8-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Fes
Eight private days from Fes to Marrakech: a guided day in the world's largest medieval medina, two nights in the Sahara with a camel trek to camp, the Todra and Dades gorges, Aït Ben Haddou and a guided day in the Red City.
- Duration8 days / 7 nights
- StartFes (hotel or airport)
- EndMarrakech
- Tour typePrivate, 4×4 or minibus
- Desert2 nights in Merzouga
Tour Overview
From the Medina of Fes to the Red City, via the Sahara
This private eight-day tour takes you across Morocco from its spiritual capital, Fes, to its liveliest city, Marrakech, by way of the Middle Atlas, the Sahara and the kasbah country of the south. With a full guided day at each end and two nights in the desert, it is paced for travellers who want to see the highlights properly rather than rush through them.
After arriving in Fes, you spend a day with a local guide in the medina: the Karaouine, the Bou Inania Madrasa, the Nejjarine Museum and the famous Chouara tanneries. The road then crosses the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the cedar forests to Merzouga. A full day around Erg Chebbi — nomads, Gnaoua music, the seasonal lake — ends with a sunset camel trek and a night at a desert camp.
From the dunes, the route heads west through Rissani and Erfoud to the Todra Gorge and the Dades Valley, then along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Ouarzazate's film studios and Aït Ben Haddou. After crossing the Tizi n'Tichka pass, you finish with a guided day in Marrakech before your departure.
Highlights
What Makes This Tour Special
- 01
A Full Day in the Fes Medina
The Karaouine, Bou Inania Madrasa, Nejjarine Museum and the Chouara tanneries with a local guide.
- 02
Two Days in the Sahara
A night by the dunes, a day with nomads and Gnaoua musicians, then a camel trek to camp.
- 03
Sunset & Sunrise in Erg Chebbi
Dunes up to 160 metres high, Berber drums by the fire and first light over the sand.
- 04
Todra & Dades Gorges
Walk between 300-metre canyon walls and spend the night in the Dades Valley.
- 05
Aït Ben Haddou & Tichka
The UNESCO-listed ksar, the Atlas Film Studios and the highest pass in the High Atlas.
- 06
A Guided Day in Marrakech
Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, Majorelle Garden and sunset over Jemaa el-Fna.
Day by Day
8-Day Itinerary from Fes to Marrakech
Welcome to Morocco. Your driver meets you at Fes airport or the train station and takes you to your riad in the medina. Depending on your arrival time, relax on the roof terrace or take a first walk through the lanes of Fes el-Bali, the largest car-free medieval city in the world.
Spend the day with a licensed local guide. Start at the golden gates of the Royal Palace and walk through the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, then stop at a pottery cooperative to see zellige tiles cut and assembled by hand.
Inside the medina, see the Karaouine Mosque and University, founded in 859 and often described as the oldest university in the world, the carved cedar and stucco of the 14th-century Bou Inania Madrasa and the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts. Finish at the Chouara tanneries, watching the dyers at work from a terrace above the colourful vats.
Leave Fes for the Middle Atlas and Ifrane, the alpine-style town built during the French Protectorate, then the cedar forest near Azrou, where wild Barbary macaques live among the trees.
After lunch in Midelt, known for its apple orchards, cross the Tizi n'Talghemt pass and follow the Ziz Valley south through gorges and palm groves. You arrive in Merzouga in the evening and check in to a hotel at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Spend the day exploring the area around Erg Chebbi, a sea of dunes about 28 km long and up to 160 metres high. Visit a nomad family in their tent for mint tea, see an old mine once worked during the French period, and listen to Gnaoua musicians in the village of Khamlia. At the seasonal Merzouga lake, look out for flamingos and other migrating birds.
In the late afternoon, meet your camels for the ride into the dunes, timed for the sunset from a high crest. At the camp, enjoy dinner, Berber drums around the fire and a night under the stars. Sandboarding is available if you want to try it.
Climb a dune to watch the sunrise, then ride back for breakfast. Visit the market town of Rissani, cradle of the ruling Alaouite dynasty, and a workshop in Erfoud where fossil-rich marble is cut and polished.
Continue west to Tinghir and walk into the Todra Gorge, where the canyon walls rise about 300 metres above a clear stream. In the late afternoon, reach the Dades Valley and check in to a hotel with views over the valley and its rock formations.
Follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Kelaat M'Gouna, where women's cooperatives make rose water and oils from the valley's famous roses. In Ouarzazate, visit the Atlas Film Studios, where many international productions have been filmed.
At Aït Ben Haddou, a local guide leads you through the UNESCO-listed ksar to the granary at the top. The road then climbs to the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 metres before winding down through Berber villages to Marrakech in the evening.
With a licensed local guide, visit the Koutoubia Mosque and gardens, the carved and painted rooms of the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs, then wander the souks of the medina. After lunch, visit the Majorelle Garden with its cobalt-blue villa and cactus collection.
In the evening, watch the sun set over Jemaa el-Fna as the food stalls and musicians fill the square. A traditional hammam and massage can be added if you would like to unwind.
After breakfast, your driver takes you to Marrakech airport, or to Casablanca airport on request, for your onward flight.
Tour Details
What's Included & Not Included
Included
- Airport pick-up in Fes and drop-off in Marrakech (or Casablanca)
- Private air-conditioned 4×4 or minivan with fuel
- English-speaking driver throughout
- 6 nights in riads and hotels (Fes ×2, Merzouga, Dades, Marrakech ×2)
- 1 night in a desert camp in Erg Chebbi
- Camel trek and sandboarding in the dunes
- Local guides in Fes, Aït Ben Haddou and Marrakech
- Daily breakfast and 3 dinners (Merzouga, desert camp, Dades)
Not Included
- Lunches and drinks
- Entrance fees to monuments, museums and film studios
- Tips for driver, guides and camp staff
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
Tailor-made on request. This itinerary is a suggestion. Every tour is private, so we can add Chefchaouen or Meknes and Volubilis, split the long drive to Marrakech with a night in Aït Ben Haddou, upgrade to a luxury camp or run the route in reverse. The price depends on group size and accommodation — send us your dates for an exact quote.
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Tell us your dates, group size and preferred accommodation. We reply within 24 hours with a personalised itinerary and price — no payment needed to enquire.
- Private tour — only your group in the vehicle
- Free itinerary changes before departure
- Local team based in the south of Morocco
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FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
It starts with an airport or station pick-up in Fes and ends with an airport drop-off in Marrakech. Casablanca airport is also possible on the last day.
It is fully private. Only you and your travel companions are in the vehicle, and the pace and stops can be adjusted to suit you.
The first night in a hotel by the dunes means you arrive rested and have a full day to explore Merzouga before the camel trek and camp night, rather than rushing everything into one afternoon.
Tents in the Erg Chebbi dunes have proper beds and blankets, with dinner served at the camp. Standard and luxury camps are available; luxury tents have an en-suite bathroom with shower.
Yes. The same route works in the opposite direction, starting in Marrakech and ending in Fes.
Yes, camels are led on foot by a guide at a slow pace. If you prefer not to ride, a 4×4 transfer to the camp can be arranged.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are ideal. Winter is sunny but nights in the desert and mountains are cold, and summer days in the south are very hot.
Comfortable layers, a warm jacket for the evenings, good walking shoes for the medinas and gorges, sunglasses, sunscreen, a scarf for sun and sand, and a small overnight bag for the camp.
The price depends on the number of travellers, the season and the accommodation level, since vehicle costs are shared by the group. Send us your dates and group size for an exact quote within 24 hours.
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Moments from the Journey
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