Three days takes you from Marrakech to the Sahara and back, taking in a run of amazing sites in a short time: Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, the Dades and Todra gorges, the Merzouga Sahara, the Draa Valley, and many Berber villages.
You cross the High Atlas from Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou, then run through Ouarzazate and the Roses Valley to the Dades Valley for the first night. The second day tracks through the Dades and Todra gorges to Merzouga, where you ride camels into the dunes for the sunset and spend the night in a luxury camp. The last day returns to Marrakech through Rissani, Alnif, the Draa Valley, the Anti-Atlas, and Ouarzazate, back over the Tizi n’Tichka pass.
The tour starts with an early pick-up from the airport or your accommodation in Marrakech. You drive through the High Atlas and the Tizi n’Tichka pass, with stops for the panoramas.
You then continue to the famous Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has appeared in Gladiator, The Mummy, and Game of Thrones. From there you head to Ouarzazate, the gate of the desert. Free time for lunch, then you continue to the Roses Valley, passing through the large palm grove of Skoura, and drive to Boumalne Dades for the night.
Approx. 6 hours driving · Overnight: Hotel or riad in Boumalne Dades
On the second day you drive through the Dades Valley, stopping at a viewpoint over the Dades gorges. You then continue to the Todra Gorge, a grand, red-walled canyon, with time to wander it. You drive through the palm groves of Touroug and Tinjdad, with free time for lunch on the way.
In the afternoon you reach the Sahara at Merzouga and switch to camels to cross the sand, pausing on a high dune for the sunset. You continue to the luxury camp for Berber drum music and dancing around the fire under a wide sky of stars. Dinner and overnight at the camp.
Approx. 5 hours driving · Overnight: Luxury desert camp, Merzouga
An early start lets you watch the sunrise over the desert. You return by camel or the camp’s 4×4 to Merzouga, then continue to Rissani, well known for its large ethnic souk, then on to Alnif and along the Draa Valley all the way to Ouarzazate. From there you cross the Tizi n’Tichka pass to reach Marrakech, with a drop-off at your accommodation.
Note: if the long drive back feels like too much, the tour can end at Errachidia airport, 2 hours from Merzouga (flight to Marrakech not included). To finish in Fes instead, consider the 3-day Marrakech to Fes tour.
Approx. 9 hours driving
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It is a private experience: only the travellers who make the enquiry take part, with no one else joining. Our focus is on high-quality, personalised trips, which is why we mainly run private tours.
The tent at the luxury camp is private and has a private bathroom with hot running water.
The camel ride runs from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on which camp you stay in. If you’d rather not ride, the camp has a 4×4 that carries people and luggage in and out. ATVs can also be arranged at extra cost.
Either an SUV (4×4) or a minivan, both air-conditioned. The 4×4 is a Land Cruiser Prado (up to 4 passengers); minivans are a Mercedes Vito Tourer, Ford Tourneo, or similar (up to 8 passengers). For groups larger than 8, a minibus for up to 18 can be provided.
Yes, though it involves roughly 5 to 9 hours of driving a day. The vehicles are new and comfortable and we make regular stops, but if you aren’t used to this amount of travel you may prefer a longer tour, such as our 5-day Marrakech to Merzouga.