Merzouga Desert Tours from Fes
Distances, drive times and access verified by the Merzouga Desert Tours team — last checked 2026-09-03
Three departures leave Fes for the Erg Chebbi dunes, and they take a
completely different road from the Marrakech ones — north through Ifrane and the
Azrou cedar forest, then down the Ziz Valley. It is about ninety kilometres shorter, and
two of the three finish in Marrakech rather than returning. If you are starting from the
south instead, every Merzouga desert tour from Marrakech is set out separately.
Merzouga Desert tours from Fes
★ 4.9209 reviews2 days
Max 15 travellersDinner and breakfastCamel trek included
The only two-day long-haul trip here, and it leaves from Fes because the road is shorter. Ifrane, Midelt and the Ziz Valley on day one, then the camp; Kelaa Mgouna and Marrakech on day two.
From $118 per person
★ 4.9124 reviews3 days
Step-free transportDinner and breakfastCamel trek included
Door-to-door pickup in Fes, fifteen hours at the dunes, a hotel night in Ouarzazate, and step-free transport and surfaces stated. Standard or luxury tent chosen when you book.
From $225 per person
★ 4.81,261 reviews3 days
Step-free transportDinner and breakfastOne camel each
Eight pickup points across Fes, ten hours at Erg Chebbi, and a return through Todra, the Valley of the Roses and Ait Ben Haddou into Marrakech. One camel per person.
From $225 per person
Merzouga Desert Tours lists every departure on both roads in one grid.
Book the highest-volume tour from FesFree cancellation up to 24 hours before you go.
Check AvailabilityWhat a Merzouga Desert tour from Fes actually is
Collection somewhere in Fes between seven and eight in the morning, then 470 km south
on the N13. The road climbs to Ifrane, runs through the Azrou cedar forest where Barbary
macaques live by the roadside, then drops through Midelt and the Ziz Valley with its long
gorge of palms.
Because the road is shorter, the sand comes sooner. On the two-day trip you reach the
camels on day one. On the three-day crossings you get ten to fifteen hours at the dunes
and then turn west, coming back through Todra, the Dades and Ait Ben Haddou into
Marrakech.
Why choose to leave from Fes
It is the shorter road
470 kilometres against 560, and seven to eight hours against nine to ten. Two hours a
day back in your pocket is not nothing on a trip that is mostly driving.
The crossing makes the driving useful
Two of these three finish in Marrakech. If you were going to travel between the cities
anyway, three days of country replaces a train or a flight and the desert comes free with
it.
Step-free transport is available here
Two of the three state wheelchair-accessible transport and surfaces on their own
listings. On the Marrakech corridor that is far rarer.
The northern scenery is nothing like the southern
Cedar forest, wild macaques, an alpine town and a palm gorge. None of it appears on
the road out of Marrakech, and travellers who do the crossing get both corridors in one
trip.
Fes departures vs Marrakech departures
Same dunes, different country in between, and a real difference in how long you sit in
the vehicle.
| From Fes | From Marrakech |
|---|
| Distance | about 470 km | about 560 km |
| Driving | 7–8 hours | 9–10 hours |
| On the way | Ifrane, the Azrou cedars, Midelt, the Ziz Valley | Tizi n’Tichka, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Todra |
| Shortest trip | two days | three days |
| Departures here | three | eight |
| Usual shape | one-way crossing to Marrakech | round trip |
| Step-free transport | stated on two of three | stated on one of eight |
| Snow risk | low — no high pass | the pass, November to March |
Check availability on the Fes crossing
What you get, and what you do not
All three fares cover the vehicle and the driver-guide, the desert camp, the camel
trek, and dinner and breakfast on each night away. Two also cover a hotel night on the
road; the two-day trip has only the camp.
None covers lunches or drinks. The two crossings exclude the Ait Ben Haddou guide,
which one prices at two euros a head. The two-day trip also excludes tips and gratuities
explicitly.
Planning a Merzouga Desert tour from Fes
- Price band. $118 for the two-day trip, $225 for either three-day
crossing.
- Duration. Two days is one night in the erg and one long driving day
either side. Three days adds a second night on the road and the whole southern
corridor.
- Where you finish. Marrakech on the crossings; the two-day trip
offers Fes or Marrakech.
- Group cap. Fifteen on the two-day trip, thirty on both
crossings.
- Booking window. Fewer departures means less slack. Book earlier than
you would for Marrakech, especially in spring.
The northern road stays low, and that matters in winter. Nothing on the Fes corridor crosses a high pass, so the snow that can close Tizi n’Tichka between November and March does not apply to it. For a midwinter trip that is a genuine argument —
the month-by-month page sets out the rest.
Ready to book the Fes crossing?Eight pickup points in Fes, ten hours at the dunes, finishing in Marrakech.
Check AvailabilityWho should choose something else
- Anyone who has to return to Fes. Driving the northern corridor twice
adds seven hours and shows you nothing new. Take a round trip from Marrakech, or fly
between the cities and do the desert from the south.
- Anyone whose priority is Ait Ben Haddou. The ksar is not on the
northern road at all; you only reach it on the return leg of a crossing.
The Marrakech departures put it on day one.
- Anyone already in the south of Morocco. There is no reason to
travel north to Fes to come back down again. Book a trip that starts at the dunes.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the drive from Fes take?
Seven to eight hours for the 470 km, on the N13 through Ifrane and Midelt. That is about ninety kilometres and two hours less than the road from Marrakech, which is why the only two-day long-haul trip here leaves from this side.
Do the Fes tours come back to Fes?
Usually not. Two of the three finish in Marrakech and the third offers either ending. The northern corridor is normally sold as a crossing, which suits anyone moving between the two cities anyway.
Where do they pick up in Fes?
One operator uses eight separate points across the city — Bab Boujloud, Hotel Batha, Bab Ziat, the Rcif café and four more — and the others collect from your accommodation. Your confirmation names yours; check it the night before.
Do you see Ait Ben Haddou on the Fes road?
Only on the crossings, and only on the way back. The northern corridor itself never touches it. If the ksar is on your list, take a trip that finishes in Marrakech rather than one that returns to Fes.
Are any of them wheelchair accessible?
Two of the three state wheelchair-accessible transport and surfaces, which is more than the Marrakech corridor offers. The camps still sit inside the dunes and are reached by camel or 4x4, so confirm that last stretch with the operator.
Is the Fes road worth it if I have to get back to Fes afterwards?
Then take a round trip from Marrakech instead, or fly. Driving the northern corridor twice means seeing Ifrane and the Ziz Valley in both directions, and the return leg adds seven hours for nothing new.
What is on the Fes road that is not on the Marrakech one?
Ifrane, an alpine-looking town the French laid out in the 1930s; the Azrou cedar forest, where Barbary macaques live wild; Midelt; and the Ziz Valley with its long palm gorge. None of that is on the southern road.