Venture deep into the Moroccan Sahara with this 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, a perfect option for those wishing to explore the hidden treasures of the south of Morocco and seize the opportunity to get introduced to the nomadic life in the magnificent Sahara Desert.
It is an incredible experience that covers a drive over the spectacular Atlas Mountains, visits to the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou & Telouet, the verdant Dra’a valley with its thousands of palm trees, and the massive Toudgha Gorges. Also, this trip offers an insight into the lives of the Berber and nomad people in the Sahara Desert and Berber villages in the mountains.
Yet, the highlight of this trip is the tranquil Merzouga Desert, where you will hop on camelback to reach your campsite for an incredible overnight in a luxury desert camp at the foot of the big dunes.
A desert experience to hold in the memories for a long time!
| Number of persons | 2 Persons | 3 Persons | 4 Persons | 5 Persons | 6 Persons |
| Price per person | 325 € | 285 € | 275 € | 245 € | 235 € |
| Total price | 650 € | 855 € | 1100 € | 1225 € | 1410 € |
Morning departure at 08:30 from your riad or hotel in Marrakech, venturing south on your 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga. You drive over the high Atlas Mountains, enjoying panoramic views of spectacular landscapes, beautiful Berber villages, and often snow-topped mountain peaks.
After the Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2,205 m), a side road leads you to Kasbah Telouet, which used to be the palatial residence of the Lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui Family. The Kasbah now stands in ruins after the last Pasha fled Morocco following the departure of the French in 195. But, wait to be pleasantly surprised by the architectural marvel of this historic home.
Driving further south, you arrive at the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters, including “Gladiator,” “Alexander,” and some scenes of the famous TV series “Game of Thrones.” After lunch, you will visit the Kasbah.
In the afternoon, we drive past Ouarzazate to the Skoura Oasis, where you stop to visit the Kasbah Amredhil, which used to be featured in the old 50 dirham banknote. The Kasbah has been beautifully repaired and is well worth the visit.
From here, travel through the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs and then the beautiful Valley of the Roses as far as Kel’aa M’gouna. Here, you can visit a local cooperative producing cosmetic articles from the abundant roses of the valley.
By the end of the day, we arrive at Dades Gorges, where you spend the night with dinner and breakfast in a guest house overlooking the valley.
After breakfast, you continue your adventure southeast. In Toudgha Gorges, there are plenty of opportunities to walk alongside the river through the gardens or up the road on the other side of the gorges. You will have lunch here in the gorges or later in Erfoud.
Between Tinjdad and Erfoud, you can stop to go down into “Khettara,” a fascinating underground water channel system deep below the earth, always cool and preventing the evaporation of water. In Erfoud itself, you can stop at a local workshop to see the workings of thousands of fossils made into all sorts of artefacts. There is no obligation to buy anything, but it is worth a visit!
Next, you continue your desert trip alongside the Ziz Valley, which is remarkable for its huge oases and fortified kasbahs standing tall among palm trees. From here, we continue driving east as far as Merzouga, where sand alongside the road indicates the start of the mighty Sahara Desert.
You check in to your tent at the campsite and enjoy a relaxing glass of tea and Moroccan biscuits. Then, you take a camel ride up to the summit of the Erg Chebbi dunes (250 m). You will enjoy the sunset from the top of the dunes!
Back at the camp, dinner is served, followed by an evening of nomad music and drumming around a campfire. You spend the night in your tent, equipped with a private toilet & shower, king-sized beds, mattresses, sheets, pillows, blankets & carpets, lamps and beautiful Moroccan furnishings, all tastefully arranged to enhance your stay.
If you get up early in the morning, you can watch the sunrise spectacle, when the dunes’ colour and the play of shadows are an incredible sight. You will also have free time to wander the dunes and experience the tranquillity of this magical setting.
After breakfast, the drive back east to Marrakech takes you along the length of the Saghro Mountains via the villages of Rissani, Alnif, Tazarine (featured in the film ‘Babel’), and then N’Qob just in time for lunch.
After visiting Kasbah Tamnougalte, you travel up north via the Dra’a Valley’s unlimited palm trees and green oases along the ancient Caravans Road. We rejoin the paved road in Agdz and reach Ouarzazate, crossing the Anti-Atlas Mountains and the pass of Tizi-n-Tinfifite (1660m).
Just outside of Ouarzazate, you could visit the Film Studios, a movie wonderland, known for keeping its sets and reorganising them to offer a wide range of choices to production studios, but also for letting tourists experience the unique thrill of discovering the sets where many successful films and series have been shot, including “Gladiator”, “Prince of Persia” and “Game of Thrones.”
From here, you drive along the main road over the Atlas Mountains. Along the road, you will stop at panoramic viewpoints for photos and to stretch your legs. We arrive back in Marrakech by the end of the afternoon. Your driver will transfer you to your hotel, which marks the end of your private 3-day Sahara desert tour to Merzouga from Marrakech.
Verified
Aleksandra M15/06/2024Great city tour - strongly recommended Me and my friend came to Marrakesh for 1 day and a city tour was what we needed. Our guide, namesd Said, comes from a Berber tribe and speaks good english. Very friendly and chatty guy who has a lot of information about the monuments and history. We took a walk through Medina (old city) passing by multiple shops and food stols. Onlybthat itself was an experience. Combination of colors, smells, proportions, design, esthetics of the architecture was overwhelming. Absolutely senses stimulating. Use reccommendations for the tour - comfy shoes, water and a sunscreen are a must. The tour took us nearly 4h, we walked over 8km. If you need a toilet there are free ones in the Bahia Palace ( go to the one AFTER small riad). Make sure to have cash on you because very often ATMs are not working, currency exchange points, restaurants and local shops don't accept cards. We also visited a para pharmacy to learn about argan oil, spices, herbs and teas. We got a cup of fantastic local tea and tested a lot of products - we could pay by card there. However, it wasn't the cheapest place, so if you have time, have a strall in the market to compare the prices. Tips for the guid are more then welcome. Read how to tip in Morocco because it's usually higher in european countries. Strongly recommended. Thank you Said!Verified
Katarzyna Z15/06/2024Great day in Marrakech Said was great guide and made our day showing us the best gems of the city. Highly recommend for all who want to experience not a regular sight seeing ✨????Verified
Antoine T15/06/2024A memorable trip with a dedicated team!! Hamza and his team are very, very professional! We loved our trip, especially thanks to Aziz who was an exceptional guide in every way. Traveling with 3 young children is never easy, especially when you cover a lot of kilometers but it was really great. We recommend without reservationVerified
Erica Gall24/05/2024Very knowledgeable and kind. Highly recommend! Brahim was very knowledgeable and led us through the medina. He even took me to a very reputable rug shop and waited for me after. We chatted a lot about the craftsmanship and architecture on our walk and I could tell he sincerely loves Morocco. He was patient while everyone took photos as we waded through the crowdsVerified
Nicole A16/05/2024A successful and unforgettable stay We spent 3 unforgettable days. Magnificent landscapes and sites, superb walks and especially in the company of Abdel. In a very relaxed atmosphere and with measured discretion, he guided us to the right places and made great discoveries. We learned a lot alongside him. It was a real success. Nicole and Co.Verified
sherylgeorgina29/04/2024An amazing experience !! Amazing walking tour ! Started in the medina with a talk about the mosque then walked through the souks to the Bahia palace . At the Palace there was a really long queue to get in but because we were with a tour we got in with no wait which must have saved at least 30minute wait. Hassan was so knowledgeable especially about the history of Morocco. We went on to visit the souks again in the area where they prepared / food then on to a visit to a spices shop for a fascinating talk all about different herbs spices teas etc . Last off to the Ben Youssef - again we were told so much about all the history and got some great photos . Thank you for a brilliant experience-5starVerified
Ptite C27/04/2024Great tour with a caring guide! 10/10! I highly recommend this tour! We spent a superb afternoon visiting the must-see places in Marrakesh with our great guide Mohammed, who took his time to explain everything to us and give us good advice! Thank you Mohammed for your kindness and your interesting explanations, we really appreciated it! :)Verified
Daniel C19/04/2024South Morocco Very nice excursion for 4 days in southern Morocco. (Ouarzazate, Dades, Todra, Merzouga, Draa). Magnificent landscapes and beautiful evenings, especially in the dunes. A big thank you to Hamza for the organization and a thousand thanks to Abdul who accompanied us and drove with great kindness and professionalism.Verified
Lapointe A17/04/2024Great! Great tour and excellent guide. Thank you Abdellatif! We will come back to Marrakech and will not hesitate to use them again!Verified
Cristina F13/04/2024Around Marrakech with Brahim Walking with Brahim was very interesting! He was always very professional and helpful, able to explain a lot of the Marocco colture always making sure that the people in the tour felt safe and interested. He was able to answer to all our questions and played a key role for us to understand better the culture from Marocco.
