3 Days Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour

Day 1 : Marrakech – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – The valley of Roses – Dades Gorges

We will pick you up from your Riad or hotel at 8:00 AM to start our 3 days Marrakech to Merzouga Desert tour itinerary. Departing from Marrakech, we will journey through the Dades Valley, beginning with a drive across the Tizi-n-Tichka pass in the High Atlas Mountains. Here, we’ll stop to admire the stunning mountain views.

Our first major stop is the Ait Ben Haddou village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for being the backdrop of films such as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, ‘Gladiator’, and ‘Alexander’. We’ll have lunch in this historic village before continuing our tour.

As we proceed, we’ll enjoy the natural beauty of the landscapes and visit historical monuments, including the Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate and the picturesque Roses Valley, known for its annual Festival of Roses. The journey offers a diversity of breathtaking landscapes, from majestic mountains to lush valleys and palm groves, eventually leading us to the vast desert.

We will also pass through charming Berber villages like Skoura, El Kelaa des Mgouna, and Boumalne Dades. Our final stop for the day is Boumalne Dades, where we will stay overnight in a hotel that includes dinner and breakfast.

Day 2 : Dades Gorges – Todra Gorges – Merzouga Desert

From Boumalne Dades, we will head to Merzouga, home to one of the largest wind-blown dunes in Morocco, Erg Chebbi. This charming small village is considered one of the gateways to the Sahara Desert. On our way, we will pass through the Berber village of Tinghir and visit the Todra Gorge, where the cliffs tower as high as 600 meters and are only 10 meters apart.

After leaving Todra, we will journey through several Berber villages to arrive in Tinjdad. Here, we can either stop for lunch or continue to Erfoud, the capital of fossils and dates, where you can taste traditional food and visit the fossil museum.

After lunch, we will drive to Merzouga, where our camel trek begins. The camels will take us to the luxury desert camp in the middle of Erg Chebbi dunes. These dunes, 20 km long and 5 km wide, are the highest in North Africa, creating a unique and diverse environment. The camel trek takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, leading us to our camp where we will settle into traditional Berber tents equipped with all necessary facilities.

As the sun sets behind the dunes, you will enjoy a nomadic Berber dinner in the middle of the desert. After dinner, we will gather around a campfire to enjoy the sound of traditional Berber drums under the starlit sky. This unforgettable night will be a highlight of your 3 days Marrakech to Merzouga Desert tour itinerary.

Day 3 : Merzouga Desert – Rissani – Alnif – Draa Valley – Marrakech

Your camel guide will wake you up early in the morning to witness what may be the most stunning sunrise of your life. Afterward, you will trek back to the village of Merzouga. Along the way, you’ll marvel at the unique beauty of the spectacular Erg Chebbi dunes, which change color with the shifting light throughout the day.

We will arrive back in Merzouga late in the morning. After having breakfast at your hotel, we will depart for the Draa Valley, which boasts the longest river in Morocco and is dotted with small villages and hidden kasbahs. We’ll stop to admire the fabulous landscape and unique geological formations before heading back across the High Atlas Mountains.

We will return to Marrakech in the late afternoon or evening, where your 3 days tour from Marrakech to Merzouga Desert itinerary concludes.