Fez Desert Tour Review (2 Days): My 2025 Experience
So, you’re thinking about a quick desert trip from Fez, right? Well, the idea of a 2-day, 1-night tour is pretty tempting, I mean, it gets you to the famous Erg Chebbi dunes and back in a flash. Honestly, I had the very same thought and just went on the 2025 version of this whirlwind trip. The biggest question you should probably ask yourself is whether seeing those incredible orange dunes is worth what is basically two full days spent in a minivan. That’s sort of the main thing to know from the get-go. This is less a leisurely exploration and really more of a mission to see the Sahara. It’s definitely an adventure, you know, but it’s a very specific kind of adventure that works for some people and really, really doesn’t for others. Let’s get into what it’s actually like.
Day 1: The Long and Winding Road from Fez
The first day is, basically, all about the drive, and you really need to be prepared for that. You know, you see all the beautiful pictures of the desert camp and the camels, but you don’t always see the many, many hours it takes to get there. It’s an incredibly scenic drive, for instance, with landscapes that change dramatically every couple of hours. As I was saying, you start in Fez, with its own unique feel, and by the end of the day, you’re in a place that looks like a different planet. So, in a way, the drive is part of the experience, but it is a very, very long part.
The Early Morning Start and Ifrane Stop
Anyway, our day started seriously early, like 7 AM sharp, with a pickup just outside the walls of the old medina. It’s actually a bit surreal leaving the quiet, sleeping city and hopping into a modern minivan, you know? The air was still a little cool as we started climbing into the Middle Atlas mountains, which was honestly a nice change from the city heat. Our first official stop was this town called Ifrane, and it’s pretty much famous for looking like a Swiss mountain village plonked right in the middle of North Africa. We stopped for a quick coffee and a picture with the stone lion statue, which is basically the main attraction there. To be honest, this little detour felt sort of random but was a decent chance to stretch our legs before the next long stretch of road.
Through the Cedar Forests of Azrou
After Ifrane, the road takes you, like, directly into these big cedar forests near a town called Azrou. As a matter of fact, the main reason tour vans stop here is to see the wild Barbary macaques that live in the woods. Obviously, seeing monkeys is pretty cool, and they are definitely not shy at all. Our driver had some nuts for them, and they came right up to the van, which made for some great photos. In some respects, it’s a classic tourist stop, but it does break up the drive in a nice way. You just get to stand in the forest for a bit, smell the cedar in the air, and watch the monkeys go about their business, which is actually a fairly relaxing experience before you get back in the van for another few hours.
Lunch in Midelt and Crossing the Ziz Valley
So, lunch happened in a town called Midelt, which is pretty much the halfway point between Fez and the desert. By this time, you’re definitely ready for a break from the car. The lunch spot was clearly a place that handles a lot of tour groups, you know, offering a straightforward menu of grilled meats or a tagine. The landscape after Midelt is where things really start to change dramatically, as the green mountains give way to these very stark, reddish-brown rocky plains. And then, you know, you get your first really jaw-dropping view at the Ziz Valley overlook. It’s this massive canyon filled with what seems like millions of palm trees, which is your first real hint that you’re getting close to the oasis regions of the Sahara, and it’s a pretty amazing sight to see after all that rock and dust. Still, this is a seriously long part of the drive and you definitely feel it.
Arriving in the Sahara: The Merzouga Experience
That feeling when the van finally pulls off the main road onto a dusty track at the edge of Merzouga is, honestly, just pure relief. You can see the Erg Chebbi dunes rising up in the distance, and they look almost exactly like the pictures, you know? It’s kind of incredible that they are so golden and just appear out of nowhere. This is the part of the trip that everybody is actually waiting for. It’s the transition from being a passenger in a van to really starting the desert part of the adventure. You’re tired, you’re a bit dusty, but seeing those massive sand dunes wakes you up a little bit.
Swapping the Minivan for a Camel
Okay, so right at the edge of the desert, there’s usually a small auberge or guesthouse where the tour groups reorganize. This is where you basically leave your big suitcase and just pack a small overnight bag for the desert camp. So, a key tip is to have that little bag ready to go. Then it’s time to meet your camel, which is a really fun and slightly awkward experience. Getting on one of these animals is sort of a lurching motion, but the local guides are pretty good at helping everyone. The ride itself is… well, it’s not exactly comfortable, let’s be honest. It’s a very bumpy and swaying kind of ride, but you are literally riding a camel into the Sahara as the sun starts to set, and it’s almost impossible not to smile about how completely amazing the whole situation is.
Sunset over Erg Chebbi and the Desert Camp
The camel train typically stops after about 45 minutes to an hour, and then you get off to climb up one of the big dunes to watch the sunset. This part is just… completely stunning. You’re surrounded by nothing but sand, and watching the colors of the sky change from blue to orange and pink over the dunes is something you really won’t forget. The silence is probably the most incredible part; once the camels have settled, you just hear the wind, you know? After the sun dips below the horizon, you ride the last little stretch to the desert camp. The one I stayed at had a central courtyard area with a fire pit, a big tent for dinner, and then a ring of smaller sleeping tents. It was actually a more comfortable setup than I expected, to be honest.
A Night Under a Million Stars
You know, the part of the trip after the sun goes down is just as memorable as the sunset itself, maybe even more so. The desert completely transforms at night. The temperature drops quite a bit, so you’ll want to have a jacket or a sweater handy. And the quiet is just something else. It’s a kind of deep silence that you really don’t get to experience in the modern world very often. Basically, the whole atmosphere changes from this bright, hot, adventurous place to a really calm and almost meditative one.
Dinner, Music, and Stargazing
Dinner was served in the main tent, and it was a surprisingly good chicken tagine with lots of bread and salad. It’s really impressive what the cooks can make out in the middle of nowhere, actually. After dinner, we all gathered around the campfire, and the Berber guides brought out their drums. They played traditional music and sang songs, and the mood was very friendly and relaxed. But the absolute main event of the night is, without a doubt, the sky. I mean, with zero light pollution, the number of stars you can see is just mind-blowing. The Milky Way is so clear it looks like a cloud, and you can just lay back on the sand and stare up at it for hours. It’s one of those moments that really makes the whole long drive feel completely and utterly worth it.
Day 2: Sunrise and the Long Journey Back
The second day starts just as early as the first, if not a little bit earlier. But, you know, it’s for a very good reason. You came all this way, so you absolutely do not want to miss the sunrise over the dunes. It’s basically the bookend to the sunset experience from the night before. Honestly, getting out of your relatively warm bed when it’s still dark and chilly outside is a bit of a struggle, but it’s one you just have to push through. The payoff is definitely worth a few minutes of feeling cold. This part of the tour is a bit rushed, basically, because you need to get back on the road for that long drive back to Fez.
An Early Wake-up for a Desert Sunrise
So, one of the guides will gently wake everyone up while it’s still pitch black outside. You stumble out of your tent, grab a quick cup of tea, and then climb back up a big dune in the semi-darkness. It’s pretty magical watching the sky slowly lighten, you know, from black to a deep indigo and then a pale blue. The moment the first sliver of sun appears over the horizon, it just bathes the tops of all the dunes in this incredible golden light, creating these long, sharp shadows across the sand. After soaking it all in, it’s back down to the camp for a simple breakfast of bread, jam, and coffee, and then it’s time to get ready to leave. You definitely feel like you’re on a tight schedule here, which is sort of a shame.
The Return Trip: Is It Just Driving?
Okay, let’s be completely honest: the return trip is pretty much just driving. You mount your camel for the last time and ride back to the auberge where your driver and the minivan are waiting. You might get a chance for a quick shower there, which is a really great feeling. And then, well, you get back in the van and do the entire 8- or 9-hour drive all over again in reverse. The stops are quicker on the way back, usually just for lunch and a bathroom break. You basically just watch the scenery go by in reverse, from desert to rocky plains to cedar forests. It’s a very long and pretty tiring day, and you’ll likely just be looking forward to getting back to your riad in Fez by the time you arrive in the late evening.
So, Is the 2-Day Fez Desert Tour Really Worth It?
At the end of the day, that’s the big question, right? You’re trading a lot of time in a vehicle for a very short, but very intense, taste of the Sahara. For some people, that trade-off is absolutely fine. For others, it’s going to feel like way too much driving for too little reward. It honestly just depends on what your priorities are for your trip to Morocco. There’s no single right answer, you know? You have to weigh the pros against the cons for your own travel style. I really think it’s a great option for some, and a really bad idea for others.
The Honest Pros and Cons
So, let’s break it down pretty simply. The good parts are really good. You know, you get to see the spectacular Erg Chebbi dunes, which is a major bucket-list item for a lot of people visiting Morocco. You actually get to ride a camel and sleep in a desert camp, and the stargazing is just out of this world. On the other hand, the biggest con is obviously the drive. We’re talking about almost 20 hours in a van over two days, which is honestly exhausting. Because it’s so rushed, you don’t really get any time to just relax and absorb the desert atmosphere; it’s basically go, go, go from the moment you leave Fez. More or less, it’s a massive time commitment for an overnight stay.
“You are trading nearly 20 hours of driving for about 16 hours in the actual desert. You have to decide if that math works for you.”
- Pro: You see the Sahara on a very tight schedule.
- Con: An enormous amount of time is spent driving.
- Pro: It’s a cost-effective way to get the desert experience.
- Con: The schedule is extremely rushed and can feel hectic.
- Pro: The sunset, sunrise, and stargazing are genuinely unforgettable.
- Con: You are very, very tired by the time you get back to Fez.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Take This Tour?
This tour is pretty much perfect for a specific type of traveler. If you are really pressed for time on your Morocco trip but seeing the Sahara is an absolute must-do for you, then this is basically your best bet. It’s also good for budget travelers since it packs a lot in for a relatively low price, you know? And if you genuinely don’t mind long car rides and can sleep in a moving vehicle, then you’ll probably be fine. However, I would honestly say that you should probably skip this tour if you’re traveling with young kids, as the long drive would be really tough for them. And if you get motion sickness, this is kind of your worst nightmare. As I was saying, if you have three or more days available, the 3-day tour is a much more relaxed and enjoyable option, as it breaks up the driving and gives you more time at your destinations.
