Fez to Marrakech: Sahara Camel Ride & Todra Gorge 3-Day Trip

4.88

(149 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first sound I remember was the crunch of gravel under our van tires as we left Fez behind—still a little sleepy, but the air already smelled different. Our driver, Youssef, pointed out how the hills changed color as we climbed towards Ifrane. He laughed when I called it “the Switzerland of Morocco”—it really does look that way for a minute, all pine trees and tidy streets. We stopped for coffee and watched locals greet each other with quick cheek kisses. The cedar woods were next; I didn’t expect to see monkeys just hanging around, but there they were—Barbary apes, bold and curious. One tried to grab an apple from my bag (I lost).

The real shift hit somewhere near Merzouga—the sky started turning gold, and sand crept into everything. It’s hard to explain how quiet it feels out there until you’re on a camel, rocking gently across the Erg Chebbi dunes. My legs went numb after twenty minutes but I didn’t care; the light was unreal and our Berber guide, Hassan, sang softly while leading us to camp. Dinner tasted smoky and sweet at once—tagine cooked over coals—and the stars looked close enough to touch. I still think about that night sometimes when city noise gets too much.

The next morning felt like waking up inside a postcard: orange sand everywhere, silence except for distant voices. On the road again toward Todra Gorge, we stopped for mint tea with a family who waved us in without fuss. Walking through the gorge itself was cool—literally cool, like stepping into a stone refrigerator after all that sun. The walls rise up so high you have to lean back just to see the sky. I tried skipping stones in the river but missed every time; some local kids did it better and cheered me on anyway.

We passed Ouarzazate (movie studios everywhere) before reaching Ait Ben Haddou—those mudbrick kasbahs look like they’ve been waiting centuries for someone to walk through their doors. You can hire a guide there if you want; I just wandered by myself for a bit, letting my hands brush against old walls still warm from the afternoon sun. By the time we reached Marrakech it felt like weeks had gone by instead of three days—so yeah, this trip is packed but somehow never rushed.