2-Day Fes Desert Tour to Merzouga and Back

Fes sits on the northern side of the Atlas, and the Sahara lies about 470 kilometres to the south-east. This private round trip bridges that gap in two days: out through the Middle Atlas and the Ziz Valley to the dunes of Erg Chebbi, a sunset camel ride and a night at our luxury camp, then back to Fes the next evening by a slightly different route, with the Rissani market and the fossil workshops of Erfoud on the way.

It’s the right trip if Fes is your base, or if your train or flight leaves from there. You don’t change hotels in the cities, you only pack a small bag for one night, and you come back having seen the full sweep of the country between the imperial cities and the desert.

The route at a glance

• Day 1: Fes → Ifrane → Azrou cedar forest → Midelt → Tizi n’Talghemt → Ziz Valley → Merzouga, then by camel to camp (about 470 km)
• Day 2: Erg Chebbi → Merzouga → Rissani → Erfoud → Ziz Gorges → Middle Atlas → Fes (about 480 km)

Day 1: from the cedar forests to the dunes

We pick you up early from your riad, or from the nearest medina gate if cars can’t reach your door. Within an hour the plain around Fes gives way to the foothills of the Middle Atlas, and the air cools as the road climbs. The first stop is Ifrane, a town of pitched roofs, flower beds and tidy parks built in the 1930s as a mountain resort. It looks so unlike the rest of Morocco that it’s nicknamed “the Switzerland of Morocco”, and in winter it’s one of the few places in the country where you’ll see snow in the streets.

Just beyond Azrou, the road enters one of the largest cedar forests in North Africa. Some of these trees are several centuries old, and the forest is home to troops of Barbary macaques, the only wild monkeys in Africa north of the Sahara. Your driver stops where they’re usually seen, so you can watch them from the roadside.

The landscape then opens onto the high, empty plateau of the Middle Atlas, grazing land for sheep and the seasonal camps of shepherd families. Lunch is in Midelt, a quiet market town at about 1,500 metres, with the snow-capped Jbel Ayachi rising behind it. After lunch you cross the Tizi n’Talghemt pass, at about 1,900 metres, and begin the long descent into the south.

This is where the day changes character. The Ziz river has carved a gorge through the mountains, and the road follows it through the Tunnel of the Legionnaire, cut by French army engineers in the 1920s. Below the gorge, the valley opens into a ribbon of date palms, with earthen villages built along the edge of the green. From the viewpoint above the palm grove you can see how the river turns the desert into farmland, one terrace at a time.

In the late afternoon you reach Merzouga, at the edge of Erg Chebbi. Your camels are waiting. You leave the vehicle behind and ride out into the dunes as the sand turns from gold to orange to deep red, while your main luggage goes ahead by 4x4. Stop on a ridge to watch the sun go down, then continue to camp, where dinner is served under the stars.

Day 2: market, fossils and the road north

Set an alarm for sunrise. The first light over Erg Chebbi is worth the early start, and the dunes above camp are only a short climb away. Afterwards you ride back to Merzouga for breakfast, then begin the return journey.

The first stop is Rissani, the town where the Alaouite dynasty, which still rules Morocco, began in the 17th century. It was once the end point of the caravan routes that crossed the Sahara from West Africa, and its market still feels like a meeting place. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays the souk is at its busiest, with dates, spices, livestock and the famous “donkey parking” by the entrance.

In Erfoud, a short drive north, you visit a fossil workshop. The black rock around Erfoud is packed with fossils from an ancient sea, especially ammonites and orthoceras, and local workshops cut and polish them into tables, basins and souvenirs. It’s a fascinating stop even if you don’t buy anything: you’ll see how the slabs are quarried and how the patterns appear as the stone is polished.

From there you retrace the Ziz Valley and gorges, climb back over the Middle Atlas and arrive in Fes in the evening. Your driver takes you to your accommodation, or to the medina gate nearest your riad.

Where you’ll sleep

One night at our luxury desert camp in Erg Chebbi. Each booking has its own private tent with an en-suite hot shower and flushing toilet, comfortable beds and electricity for charging your phone and camera. Heavy blankets are provided in winter, and family tents with extra beds are available on request. Dinner and breakfast are included.

What to pack for one night

You only need a small overnight bag for the camp; your suitcase can stay in the car, or at your riad in Fes if you’re coming back to it. Bring a warm layer, as desert nights are cool even in spring and autumn and cold in winter. A scarf or light headscarf protects your face from the sun and wind on the camel. Add sunglasses, sunscreen, a torch or head torch for walking around camp after dark, and a power bank for photos.

Best time to go

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable seasons, with warm days in the desert and mild weather in the mountains. Winter days in the Sahara are sunny and pleasant, but the nights at camp are cold, and the Middle Atlas around Ifrane and Midelt can see snow. In July and August the desert is very hot in the afternoon; the sunset ride and the sunrise are the best times to be out on the dunes.

Who this tour is for

Travellers based in Fes, or returning there for a train or flight, who want a single, well-planned night in the Sahara without changing cities. It suits couples, friends and families who have seen the medina and want a complete change of scene before moving on.

Good to know

• Both days are long drives (about 7.5 hours each with stops). The scenery changes all the way, from cedar forest to high plateau to palm oasis.
• Plan around market day: if you can choose your dates, travel so that day 2 falls on a Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday to see the Rissani souk in full swing.
• Winter travel: between December and February the Middle Atlas around Ifrane and Midelt can see snow. Roads are cleared quickly, but allow a little extra time.
• Prefer not to ride? You can go to camp by 4x4 instead of by camel, at no extra cost.
• Not coming back to Fes? The 2-day Fes to Marrakech tour takes the same first day and ends in Marrakech.