Morocco · Desert Adventure

Desert Trip 4 Days From Marrakech To Merzouga Dunes, Camel Ride

4 Days Round trip from Pickup service provided in Marrakesh. Easy pace

View all 38 photos

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Private 4-day journey from Marrakech to Merzouga and back
02 Cross the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n'Tichka pass
03 Visit Ouarzazate and the UNESCO-listed Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou
04 Explore Dades Valley, Tinghir, and Todra Gorges
05 Ride a camel in the Erg Chebbi dunes
06 Enjoy desert sunset, sunrise, and sandboarding
07 Discover nomad villages, black volcanic rocks, and Gnawa music
08 Stay in 2 hotels and 1 luxury desert camp

Travel from Marrakech into the dramatic landscapes of southern Morocco on this private 4-day desert journey. Cross the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass, visit Ouarzazate and the UNESCO-listed Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, explore the Dades Valley and Todra Gorges, and continue to the golden dunes of Merzouga and Erg Chebbi.

Along the way, enjoy a camel ride, sunrise and sunset in the desert, sandboarding, Berber music, and a 4x4 desert excursion to nomad villages and the black desert. With private transport, driver-guide service, 2 hotel nights, and 1 luxury desert camp included, this itinerary combines cultural highlights, desert scenery, and memorable overnight stays.

Along the way, enjoy a camel ride, sunrise and sunset in the desert, sandboarding, Berber music, and a 4x4 desert excursion to nomad villages and the black desert.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 4 Days

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

Cities Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Merzouga, Todgha Gorge, Erfoud, Aït Benhaddou, Erg Chebbi, Skoura, Dadès Gorges

Languages Arabic, English, French, Italian, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

DAY 1: Marrakech - Ouarzazate - Dades ValleyDAY 1: Marrakech - Ouarzazate - Dades Valley

Meeting at 8h00 a.m with your driver at your Marrakech riad / Hotel, take you to the 4x4 and depart from Marrakech to Dades valley, through the Tizi- N-Tichka pass (2260m) in the High Atlas Mountains. From Marrakech to Ouarzazate, you will enjoy the scenic road, beautiful landscapes with different colors and the Berber villages along the way. You will have free time here to visit the old Kasbah of Ouarzazate “Taourirt Kasbah” and have lunch. Afterwards, you go further south east to the green Dades valley and the city of roses via the fascinating Skoura palmery. overnight in Dades valley in the hotel which you will book,

Day 02

DAY 2: Dades - Todra Gorges - Merzouga Dunes (Erg ChebbiDAY 2: Dades - Todra Gorges - Merzouga Dunes (Erg Chebbi)

After breakfast, departure from your hotel in Dades valley at 8 a.m., taking the road of 1000 kasbahs drive around the colorful Berber villages of the Dades valley. 45 km further, you will get to Tinghir with it’s beautiful palm grove and Jewish quarter. You continue to Todra Gorges (Todgha), free time to go on trek along the canyons of about 300m high, a favorite place for rock climbers. Afterwards you will leave to Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga Sahara desert and you will have time for lunch on the way before you arrive to Erfoud. Then we'll head for the Erg Chebbi sand dunes. We continue deeper into the desert landscape, until the dunes appear in the middle of nowhere.The night in Merzouga. in the hotel which you book.

Day 03

Day 3: 4x4 (Off-raod) Desert Safari - Nomad Villages - Black Desert -Gnawa musicDay 3: 4x4 (Off-raod) Desert Safari - Nomad Villages - Black Desert - Gnawa music.

We will drive to explore the tiny villages around Erg Chebbi dunes such as Merdani, Khamlia, M'fis on our way to Kamlia we expect to meet locals showing their desert foxes. you may also encounter desert reptiles and mammals, in Khamlia, known as the village of black people who were slaves coming from Sudan,you will be hospitably welcomed with a cup of tea (Whiskey Berber) while enjoying their spiritual Gnawa music. Leaving Khamlia our next stop is on the panoramic view of golden dunes near the Algerian border, we may stop for Picnic lunch under the shadow of a tree before continuing to visit a Nomad family, who are living under Berber tent and who are taking care for herd of cattle, goats and camels, you will visit the nomads family while enjoying the taste of a nice cup of tea. After these you will have the chance to visit the sites of black volcanic rocks. then we will back to Merzouga to your hotel.

Day 04

DAY 4: Merzouga - Ait benhaddou- MarrakechDAY 4: Merzouga - Ait benhaddou- Marrakech

After breakfast we can enjoy a visit of cinema sets & studios located in Ouarzazate, which is known as Hollywood of Africa. Afterwards we will visit the universal Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou Kasbah as it has been named by UNESCO in 1987. Ait Benhaddou is the World Heritage site that has been used as a backdrop for more than 20 films including “Gladiator” “Indiana Jones” and “Lawrence of Arabia”. Enjoy a walk to explore the traditional Moroccan style of architecture in which the Kasbah are built. We continue our way to Marrakesh through the High Atlas Mountains and Tizi n'Tichka pass. Break for lunch in the middle of the Atlas Mountains. Drop off at your Marrakech Riad / Hotel.

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from Pickup service provided in Marrakesh. 10 cities · 4 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Dinner
Breakfast
Private trip in Minibus or Jeep véhicule, Driver Guide, Fuel, Sunset, Sunrise, SandBoarding
2 Hotels 1 Luxury Camp In Desert, Camel ride, Berber Music, Jeep in Merzouga Desert to visit around

What's Not Included

Lunches, Drinks, Local guide in Kasbah Ait Ben Benhaddou, tickets entrance to Cinema Studio

Know before you go

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NEARBY
Not wheelchair accessible
Not stroller accessible
Not suitable for pets
Infants must not sit on laps
Infant seats unavailable
Not recommended for people with heart conditions
Vegetarian option available
We will pick up you from your hotel or riad in Marrakech, departure at 08:00 morning.
If your riad is in the medina the pick-up location will be the nearest accessible point to the riad.
The same for the drop-off.