Morocco · Desert Adventure

7-Day Marrakech and Essaouira Desert Tour with Sahara Camp

7 Days Round trip from Marrakesh Easy pace

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The journey

Trip highlights

01 Experience lively Jemaa el-Fna Square, the busiest square in Africa
02 Explore sand dunes, oases, hidden valleys, and old kasbahs in the desert
03 Enjoy traditional Berber music beside a Saharan campfire
04 Visit the UNESCO-protected Aït Benhaddou Kasbah
05 Climb Portuguese ramparts and enjoy fresh seafood in Essaouira

Combine culture, desert adventures, and seaside relaxation with this 7-day trip from Marrakech. Wander Marrakech's medina as you explore its souks and fondouks, then cross the High Atlas Mountains into Morocco's desert of fortified kasbahs and old caravan routes. Travel through Zagora and Tamegroute, experience a camel ride and campfire in the Sahara, and visit the UNESCO-protected Aït Benhaddou Kasbah. End in Essaouira, where you can enjoy fresh seafood and watch the sunset over the seaside ramparts.

Combine culture, desert adventures, and seaside relaxation with this 7-day trip from Marrakech.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 7 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Included · Standard

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Marrakech, Essaouira, Ouarzazate, Zagora, Toubkal, Aït Benhaddou, Tizi n'Tichka, Atlas Mountains, Tamegroute

Languages English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Arrival and Discovery of Marrakech

Greetings from Marrakech! Marrakech is a significant economic hub and is known as the "Red City" due to its 1000-year-old red sandstone city walls and structures. Marrakech was once a major trading hub for the tribes of the Atlas Mountains and has Berber roots rather than Arab ones. The souks (markets) are to the north, the Koutoubia Mosque and Gardens are to the west, and the kasbah (fortified area), with the Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace, and El Badi Palace, lies to the south of Marrakech's bustling Jemaa el-Fna Square. The Majorelle Gardens are located in the Ville Nouvelle.
Board a calèche for a distinctive way to explore the medina (old quarter), the French term for a horse-drawn carriage. Take note of the fondouks, medieval inns that once offered supplies and lodging to merchants and travellers. Today, some have been transformed into homes, sizable shopping malls, and open-air workshops. Make your way to the Koutoubia Mosque to escape the heat in its gardens, surrounded by palm trees and fountains. Non-Muslims are not permitted inside the mosque, but it is still interesting to see the minaret and foundations, which date back to the 12th century.
Jemaa el-Fna comes to life in the evening with musicians, storytellers, dancers, acrobats, and even snake charmers. Explore the many rows of food stalls offering everything from full meals to fruit-based beverages, dried dates, and small snacks. Get something to eat, or for a more leisurely experience, find one of the many cafés above the square and have dinner while admiring the performances below.

Day 02

Across the High Atlas to Ouarzazate

Leave the busy city behind as you head 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 Berber villages built from mud brick. Stop for lunch in Taddert and visit the local Argan Oil Cooperative to learn how women extract the precious oil from the argan nut for the health, food, and cosmetic industries. 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 well-known desert hub and filming location. You will have the option to tour one of the two movie studios, which have become increasingly famous thanks to the growing film industry, and see how often the surrounding area has appeared on screen. Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Prometheus, American Sniper, and "Game of Thrones" are among the best-known productions filmed here.
Visit the Musée du Cinema to learn more about the area's history and the filmmaking process.

Day 03

Zagora and Sahara Desert Camp

Today, you will meet your driver and continue on to Zagora, a modest but beautiful city. The Tizi-n-Tinififft Pass allows you to ascend and cross the Jebel Sarhro Mountains. Before entering the Draa River Valley, your route passes through the busy service centre of Agdz. The Draa River creates fertile soil, enabling intensive farming. Be sure to stop at one of the many roadside stalls for a snack and take note of the numerous date palmeries. Continue south through dense stands of palm trees until you reach Zagora.
The broad central avenue and the high quality of many of Zagora's buildings are clear signs of the city's wealth, gained through successful date cultivation. Explore Zagora before heading to your accommodation outside the city. To reach your desert campsite, you can choose to switch to riding your own camel through sand dunes that run alongside tall, rocky mountains.
After enjoying your evening meal and the setting sun, gather around the campfire for traditional drumming and singing. Spend the night in your Bedouin-style tent and dream under the stars.

Day 04

Desert Sunrise and Aït Benhaddou Kasbah

Rise early to witness a desert sunrise before mounting your camel and meeting your transfer. Visit Tamegroute, a nearby unassuming town on the edge of the desert, where the houses are the same colour as the sand. Learn about the Islamic Library, which houses nearly 50,000 books gathered from all over the world. The collection was once considered the richest in all of North Africa. Visit one of the oldest family-run potteries for a special introduction to pottery and discover why Tamegroute's creations are made from green clay.
Return to Ouarzazate and continue north to the nearby Aït Benhaddou Kasbah. The most famous kasbah in Morocco, Aït Benhaddou is a protected UNESCO site. It once played a significant role along the trans-Saharan trade route between 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 rooftops for lovely views of the nearby ksours (single kasbahs) and the Ouarzazate Valley.

Day 05

Back Through the Atlas 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. Leave Aït Benhaddou behind and return to Marrakech via the Tizi n'Tichka Pass, crossing the High Atlas Mountains once again. As you descend the north-facing slopes of the High Atlas, you will notice a significant change in the landscape. Before long, you will rejoin the bustle of Marrakech after the peace and quiet of the mountains and desert.
You may want to take things more slowly for the rest of the afternoon. Take a food tour through the medina, or head to Jemaa el-Fna on your own and grab a bite to eat at one of the many food stalls.
Afterward, enjoy a short evening stroll to admire the floodlit Koutoubia Mosque before returning to your lodging.

Day 06

From Marrakech to Coastal Essaouira

After breakfast, travel west to the quaint beach town of Essaouira on the Atlantic coast. Along the way, you will pass through endemic argan forests and across broad, rolling plains. When grazing is scarce, you may be lucky enough to spot goats munching on argan fruit while perched in the trees. It is also possible to stop at an Argan Oil Cooperative en route to see how this valuable and costly oil is extracted from the nut.
Arrive in calm Essaouira, a pleasant contrast to chaotic Marrakech, and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Stroll along the coast by the Skala de la Kasbah, the 18th-century seafront ramparts. Old brass cannons line the walls, offering views over the Atlantic, and were installed by European engineers.
Before heading to the deserted beach, explore the UNESCO-protected medina. Fans of Jimi Hendrix may want to take a short taxi ride to Diabat, at the far end of Essaouira's beach, where he is said to have spent some time.
You can also plan a beach activity, such as a windsurfing lesson or a horseback riding trip. Enjoy a fresh seafood meal on your way back to Essaouira.

Day 07

Essaouira, Marrakech, and Departure

Essaouira is a popular kiteboarding destination and is known as the "Windy City" because of the strong Alizée trade winds that sweep across its crescent beach. Before bidding farewell and departing for Marrakech, spend the morning watching the windsurfers and kiteboarders or, for the more adventurous, taking a lesson.
Depending on the timing of your flight, you may want to explore the kasbah area south of Jemaa el-Fna. Visit the Saadian Tombs and discover the 500-year-old craftsmanship used in their construction.
As you make your way through the Mellah (Jewish neighbourhood) toward the 19th-century Bahia Palace, stop at the sunken gardens of the 17th-century El Badi Palace. Before spending some time in the Marrakech Museum, housed in the 19th-century Dar Mnebbi Palace, take a look at the only remaining Almoravid structure, the 12th-century Almoravid Koubba, and enjoy both contemporary and traditional Berber and Moroccan art.