6 Days from Marrakech to the Merzouga Desert

Morocco Terrific Trips designed this route of 6 days from Marrakech to the Merzouga desert, and you can always adapt it to your needs. We meet you at the airport and, if you arrive early, we visit Marrakech. Then we cross the High Atlas to the Dades Valley via Ouarzazate. After that, you sleep in a Berber camp in the Merzouga desert and explore its surroundings. Finally, you return to the Red City through the Draa Valley and Ait Ben Haddou.

Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech and city visit

We wait for you at Marrakech airport at your arrival time. Welcome to Morocco! Depending on your flight, you then visit Marrakech with a local guide. The Almoravids founded the city in the 11th century. Today you can see the Koutoubia minaret, symbol of the city and a jewel of Almohad art, as well as the Saadian Tombs and the Bahia Palace. You also explore the medina and Jemaa el Fna square, full of vendors, acrobats and storytellers. In the afternoon, you can stroll in the souks and practise your bargaining skills. At sunset, enjoy the view from a terrace over the square. Overnight in a charming riad or hotel.

Day 2: Marrakech – High Atlas – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley (340 km)

We pick you up at 8:30 am at your hotel or riad. Then we head into the High Atlas via the Tizi n’Tichka pass, with several panoramic stops. After that, we drive past Berber villages towards Ouarzazate. Later, we cross the Valley of Roses and enter the Dades Valley, where the road of the thousand kasbahs begins. Here you also see the rock formations called the monkey fingers, or the brain of the Atlas. Dinner and overnight in the Dades Valley.

Day 3: Dades Valley – Todra Gorges – Erfoud – Merzouga (250 km)

After breakfast, we drive along a road dotted with kasbahs to one of the highlights of the south, the Todra Gorges. Here the river has carved a canyon with vertical walls up to 200 metres high, a paradise for climbers. Lunch is free. Then we continue towards the desert through the Tafilalet palm grove and Erfoud to the Merzouga dunes. At the hotel at the foot of the dunes, we welcome you with mint tea. Afterwards, you can walk on the fine sand of Erg Chebbi. In the evening, you enjoy a delicious Berber dinner and spend the night at the hotel.

Day 4: Around Erg Chebbi

After breakfast, we tour the Erg Chebbi dunes to discover Merzouga, its palm grove and the village of Khamlia. There, you listen to Gnawa music, a spiritual tradition recognised by UNESCO. For lunch, you taste the typical Berber pizza. In the afternoon, we swap the 4×4 for dromedaries and ride across the dunes for about an hour and a half. On the way, you watch the sunset and its play of colours until we reach the camp. Then you enjoy an authentic Berber dinner, drum music and a night in a nomad tent under the stars.

Day 5: Merzouga – Rissani – Draa Valley – Ouarzazate (370 km)

You wake up early to watch the sunrise over the dunes and then ride back to Merzouga. After breakfast and a shower, we drive to Rissani. Here you walk through one of the most authentic souks in Morocco, the largest in the south, where people trade crafts, food and animals. Then we continue to Ouarzazate along the Draa Valley and its thousands of palm trees. Dinner and overnight in Ouarzazate.

Day 6: Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech (197 km), the last of your 6 days from Marrakech

After breakfast, you can visit a film studio in Ouarzazate. Then we continue to the kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Films such as Gladiator, The Jewel of the Nile and Babel were shot here. Finally, we return to Marrakech through mountains dotted with Berber villages and arrive in the afternoon. We can take you directly to Marrakech airport, where our service ends.

6 days from Marrakech: practical information

The “6 Days 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.