3-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour

Overview

The classic Sahara trip from Marrakech, done properly. We pick you up at your riad and cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, stop at the fortified village of Aït Benhaddou, and spend the first night in the Dades valley.

Day two follows the road of a thousand kasbahs through the Todra gorge to Merzouga, where camels are waiting to take you into the dunes for sunset and a night at camp. On day three, after sunrise on the dunes, we drive you back to Marrakech.

Highlights

• Tizi n'Tichka pass, 2,260 m over the High Atlas
• Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site
• Dades valley and the Todra gorge
• Sunset camel trek into Erg Chebbi
• A night in our desert camp

The route

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• Marrakech: Pick-up from your riad or hotel around 7:30.
• Tizi n'Tichka: The highest road pass in the High Atlas, 2,260 m.
• Aït Benhaddou: Earthen ksar and UNESCO site; lunch nearby.
• Dades valley: Night 1 in a kasbah guesthouse.
• Todra gorge: Walk between 300 m high rock walls.
• Merzouga: Sunset camel trek and night 2 in camp.

Day by day

1. Day 1: Marrakech to Dades valley

   Leave Marrakech around 7:30 and climb into the High Atlas through Berber villages to the Tizi n'Tichka pass. Visit Aït Benhaddou with a local guide, have lunch, then continue past Ouarzazate and the oasis of Skoura to the Dades valley for dinner and the night.

2. Day 2: Todra gorge to the dunes

   Drive up into the Dades gorge for the famous switchbacks, then on to Tinghir and the Todra gorge, where you walk between towering rock walls. In the afternoon cross the desert plains via Erfoud to Merzouga. Ride a camel into Erg Chebbi for sunset, then dinner, music and a night at camp.

3. Day 3: Sunrise and back to Marrakech

   Sunrise from a dune, breakfast, and camel ride back to Merzouga for a shower. The drive back to Marrakech takes most of the day, with stops for lunch and photos, arriving in the evening.

Is three days enough from Marrakech?

Merzouga is about 560 kilometres from Marrakech, on the far side of the High Atlas. Three days is the shortest trip we think is worth doing: it gives you two full driving days with a night in the Dades valley on the way, a sunset and sunrise in the dunes, and a long but beautiful drive home.

If you can spare a fourth day, the 4-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech spreads the driving out and adds a relaxed day around Erg Chebbi. But if three days is what you have, this tour shows you the High Atlas, the kasbahs, two great gorges and the biggest dunes in Morocco, and it's the trip most of our guests from Marrakech choose.

Day 1 in detail: the High Atlas and Aït Benhaddou

We pick you up at your riad around 7:30. The road leaves the palm groves of Marrakech and climbs into the High Atlas through Berber villages, walnut trees and terraced fields. After about two hours you reach the Tizi n'Tichka, at 2,260 metres the highest road pass in Morocco, with views back over the mountains.

On the southern side the landscape turns dry and red. At Aït Benhaddou, a fortified village of earthen houses listed by UNESCO and used as a set for many films, a local guide walks you up through the lanes to the old granary at the top. After lunch you continue through Ouarzazate and past the Skoura palm grove and the Valley of Roses to the Dades valley, where you spend the night in a family-run hotel or kasbah.

Day 2: the gorges and the dunes

In the morning you drive up the Dades gorge to see the famous switchback road climbing the cliff, then cross to Tinghir and the Todra gorge. Here the canyon narrows to a few metres between walls about 300 metres high, and you walk along the clear stream at the bottom. Rock climbers often hang from the cliffs above.

The road then crosses the open desert to Erfoud and Rissani. In the late afternoon the dunes of Erg Chebbi appear on the horizon, glowing orange. At the edge of the sand your camels are waiting: you ride into the dunes for the sunset and on to our camp for dinner, drums and the stars.

Day 3: sunrise and the road home

We wake you before dawn to climb a dune for the sunrise. After breakfast at camp you ride back to Merzouga, where you can take a shower and pack before the drive. The road back to Marrakech is long, about nine to ten hours with stops, but varied: the oasis towns, the Draa or Dades valley, Ouarzazate and the High Atlas again, with stops for lunch and photos.

You arrive in Marrakech in the evening, usually between 19:00 and 21:00 depending on the season and the stops. If your onward flight is early the next day, that's fine; if your flight is on day 3 itself, this tour is too tight, and we'll suggest another plan.

Your driver and vehicle

The whole tour is private, with your own air-conditioned vehicle and an experienced driver who knows the Atlas roads and speaks English or French. He is also your local guide on the road: ask him to stop for photos, for a mint tea in a village, or at an argan oil cooperative, and he'll arrange it.

For small groups we use a comfortable 4x4 or minivan; for larger families or groups, a bigger minivan. Car seats for young children are available on request.

Where you stay

• Night 1: a family-run hotel or kasbah in the Dades valley, with a private bathroom, dinner and breakfast
• Night 2: our desert camp in Erg Chebbi, in a standard Berber tent or a luxury tent with a private bathroom
• Upgrades: a boutique kasbah in the Dades valley, a luxury tent, or a private dinner at camp

Lunches and drinks are not included, so you can choose where and what you eat. Your driver will suggest good local restaurants along the way.

Ways to change the tour

Every part of this tour can be adjusted. You can end in Fes instead of Marrakech (see our 3-Day Marrakech to Fes via the Sahara), add a second night in the dunes, start from Ouarzazate, or replace the camp night with a riad in Merzouga if you prefer a hotel.

If you're travelling with young children or simply hate long drives, we strongly recommend the 4-day or 5-day version instead. Send us your dates and we'll suggest the right length.

Best time of year for this tour

Spring (March to May) and autumn (October and November) are ideal: comfortable temperatures in the mountains and the desert, green valleys in spring and golden palm groves in autumn. In winter the High Atlas can be snowy and the desert nights cold, but the light is beautiful and the roads are quiet. In summer the vehicle is air-conditioned, we stop in the shade at midday, and the camel trek starts late in the afternoon.

Around Easter, Christmas and New Year the camp is busy and luxury tents fill quickly, so book early for those dates.

Where you'll sleep in the desert

Your night in the dunes is at our own family camp in Erg Chebbi, about an hour by camel from Merzouga. Every group has its own tent.

Best time to go

Spring (March to May) and autumn (October and November) are ideal for the road trip: the passes are clear, the valleys are green or golden and desert nights are mild. In winter, snow can close the Tizi n'Tichka pass or the Middle Atlas for a few hours, and we adapt the route. In summer the vehicle is air-conditioned and we plan stops around the hottest hours.

Photos

Questions about this tour