Fes is the main alternative to Marrakech for reaching the Sahara Desert, and the route is different enough — crossing the Middle Atlas rather than the High Atlas — that it’s worth understanding before booking.
The route
From Fes, the road climbs through the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the cedar forests near Azrou, then descends toward Midelt and follows the Ziz Valley south to Errachidia and on to Merzouga. The full drive takes around 7 to 8 hours, which most itineraries cover in a single travel day with stops at viewpoints along the way, including the Legionnaires’ Viewpoint over the Ziz palm groves.
One-way or round trip?
Because Fes and Marrakech are both common entry and exit points for a Morocco trip, most travelers doing a Fes-to-Merzouga desert tour book it one-way, continuing from Merzouga through the Dades Valley and Todra Gorge to finish in Marrakech rather than returning to Fes. This avoids retracing the same long drive twice.
How long should you plan for?
Our standard Fes to Merzouga tour runs 3 days and 2 nights: the drive to Merzouga on day 1, the desert camp overnight, and the route toward Marrakech (or back to Fes) on days 2 and 3. Travelers with more time sometimes add a day in the Ziz Valley area or extend the return route through the Dades Valley.
Deciding where to end
If your flight out is from Marrakech, or you’d like to see the High Atlas route as well, ending in Marrakech makes the most of a one-way itinerary. If you need to return to Fes — for a flight from Fes-Saïss Airport, for example — the same tour can be arranged as a round trip instead.
