This 4-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour links two imperial cities through mountains, oases and the Sahara, turning the “in-between” into the best part of the trip.
Marrakech – your starting line
Your Marrakech to Fes desert tour begins in the red city, with its buzzing souks, rooftop cafés and lantern-lit alleys. Leaving the medina at sunrise and watching it fade in the rear-view mirror is the first step into a completely different Morocco.
High Atlas Mountains & Tizi n’Tichka
The road climbs into the High Atlas, twisting over the Tizi n’Tichka pass. Tiny Berber villages, terraced hillsides and wide viewpoints make this first stretch feel like a proper road trip, not just a transfer.
Ait Benhaddou & Ouarzazate
South of the pass you reach Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO-listed mud-brick fortress that’s doubled as a set for countless films and series. After wandering its narrow alleys, you continue via Ouarzazate, the “Hollywood of Africa,” with its studios and sun-baked kasbahs.
Skoura, Valley of the Roses & Dades Valley
Palm groves at Skoura and the rose fields around Kalaat M’Gouna soften the landscape before it narrows into the Dades Valley. Here, cliffs, winding roads and scattered kasbahs give your first night on the Marrakech to Fes desert tour a dramatic mountain backdrop.
Tinghir & Todra Gorge
Next comes Tinghir, an oasis town wrapped in palm trees and mud villages. A short walk along the river leads you into Todra Gorge, where sheer rock walls close in above a shallow stream, one of the most photographed spots on the route.
Merzouga & the Erg Chebbi dunes
Further east the greenery fades and the sand takes over. At Merzouga you meet the Erg Chebbi dunes, tall, golden and exactly what most people imagine when they picture the Sahara. Here your Marrakech to Fes desert tour slows down for camel treks, desert sunsets and a night in a camp under the stars.
Khamlia village
A short drive away, Khamlia is known for its Gnawa musicians and desert hospitality. Tea, music and stories from locals add culture to the classic Sahara landscapes.
Ziz Valley, Middle Atlas & Azrou
Leaving the dunes, you follow the Ziz Valley north, with its long belt of date palms and cliff-backed villages, before climbing into the cooler Middle Atlas. Around Azrou, cedar forests and Barbary macaques replace sand and palms, showing a completely different face of Morocco on your Marrakech to Fes route.
Fes – the finish line
Your Marrakech to Fes desert tour ends in the maze of Fes el-Bali, one of the oldest medinas in the world. After four days of mountains, oases and desert, stepping into its narrow streets feels like arriving in a new chapter rather than just another stop.
