5-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga

Day 1: Marrakech – High Atlas Mountains – Dadès Gorges

The 5-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech. It starts at 8:00 AM at the hotel or riad where you are staying in Marrakech.

We will depart for the High Atlas Mountains, crossing the Tizi N’Tichka Pass and making several stops to enjoy panoramic views. We will pass through numerous villages inhabited by Berber nomads who live in the area.

Then we will continue towards Ouarzazate. We will cross the Valley of Roses to enter the Dadès Valley, where the so-called “route of a thousand kasbahs” begins.

Then we will pass by the “monkey fingers,” a rocky landscape known as “the brain of the Atlas.” We will then arrive at our destination. Dinner and lodging in the Dadès Valley at a hotel.

Day 2: Dadès Valley – Todra Gorges – Erfoud – Merzouga

After breakfast, we will visit the spectacular Dadès Gorges, enjoying the spectacular scenery along the way. We will return to take a road dotted with Kasbahs, each one different from the last. We will arrive at one of the highlights of the south, the Todra Gorges. The Todra River has carved out a gorge with vertical walls of enormous proportions, up to 200 meters high, and of great beauty. It is a paradise for climbers and a unique place.

Free lunch. We will then continue towards the desert through the Tafilalet palm grove and past Erfoud until we reach the impressive Merzouga Dunes. Arrival at the hotel located at the foot of the dunes, where we will have a welcome tea while we rest for a while.

Next, you can walk along the fine sand of Erg Chebbi, relax, and enjoy this impressive landscape. In the evening, you will savor a delicious Berber dish. Accommodation at the hotel in Merzouga.

Day 3: Merzouga – Tour around Erg Chebbi – Merzouga – Night in the desert

After a hearty Moroccan breakfast, we will climb into the 4×4 to leave Merzouga behind and begin our tour around the Erg Chebbi dunes, a desert region covered in sand. Among the many stops that await us, we will discover how and where the nomadic families of the area live, wild oases in the middle of nowhere, spectacular landscapes, small desert villages, palm groves… An unmissable stop on our way through the village of Khamlia, home to people originally from Mali, who will treat us to a beautiful concert of Gnawa music while we enjoy a delicious cup of tea.

Upon returning to the hotel, our camels will be waiting for us to take us to the foot of the Great Dune of the Erg Chebbi desert. During the ride, which lasts approximately an hour and a half, we will be able to watch the beautiful sunset, admire the contrasting colors, and enjoy the calm of the dunes. We will then arrive at the camp.

Enjoy an authentic Berber dinner and listen to drum music. We will sleep in nomadic tents in the heart of the desert under the spectacular, star-filled sky. Night in the desert camp. This is the most beautiful stage of this 5-day desert tour starting from Marrakech.

Day 4: Merzouga–Rissani–Draa Valley–Ouarzazate

We will wake up early in the morning to enjoy the spectacular sunrise over the dunes of Merzouga.

Next, we will return to Merzouga with the dromedaries, observing the spectacular landscape. After breakfast and a shower at the hotel, we will set off on our journey.

We will head to Rissani, where we will stroll through what is known as the most authentic and traditional souk in Morocco, and the largest in the south of the country, where all kinds of handicrafts, food, and animals are traded. We will continue on to Ouarzazate, and on the way you will be able to admire the beauty of the Draa Valley and its thousands of palm trees. Dinner and accommodation in Ouarzazate at a hotel.

Day 5: Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech

After breakfast, we will leave Ouarzazate. Then we will have the opportunity to visit a film studio. We will then continue on our way and visit the fabulous Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

This spectacular setting has been used as a backdrop for such renowned films as Gladiator, The Jewel of the Nile, and Babel. Return to Marrakech, admiring the beauty of the mountains dotted with villages inhabited by Berbers along the way. Arrival in Marrakech in the afternoon/evening, ending a 5-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech.