From Marrakech: 3-Day Sahara Desert Adventure to Fes

This 3-day road trip traces one of Morocco's classic overland routes, linking Marrakech to Fes via the High Atlas Mountains, the Sahara desert, and the Middle Atlas cedar forests. You'll cross the Tizi n'Tichka Pass, the highest road pass in Morocco, stop at the UNESCO-listed kasbah of Aït Benhaddou, and pass through Ouarzazate and the Valley of the Roses before reaching the Todgha Gorges and the dunes of Erg Chebbi near Merzouga.

The centerpiece of the trip is a night in a Berber desert camp, reached by camel at sunset across the Erg Chebbi dunes. Dinner is served under the stars, followed by Berber drumming around the fire, with a choice of standard or luxury tents. The final day heads north through the Ziz Valley's palm groves, the fossil town of Erfoud, and the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, where Barbary macaques are sometimes spotted, before arriving in Fes by early evening.

Each day covers significant ground, with stops built in for photos, meals, and short guided walks at key sites like Aït Benhaddou and the Todgha Gorges. It's a way to see the shift from Marrakech's mountain backdrop to desert dunes to forested highlands in a single continuous route, ending in one of Morocco's imperial cities rather than looping back to the start.

Day one begins with a morning pickup from your Marrakech hotel or riad, heading into the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n'Tichka Pass with photo stops at Berber villages along the way. After a guided walk and lunch at Aït Benhaddou, the route continues through Ouarzazate and the Valley of the Roses to an overnight stop in Kalaat M'Gouna. Day two follows the Road of 1001 Kasbahs to the Todgha Gorges, then pushes on toward Merzouga, where a sunset camel trek leads to a desert camp for dinner, music, and a night under the stars.

Day three starts with sunrise over the dunes and a camel ride back to the lodge, before the journey turns north through the Ziz Valley's palm groves and the fossil town of Erfoud. After lunch in Midelt, the drive continues through the Middle Atlas cedar forests, where Barbary macaques are sometimes seen, arriving in Fes by early evening for drop-off at your riad or hotel.