Fez to Merzouga: 2 or 3 Days, the Route, and Merzouga or Zagora

The route

I drive this road every week. We leave Fez through the cedar forest of the Middle Atlas, with a coffee stop in Ifrane and the Barbary macaques near Azrou, then cross the high plateau to Midelt for lunch. In the afternoon we follow the palm groves of the Ziz Valley down to Erfoud and reach the dunes of Erg Chebbi in time for the camel ride at sunset. There is no train to the desert.

Two days or three?

A two day trip is possible, but it means a long day in the car each way and only one evening in the dunes. With three days and two nights you have time for the Todra Gorge, the Dades Valley or the music of the Gnawa village of Khamlia, and you see the dunes at both sunset and sunrise. That is the trip I recommend.

Stops along the way

Stop	Why it is worth it
Ifrane	The Alpine style town of the Middle Atlas
Azrou cedar forest	Barbary macaques among ancient cedars
Midelt	Apple orchards and lunch below the Ayachi mountains
Tunnel du Legionnaire	A rock tunnel at the entrance of the Ziz gorges
Ziz Valley	One of the longest palm valleys in Morocco, with old ksour
Meski Blue Spring	A spring fed pool among palms
Erfoud	Fossil workshops, trilobites and ammonites
Rissani	The old Tafilalet market town, cradle of the Alaouite dynasty

Erg Chebbi in numbers

Erg Chebbi is a sea of dunes about 28 kilometres long and up to 7 kilometres wide, with the highest dunes rising about 150 metres above the plain. The sand shifts colour from gold in the day to orange and red at sunset. On the edge of the dunes is the seasonal lake of Dayet Srji, which can hold flamingos after a wet winter, and the village of Khamlia, where the descendants of West African families play Gnawa music.

A night in the camp

• The camel ride to the camp takes about one hour, timed for sunset.
• Luxury camps have private tents with beds, bathrooms and electricity.
• Dinner is usually a tagine or couscous, with Amazigh music around the fire after.
• Without city light, the stars are extraordinary, and the Milky Way is easy to see on a clear night.
• Wake early for sunrise from the top of a dune.

Merzouga or Zagora

Many tours sold as Zagora go to stony desert near the town. The real dunes in that region are at Erg Chigaga, far beyond M Hamid. For high golden dunes within reach of Fez, Merzouga and Erg Chebbi are the right choice.

Camps and prices

I work with camps I know well, from comfortable traditional tents to luxury camps with private bathrooms, heated tents and dinner under the stars. The price depends on the camp, the number of days and the size of your group. See our desert tours from Fez and ask me for a quote.

Related

When to go and what to pack: best time for the Sahara. Combine with Majestic Morocco.