Berber guide leading three travellers on camels across the dunes

Private tour · 3 days

3-day Sahara desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga

A private 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, round trip from Marrakech. On day one you visit Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate on the way to the Dades Valley; on day two, the Todra Gorge and a sunset camel ride through the Erg Chebbi dunes, with a night in the desert; day three is the drive straight back to Marrakech.

Tour highlights

  • Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, with time to explore them
  • The Todra Gorge and a sunset camel ride through the dunes
  • Sunrise over the Erg Chebbi dunes

Day-by-day itinerary

  1. Day 1 · Marrakech · Ait Ben Haddou · Ouarzazate · Dades Valley

    We pick you up from your accommodation in Marrakech at around 8:00 and cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, 2,260 metres up, stopping at the viewpoints. This is the sightseeing day: Ait Ben Haddou, the earthen ksar and UNESCO World Heritage Site where Gladiator and Game of Thrones were filmed, explored on foot, and Ouarzazate, the gateway to the desert, with time to discover both and take photos. In the afternoon we continue past the Skoura palm grove and the Valley of Roses to the Dades Valley. Night in a hotel or traditional kasbah, with dinner and breakfast.

    Night: Dades Valley

  2. Day 2 · Dades Valley · Todra Gorge · Merzouga

    After breakfast we head to the Todra Gorge, a narrow canyon with walls of around 300 metres, for a walk beside the river and a look at the scenery. We continue via Tinghir and Erfoud to the Merzouga desert where, at the end of the afternoon, we ride camels through the Erg Chebbi dunes to watch the sunset (if you prefer, you can go by 4x4). Dinner and night at the desert camp.

    Night: Desert camp

  3. Day 3 · Merzouga Desert · Ouarzazate · Marrakech

    If you are up early, you can watch the sunrise over the dunes. After breakfast we head straight back to Marrakech, via Ouarzazate and over the High Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka pass. This day is just for the journey back, because the drive is long, about 560 kilometres: there is no sightseeing, only the stops needed to rest and eat. Arrival in Marrakech between 19:00 and 20:00, depending on traffic and stops. End of the 3-day Merzouga desert tour.

Winding road climbing to the Tizi n'Tichka pass through the High Atlas mountains
The ksar of Aït Ben Haddou on its hillside, with palm trees and the riverbed in the foreground
Egyptian-style sphinxes and statues on a film set at the Ouarzazate film studios
The hairpin road winding down through the Dades Gorges

What’s included

Included

  • Pick-up from your accommodation in Marrakech at around 8:00 and return
  • Private air-conditioned vehicle
  • Multilingual driver for the whole trip
  • Accommodation: 1 night in a hotel or traditional kasbah in the Dades Valley and 1 night at a desert camp in Merzouga
  • Dinner and breakfast on both nights
  • Sunset camel ride through the dunes (or a 4x4 transfer, if you prefer)

Not included

  • Lunches
  • Local guide at Ait Ben Haddou (can be hired there if you wish)
  • Monument entry fees
  • Tips

Places along the route

Tizi n’Tichka Pass

At 2,260 metres, Tizi n’Tichka is the mountain pass that carries the road across the High Atlas between Marrakech and Ouarzazate. The route winds past Berber villages, terraced fields and russet slopes, and it is well worth pausing at the top to watch the landscape change as you head south.

Aït Ben Haddou

This earthen ksar, built on a hillside above the Ounila river, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Its mud-brick houses and towers, linked by lanes climbing to an old granary, have appeared in many films. Crossing the river and walking to the top rewards you with one of the south’s most photogenic views.

Ouarzazate

Ouarzazate is the gateway to the desert: this is where the High Atlas ends and the south of oases and kasbahs begins. It is known as the Hollywood of Morocco for its film studios, where international films and series have been shot. In the town stands the Taourirt kasbah, which belonged to the Glaoui family.

Dades Valley and Gorges

The Dades Valley opens out between the High Atlas and Jebel Saghro, lined with earthen kasbahs, small fields and strikingly shaped rock formations. Further up, the road squeezes into a gorge and climbs in tight hairpin bends to a well-known viewpoint, an ideal spot to stop and take in the scale of the landscape.

Todra Gorge

Near Tinghir, the Todra river has carved a narrow canyon between limestone walls that rise almost vertically. Walking along the floor of the gorge, beside the stream and beneath those cliffs, is genuinely awe-inspiring, and the valley leading up to it is dotted with palm groves and mud-brick villages.

Erg Chebbi Dunes

Erg Chebbi is the great sea of orange sand dunes rising beside Merzouga, on the edge of the Moroccan Sahara. At sunrise and sunset the light shifts colour across the ridges, making it the perfect place to walk barefoot on the sand, ride a camel or simply soak up the silence.

3 or 4 days from Marrakech?

In 3 days you see the essentials of the south: the High Atlas, Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades and Todra gorges and a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes. The trade-off is that the return to Marrakech is done in a single day, the longest of the trip.

The 4-day tour spreads the kilometres out better: it goes through the Draa Valley on the way out, comes back through the Dades and adds one more night on the road. And if you would rather end your trip in Fes than return to Marrakech, the 3-day Marrakech to Fes tour follows the same route to the desert and then heads north.

Is this the tour for you?

In 3 days you see the essentials of the south, with the sightseeing on the first two days, and enjoy sunset and sunrise on the dunes. The trade-off is that the third day is just the drive back to Marrakech: if you would rather spread it out, have a look at the 4-day tour.

The night in the desert

You reach Merzouga in the late afternoon, in time for sunset over the dunes. The camel ride to the camp is optional: if you prefer, the transfer is done by 4x4 and you miss nothing.

At night, the desert sky with no lights around. In the morning it is worth getting up early: sunrise over Erg Chebbi is one of the best moments of the trip.

For a more comfortable night, we recommend Tassili Luxury Desert Camp, our sister camp in Erg Znaigui, with private-bathroom tents. Ask when you book and we will include it in the proposal.

Berber guide leading a caravan of saddled camels, with the dunes in the background

Distances and driving times, day by day

Day 1, Marrakech to the Dades Gorges: about 340 kilometres, around 6 to 7 hours of driving, not counting stops.

Day 2, Dades to Merzouga via the Todra Gorge and Erfoud: about 300 kilometres, around 5 hours.

Day 3, Merzouga back to Marrakech via Ouarzazate and the Tizi n’Tichka pass: about 560 kilometres and 10 to 12 hours with stops. It is the longest day of the trip.

About 1,200 kilometres in total. It is a private tour: we stop for photos, lunch or a stretch whenever you like, and you set the pace of each day.

Make it yours

As the tour is private, the itinerary can change: start on another day, add or drop a night, or finish in a different city. These are the most requested options:

How to book

Message us on WhatsApp or by email with your dates, how many you are and where you are starting from. We reply with a proposal, a fixed price and what it includes, with no obligation.

Frequently asked questions

What time is pick-up and when do we get back?

We pick you up from your accommodation in Marrakech at around 8:00 on the first day. On the third day we get back to Marrakech between 19:00 and 20:00, depending on traffic and stops.

How many hours of driving are there each day?

Day 1, around 6 to 7 hours (about 340 km); day 2, around 5 (about 300 km); and day 3, back to Marrakech, 10 to 12 hours with stops (about 560 km). We stop whenever you like.

Is there any sightseeing on the last day?

No. The third day is just for the drive back to Marrakech, because the journey is long, about 560 km: we only stop to rest and eat. Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate are visited on the first day.

Are 3 days enough for the desert from Marrakech?

Yes, if you do not mind a long third day on the road: in 3 days you spend one night in the Dades and one in the dunes. If you would rather take it more slowly, the 4-day tour adds another night on the way.

What is the desert camp like?

The tents have beds, blankets and electricity. A private bathroom and heating depend on the camp category you choose. If you want a tent with a private bathroom and climate control, we recommend Tassili Luxury Desert Camp, run by our own company.

Can we hire a guide at Ait Ben Haddou?

Yes. If you would like someone to explain the ksar to you, you can hire a local guide at Ait Ben Haddou. It is not included in the tour.

How do I book and pay?

To confirm the booking we ask for a deposit, and the rest is paid in cash at the start of the tour. The deposit depends on the tour and how many of you there are, and we give you the cancellation terms when you book.

Can I end in Fes instead of returning to Marrakech?

Yes: the 3-day Marrakech to Fes tour is the same for the first two days, and on the third it continues from the desert to Fes, about 470 kilometres away.

What time is sunrise in Merzouga?

It depends on the time of year: between 6:12 in June and 8:15 in January, Moroccan time. During Ramadan, Morocco puts its clocks back an hour, so sunrise comes an hour earlier on the clock.

Is it cold at night in the desert?

From November to February, yes: the days are pleasant, but at night the temperature drops to a few degrees and can get close to zero. Bring warm clothes for the evening and for sunrise. In summer, what you notice is the heat in the middle of the day.

Is the tour private?

Yes. The vehicle and driver are for your group only, with no other travellers, so stops and timings adapt to you.

Do I have to ride a camel?

No. The camel ride is optional: if you prefer, the transfer to the camp is done by 4x4.

Where do we sleep?

The 1st night in a hotel or traditional kasbah in the Dades Valley, with dinner and breakfast. The 2nd at a desert camp in Merzouga, also with dinner and breakfast.

Which meals are included?

Dinner and breakfast on both nights, in the Dades Valley and at the desert camp. Lunches are not included: we stop to eat wherever you like along the way.

What language does the driver speak?

Our drivers speak several languages, including English. If you need Italian, just ask when booking.

How much does the tour cost?

It depends on how many of you are travelling, the dates and the type of accommodation. The vehicle and driver are a fixed cost, so the more of you there are, the less it costs per person. Message us on WhatsApp and we’ll send you the price and availability the same day.

When is the best time to go?

Spring and autumn are the most pleasant; summer is very hot in the middle of the day, and winter nights in the desert are cold.

Ask for the price of this trip

Tell us the date, how many of you there are and where you start from. We reply the same day with a proposal and a price, with no obligation. Or on WhatsApp, if you prefer.

More tours from Marrakech

Tassili Luxury Desert Camp at dusk, with the tents lit up
The tents of Tassili Luxury Desert Camp among the dunes

Where to sleep in the desert

A night in a private tent

If you want to stay longer in the desert, Tassili Luxury Desert Camp has ten tents with private bathrooms in Erg Znaigui, away from the main camp area.

  • Ten private tents
  • A private bathroom in every tent
  • In Erg Znaigui, away from the main camp area
See the tents
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