How many days for a 4 day desert tour from Marrakech to Chefchaouen?

Four days, three nights is the sweet spot for this route — one to cross the Atlas to Merzouga, one in the Sahara, one across the Middle Atlas to Fes, then a transfer to Chefchaouen. Five days is a relaxed alternative if you'd like more time in the dunes.

What's included in this Sahara desert tour from Marrakech?

Hotel pick-up in Marrakech, a private air-conditioned 4x4 or minivan, an English-speaking driver, fuel, three nights of accommodation (kasbah, Sahara camp, Fes riad) plus the Merzouga camel trek and dinner/breakfast in the desert camp.

Do we sleep in a desert camp on this 4-day tour?

Yes — Day 2 ends with a camel ride over the Erg Chebbi dunes and a night in a private Berber-style camp with real beds, en-suite bathrooms and a starlit dinner.

Is the trip drop-off in Chefchaouen or back in Marrakech?

Drop-off is in Chefchaouen. From there many travellers continue to Tangier, Fes or Casablanca; we can arrange the onward private transfer for you on request.

4-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech via Sahara to Chefchaouen

English / French / Spanish Meet with guide 4 days

Marrakech, Morocco (46 Reviews)

4-day Marrakech to Chefchaouen tour via the Sahara desert

Overview

This 4 day desert tour from Marrakech is a private 4-day, 3-night route that links the Atlas and Rif ranges via the Dades Gorges, the Merzouga Sahara camp, Fes and the blue-and-white medina of Chefchaouen. It's the most efficient way to combine our classic 3-day Sahara desert tour from Marrakech with the Rif's blue city — request a tailor-made quote to add an extra night anywhere along the route.

Highlights

Marrakech, Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate Dades and Todra Gorges, Tinjdad Merzouga, Rissani, Ifrane and Fes Fes and Chefchaouen Private driver-guide

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1

Marrakech, Aït Benhaddou, Ouarzazate, Skoura and Dades Gorges

Explore the Sahara and northern Morocco on our 4-day tour from Marrakech with Local Morocco Tours, your private tour company. Our driver will collect you from your hotel or riad, then we cross the High Atlas Mountains. Along the way you will visit the famous parts of the Aït Benhaddou kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After the walking tour, we visit some of the film studios in Ouarzazate and a smaller kasbah, before continuing through Skoura to the Dades Valley, where you spend the night in a kasbah with dinner included. Discover Morocco in just 4 days with Local Morocco Tours, from Marrakech to Chefchaouen and everything in between.

Day 2

Dades Gorges, Todra Gorge, Tinjdad, Erfoud and Merzouga

Today we head to Tinghir and explore the nearby Todra Gorges, Morocco's largest canyon and a popular spot for rock climbers. We then spend the rest of the morning admiring the spectacular Dades Valley. After lunch, we continue our journey by visiting the fossil workshops in Erfoud, and then drive to Merzouga for a Sahara desert expedition. Camels carry you across the magnificent Erg Chebbi dunes; you enjoy a traditional Berber meal, spend the night in nomad Berber tents and stargaze from the high dunes. This is the highlight of our 4-day journey from Marrakech to Chefchaouen via the Sahara, run privately by Local Morocco Tours.

Day 3

Merzouga, Rissani, Ifrane and Fes

In Merzouga today, we get up early to catch the breathtaking sunrise over the Sahara. The camels then carry you back to the village of Merzouga for breakfast. Before continuing through Erfoud and into the Atlas Mountains, we stop at Rissani and its souk. In the Atlas, we visit Midelt, the Azrou cedar forest and the Ifrane ski resort. We then continue on to Fes, where you check in to a traditional riad for the night.

Day 4

Fes and Chefchaouen (optional onward transfer to Tangier, Casablanca, Fes or Marrakech)

Today you have a half-day guided tour of the medina in Fes, with a local guide to help you discover its great monuments. We then drive via Ouazzane up into the Rif Mountains, where you will admire the blue-and-white medina of Chefchaouen. The tour ends here. We are grateful that you chose Local Morocco Tours as your private travel adviser for Morocco. We will do everything we can to tailor a holiday that is perfect for you, your family, your friends or your group.

What's included

Transfers from/to the airport/hotels
Private transportation in a spacious, air-conditioned vehicle
Experienced local tour guide
All dinners and breakfasts
Overnight stays in hotels, riads and desert camp
Desert guide and Merzouga camel trek

Not included

Lunches and soft drinks
Admission fees and gratuities

Guide languages

English, Spanish, French, and more languages are available upon request.

Departure

We can leave whenever you choose, although we normally leave at 9 a.m.

Departing from Marrakech, ending in Chefchaouen

Four days from Marrakech to Chefchaouen via the Sahara is one of Morocco’s great diagonal routes: south to the desert, north to the blue mountains, crossing three climatic zones and 1,200 years of history in a single continuous journey. Departing Marrakech on Day 1, you cross the High Atlas via the Tizi n’Tichka and head east through Ouarzazate toward Merzouga. Arriving at the dunes of Erg Chebbi gives you a sunset camel trek and an overnight in a private camp.

Day 2 leaves the desert behind and begins the long drive north through the Ziz Valley, Midelt and the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas — a 6-hour journey to Fes, where you overnight and explore the medina. Day 3 is dedicated to Fes el-Bali: the tanneries, the medersa, the spice souk, and a walk through the labyrinth guided by a licensed local. Day 4 drives west through the Rif foothills to Chefchaouen, arriving in the blue medina by afternoon.

This itinerary works as a one-way transfer for travellers flying out of Tangier airport or taking the ferry to Spain. All accommodation (riad in Fes, desert camp, mountain guesthouse), camel trek, breakfasts, dinners and private vehicle are included. Request a quote to plan your departure.