A private three‑day return trip from Fez into the Sahara. Sleep one night in a boutique hotel at the edge of the dunes, the second in a deep‑desert camp after a sunset camel trek. Explore nomadic settlements, walk through a palm oasis, and ride through the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunrise. Long drives, complete stillness, and a pace that makes the desert feel earned.
Day 1: Fez to Merzouga – Into the Sahara
Leave Fez early and drive south through the Middle Atlas. The first stop is Ifrane, a small town whose alpine architecture and cedar forests feel a world away from the imperial cities. Barbary macaques gather around an 800‑year‑old cedar here. They’re wild, curious, and quick, keep your snacks out of sight.
The road continues through the Ziz Valley, past palm groves and fortified villages, before the landscape opens into the pre‑Saharan plains. You’ll arrive at Merzouga in the late afternoon and check into a boutique hotel at the edge of the dunes. Dinner is medfouna, a stuffed Berber flatbread baked in a clay oven, a specialty of the region. Just before sunset, you’ll mount a camel for a short ride into the dunes to watch the light change over Erg Chebbi. Return to the hotel for a comfortable night.
Day 2: Desert Exploration and the Deep Sahara
Breakfast is Moroccan: mint tea, fresh bread, msemen pancakes, olives, honey, and local cheese. The morning is spent exploring the Merzouga area. You’ll visit nomadic families who still move with the seasons, learn how the dunes were formed, and walk through a palm‑shaded oasis where date groves thrive around a freshwater spring.
After lunch back at the hotel, pack a small overnight bag. In the late afternoon, you’ll begin the full camel trek into the dunes, about an hour and a half, arriving at a deep‑desert camp as the last light leaves the sky. Dinner is a slow‑cooked tagine served around a campfire. After the drums and the tea, you sleep in a canvas tent or drag your mattress outside under the stars.
Day 3: Merzouga to Fez – Return through the Atlas
Wake before dawn to climb a dune and watch the sunrise from the highest sand in Morocco. After a granola snack, ride your camel back to the hotel for breakfast and a shower. The drive back to Fez takes most of the day, with stops for lunch in Midelt, photos in the cedar forests, and a final mint tea before you arrive in the city by early evening.
Excluded:
Pickup: From your hotel or Riad.
Drop off: in your hotel/Riad or at the airport.
Infant seats and baby cribs are available upon request — please reach out and request them in advance.
You’ll travel in a private, air‑conditioned 4WD or spacious minivan, late‑model Mercedes, Toyota, or similar, kept very clean and serviced regularly. Your driver is a licensed Moroccan professional with years of experience on mountain passes and Saharan pistes. Friendly, attentive, and discreet, they know every fuel stop, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the journey so you feel safe, comfortable, and never rushed.
Free cancellation up to 14 days before your tour starts. If you cancel within 14 days, you’ll receive a full refund minus a 20% fee.
If you have questions about this tour, want to customize it, or simply need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just reach out to us through
When you travel with us, your money stays in the places you visit, the desert villages and the family‑run businesses that make the Sahara experience what it is.
Family‑run hotel and camp – your nights in Merzouga are at locally owned accommodation managed by Berber families we’ve worked with for years.
Local guides and drivers – every guide, driver, and camel handler you meet is from the region. They earn fair wages, and we never use commission‑based stops.
Nomadic families – we arrange respectful, low‑impact visits where the family receives direct payment. No staged performances. You share tea, ask questions, and leave a positive contribution.
This is not a charity pitch. It’s how we’ve always run our tours. And it means that after your three days in the desert, you’ve left something real behind.
We’ve spent years helping travelers explore the Morocco and have created an extensive library of practical guides covering everything from desert camps and weather to routes, packing, safety, local culture, and itineraries. If you still have questions before booking, our Guides will help you understand exactly what to expect and plan your trip with confidence.
