Fes is about 470 km from Merzouga, around 7 to 8 hours of driving through the Middle Atlas, so the Sahara is within reach even on a short trip. Your main choice is whether to come back to Fes or keep going to Marrakech.
The road climbs out of Fes to Ifrane, a mountain town known as the “Switzerland of Morocco”. Next come the cedar forests of Azrou, where Barbary macaques live in the trees. The route then crosses the Middle Atlas to Midelt and drops through the palm-filled Ziz Valley to Erfoud and Merzouga. You reach the dunes in the late afternoon for a sunset camel ride to camp.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are ideal. In winter the Middle Atlas around Ifrane and Azrou can get snow, which makes the drive beautiful but sometimes slower, and desert nights are cold. In summer we leave early to reach the dunes before the heat builds.
Yes, if you are short on time: you get a sunset, a night in the Sahara and a sunrise over the dunes. Most of both days is spent driving, though, so 3 days is more relaxed.
Both work well. If you fly into Fes or arrive from Chefchaouen or Tangier, going Fes to Marrakech avoids backtracking and makes the Sahara the middle of your trip.
Cars can’t enter most of the Fes medina, so we meet you at the nearest gate or car park.
