6 Days Ouarzazate to Fes via Desert and Atlas Mountains

This 6 days Ouarzazate to Fes via desert and Atlas mountains tour runs from the film town of Ouarzazate up through the Sahara to the old city of Fes, private with your own driver and an air-conditioned vehicle. You cross two Atlas ranges, sleep two nights in the dunes at Merzouga, and follow the great southern valleys along the way. Six days keeps the driving comfortable and leaves a proper day in the sand.

Trip highlights

• Private trip with your own driver and an air-conditioned 4×4 or minivan
• Walk into the Todra gorge, where the cliffs rise close to 300 metres
• Drive the twisting Dades valley past its old kasbahs
• Ride a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset and sleep in a desert camp
• Sunrise over the big dunes at Merzouga
• Get lost in the old medina of Fes

Day 1: Ouarzazate to the Dades valley

We start in Ouarzazate with the Taourirt kasbah and, if there’s time, the Atlas film studios, then drive east through Skoura and its palm groves. The road of a thousand kasbahs brings us to the Dades valley, with its rock formations and old earthen villages, for the night.

Route: Ouarzazate, Taourirt kasbah, Skoura, Dades valley. Night in a Dades hotel.

Day 2: Dades to the desert at Merzouga

The morning is for the Todra gorge, where the cliffs close in over the river and you can walk beneath them. We then carry on through Tinghir and Rissani to Merzouga, and a camel takes you over the first dunes of Erg Chebbi to camp for sunset.

Route: Dades, Todra gorge, Tinghir, Rissani, Merzouga. Sunset camel ride, night in a desert camp.

Day 3: A day in the Erg Chebbi dunes

A full day around Merzouga. We visit Khamlia for the Gnaoua music, drive out to the oasis and the old mine workings, and there’s time to rest before a second sunset in the sand. You can swap the camels for a 4×4 run if you prefer.

Route: Merzouga, Khamlia, Erg Chebbi oasis. Second night in a desert camp.

Day 4: Merzouga to Midelt

After sunrise we leave the dunes and drive north, stopping in the market town of Rissani and following the Ziz valley with its long ribbon of palms. We climb toward Midelt, the apple town set between the High and Middle Atlas, for the night.

Route: Merzouga, Rissani, Ziz valley, Midelt. Night in a Midelt hotel.

Day 5: Midelt to Fes

We cross the Middle Atlas, stopping in the cedar forest above Azrou for the Barbary macaques and in the mountain town of Ifrane. The road drops into Fes by late afternoon.

Route: Midelt, Azrou, Ifrane, Fes. Night in a Fes riad.

Day 6: A full day in Fes

A day on foot in the old city with a local guide, taking in the tanneries, the Al Quaraouiyine, the medersas and the maze of covered souks. We drop you at your hotel or the airport at the end of the day.

Route: Fes medina walking tour.

Hotels, standing and route match our operated tour; exact accommodation and the full list of what’s included are confirmed when you book.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a private tour?

Yes. You travel with just your own group, your own driver and vehicle. Nobody else joins, so the stops and the pace are yours to set.

Where do we sleep along the way?

You spend a night in a desert camp in the dunes, reached by camel, plus nights in kasbah hotels or guesthouses on the road. The standing is the same as our operated tour, and we confirm the exact places when you book.

When is the best time to go?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable. Summer days get very hot and winter nights in the desert are cold, so bring layers whatever the season.

Can we change the itinerary or the pick-up point?

Yes. Because it is private, we can add nights, swap stops, or start from a different city or airport. Tell us what you have in mind and we will adjust the plan.

Book the trip

Price on request. Send us a message on WhatsApp with your dates and group size for a quote, or hold your spot online with a deposit.