Morocco · Desert Adventure

6-Day Marrakech and Sahara Desert Tour with Camel Camp Experience

6 Days Round trip from Marrakesh Easy pace

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The journey

Trip highlights

01 Stroll through Marrakech's old medina and maze-like souks
02 Ride a camel into the sunset and enjoy traditional music beside a desert campfire
03 Explore hidden oases, valleys and kasbahs along ancient caravan routes
04 Cross the High Atlas mountains via the Tizi n'Tichka pass
05 Spend a night beneath the stars in a Bedouin-style Sahara camp

Discover the beauty of Morocco on this 6-day journey through Marrakech and the Sahara Desert. Explore Marrakech's medina, maze-like souks, madrasas, palaces, mosques, and secret gardens before crossing the High Atlas mountains toward ancient kasbahs, desert towns, and vast sand dunes. Along the way, experience hidden oases, valleys, caravan-route settlements, and the dramatic landscapes of Erg Chebbi. The tour combines Morocco's imperial heritage with unforgettable desert scenery and cultural encounters.

Once you arrive in Merzouga, change and board your own camel to begin the trek across the sands to your Bedouin-style camp.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 6 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Included · Standard

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Toubkal, Merzouga, Todgha Gorge, Erfoud, Rissani, Aït Benhaddou, Tizi n'Tichka, Erg Chebbi, Boumalne Dades

Languages English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Arrival and Exploring Marrakech

Greetings from Marrakech, nicknamed the "Red City" for its red sandstone walls and buildings. A former imperial city, Marrakech remains an exciting destination and was once a significant trading hub for tribes in the Atlas Mountains. It is also a major economic centre and home to Jemaa el-Fna, Africa's busiest square. Start your exploration of Marrakech's historic medina at the Koutoubia Mosque and Gardens. Non-Muslims are not permitted inside the mosque, but it is still fascinating to see the 253-foot (77-meter) minaret and 12th-century foundations. Visit the fountains and pools in the adjacent gardens.
Explore the intricate maze of souks hidden behind ordinary restaurants and shops, and indulge your senses. You can find a variety of spices, woodwork, and babouche at Souk el Attarin, Souk Chouari, and Souk Smata, known for traditional Moroccan slippers. Visit Souk des Teinturiers, the dyers' souk, to see how cloth and yarn are dyed using conventional techniques. The Ben Youssef Madrasa, a 16th-century Koranic school, is a fine example of Moroccan Islamic architecture. Pay attention to the elaborate interior decoration, including carved cedar ceilings, plaster sculptures, and zellij tiling.
As the sun sets, head back to Jemaa el-Fna to take in the spectacle as the square comes to life with musicians, dancers, and snake charmers. For food, browse the numerous stalls and vendors.

Day 02

Across the High Atlas to Ouarzazate and Boumalne Dades

Leave the busy city behind as you travel east toward the desert, climbing into the High Atlas mountains. Try to spot Mount Toubkal, the tallest peak at 13,671 feet (4,167 m).
Along the way, you will pass many traditional mud-brick Berber villages. After lunch in Taddert, tour the local Argan Oil Cooperative to learn how the women extract valuable oil from the argan nut for use in food, cosmetics, and health products.
As you approach the Tizi n'Tichka pass, continue along the winding road and pause to take in the expansive views.
Continue east until you reach Ouarzazate, a desert hub and famous filming location. Find out which of your favourite movies were filmed in the nearby desert areas by taking a studio tour. Movie fans may also enjoy a visit to the Musee du Cinema. Then approach Boumalne Dades by travelling through the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs.
Pass through many small towns and observe the use of conventional farming techniques. As you travel through fragrant Kela'a M'gouna, the "Valley of the Roses," keep an eye out for nomads tending their livestock. Eventually, you will reach Boumalne Dades, an important town stretching along the Dades River.

Day 03

Desert Towns, Oases and Sahara Camp Under the Stars

Today, you will travel farther east to reach your ultimate destination, the sand sea of Erg Chebbi outside Merzouga. Stop in Tinerhir along the way to admire the river oasis that surrounds the town on both sides. The desert landscape here is marked by impressive buttes, mesas, and plateaus.
You will also have the chance to visit the nearby Todra Gorge, a 984-foot (300-meter) deep ravine carved by the Todra River. Continue onward to Erfoud, a desert town.
Proceed to a craft shop in this region, which is also known for its figs and fossils, to see how fossil-rich rocks are expertly crafted into useful and decorative items.
Visit the livestock auction and the "donkey parking lot" in the market town of Rissani as you get closer to Merzouga, the settlement nearest to the Sahara.
After leaving Rissani, you will begin to see the first stretches of the enormous sand sea known as Erg Chebbi. Once you arrive in Merzouga, change and board your own camel to begin the trek across the sands to your Bedouin-style camp.
Take a short hike to the top of a nearby dune to watch the sunset, then relax with a warm meal while listening to traditional music by the fire.

Day 04

Merzouga to the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou

Rise early to witness a desert sunrise and further explore the Sahara. You may rent a sandboard, join an Erg Chebbi tour through the dunes or an ATV tour, or simply relax by a pool in nearby Merzouga.
Travel south to the traditional Saharan village of Khemliya. Here, you can enjoy local music, dancing, and drumming before taking a leisurely walk through the village and its sand-based farms.
You will have another opportunity to visit Maison Tuareg in Rissani, a shop selling regional arts and crafts such as carpets, jewellery, and leather products.
After that, continue through acacia forests with their umbrella-shaped trees to reach Alnif for lunch. Then travel through the Draa Valley, covered in date palmeries, where you can buy a box of dates for the journey.
Keep heading west to reach medieval Ait Benhaddou. The most famous kasbah in Morocco and a protected UNESCO site, it once played a significant role along the trans-Saharan trade route linking Marrakech, Ouarzazate, and the southern desert.
After the daytime crowds have left, spend the night in the old town and explore its deserted alleys. A few of the kasbahs charge a small entrance fee, and visitors can climb to the rooftop for lovely views of the nearby ksours, or single kasbahs, and the Ouarzazate Valley.

Day 05

Return to Marrakech

Explore the tiny alleys and passageways of the old kasbah before the crowds arrive to get a true sense of this 11th-century fortified city. Then leave Ait Benhaddou behind and make your way back to Marrakech via the Tizi n'Tichka pass, the High Atlas mountains, and other mountain ranges.
After touring Morocco's peaceful desert towns and varied desert landscapes, you will soon return to the energetic city of Marrakech. Depending on how you feel on arrival in the Red City, you may want to explore some of the sites south of Jemaa el-Fna. Consider the 500-year-old Saadian Tombs, the expansive courtyard and sunken gardens of the 17th-century El Badi Palace, or the elaborate woodwork and painted ceilings of the 19th-century Bahia Palace.
Before retiring to your riad for the evening, return to Jemaa el-Fna and relax in one of the many cafes perched above the square while enjoying a meal and watching the crowds below.

Day 06

Morning in Marrakech and Departure

Spend the morning finishing any last-minute gift and souvenir shopping. Alternatively, depending on your departure details, you may wish to visit the Majorelle Gardens in Ville Nouvelle. These luxuriant and expansive gardens, not far from the bustle of the medina, offer an ideal escape from the afternoon heat and noise.
As you travel home, leave with peaceful memories of your journey.