Overview
Four days is what you book when you do not want the desert to be a sprint. The route is the same as our shorter Sahara journeys, but with the pressure taken out of it: more nights in the dunes, more unscheduled hours, and time for the places along the way that the two and three-day trips have to drive past.
Why the extra day changes things
On a two-day trip the desert is a destination. On four days it becomes a place you briefly live in. You get a second and third evening to watch the colour change on the sand, mornings with nothing booked, the chance to walk out alone at midday when everyone else is asleep, and enough nights for your eyes to properly adjust to a sky with no light pollution in it. Travelers tell us the fourth day is when they stop taking photographs and start just sitting there.
Along the route
The drive south crosses the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and the cedar forests of Azrou, over the plateau to Midelt, and down the Tizi n Talghemt pass into the Ziz Valley with its hundred-kilometre river of date palms between red cliffs. With four days there is time to stop properly: the fossil workshops at Erfoud, where 400-million-year-old marine creatures are cut and polished out of black Devonian limestone, the ksour and irrigation channels of the Tafilalt oasis, the old trading town of Rissani and its market, and Khamlia, where Gnawa musicians play the rhythms their sub-Saharan ancestors brought north.
In the dunes
Erg Chebbi runs 28 km north to south with crests around 150 metres, and with this much time you can cross a good part of it: long camel treks at sunrise and sunset, walks to a nomad family tent, a palm oasis, sandboarding down the high faces if you want it, and evenings of tagine, drums and storytelling around the fire. Nights are spent in traditional camps with real beds and heavy blankets, in standard or luxury configuration.
Build it your way
Four days also gives us room to shape the trip to you. Some travelers add the Dades or Todra gorges on the return, others finish in Marrakech or Ouarzazate instead of coming back to Fez, and others simply want three unhurried nights in the sand and nothing scheduled at all. Tell us what matters to you and we will write the itinerary around it and confirm the total in writing.
Highlights
- Three nights in the Sahara, with unscheduled time in the dunes
- Long camel treks at sunrise and sunset across Erg Chebbi
- The fossil workshops of Erfoud and 400-million-year-old marine stone
- Rissani market and the ksour and palm groves of the Tafilalt oasis
- Khamlia and its Gnawa musicians
- The Ziz Valley gorges, Tizi n Talghemt pass and the cedar forests of Azrou
- A flexible route: add the gorges, or finish in Marrakech instead of Fez
Itinerary
- 07:00 - Departure
Pickup in Fez, up through Ifrane and the cedar forests of Azrou with viewpoint stops.
- 12:30 - Midelt and the Ziz
Lunch below Jebel Ayachi, then the pass and the Ziz Valley gorges.
- 17:00 - First camel trek
Ride into Erg Chebbi for sunset, then dinner and music at camp.
- 05:30 - Sunrise
Dawn on the dunes, breakfast, then a long morning trek deeper into the erg.
- 14:00 - Oasis and nomads
A palm oasis and tea at a nomad family tent, with time to walk or rest.
- 19:30 - Evening
A second sunset, dinner, drums and stargazing.
- 09:00 - Erfoud and Rissani
The fossil workshops, the Tafilalt ksour and the Rissani market.
- 15:00 - Khamlia
Gnawa music and tea, then back to the dunes for sunset and your third night.
- 06:00 - Last sunrise
A final sunrise camel ride and breakfast at camp.
- 09:00 - North
The drive back through the Ziz Valley and the Atlas with photo stops.
- 19:00 - Arrival
Back in Fez in the evening, or onward to Marrakech or Ouarzazate on request.
What's included
- Private air-conditioned transport from Fez for the whole route
- Experienced Amazigh (Berber) driver and guide
- Camel trekking into Erg Chebbi at sunrise and sunset
- Three nights in traditional desert camps with beds and blankets
- All breakfasts and dinners at camp
- Visits to Erfoud, Rissani, the oasis and Khamlia
- Hotel or riad pickup and drop-off in Fez
- All fuel, tolls and parking
- Lunches and drinks
- Sandboarding, quad biking and other optional activities
- Entrance fees where applicable
- Tips for guide, driver and camp staff
- Personal purchases
Good to know
Is the price per person?
Yes, from $260 per person. Your total for the group is confirmed in writing before you book.
How is this different from the three-day trip?
An extra night in the dunes and a whole day with nothing scheduled, plus Erfoud, Rissani and the Tafilalt oasis, which the shorter trips have to drive past.
Can we finish in Marrakech instead of Fez?
Yes, and many travelers do. A one-way version through the Dades or Todra gorges to Marrakech or Ouarzazate works very well. Ask us for a quote.
Can we add the Dades and Todra gorges?
Yes, on the return leg. Tell us when you send your request and we will reshape the itinerary.
Do I have to ride a camel every day?
Not at all. Take the treks you want and skip the rest, or use a 4x4 to reach camp. Nothing is compulsory on a four-day trip.
What should I pack?
Layers, a scarf for the wind, sunglasses, sunscreen, a torch, a power bank and closed shoes. Leave your main luggage at your Fez hotel and bring a soft overnight bag.
Is it suitable for families?
Yes, and the slower pace suits children and older travelers better than the two-day version. Tell us ages and we will adjust the trekking.
Do I pay online?
No. Send a request, receive your confirmed price, then pay as agreed.
