3 Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga
The classic Sahara journey, done privately and at your own pace. In three days you cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, explore the mud-brick ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through the Dades and Todra gorges, and ride a camel into the towering Erg Chebbi dunes for a night under the stars.
- Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
- Starts and ends: Marrakech
- Route: Marrakech → Ait Ben Haddou → Dades Valley → Todra Gorge → Merzouga → Marrakech
- Driving: long days (6 to 9 hours) with frequent stops
- Price: on request, depends on group size and camp level
Highlights
- The Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m, the highest paved road over the Atlas
- Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed fortified village seen in Gladiator and Game of Thrones
- The Dades Valley's twisting road and rock formations known as the Monkey Fingers
- A walk between the 300 m walls of the Todra Gorge
- A sunset camel ride into Erg Chebbi, Morocco's highest sand dunes
- Dinner, drums and stargazing at a private desert camp, then sunrise from the dunes
Day by Day
Day 1: Marrakech → Tizi n'Tichka → Ait Ben Haddou → Dades Valley
Departure from your riad at 7:30. The road climbs through Berber villages and walnut groves to the Tizi n'Tichka pass, then drops into the arid south. After a guided walk through Ait Ben Haddou, you continue past Ouarzazate and the rose-growing Skoura oasis to the Dades Valley, where you spend the night in a kasbah hotel overlooking the gorge.
Day 2: Dades Valley → Todra Gorge → Merzouga
Morning drive up the Dades gorge for the famous hairpin bends, then on to Tinghir and the Todra Gorge for a walk along the river at the foot of its sheer cliffs. In the afternoon you cross the date-palm country around Erfoud and reach Merzouga at the edge of the dunes. As the heat drops, you ride camels for about 90 minutes to your camp deep in Erg Chebbi. Dinner is served in the camp, followed by music around the fire.
Day 3: Merzouga → Draa Valley → Marrakech
Wake early to climb a dune for sunrise, then ride back to Merzouga for a shower and breakfast at a hotel. The return to Marrakech is the longest drive of the trip, with stops at Alnif, the Draa Valley palm groves and Ouarzazate for lunch, before crossing the Atlas again. Arrival in Marrakech around 20:00.
Included
- Private air-conditioned 4x4 or minivan with professional driver
- 1 night in a kasbah hotel in the Dades Valley, with dinner and breakfast
- 1 night in a desert camp in Erg Chebbi, with dinner and breakfast
- Camel ride to and from the camp
- Local guide in Ait Ben Haddou
- Fuel, tolls and bottled water
Not included: lunches, entrance fees, upgrade to a luxury camp with private bathroom (available on request), tips.
Good to Know
- Three days or more? This is the fastest way to see the Sahara from Marrakech. If you prefer shorter driving days, choose a 4-day version or finish in Fes on our Marrakech to Fes desert tour.
- Camp choice: we offer standard camps with shared facilities and luxury camps with private tents, en-suite bathrooms and real beds.
- Best time: October to April. In summer, daytime desert temperatures exceed 40 °C, but nights in camp are pleasant.
- Shorter desert option: for a taste of the desert in one evening, see our Agafay desert sunset and dinner.