2-Day Desert Tour from Fes: My Honest 2025 Review

You know, there’s this idea people have about Morocco, a picture of endless golden dunes under a really massive sky. So, when I was planning my trip, the big question was, can you actually capture that feeling in just two days? Honestly, a 2-day small group desert tour from Fes seems almost too quick, right? It’s basically a marathon of driving just to spend one night in the Sahara. I was a little skeptical, to be honest. I mean, could this whirlwind trip give you that deep, genuine desert experience, or would it just be a blur seen from a minibus window? I decided to just go for it and find out for myself. This is basically how it all went down, from the very early start to that last, long drive back.

Frankly, what I was looking for wasn’t just a checkmark on a bucket list. I wanted to feel the sand, you know, and see the stars without any city lights messing up the view. The tour promised a lot: a drive through the mountains, a stop to see some monkeys, and then the main event—a camel ride at sunset to a Berber camp. It’s pretty much the classic Sahara dream package. So, I figured, let’s see if the reality holds up. We are talking about a lot of ground to cover in about 48 hours, so you kind of have to be prepared for that part of it.

The Very Early Start: Leaving Fes for the Atlas Mountains

Okay, so that 7:30 AM pickup time is, like, no joke. Waking up in the quiet medina of Fes before the city really comes to life is a strange sort of feeling. You meet your small group and driver, and there’s this shared sense of, well, slight sleepiness and excitement. The van was actually pretty comfortable, which was a relief since I knew we’d be in it for a while. As we drove away, it was actually really cool to watch the old city walls of Fes get smaller in the rearview mirror. You’re leaving one amazing part of Morocco and heading, literally, toward a completely different world.

The first part of the drive, you know, takes you straight into the Middle Atlas Mountains. The air gets noticeably crisper, and the whole view just changes completely. We made a stop in Ifrane, and honestly, it’s a bit weird. They call it “Little Switzerland,” and it’s not an exaggeration; the buildings have these pointed, alpine-style roofs that feel so out of place, in a good way. It’s almost like you took a quick detour to another continent. A little later, we stopped again in a cedar forest. And there they were: the Barbary macaque monkeys. They’re just hanging out by the road, not shy at all. Seeing them in the wild, just doing their monkey thing, was definitely a fun part of the morning. It’s one of those small, unplanned moments that really sticks with you.

Midday Break and a River of Green Palms

As a matter of fact, the landscape just kept changing pretty dramatically as we drove south. The green mountains slowly started giving way to this more rugged, earthy, reddish-brown terrain. For lunch, we stopped in a town called Midelt, which is apparently famous for its apples. The lunch itself was simple, you know, some tasty tagine at a local spot our driver recommended. It was just a good chance to stretch your legs and sort of process the morning’s drive. It’s amazing how much ground you can actually cover in just a few hours. This is the point where you really start to feel like you’re on a big adventure.

After lunch, we continued toward the Ziz Valley, and frankly, this view was one of the big surprises of the trip for me. You come around a bend, and suddenly, the whole landscape opens up beneath you. It’s this massive canyon with a snaking river of incredibly green palm trees running through it. It’s like a line of life cutting through the dry, rocky desert. We stopped at a viewpoint to take it all in, and you could just stand there for ages. The sheer number of palm trees is hard to wrap your head around. Honestly, that sight alone was almost worth the long drive. It’s a very powerful reminder of how life can just flourish in the most unexpected places.

The Golden Hour: Camel Trek to the Edge of the World

Alright, so this is the moment everyone is waiting for, right? We finally arrived in Merzouga, at the very edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes. Getting out of the van and stepping onto that soft, reddish sand is just an amazing feeling. And then you see the camels, all lined up and waiting, sort of looking at you with this lazy indifference. I’ll be honest, getting on a camel is a pretty awkward experience; it’s a jerky, lurching motion as it stands up. But once you’re up there, swaying gently with its steps, it’s just pure magic. Our guide, a local Berber man, was incredibly kind and had this quiet, calm way about him.

“The desert, you know, has its own sound. And most of the time, that sound is just pure silence.”

That really hits you during the camel ride. As we went deeper into the dunes, the only sounds were the soft padding of the camels’ feet on the sand and the occasional quiet comment from our guide. The sun started to set, and honestly, pictures just don’t do it justice. The dunes changed from a bright orange to a soft pink, and then to a deep purple. The shadows got super long, creating these beautiful, shifting patterns all around us. You really feel small out there, in the best possible way. It’s almost like you’ve been transported to a different planet.

See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now ([Reserve Your Fes Desert Tour])

One Night at the Berber Camp

So, just as it was getting dark, we saw the lights of our desert camp. It was a collection of large, sturdy tents set up in a circle in a hollow between some dunes. The camp we stayed at was kind of the “comfort” option, which meant the tents had actual beds with blankets, and there were separate, clean flushing toilets and even showers. It was way more comfortable than I was expecting, to be honest. After settling in, we all gathered in a larger tent for dinner. We had a really delicious meal—more tagine, of course, with soup and bread and fruit. Sharing a meal with the other travelers and our hosts was a really nice, communal experience.

But the real show started after dinner. We all went outside and sat around a big campfire. Our Berber hosts brought out their drums and started playing this incredible, rhythmic music. The stars out there are just something else entirely. With zero light pollution, the sky is so dark that the Milky Way looks like a thick, glowing cloud painted right across the heavens. You can see shooting stars every few minutes. Lying back on the sand, listening to the drumming, and just staring up at that huge, starry sky is a memory I think will be pretty hard to forget. It’s incredibly peaceful and just makes you feel connected to everything.

The Long Drive Back to Reality

They wake you up really early the next day, but for a very good reason. You definitely don’t want to miss the sunrise over the dunes. Climbing up a massive sand dune in the pre-dawn chill is a bit of a workout, but it’s so worth it. Watching the sun peek over the horizon and slowly light up the sea of sand is just as stunning as the sunset, but in a different, quieter way. After the sun was up, we had a quick breakfast back at the camp. Then you have a choice: you can ride the camels back to the edge of the desert or, like, take a 4×4. I chose the 4×4, just for a different perspective, and it was actually a lot of fun, kind of like a mini roller coaster ride over the smaller dunes.

And then, you know, it’s time for the long drive back to Fes. I’m not going to sugarcoat it; it’s a solid 7-8 hours in the car. It is a really, really long time to be sitting. The driver makes a few stops for breaks and lunch, but for the most part, you’re just watching Morocco’s landscapes go by in reverse. In a way, it’s a good time to just think about the whole experience. You see the rocky desert turn back into green valleys, and then back into the mountains. You arrive back in Fes in the early evening, feeling pretty tired but also, you know, completely full of these amazing new memories. Read our full review: [2-Day Desert Tour from Fes Review and Details]

Final Thoughts: Who Is This Tour Really For?

So, the big question: is the 2-day desert tour from Fes actually worth it? At the end of the day, my answer is a solid yes, but with a big asterisk. It’s pretty much all about managing your expectations. If you are extremely short on time and seeing the Sahara is an absolute must-do for you, then this tour is honestly a fantastic option. You genuinely get to experience the highlights: the sunset camel ride, the night at a camp under the stars, and the sunrise. It packs that incredible experience into a very tight schedule, and it does it pretty well.

On the other hand, if you hate long car rides, you might find this trip really challenging. The amount of driving is significant—we’re talking maybe 15-16 hours total over two days. This is definitely not a relaxed, leisurely paced tour. It’s a quick strike mission into the desert. People with more time should absolutely look into a 3 or 4-day tour. That extra time lets you break up the drive and explore more of the places you pass through, like the gorges and kasbahs. So, basically, this tour is perfect for the time-crunched adventurer who is okay with a lot of travel for a massive payoff. Just know what you’re getting into, and you will probably have an amazing time.

• Who it’s for: Travelers with a very limited schedule who have their heart set on seeing the Erg Chebbi dunes.
• Who should skip it: People who get carsick easily, dislike long drives, or are looking for a more immersive, slow-paced cultural journey.
• A small tip: Honestly, bring a neck pillow for the van ride. It will make a huge difference. And some wet wipes are always a good idea, just for feeling fresh.