Fes to Merzouga by Car: the Desert Road Stage by Stage

In brief

The classic route follows the N8 national road to Azrou, then the N13 south: Midelt, Errachidia, Erfoud, Rissani and finally Merzouga. There is no motorway and no toll, and the road is in good condition, with winding mountain sections and long straights across the high plateaus.

The stages from Fes to Merzouga

Section	Distance	Time	Highlights
Fes → Ifrane → Azrou	≈ 85 km	≈ 1 h 30	Imouzzer Kandar, Ifrane, cedar forest and Barbary macaques
Azrou → Zad pass → Midelt	≈ 125 km	≈ 1 h 45	Cedar forests, Timahdite, the Arid plateau, Midelt apple orchards
Midelt → Ziz gorges → Errachidia	≈ 130 km	≈ 1 h 45	Tizi n’Talghomt, the Legionnaire’s Tunnel, the gorges and the Hassan Addakhil dam
Errachidia → Erfoud	≈ 75 km	≈ 1 h	Ziz palm grove, adobe ksour, Meski blue spring
Erfoud → Rissani → Merzouga	≈ 55 km	≈ 50 min	Erfoud fossils, Rissani souk, first dunes

The route section by section

Fes – Azrou: climbing into the Middle Atlas

The first hour and a half is familiar to all our customers: the airport road, the climb to Imouzzer Kandar, Ifrane and its chalets, then Azrou. This is the moment for a first stop in the cedar forest to see the Barbary macaques, described in our Fes – Ifrane guide. Fill up in Azrou if you have not already done so.

Azrou – Midelt: the Zad pass and the high plateaus

After Azrou, the road heads deep into the forest and then crosses the Zad pass at 2,178 metres: in winter it can be snowbound, and it is the only truly exposed section. Then come the high plateaus, Timahdite and long straights all the way to Midelt, the apple capital at the foot of Jbel Ayachi.

Midelt – Errachidia: the Ziz gorges

The landscape changes colour: after the Tizi n’Talghomt pass and the Legionnaire’s Tunnel, the road drops into the ochre-walled Ziz gorges, runs alongside the Hassan Addakhil dam and comes out at Errachidia, a staging town with hotels, banks and petrol stations.

Errachidia – Erfoud – Merzouga: the palm grove and the Tafilalet

A stop at the Meski blue spring, then the road follows the Ziz palm grove, one of the longest in Morocco, to Erfoud, known for its fossils. Rissani, the former capital of the Tafilalet, is worth a detour for its souk and its ksour. The dunes of Erg Chebbi finally appear on the horizon, well before Merzouga.

Where to sleep on the way

Driving Fes – Merzouga in one go is possible if you leave at dawn, but it is tiring and a shame for the scenery. The most logical stopover is Midelt, halfway along, with several hotels and guesthouses; Errachidia or the palm grove at Erfoud also work if you want to reach the dunes early in the morning. On the way back, some travellers take the road through Tinghir and the Todra gorges to reach Ouarzazate and Marrakech: tell us about your itinerary, and returning the car in another city can be looked into on quote.

Fuel, cash and phone signal

• Fuel: petrol stations in Ifrane, Azrou, Midelt, Errachidia, Erfoud and Rissani. Between Azrou and Midelt, and then between Midelt and Errachidia, stations are scarce: never let the tank drop below half.
• Cash: ATMs in Midelt, Errachidia, Erfoud and Rissani; many cafés, petrol stations and guesthouses only accept dirhams in cash.
• Mobile signal: good along the main road and in Merzouga, patchy in the gorges and on the plateaus. Download offline maps before you leave; the GPS supplied with the car does not depend on the network.
• Assistance: our 24/7 assistance can be reached all along the route on +212 673 92 14 21.

In Merzouga: dunes, desert camp, excursions

Merzouga is a village of a few hotels, guesthouses and kasbahs lined up at the foot of Erg Chebbi, whose dunes rise to around 150 metres. People come for the camel ride at sunset, a night in a desert camp under the stars, sunrise over the dunes and, for those who enjoy it, quad biking or a 4x4 outing with a local guide. Leave your rental car in your accommodation’s car park: everything that happens in the sand is organised on site, with suitable vehicles. Around Merzouga, the seasonal lake of Dayet Srji, the village of Khamlia and its Gnaoua musicians, and the kohl mines of Mifis can be visited in half a day, on tracks reserved for the operators’ 4x4s.

Which season, what times of day

Spring and autumn are ideal: 20 to 30 °C in the South, clear roads over the Zad pass. In summer, afternoon heat in the Tafilalet often exceeds 40 °C: leave Fes at dawn, drive in the morning, rest during the hottest hours and carry plenty of water. Winter brings crystal-clear skies and freezing nights in the desert; check the state of the Zad pass before setting off and drive in daylight. Whatever the season, avoid driving at night outside towns: unlit roads, animals, vehicles without lights.

2- or 3-day itinerary

1. Day 1: Fes → Ifrane → Azrou (cedar forest) → Zad pass → Midelt, night in Midelt. About 210 km.
2. Day 2: Midelt → Ziz gorges → Errachidia → Meski → Erfoud → Merzouga, arrival in the early afternoon, camels and desert camp. About 265 km.
3. Day 3: sunrise over the dunes, Khamlia or Rissani, then back to Fes (6 to 7 hours) or on to Tinghir and Ouarzazate.

Which car to rent for Merzouga

As the road is paved, a diesel city car (from 230 MAD per day, ≈ 23 €) makes the trip without any trouble and uses little fuel over long distances. For comfort over the 950 km round trip, the high driving position and the luggage space, our customers most often choose an SUV (Dacia Duster, Hyundai Tucson or Cupra Formentor, from 300 MAD per day), preferably with an automatic gearbox for the passes and the traffic in the staging towns. Unlimited mileage, full insurance and 24/7 assistance are included in all our rentals; the car can be handed over to you at Fes airport, which is already on the road south.