3-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour

The classic Moroccan desert route, done at a sensible pace over three days. You leave Marrakech in the morning, cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, and arrive at the Erg Chebbi dunes the following evening by camel. The return runs through the Draa valley and back over the mountains.

Day 1 — Marrakech to Dades Valley

Depart Marrakech around 8am and climb the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m), stopping for views over the Atlas. Mid-morning we reach Ait Ben Haddou, the fortified village on the old caravan route and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where a local guide walks you up through the kasbah. After lunch we continue past Ouarzazate and along the Valley of Roses to the Dades Gorge, where we stop for the night in a small hotel overlooking the canyon.

Day 2 — Dades to Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes

A morning drive through the Todra Gorge, where the canyon walls narrow to about 10 metres across and rise 300 metres above the riverbed. We continue east through Tinghir and Erfoud, reaching Merzouga in the late afternoon. From the edge of the village you mount a camel and ride roughly an hour into the Erg Chebbi dunes, arriving in time for sunset from the high ridges. Dinner is tagine around the fire at a fixed desert camp, with Berber drumming afterwards and — on clear nights, which is most of them — a sky most visitors say is the best they have seen.

Day 3 — Sunrise in the Sahara, return to Marrakech

Wake early for sunrise over the dunes, then ride the camels back to Merzouga for breakfast and a shower. The return crosses the Draa valley and its palm groves, stopping in Ouarzazate, then back over the Tizi n'Tichka to Marrakech, arriving in the evening.

What's included

• Private air-conditioned 4x4 or minivan with an English-speaking driver
• Two nights' accommodation: one hotel in Dades Gorge, one night in a desert camp
• Camel trek into Erg Chebbi at sunset and back at sunrise
• Dinner and breakfast on both nights
• Local guide at Ait Ben Haddou
• All fuel, tolls and parking

Not included

• Lunches and drinks
• Entrance fees at Ait Ben Haddou kasbah
• Tips for the driver and camp staff

Good to know

This is a long drive — roughly 550 km each way — which is why it is split across three days rather than two. Bring a warm layer: desert nights fall to single figures between November and March, even after a hot day. The camel ride is about an hour each way and suits most fitness levels; a 4x4 transfer to the camp can be arranged instead on request.

The camp is a fixed, permitted site with proper beds, blankets and shared bathroom facilities. Private en-suite tents are available at a supplement.