3 Days and 2 Nights from Marrakech to the Merzouga Desert

This trip from Marrakech to Merzouga in 3 days and 2 nights is perfect if you have little time in Morocco but want to sleep in the desert. You ride a camel at sunset in the Sahara and return the next day. The tour runs every day, and we pick you up at your hotel or riad before crossing the Atlas Mountains.

Highlights of the tour:

• High Atlas mountains
• Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO site
• Film studios of Ouarzazate
• Valley of Roses
• Dades Valley
• A camel ride in the Merzouga desert
• A night in a desert camp

As this is a private tour, we can change it to suit your travel plans.

Day 1: Marrakech – Tizi n’Tichka – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley

We pick you up at your riad or hotel at 8:30 am and drive south across the High Atlas. The Tizi n’Tichka pass, at 2,260 m, is the highest road pass in Morocco, so we make several panoramic stops. Then we have lunch in Ait Ben Haddou and visit its kasbah, protected by UNESCO. It is one of the best preserved fortresses in Morocco. Films such as Gladiator, Asterix and Obelix, The Jewel of the Nile and Sahara were shot here.

Next, we continue to Ouarzazate, the great gateway to the desert, to visit the Taourirt kasbah and the film studios. After that, we follow the road of a thousand kasbahs through colourful Berber villages, the Skoura palm grove and the Valley of Roses. Finally, we arrive in the Dades Valley for dinner and the night.

Day 2: Dades Valley – Todra Gorges – Erfoud – Merzouga, a night in the desert

After breakfast, we continue to the Todra Valley, 15 km of palm trees that end in spectacular gorges. There, we walk along canyons about 300 m high, popular with climbers. Then we head to the Erg Chebbi dunes, with lunch in Tinejdad or Touroug. In Merzouga, our camel caravan is waiting for you. You ride over the dunes and watch an incredible sunset before reaching the camp in the middle of the Sahara. After dinner, we gather around the fire with traditional Berber drums under the stars. Overnight in a Berber tent.

Day 3: Erg Chebbi – Draa Valley – Ouarzazate – back to Marrakech

You wake up early for the sunrise over Erg Chebbi, one of the best moments of the trip. After breakfast at the camp, you return by camel or 4×4. Then we start the journey back through villages such as Alnif, Tazarine and N’Kob. We also cross the dry desert landscape of the Draa Valley, along the longest river in Morocco. Later, we cross the Anti Atlas to Ouarzazate for lunch. Finally, we take the Tizi n’Tichka road back and arrive at your hotel or riad in the evening. This is the end of your trip from Marrakech to Merzouga in 3 days.

Marrakech to Merzouga 3 days: practical information

The “3 Days and 2 Nights from Marrakech to the Merzouga Desert” itinerary is a private tour, so you travel only with your own group, driver and vehicle. In addition, you choose the start date, and we adapt the hotels and the pace to your budget. To book it, send us your request or write to us on WhatsApp, and we will reply within 24 hours. Before you decide, you can also read our reviews on Tripadvisor or see more Sahara desert tours.

If this itinerary is not to your liking, please contact us and we will adapt it to suit you.