This 3 Days Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga and Back takes you across the High Atlas Mountains to the Sahara dunes of Erg Chebbi and back to Marrakech. In three days you discover the UNESCO Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades Valley and the Todra Gorges, ride camels into the desert and spend a magical night in a desert camp before returning over the mountains to Marrakech.
We leave Marrakech in the morning and drive across the High Atlas Mountains via the scenic Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260 m), stopping for panoramic views over Berber villages and kasbahs. We visit the UNESCO-listed Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou — the backdrop of films such as Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia — then continue to Ouarzazate, the “Hollywood of Morocco”.
Passing Kalaat M’Gouna, the valley of roses, and Skoura with its palm groves, we reach the Dades Valley, where we spend the night.
After breakfast we drive to the Todra Gorges, a massive canyon with 300-metre limestone walls where we stop to walk and have lunch. We then continue via Tinghir and Erfoud — known for its date palms and fossils — to reach Merzouga in the late afternoon.
Here a camel caravan takes us over the dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset to our desert camp, where we enjoy a traditional dinner, music around the fire and a night under the stars.
After watching the sunrise over the dunes and having breakfast, we begin our journey back to Marrakech. We travel through the desert landscapes towards Ouarzazate, with a stop at its famous film studios, then climb back over the High Atlas via the Tizi n’Tichka pass, enjoying the mountain scenery one last time before arriving in Marrakech in the evening, where the tour ends.
Is this a private tour?
Yes, all our tours are private — just you and your group with your own driver and vehicle, so the pace and stops can be adapted to you.
When do we ride the camels and sleep in the desert?
In the late afternoon of the desert day a camel caravan takes you over the dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset to the camp, where you spend the night before returning the next morning.
What is the accommodation like?
You stay in traditional riads or hotels along the route and in a desert camp near Merzouga, with private tents and dinner and breakfast included at the camp.
Will we have Wi-Fi in the desert?
There is usually service in Merzouga village, but deep in the dunes it is intermittent — a great chance to unplug and enjoy the stars.
