Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour: What 3 Days via Merzouga Costs

A 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes costs from about $103 to $108 per person on the two best-reviewed trips (October 2026). That buys the same first two days as the round trip, with Aït Benhaddou, a hotel night and a night at a camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes, and then a third day that carries on north to Fes instead of turning back. If Fes is next on your itinerary anyway, it saves you a full day on the road and the train or flight between the two cities.

What the price covers

Both trips below include pickup from your riad in Marrakech and drop-off in Fes, an air-conditioned van with a driver-guide, one hotel night, one night at a desert camp, two breakfasts, two dinners and a camel ride into the dunes. Lunch, drinks and tips are not included, and a guide inside the Aït Benhaddou kasbah is a small optional extra.

Prices and ratings checked October 2026. Both listed free cancellation when checked; the calendar shows the terms for your date.

How the three days run

Day 1, Marrakech to the Dades valley. Over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, a stop at Aït Benhaddou, then on past Ouarzazate to a hotel for the night.

Day 2, to Merzouga. Through the Todra gorge and the oases east of Tinghir, reaching the dunes in the late afternoon for the camel ride in at sunset and dinner at the camp.

Day 3, Merzouga to Fes. Sunrise over the dunes, breakfast, then the long drive north through Midelt and the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, arriving in Fes in the evening. It is the longest day of the trip, roughly 8 hours of driving with stops.

Trip A is the one the calendar below books, from $103 per person, rated 4.8/5 from 1,534 reviews (October 2026):

One-way or round trip?

Go one-way if Fes, Chefchaouen or northern Morocco come after the desert. The round trip back to Marrakech is the better fit if your flight home leaves from Marrakech, because the one-way trip leaves you at the other end of the country. Both routes reach the same dunes, so the choice is about where you want to wake up on day four.

Luggage travels in the van on both. Pack a small overnight bag for the camp night, since large cases stay in the vehicle.

Choose your trip

Prices, ratings and review counts checked October 2026. Operators price by season, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote; the calendar shows the live price.

Prefer to loop back? The homepage trip returns to Marrakech, and how far Merzouga is from Marrakech shows what that last day involves.