How many days do I need for a Marrakech Sahara desert tour with Chefchaouen?

Eight days is the comfortable benchmark for combining Marrakech, the Sahara at Merzouga, Fes and Chefchaouen without rushing. Shorter loops cut Chefchaouen; longer ones add a Volubilis stop or a coastal night in Asilah.

What's included in this 8-day Marrakech Sahara desert tour?

Airport transfers, a private air-conditioned vehicle, an English-speaking driver, fuel, seven nights of accommodation in riads, kasbahs and a Sahara camp, all dinners and breakfasts, plus the Merzouga camel trek and desert dinner.

Is a luxury Sahara desert tour from Marrakech possible on this route?

Yes — we can upgrade every overnight to luxury riads in Marrakech and Fes, a 5-star kasbah in Skoura and a luxury Sahara camp in Erg Chebbi. Tell us your budget and we'll send a customised quote.

When is the best time to take this Sahara desert tour from Marrakech?

October to April delivers cool desert nights and clear Atlas views. We run the tour year-round; in July and August we leave early each morning to avoid midday heat in Merzouga.

8-Day Marrakech Sahara Desert Tour to Fes & Chefchaouen

English / French / Spanish Meet with guide 8 days

Marrakech, Morocco (35 Reviews)

8-day tour from Marrakech via Sahara desert and Chefchaouen blue city

Overview

This is our flagship Marrakech Sahara desert tour — an 8-day, 7-night private journey that combines the imperial cities, the Atlas Mountains and the dunes of Erg Chebbi. From Marrakech we cross to Aït Benhaddou and Merzouga, then loop north to Fes and the blue-and-white medina of Chefchaouen. Travellers wanting more time in the dunes often pair it with our luxury Sahara desert tour from Marrakech or request a tailor-made quote.

Highlights

Sightseeing trip in Marrakech Dades and Todra Gorges, Erfoud Merzouga, Ziz Valley and Midelt Fes medina guided tour Private driver-guide

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1

Sightseeing in Marrakech

Explore the Sahara on a tour from Marrakech with Local Morocco Tours, your private desert tour company. After a transfer from Marrakech International Airport to your riad, our guide takes you around the major sights of the city. We see the Saadian Tombs, the Majorelle Gardens and the Koutoubia minaret. We then explore the medina, including the Bahia Palace, the souks and the famous Jemaa el-Fna square. Overnight in a riad in Marrakech.

Day 3

Dades Gorges, Todra Gorge, Erfoud and Merzouga

After breakfast, we leave the Dades Valley and head to the Todra Gorges, well known among rock climbers. We then follow the historic caravan routes connecting the Middle Atlas, passing through walled villages with striking pre-Saharan architecture. The road on to Merzouga is one of the most beautiful drives in the region. In the heart of a red desert, Erfoud is famous for its black petrified marble, carved with fossil reliefs and used for ashtrays, washbasins and other pieces. On arrival in Merzouga, we ride camels into the Erg Chebbi dunes. Overnight in a Sahara desert tent.

Day 4

Merzouga, Erfoud, Ziz Valley, Midelt and Fes

We rise at 6 a.m. to watch the sunrise over the dunes, then ride the camels back to the hotel for breakfast and a shower. We then drive through the Ziz Gorges, carved into towering rock walls that hint at the rise of the High Atlas to the west. The road climbs over the Tizi n'Talghemt pass and enters Midelt, where we stop for lunch at a small restaurant. From there, the long journey into the Middle Atlas begins, passing through holm oak and ancient cedar forests — keep an eye out for the Barbary macaques in the branches. We continue on to Ifrane, a Moroccan town with tiled rooftops and a distinctly European feel, before arriving in Fes, where your driver drops you at your riad or hotel in the medina.

Day 5

Fes medina guided tour

Fes was Morocco's first imperial city and remains an important intellectual, cultural and religious hub. After breakfast, you will be taken on a guided tour of the Royal Palace gates with their famous brass doors. We then visit the Mellah — Fes's Jewish quarter — where the wealthiest houses still have wooden balconies and windows painted yellow or blue.