Fes to Merzouga New Year's Eve: Sahara Festive Tour 2026/2027
🌟 Overview
If your Morocco trip starts in Fes rather than Marrakech, you don't need to add a detour south just to spend New Year's Eve in the Sahara — the Fes route to Erg Chebbi is actually the shorter of the two, around 465km and 7-8 hours versus 9-10 hours from Marrakech. This private festive tour takes that route properly: through the Middle Atlas cedar forests at Azrou, down through Midelt and the Ziz Valley's palm groves, to a camp at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes for a full New Year's Eve program — Mechoui feast, live music, a fire show, and a midnight champagne toast under some of the darkest skies in Morocco.
This is a private tour for your group only, with a limited number of festive-night departures around December 31st each year.
Tour Highlights
- The shorter Sahara route: a genuinely different, quicker drive than the Marrakech version, through cedar forest rather than the High Atlas passes
- Azrou's Barbary macaques: a real chance to see them at the roadside in the cedar forest, not a staged stop
- Mechoui feast at midnight: whole roast lamb, slow-cooked for hours, served under the stars with a champagne toast at midnight
- Fire show and live music: fire performers and Berber/Gnawa drumming around the camp's central fire
- First sunrise of the year: climb a dune before dawn on Day 3 to watch the Sahara come to life
- Luxury heated camp: en-suite bathroom, thick blankets, hot water bottles — built for winter comfort
Itinerary
Day 1 — Fes → Ifrane → Azrou Cedar Forest → Midelt / Ziz Valley
- Pick-up from your Fes accommodation (7:30 AM)
- Drive up into the Middle Atlas through Ifrane, Morocco's alpine-style "Little Switzerland"
- Stop in the Azrou cedar forest, home to wild Barbary macaques — a genuine wildlife stop, not a photo prop
- Continue south through Midelt and into the Ziz Valley, with its palm groves and the Source Bleue de Meski spring as a photo stop
- Dinner and overnight at a guesthouse in Midelt or the Ziz Valley
Day 2 — Ziz Valley → Erfoud → Merzouga (Festive Night)
- Breakfast, then continue through the Ziz palmeries toward Erfoud
- Stop at a fossil workshop in Erfoud and choose a polished ammonite souvenir
- Arrive in Merzouga in the afternoon, transfer to the edge of Erg Chebbi
- Sunset camel trek into the dunes — the sand shifting from gold to deep red as the sun drops
🎆 New Year's Eve Program
| Time | Experience |
|---|---|
| 5:00 PM | Sunset camel trek into the dunes |
| 6:30 PM | Arrive at camp — welcome with mint tea, dates, and pastries |
| 8:30 PM | 5-course festive Mechoui dinner under the stars |
| 10:00 PM | Live Berber drumming and Gnawa music |
| 10:45 PM | Fire show performance on the dunes |
| 11:45 PM | Midnight countdown around the campfire |
| 12:00 AM | Champagne toast |
| 12:30 AM | Stargazing session |
Overnight in a luxury heated tent with en-suite bathroom, thick blankets, and hot water bottles.
Day 3 — First Sunrise of the New Year → Return to Fes
- Wake before dawn and climb a dune for the first sunrise of the year
- Celebratory New Year's breakfast at camp
- Optional sandboarding or a 4x4 dune excursion before departure
- Return drive to Fes via the Ziz Valley and Midelt, arriving in the evening
Included & Not Included
- • Private air-conditioned 4x4 or minivan with a professional multilingual driver/guide
- • 2 nights accommodation (Midelt or Ziz Valley guesthouse + luxury heated desert camp)
- • 5-course festive Mechoui dinner: harira, Moroccan salads, whole roast lamb (vegetarian tagine alternative available), pastries, fruit
- • Champagne toast at midnight
- • Fire show performance around the campfire
- • Welcome reception at camp with mint tea, dates, and pastries
- • Daily breakfast and dinners at all overnight stops
- • Sunset camel trek in the Erg Chebbi dunes (45-60 min)
- • Stop at Azrou cedar forest for Barbary macaques
- • Ziz Valley and Source Bleue de Meski photo stops
- • Fossil workshop visit in Erfoud
- • Live Berber music and drumming at camp
- • Thick blankets, hot water bottles, and a heated tent for winter comfort
- • Pick-up and drop-off at your Fes accommodation
- • Mineral water throughout the trip
- • Lunches (available for purchase en route, ~€5-10)
- • Additional alcoholic beverages beyond the midnight toast
- • Entrance fees to monuments (optional, ~€2-5 each)
- • Tips for guide and driver
- • International flights
Duration
3 Days, 2 Nights
Group Type
Private
Transportation
4×4 or Minibus
Payment Methods
PayPal
Bank Transfer (IBAN)
Only 10% deposit required
Email:
[email protected]What Our Travelers Say
Real reviews from Google and TripAdvisor
We traveled to Morocco in a group of 6 adults, including my parents, who are already seniors, in the middle of summer. For my family it was a leap of faith to trust an agency we found online for the first time, but it turned out to be a wonderful surprise. Hamid, the trip organizer, was very kind and attentive both before and throughout the whole tour. It was a fully personalized tour - we got to do everything we wanted, from visiting the Sahara to enjoying the beach. He always looked out for our comfort, especially my parents': comfortable transport, well-timed stops at places with restrooms, beautiful air-conditioned hotels, and varied, plentiful food. Thanks to his organization we were able to enjoy the trip with real peace of mind. It was a great experience we would absolutely recommend.
Last week I did a self-drive trip from Fes to Merzouga, leaving the car rental, the riad in Merzouga, the desert camp, and the guided desert activities all in the hands of MerzougaWay and Hamid, and I can only say that everything was perfectly organized, right on time. Thanks to everyone at the riad we stayed at and the desert camp, as well as the guides who joined us for the 4x4 experience, Berber culture, and the camel transfer. Thanks to Hamid and MerzougaWay for that quad-bike ride back to the riad from the camp - what an experience, riding a quad across the dunes early in the morning. If you're thinking of traveling to Merzouga, I definitely recommend Hamid as the organizer of your adventure.
Excellent!! We loved the tour. Thank you Hamid for everything. Everything well organized, the guide Eljo (Elhousain) was very attentive, highly recommend. Everything super clean, we had a great driver, we felt very safe with him. Unbeatable desert excursion. Thanks MerzougaWay!
Trustworthy tour agency. I wrote Hamid what I wanted and he just made it happen. He arranged everything so quick and smooth. We had a 3-day Merzouga tour from Marrakech. Said was our guide and he made me and my wife very comfortable. He took us from our riad and carried us in his modern 4x4 Toyota to magnificent places. He gave us the confidence to ask him whatever we wanted to do and wherever we wanted to drive - like old friends. He is open-minded and respectful. I recommend asking the agency for Said to be your driver. In the 3-day tour you cross the Atlas mountains, stay one night in a perfect hotel in Dades with great food, then stay one night in Erg Chebbi dunes in a luxury glamp camp. One night wasn't enough for a real desert experience - if you have time, take two nights in the desert.
Unforgettable holiday. An 8-day itinerant tour in Morocco, including 3 days organized by Hamid - MerzougaWay: a route from Fes to Marrakech, spending a night in the desert and in Ouarzazate. Our guide Youssef, who drove us all along the way, was very professional and took us to try real experiences that not all tourists get to see. Breathtaking landscapes - Morocco amazed and fascinated us. We drove many miles but still traveled comfortably. Absolutely recommend it - they are a highly professional agency and managed to take us to unique places, like a Berber village in the desert where we were the only tourists. A spectacular, unforgettable experience.
Morocco from the heart with MerzougaWay. Heartfelt congratulations to Hamid, who organized our trip impeccably - present, correct, and extremely helpful. A special mention for our driver Ali, who was by our side through 3 intense days toward the desert: attentive, polite, discreet, and a genuinely good, nice driver. We found snow in the Atlas range and then sun in Ait Ben Haddou, visited women's cooperatives working argan oil and roses, saw the Dades Gorges, and finally reached the Sahara dunes by camel before sleeping in a tented desert camp. 3 intense and exciting days. Next time in Morocco I'll rely on you again, inshallah!
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MerzougaWay Team
We are a passionate team of local guides dedicated to sharing the beauty and culture of our home, Morocco. Our journey began with a simple desire to offer authentic, memorable experiences that go beyond the typical tourist trails.
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