2 Days Desert Trip Back To Fes/ Or Marrakech

The best part of this trip is the sharp change in scenery: you leave Fes in the morning, cross the Middle Atlas, pass cedar forests and Berber villages, and reach the Sahara in time for a sunset camel ride. I like the mix of mountain scenery, a real desert camp, and a night under the stars. I also like that you can finish in either Fes or Marrakech.

The tradeoff is the road time. Day one can take around 10 hours before camp, and the return drive is listed at about 8 hours. The roads are not always smooth, so this suits you if reaching the Sahara quickly matters more than taking a slower, more relaxed route.

Key points at a glance

• Sunset over Erg Chebbi: Ride camels for about an hour across the dunes to an overnight camp.
• A full Middle Atlas crossing: Stop in Ifrane, the Azrou cedar forest, and Midelt before reaching Merzouga.
• Choice of final destination: After sunrise and breakfast, continue to Fes or travel on to Marrakech.
• Camp comforts included: Dinner, breakfast, mint tea, one night in a Berber tent, and camel transport are part of the price.
• Small shared group: The minivan carries a maximum of 17 people, with an air-conditioned interior.
• Strong value at $139.37: The price covers transport, accommodation, meals listed, and the camel ride, but not lunch or drinks.

From Fes to the high Middle Atlas

Your pickup begins in or near the Medina of Fes, where the driver and guide collect you from your hotel. The early part of the trip gives you a useful change of pace from the narrow lanes and busy streets of Fes. You settle into an air-conditioned minivan and watch the city give way to open country.

The first notable stop is Ifrane, a mountain resort built by the French in the 1930s. Its architecture was designed to resemble a Swiss village, so it feels quite different from the Moroccan cities most people picture. The stop lasts about 30 minutes, enough for a short walk and a few photographs rather than a full visit.

Ifrane is worth seeing because it shows another side of Morocco. The town sits in a cooler mountain setting and is known as a winter ski resort. I would treat this as a brief orientation stop, not a major attraction. The real scenery begins as you move farther into the Middle Atlas.

Cedar trees, monkeys, and Berber villages

The drive continues through the Azrou cedar forest, where you may see Barbary macaques near the road. The stop lasts about 40 minutes, giving you time to look for the monkeys and take in the tall cedar trees.

This section is one of the trip’s best surprises. The Sahara often gets all the attention, but the cedar forest gives you a green, wooded contrast before the dry country ahead. You also pass springs, rock formations, mountain roads, and Berber villages as the minivan crosses the Middle Atlas.

I would keep your expectations practical. This is a road trip with stops, not a hiking tour. You will see plenty from the vehicle, but there is no long forest walk or mountain trek listed. If you enjoy watching the scenery change through a window, the route works well. If you need frequent activity, the long stretches in the minivan may feel slow.

Midelt makes a practical lunch stop

Around the middle of the journey, you stop in Midelt for about an hour. The town is known for fossils and rocks, and it breaks up the long drive toward Merzouga.

Lunch is not included, so this is the time to buy your midday meal and drinks. I would plan for that expense instead of assuming the included dinner and breakfast cover the whole day. The exact restaurant is not specified, but the stop is designed as a practical pause rather than a formal sightseeing visit.

After Midelt, the scenery becomes drier as you continue toward the desert. The changing terrain is part of the appeal, but this is also where the road time can begin to feel heavy. One review described the trip as roughly seven hours on the road, while the schedule allows about 10 hours from Fes to camp. The difference likely depends on traffic, stops, and road conditions, so you should keep the whole day open.

Arriving in Merzouga and seeing the desert from above

You reach the Merzouga area in the afternoon. Before settling in, the route includes a panoramic view over a broad palm-filled oasis. It is a good reminder that the desert is not just sand. Water, palms, villages, and dry hills all meet around the edge of the Sahara.

After a mint tea break, you meet the camels and prepare for the crossing into the Erg Chebbi dunes. The camel ride lasts about an hour. Its timing is planned around sunset, which is important because the soft evening light gives the dunes their strongest colors and shadows.

The ride is the central moment of the trip, but it is also worth knowing what it is not. This is not a long expedition on camelback. You ride from the Merzouga area to the camp, then spend the night there. The pace is slow, and the high, rolling dunes make the journey feel far removed from the road you left behind.

You should be comfortable sitting on a camel for about an hour and handling a full day of transport before that. Most people can participate, but the overall schedule is physically demanding because the driving and camel ride come on the same day.

A night in a Berber tent at Erg Chebbi

At the camp, the camels are secured and mint tea is served. Dinner is included, followed by time to sit outside and look at the night sky before sleeping in an authentic Berber tent.

The camp is the part that received the strongest praise in the supplied comments. The setting, tents, evening entertainment, and food were rated especially highly, with one account giving the camp experience a full 10 out of 10. That is useful context: the long drive is the weak point, while the desert arrival and overnight stay are where the trip earns its price.

Camp standards can vary, and no detailed room description is provided, so I would not book this expecting a luxury hotel. Think of it as a simple desert stay with the atmosphere doing most of the work. You get dinner, a tent, tea, and a sky with very little competing light.

The night also gives you a chance to slow down. There is no city traffic, no Medina noise, and no need to fill every minute with sightseeing. After the busy day, the quiet can be the most memorable part.

Sunrise, breakfast, and the return road

Day two begins with sunrise over the dunes. This is a smart reason to stay at the camp rather than ride in for sunset and leave again. The morning light changes the shape of the sand, and the cooler air makes the desert easier to appreciate.

Breakfast follows, then you begin the next leg of the journey. You can return to Fes or choose Marrakech. The scheduled travel time is about eight hours, so neither option is a short transfer. The choice is most useful if you are arranging a wider Morocco route and want to avoid returning to your starting city.

The supplied schedule names Fes el-Bali for this part of the trip, but the practical point is the onward transfer after breakfast. Confirm your exact drop-off city and timing when booking, especially if you have a train, flight, or hotel check-in later that day. The tour gives you a choice, but the information provided does not give a detailed stop-by-stop route for the return.

What the $139.37 price really covers

At $139.37 per person, this is a strong package if you want transport and a desert night arranged in one booking. The price includes:

• Air-conditioned minivan transport
• A professional driver
• One night of accommodation
• Camel ride
• Dinner
• Breakfast
• Mint tea at camp
• Sunset views

You still pay for lunch and drinks, including the midday meal in Midelt. That is a small but important detail because the first day is long. Carrying water is sensible, though the supplied information does not specify whether drinks are available at every stop.

The value depends on your tolerance for road time. A private transfer, hotel, camel ride, and desert camp arranged separately would require more planning and may cost more. This shared trip keeps the price down, but you trade away flexibility. With a maximum of 17 people, it is not an intimate private tour, though it is smaller than a large coach group.

I think the price works best for first-time visitors who want the main Sahara experience without organizing several separate transfers. It is less attractive if you already have transport through southeastern Morocco or want to spend several nights in the desert region.

The driver and group experience

A professional driver handles the route, and the tour description presents the driver as both guide and transport provider. The comments specifically praise the driver for being attentive and offering good advice. No driver name is provided, so I would not expect a named specialist guide to be part of the booking.

That distinction matters. The experience focuses on moving you through Morocco and getting you to the dunes, rather than giving long formal talks at every stop. You will get a sense of the region from the route, the villages, the forest, and the desert camp.

A maximum of 17 people creates a shared-group atmosphere. Pickup is offered, and the tour is near public transportation, but the exact pickup arrangement depends on your hotel. Confirmation is received at booking, so check the pickup time and final destination before the travel day.

Who should book this desert trip?

I would recommend it to you if you have only two days, want to experience the Sahara from Fes, and prefer a single organized package. It is especially useful if you are deciding between returning to Fes and continuing toward Marrakech.

You will probably enjoy it most if you like scenic road trips, changing scenery, basic camp accommodation, and a clear schedule. The trip gives you several different views of Morocco in a short time: Fes, a mountain resort, cedar forest, highland villages, an oasis, and sand dunes.

I would hesitate if you dislike long drives or need a slow pace. One day is largely spent reaching the desert, and the next is largely spent leaving it. The route offers stops, but it does not allow much time for extended visits in Ifrane, Azrou, or Midelt.

The tour is suitable for most participants, but the supplied details do not promise special accessibility arrangements. If you have mobility concerns, ask before booking about the minivan, camel mounting, tent access, and walking on sand. The tour also requires good weather, and cancellation for poor conditions results in an alternative date or a full refund.

Should you book it?

Book this trip if your priority is seeing the Sahara from Fes in only two days. The camel ride, sunset, Berber camp, dinner, sunrise, and choice of final city give you the essential desert experience at a reasonable price.

Skip it if you want leisurely mountain sightseeing, several desert nights, or a private schedule. The long road sections are real, and the camp is the reward at the end of a demanding first day. For many people, that exchange is worthwhile. Just go in expecting a fast, full road trip rather than a restful desert holiday.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

Pickup begins from your hotel in or near the Medina of Fes.

How long does the experience last?

The experience lasts approximately two days. The first day includes the journey from Fes to Merzouga, and the second day includes the return toward Fes or the transfer to Marrakech.

Can I finish in Marrakech instead of Fes?

Yes. After sunrise and breakfast on the second day, you can choose to travel to Fes or Marrakech.

What places are visited on the way from Fes?

The route includes Ifrane, the Azrou cedar forest, Midelt, Merzouga, and a panoramic view over a palm-filled oasis.

Is the camel ride included?

Yes. A camel ride across the Erg Chebbi dunes is included, with the ride timed for sunset.

How long is the camel ride?

The camel journey to the desert camp lasts about one hour.

Is accommodation included?

Yes. One night in a desert camp, described as an authentic Berber tent, is included.

Are meals included?

Dinner at the camp and breakfast the next morning are included. Lunch and drinks are not included.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 17 people.

What happens if bad weather cancels the trip?

If poor weather causes cancellation, you will be offered a different date or a full refund. For other cancellations, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time to receive a full refund.