Fes Tours, Day Trips & the Sahara
Our Fes tours start at your riad or hotel door in the old imperial capital and take you wherever you want to go next: deeper into the medina with a licensed guide, out to the Roman ruins and holy towns nearby, or south across the Middle Atlas to the golden dunes of the Sahara. Fes is the cultural heart of Morocco, and its walled medina, Fes el-Bali, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world.
We are a local team based in Marrakech and have been organising trips around Morocco for over a decade. Most travellers choose private Morocco tours with their own driver and vehicle, which means you set the pace, stop for photos whenever you like and travel only with your own group. If none of our itineraries fits your dates, we will build a tailor-made Morocco tour around them.
Things to do in Fes before you set off
Give yourself at least one full day in the city before or after one of our Fes tours. These are the sights that most travellers remember:
- Fes el-Bali – lose yourself in thousands of lanes lined with spice stalls, bakeries, fountains and workshops, where donkeys and handcarts still carry the goods.
- The madrasas and Al Quaraouiyine – the Bou Inania and Al Attarine madrasas show some of the finest carved cedar, stucco and zellige tilework in the country, next to the Al Quaraouiyine mosque and university.
- The Chouara tannery – look down from a leather shop terrace over the stone vats where hides are dyed by hand, much as they have been for centuries.
- Fes el-Jdid and the Mellah – see the golden gates of the Royal Palace and walk through the old Jewish quarter with its wooden balconies.
- Sunset viewpoints – climb to the Merenid Tombs or the Borj Nord for a view across the whole medina as the call to prayer rings out.
- Craft workshops – watch coppersmiths, weavers and ceramic painters at work, and buy directly from the makers.
The medina is a genuine maze, so a licensed local guide for your first half-day saves time and keeps unofficial guides at a distance. We can arrange one as part of any tour.
Fes desert tour: the road to Merzouga
A Fes desert tour is the most popular way to reach the Sahara from the north. The drive to Merzouga covers about 470 km and takes 7–8 hours with stops. You climb through the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas near Ifrane and Azrou, where Barbary macaques live, cross the high plateau around Midelt and follow the palm-filled Ziz Valley down to the Erg Chebbi dunes, which rise to around 150 m.
In Merzouga you ride a camel into the dunes at sunset, spend the night in a desert camp and wake early for sunrise. From there you have two options:
Round trip back to Fes
The 3-day Fes to Merzouga desert tour returns to Fes, ideal if you are flying out of Fes or continuing north. With more time, the 4-day desert tour from Fes adds a slower pace and extra time around the dunes.
One way from Fes to Marrakech
The 3-day tour from Fes to Marrakech continues south through the Todra and Dades gorges, the Valley of Roses and Ouarzazate, then crosses the High Atlas to Marrakech. It turns a long transfer between Morocco’s two great imperial cities into a journey through the desert. Longer routes of five to eight days add nights in the gorges, kasbahs and villages along the way.
All Fes tours include pick-up from your accommodation in the city, transport in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver, and a choice of standard or luxury accommodation. For more routes into the Sahara, see all our Morocco desert tours.
Fes Tours to Book Online
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Private tour · 4 days · from Fes4-Day Desert Tour from Fes to Merzouga
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Private tour · 5 days · from Fes5-Day Sahara Desert Tour from Fes to Merzouga
Day trips from Fes
Fes makes an excellent base for short excursions. All of these work as a private day trip with your own driver, returning to your riad in the evening:
- Volubilis, Moulay Idriss and Meknes – the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco, the hilltop holy town of Moulay Idriss and the imperial city of Meknes with its monumental Bab Mansour gate. Volubilis is about 1 hour 15 minutes from Fes.
- Chefchaouen – the blue-washed town in the Rif Mountains is around 200 km away, roughly 3.5–4 hours each way. Our day trip from Fes to Chefchaouen leaves early to give you a relaxed afternoon in its lanes.
- Ifrane and the Middle Atlas – about an hour south, the alpine-style town of Ifrane and the cedar forest near Azrou make a cool escape in summer.
Best time for tours from Fes
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) bring warm days and comfortable nights, both in the city and in the desert. July and August are very hot in Fes and the Sahara, so we plan early starts and long midday breaks. From November to March the days are often sunny, but desert nights are cold, so bring a warm layer; camps provide thick blankets.
Smaller tips help too: wear comfortable shoes for the steep lanes of the medina, carry some small change, and remember that many shops in the medina close on Friday afternoons.
How booking works
All our Fes tours can be booked in a few simple steps:
- Choose a tour – each tour page shows the itinerary, what is included and live prices for your group size.
- Book online – secure your dates with a 10% deposit by PayPal or card; the balance is paid on the first day of the tour.
- Or ask for a free quote – call or WhatsApp us on +212 673 55 54 08, or email [email protected], and we will suggest a route that suits your dates.
Prefer to travel with others? Ask about our small-group shared tours. Heading on to the dunes and want to add a quad bike or an extra night in camp? Browse the Merzouga activities you can combine with your trip.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need for a desert tour from Fes?
Three days is the minimum for a comfortable trip: one long day to drive to Merzouga and sleep in a desert camp, and two days to return to Fes or continue to Marrakech. Four or five days give a more relaxed pace with time in the gorges and oases.
How many days should I spend in Fes itself?
Two days work well: one for a guided visit of the medina and one for a day trip to Volubilis and Meknes or to Chefchaouen.
How far is Fes from the Sahara Desert?
Merzouga is about 470 km from Fes, a 7–8 hour drive through the Middle Atlas and the Ziz Valley, with stops for lunch and photos along the way.
How much do Fes tours cost?
Prices depend on the length of the tour, your group size, the accommodation you choose and the season. Each tour page shows live prices and lets you book online, or we can send you a free quote.
Is it safe to take a tour from Fes?
Yes. Fes and the routes to the desert are travelled by many visitors every year. With a private driver and pick-up from your accommodation, you have local support throughout the trip.