3 or 4 days from Marrakech to Fes?
Choose 3 days if you have limited time: you see the whole route and sleep one night in the dunes. Choose 4 days if you want the desert to be more than a stopover — two sunsets on the dunes, a full 4x4 day and shorter drives. Going the other way? The Fes to Marrakech desert tour mirrors the route.
The route, day by day
- Day 1 – Marrakech to Dades: Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m), Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, the Road of 1000 Kasbahs.
- Day 2 – Dades to Merzouga: Tinghir palm grove, Todra Gorge, then a sunset camel ride to your camp in Erg Chebbi.
- (4-day tour) Day 3 – Sahara exploration: 4x4 tour of the dunes, Khamlia, a nomad family, Merzouga lake and Rissani souk.
- Last day – Merzouga to Fes: Ziz Valley, lunch in Zaida, Barbary macaques near Michlifen, Ifrane and arrival in Fes.
Marrakech or Fes first?
Both directions work. Starting in Marrakech gives a gentler first day; starting in Fes reaches the dunes on day 1. Read Marrakech vs Fes: which first? and our Fes medina guide for the end of your trip.