Can I see Marrakech, Fes and the Sahara in one week?

Yes — you can see all three in a week, and lots of travellers do, but I want to be straight with you about what it involves, because the honest answer is 'doable but rushed.' The key is to run it one-way as a journey, not as a loop back to where you started. Trying to circle back to Marrakech at the end wastes a whole day; flying out of a different city is what makes the week work.

The realistic seven-day plan looks like this. Days one and two: Marrakech, giving the city its due — medina, souks, palaces, gardens, Jemaa el-Fnaa. Days three to five: the desert journey, heading over the High Atlas via Tizi n'Tichka to Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate, through the Dades and Todra gorges and palm oases, out to the Merzouga dunes for camels and a night in a desert camp under the stars, with a sunrise the next morning. Days six and seven: drive north across the Middle Atlas (cedar forests, Barbary apes) to Fes, and spend a day in its medieval medina before flying home from Fes airport.

The trade-off is real, and it's mostly about the road. This route covers serious distances — you'll have several long driving days, and the leg from the desert up to Fes is a big one. The landscapes change constantly so it's far from boring, but you won't have lazy mornings or much downtime; this is a 'see the greatest hits' week, not a relaxing one. If you're someone who hates feeling rushed, you'll be happier doing two of the three (say Marrakech and the desert) properly and saving Fes for another trip.

My recommendation: if seeing both imperial cities plus the Sahara in seven days is genuinely your priority, do it one-way Marrakech-to-Fes with a private driver so the long transfers are comfortable and flexible, and accept the pace as the price of ambition. But if you have even eight to ten days, add them — they transform this from a slightly breathless dash into a properly paced trip, with room to breathe in each place rather than just photographing it and moving on.