5 days from Marrakech to Merzouga desert

Explore the Sahara desert in Morocco on a 5-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga. During the trip, you will ride camels to a desert camp, spend an evening surrounded by the immense sand dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga, and admire the starry sky at night. This journey will allow you to discover the breathtaking landscapes and immerse yourself in the fascinating culture of Morocco.

Take a look at the itinerary for a 5-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga below to get an idea of what to expect from the trip. You have the option to personalize the program based on your interests.

Day 1: Marrakech to Boumalne Dades via The High Atlas Mountains and Ait Ben Haddou

Depart from Marrakech at 8 am for the Marrakech to Merzouga tour. Drive through the High Atlas Mountains and the magnificent Tizi-N-Tichka pass to Ait Ben Haddou, stopping along the way to see the stunning landscapes and traditional Berber villages of the Atlas Mountains. Explore the most popular Kasbah in Morocco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, in Ait Ben Haddou. This fortified village was used to film some parts of well-known series such as Gladiator and Game Of Thrones. Enjoy a delicious lunch before heading to Boumalne through Kalaat M’Gouna, where you can visit a small factory of roses distillery. Upon arriving in Boumalne, follow the Dades Valley and pass by many fortified villages to see the amazing monkey’s rock formations before heading to your hotel. Have dinner and stay overnight.

Day 2: Boumalne Dades to Merzouga via Todra Gorge

Start the second day with a delicious breakfast in your hotel in the Dades Valley. Drive to Tinghir, where you will stop to see a beautiful view of an oasis and kasbahs, the place where Berbers and Jews lived together. You will also get to walk under 300m high cliffs of the Todra Gorges before heading to the Sahara desert. Stop for lunch somewhere along the way, and on arrival, your camel guide and the camels will be waiting for you to take you across the golden sand dunes of Erg Chebbi to your camp. Here, you can sit on the top of a high dune while watching a marvelous sunset and doing a sandboarding activity. The camp staff will serve a delicious dinner at night, then entertain you with the drums around a campfire, under a starry night.

Day 3: Explorative day of the desert

An early morning is recommended today to watch a peaceful sunrise from your camp. After a tasty breakfast, we will pick you up by a 4×4 vehicle and start our explorative day of the Sahara. Drive to the area where the nomads are settling in and get hosted by them in one of their tents for a cup of tea. It is an excellent opportunity to learn about how they live in a harsh environment away from civilization. Visit a hidden abandoned village in the middle of nowhere, home to the Galena mines. Drive to another village called Khamlia, where you will listen to Gnaoua music played by the locals. Their origin is from southern African countries like Sudan. Here, you can also have lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, drive to a lake near the town of Merzouga before heading to your riad.

Day 4: Merzouga to Ouarzazate via Rissani and Agdez

Start the day early with another peaceful sunrise from the terrace of your riad. Then, we start our journey by stopping in the old city of Rissani to visit a traditional souk. Head to Ouarzazate via the fascinating Draa valley and stop in Agdez to see some valley landscapes. Arrive at your riad in Ouarzazate in the evening.

DAY 5: EXPLORE OUARZAZATE to TELOUET KASBAH to HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS  to MARRAKECH

Our final morning starts with a tasty breakfast in your riad. Ouarzazate is known as the gateway to the Sahara desert and the Hollywood of Africa. The city is home to the historical Kasbah of Taourirt and the Atlas studio, which made it a famous film-making location.

After visiting both attractions, we drive back to Marrakech through the Atlas Mountains. On the way, we will stop to visit the Telouat Kasbah, located along the past route of the caravans from the Sahara to Marrakech.

Arrive in Marrakech in the evening, drop you off at the airport or your accommodation, and end this 5-day Morocco desert tour.

You can customize the program to your liking to make the most of your experience. Check out the itinerary below for the Marrakech to Merzouga tour to get an idea of what you can expect from the trip.

• Pick up from your hotel in Marrakesh.
• A modern vehicle with air conditioning for transportation.
• An English-speaking driver or a driver and guide.
• One night at a hotel in Boumalne Dades.
• A camel trek and one night in a Sahara camp.
• 4 dinners and 4 breakfasts.

• Lunch.
• Entrance fees.
• Tips