How long is the 5-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour?
This private tour runs 5 days and 4 nights, starting in Marrakech and ending in Fes, and covers the same overall route as our 3- and 4-day versions but at a noticeably more relaxed pace, with dedicated overnights in both Ouarzazate and the Middle Atlas.
Why choose 5 days over 3 or 4
Our shorter Marrakech-to-Fes tours are built to cover the desert crossing efficiently. This version is for travelers who’d rather take the same journey more slowly — with real time in Ouarzazate on the first night and a proper stop in the Middle Atlas on the way north, rather than treating either as a quick overnight between long driving days.
Route and stops
The itinerary follows the same stops as our shorter versions of this route — the Tizi n’Tichka pass, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, the Dades Valley, the Todra Gorge, the Erg Chebbi dune camp at Merzouga, and the Middle Atlas — but spreads the same 3-day core into five, adding dedicated nights in Ouarzazate and in the Ifrane or Midelt area.
Arriving in Fes with time to spare
Because the drive north from Merzouga is split across two shorter days instead of one long one, this version typically reaches Fes with a good part of the afternoon still free, rather than arriving late and tired. It’s enough time for a first walk toward the medina, even without a full guided day built into the itinerary.
Who this itinerary suits
This is the version we suggest for travelers who want the full Marrakech-to-Fes desert crossing without back-to-back long driving days, and who’d like genuine time in Ouarzazate along the way. If you’d also like a guided day in the Fes medina before the tour officially ends, our 6-day version of this route adds that on.
