing toilet, comfortable beds and electricity for charging. Heavy blankets are provided in winter, and family tents are available on request.
• Merzouga: a riad at the edge of the dunes, so you can walk straight out onto the sand.

Would you rather spend both nights in the desert at the camp? Just let us know.

Best time to go

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are ideal. From late April to mid-May, the Valley of Roses is in bloom and the harvest is under way. In winter, the Middle Atlas can see snow around Ifrane, which is beautiful but occasionally slows the drive. Summer brings intense heat in the desert, so we plan the camel rides and the 4x4 day for the early morning and evening.

Who this tour is for

Travellers crossing Morocco from Marrakech to Fes who want the desert and the kasbahs, oases and gorges along the way, at a pace that leaves room to explore on foot. It’s ideal for history lovers, photographers, older travellers and anyone who doesn’t enjoy long days in the car.

Good to know

• Days 1 and 2 are deliberately short, so you arrive early enough to enjoy each place, including sunset over the Dades Valley.
• Arriving in Fes: cars can’t enter most of the medina. Your driver will hand you over to a porter who takes your luggage to your riad.
• Short on time? The 4-day and 3-day versions follow the same direction with fewer stops.
• Want to go further north? The 5-day Marrakech to Chefchaouen tour continues to the blue town.