Adventure in the Sahara desert
5 Days Tour from Ouarzazate to Merzouga Desert
✓ Private tour with your own driver✓ Free quote, no commitment
→ Overview: 5 Days Tour from Ouarzazate to Merzouga Desert
This 5 days tour from Ouarzazate starts and ends at Ouarzazate airport. First, you visit Ait Ben Haddou on the day you land. Then, you cross the Rose Valley and the Todra Gorge to a desert camp in Erg Chebbi. Next, you spend a full day around Merzouga. Finally, you return through the Draa Valley for a last night in Ouarzazate.
Private tour · Daily departures · Pick-up at your riad. Request your free quote or message us on WhatsApp.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tour type
Private Tour
Availability
All year round, with daily departures
→ 5 Days Tour from Ouarzazate at a Glance
| Duration | 5 days / 4 nights |
|---|---|
| Start and end | Ouarzazate airport |
| Route | Ouarzazate – Skoura – Rose Valley – Dades – Todra – Merzouga – Alnif – Nkob – Draa Valley – Ouarzazate |
| Nights | Ouarzazate (2), desert camp in Erg Chebbi, hotel in Merzouga |
| Camel ride | About 1 hour to the camp at sunset (a 4×4 transfer is possible) |
| Distance | About 370 km each way |
| Best season | March to May and September to November |
→ Why Choose This 5 Days Tour from Ouarzazate
This tour suits travellers who fly in and out of Ouarzazate. In other words, every transfer is included and nothing is rushed.
- Airport to airport. Pick-up and drop-off at Ouarzazate airport.
- Ait Ben Haddou included. The most famous ksar in Morocco.
- A full desert day. A camp night and a hotel night in Merzouga.
- Private from start to finish. Only your group travels with your driver.
Short on time? See the 2 days tour from Ouarzazate.
→ 5 Days Tour from Ouarzazate Highlights
- Visit Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage ksar.
- Cross the Skoura palm grove and the Rose Valley.
- Walk in the Todra Gorge.
- Ride a camel at sunset across Erg Chebbi.
- Sleep under the stars in a desert camp.
- Watch the sunrise over the dunes.
- Meet a nomad family and hear Gnawa music in Khamlia.
- Return via Alnif, Nkob and the Draa Valley.
→ 5 Days Tour from Ouarzazate Itinerary, Day by Day
Day 1: Ouarzazate Airport – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate
We meet you at Ouarzazate airport. First, we drive to Ait Ben Haddou, about 30 minutes away, a mud-brick ksar seen in many films. There, you climb to the old granary on the hill for the view. Then, we return to Ouarzazate and, if you wish, visit the Taourirt Kasbah.
Overnight
Hotel in Ouarzazate, with breakfast.
Day 2: Ouarzazate – Skoura – Rose Valley – Dades – Todra Gorge – Merzouga
Your driver picks you up at your hotel in Ouarzazate around 8:00 AM. First, we cross the Skoura palm grove and the Rose Valley near Kelaat M’Gouna. Then, we pass Boumalne Dades and reach Tinghir.
There, you walk in the Todra Gorge, whose walls rise about 300 m. Next, we stop for lunch in Tinejdad or in Erfoud, known for its fossils. In the late afternoon, we reach Merzouga, at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes.
After a mint tea, your camel trek in Merzouga begins. The ride takes about one hour, so you reach the camp at sunset. Later, you share a Berber dinner and listen to drums around the fire.
Overnight
Private tent in a desert camp in Erg Chebbi, with dinner and breakfast.
Day 3: A Day around Merzouga
You wake up early to watch the sunrise over the dunes. Then, you return to Merzouga by camel or 4×4 and have breakfast at the hotel, where you can shower.
After breakfast, we explore the area around Erg Chebbi by 4×4. First, we visit a nomad family in their goat-hair tent and share a mint tea. Then, we stop in Khamlia, a village known for its Gnawa music.
Depending on the season, we also see the lake of Dayet Srji, where flamingos sometimes stop. In the afternoon, you have free time to rest or climb the dunes.
Overnight
Hotel in Merzouga, with dinner and breakfast.
Day 4: Merzouga – Rissani – Alnif – Tazzarine – Draa Valley – Ouarzazate
After breakfast at the hotel, we leave Merzouga.
Then, we drive west via Rissani and Alnif, at the foot of the Jbel Saghro. Next, we cross Tazzarine and Nkob, a village of many kasbahs. In the afternoon, we follow the palm groves of the Draa Valley near Agdz. Finally, we cross the Anti-Atlas and reach Ouarzazate in the late afternoon.
Overnight
Hotel in Ouarzazate, with breakfast.
Day 5: Ouarzazate – Airport
After breakfast, and depending on your flight time, we drive you to Ouarzazate airport.
Drop-off
Ouarzazate airport.
→ What’s Included and Not Included
Everything is clear from the start, so there are no surprise fees.
What's Included
Covered from start to finish
- Private tour and transport in an air-conditioned vehicle with seat belts.
- Pick-up and drop-off at Ouarzazate airport.
- 2 hotel nights in Ouarzazate, with breakfast.
- 1 night in a desert camp in Erg Chebbi, with dinner and breakfast.
- 1 hotel night in Merzouga, with dinner and breakfast.
- Experienced English-speaking driver-guide.
- Fuel, tolls and all vehicle costs.
- Camel handler and camel ride of about 1 hour (or a 4×4 transfer).
- Sandboards, free to use at the camp.
What's not Included
Extra costs to plan for
- Flights.
- Lunches and drinks.
- Dinners in Ouarzazate.
- Entrance fees to monuments and kasbahs.
- Tips and personal expenses.
- Travel insurance.
→ 5 Days Tour from Ouarzazate Route Map
→ Photo Gallery
→ Good to Know: 5 Days Tour from Ouarzazate
- Private & door to doorPrivate tour: only your group, with your own driver and vehicle. Pick-up at your riad or hotel in Ouarzazate; drop-off in Ouarzazate.
- Driving timeThe longest days are the drive to Merzouga and the return via the Draa Valley (about 6–7 hours each); arrival and departure days are short airport transfers.
- Desert night1 night in a desert camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes and 1 night in a hotel in Merzouga; the camel ride to camp usually takes about an hour. From November to March desert nights can drop close to 0 °C – bring a warm layer.
- Best seasonBest months: March to May and September to November. In July and August the desert passes 40 °C, so activities are planned early in the morning and at sunset.
- What to bringBring cash in dirhams for lunches, drinks and tips, plus sunglasses, sunscreen and a scarf for sun and sand.
Local Expert Tip
Ouarzazate airport has few daily flights: send us your flight number so your driver can follow any delay, and keep your first evening light – the next day is the longest drive.
→ 5 Days Tour from Ouarzazate: Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the drive from Ouarzazate to Merzouga?
About 6–7 hours, roughly 370 km, with stops in the Rose Valley and the Todra Gorge.
Do we come back on the same road?
No. You go via the Dades and Todra, and return via Alnif, Nkob and the Draa Valley.
Is the camp private?
Yes. You have a private, fully equipped tent at the camp.
Do we carry our luggage on the camels?
No. Your bags stay safe or go to the camp by 4×4.
What should I pack?
Warm layers for the night and sun protection for the day. See what to pack for the Sahara desert.
→ Customize Your 5 Days Tour from Ouarzazate
Because this is a private tour, you can adapt it. For example, travellers often ask us to:
- Finish in Marrakech or Fes instead of Ouarzazate.
- Add a night in the Dades Valley.
- Choose a higher camp category for a honeymoon in Morocco.
- Keep the same driver with a private driver in Morocco.
Have something else in mind? Then let us plan a tailor-made Morocco tour.
→ Book Your 5 Days Tour from Ouarzazate
Ask us for the price
This 5 days tour from Ouarzazate is private, so the price depends on your group size, travel dates and the riad or camp category you choose. Send us your dates and number of travellers and we will reply with a clear quote, with no hidden costs.
- Private driver & vehicle
- Built around your dates
- Free, no-obligation quote
→ Related Tours
→ What Our Travelers Say
“My mom and I had a great trip! Abdul Abderrahim guided our group of 22 for 10 days all around the country. He always a delight and informative. He was very attentive to any needs or wishes of the group and made the trip seamless. Thank you!”
Chip S
Traveled with family
“The entire adventure was marvelous. There was a lot of driving but our driver was very safe and he made frequent stops and showed us many landmarks and cultural treasures. Our visit to the desert was our highlight of the trip. I can highly recommend.”
Evita M
Traveled with friends
“Just returned from a fascinating 12 day Morocco group tour with guide Abdul. We had an amazing, immersive, super fun experience. Abdul was incredibly knowledgeable, kind, funny, patient, and pleasant. He shared personal memories of growing up Berber…”
Maria R
Traveled with friends
“We had a two week tour through Morocco and it was excellent. We visited many different locations, including the big city medina’s of Marrakech and Fez, the lovely coastal city of Essaouira, the fabulous desert area…”
Catherina2015