6-Day Marrakech, Sahara & Fes Loop TourDesert and Imperial Fes, There and Back
6 days / 5 nights·Max 10
About this journey
Six days is enough for the Atlas-to-Sahara-to-Fes arc if you don't want to arrange a one-way flight home from Fes — this version loops back to Marrakech instead, on a different road each way. You get one night in Fes rather than two, which is the trade-off for simpler logistics. The outbound route matches our longer tours: Tichka Pass, Ait Benhaddou, a night at a Sahara bivouac camp, then north through the Middle Atlas to Fes. The return is where this tour differs — instead of retracing the route, you cross back through Azrou and Khenifra, market towns most visitors never see, with an overnight stop in Beni Mellal roughly halfway. This suits travellers who want the full regional spread — mountains, desert, imperial north — but are flying in and out of Marrakech and don't want a domestic connection from Fes. It moves at a faster clip than our 9-day version; Fes gets a condensed half-day rather than two full days. If Fes is a major draw for you specifically, our 7-day one-way crossing gives it two full days plus a Meknes and Volubilis day trip. This tour is built for people who want a genuine taste of everything without adding a flight.
- Full loop back to Marrakech — no one-way flight to arrange
- Night in a Sahara bivouac camp at Erg Chebbi with sunset camel trek
- Condensed half-day highlights tour of the Fes medina
- Return route through Azrou and Khenifra — different road, real market towns
- Small group capped at 10 for all 6 days
Day by day
The loop starts over the Tichka Pass, the highest year-round mountain road in Morocco, with a viewpoint stop over Berber villages built into the hillside. Ait Benhaddou, the UNESCO kasbah from Gladiator and Game of Thrones, is walked before the afternoon coach groups arrive. Overnight in Ouarzazate.
- Tichka Pass
- Ait Benhaddou UNESCO ksar
- Overnight Ouarzazate
A rose-water cooperative stop breaks up the Dadès Valley drive, then a walk into the Dadès Gorge itself. You arrive in Merzouga as the dunes turn gold, with the camel trek to the bivouac camp timed for roughly 90 minutes before sunset.
- Dadès Valley rose cooperative
- Dadès Gorge walk
- Sunset camel trek to bivouac
Sunrise from the dunes, then camels back to the vehicle by mid-morning for the longest driving day of the trip — north through the Ziz Valley and the Middle Atlas cedar forests near Ifrane, where Barbary macaques often gather roadside. It's a full travel day, broken into stops, arriving in Fes by evening.
- Sunrise from the dunes
- Ziz Valley and Ifrane cedar forest
- Arrival in Fes
A condensed half-day walking tour covers Fes el-Bali's essentials — the Chouara tanneries viewpoint, the Al Quaraouiyine exterior, and a walk through the souks — with a local Fes guide. After lunch, you head back south through Azrou and Khenifra, Middle Atlas market towns most visitors never see, overnighting in Beni Mellal roughly halfway back to Marrakech.
- Chouara Tanneries viewpoint (half-day version)
- Azrou and Khenifra market towns
- Overnight Beni Mellal
A shorter final drive back into Marrakech, arriving by early afternoon. The rest of the day is free — a hammam, a last walk through the souks, or resting before the group's final dinner together.
- Short final drive
- Free afternoon in Marrakech
- Final group dinner
The tour ends after breakfast. Airport transfers are arranged around your actual departure time.
- Flexible airport transfer
Inclusions & exclusions
What’s included
- 5 nights accommodation (1 kasbah guesthouse, 1 desert bivouac, 1 Fes riad, 1 Beni Mellal hotel, 1 Marrakech riad)
- All transport in an air-conditioned minivan (max 10 seats)
- Licensed English-speaking guide for the full 6 days
- Camel trek to and from the bivouac camp
- 5 breakfasts, 4 dinners
- Entry fee at Ait Benhaddou
Not included
- International flights
- Lunches (budget $8–$14/day)
- Personal travel insurance (required)
- Tips for guide and driver
- Alcohol and personal purchases
Choose your style
Small-Group Tour
- Max 10 travellers
- Full loop back to Marrakech
- 5 nights accommodation included
- English-speaking guide throughout
- Private minivan transport
What travelers say
“We didn't want to deal with a domestic flight from Fes, and this solved it perfectly — full loop, same airport both ends.”
“Fes was shorter than I'd have liked but the guide packed the half-day well — tanneries, the university, and enough of the souks to get the feel of it.”
“The road back through Khenifra was a genuine surprise — real Morocco, not a single other tour bus in sight.”
Why choose AZA Morocco Tours
- Local expert guides — born and raised in Morocco
- Small groups capped at 10 people maximum
- All-inclusive pricing — no hidden fees
- Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure
- Weekly departures year-round (except desert tours Jul–Aug)
- Verified reviews on TripAdvisor
Questions about this tour
So you don't need to arrange a domestic flight or long train ride back — you fly in and out of the same airport. The trade-off is one night in Fes instead of two.
The 7-day tour is one-way to Fes with two full days there and a Meknes/Volubilis day trip. This 6-day loop condenses Fes into a half-day and returns you to Marrakech instead.
It's the longest single day of the trip — around 7–8 hours including stops — but it's the only day like this, and it's broken up at the Ziz Valley and Ifrane cedar forest.
February to May and September to December, avoiding peak Sahara heat in summer.
Yes — solo travellers are common on this route, and the single supplement is modest.
No — those are covered on our 7-day and 9-day versions, which have time for a dedicated day trip. This 6-day loop focuses on Fes itself given the shorter timeframe.
As a guideline, $8 per traveller per day for the guide and $5 per day for the driver, given directly at the end of the tour.