Enjoy an unforgettable experience on our carefully curated Merzouga Desert tour. Get ready to discover the beauty of the Sahara and the traditions of its communities up-close and personal!
Lying around 500km east of Marrakech, the Merzouga is the most impressive part of the Moroccan Sahara. However, there are several other unmissable sites on your way there. Our Merzouga Desert tour allows you to explore them as well. And, with your own professional driver, you can pick and choose which sites to visit so that you can make the most of your valuable time.
Our first stop is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou, with its striking earthen architecture. Then we continue to Ouarzazate, sometimes called Africa’s Hollywood, for a tour of its renowned film studios. Later, we will take an afternoon walk in the ethereal landscapes of the Dadès Gorge and watch the sun set behind its dramatic rock formations.
Beauty of the Sahara – A Night Under the Stars
Upon reaching the desert, we proceed on camels to a Berber camp. Here, you will spend the night in a khaima (Berber tent) in the heart of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes. Dinner will be freshly prepared and eaten around the campfire. Later, we will enjoy traditional music and dancing. Before you sleep, take a walk and marvel at the clear night-skies, renowned for their spectacular meteor showers.
After your night under desert stars, we make our way back via the ancient trading post of Rissani and the palm groves of Tafilalet. There are also options to look around the Berber villages of Alnif and Tazarine. Once again, your driver is at your command. With in-built flexibility, our tour allows you to focus your time in the places that most interest you.
On our final day we visit the date market of Agdz and take in the lush scenery of the Draa Valley, before returning you to your hotel in Marrakech.
Merzouga Desert Tour – Trip Highlights
- Private transport with fully-qualified, experienced driver.
- A visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou.
- A tour of Ouarzazate’s world-famous film studios.
- Camel rides through the Erg Chebbi dunes.
- One night in a Berber desert camp.
- Traditional Berber music and dance around the campfire.
- Stop-offs in the ancient trans-Saharan trading-posts of Rissani and Agdz.
- Afternoon walks in Dades Gorge and the Draa Valley.
- Options for additional stops to explore the Berber villages of Alnif and Tazarine.
(For those on a tight schedule, you can also experience the beauty of the Sahara on our popular two-day Zagora Desert tour.)
Itinerary
We depart early morning from Marrakech to cross the High Atlas Mountains through the Tizi n’Tichka Pass (2207m). After visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kasbah Ait-Benhaddou, we then stop at Ouarzazate for a tour of its world-famous film studios.
In the afternoon, we visit Kasbah Amridil in the oasis of Skoura, before proceeding to Dades Gorge through the beautiful Valley of Roses.
Spend the first night surrounded by dramatic Dades landscapes, and watch the sun set behind their stunning rock formations.
Day 2 begins with a stroll through the palm groves of the Todra Valley. We then drive on to Erfoud, via the Berber village of Tinejdad. In Erfoud we will stop to look at its famous marble fossils, before continuing on to Merzouga, the gateway to the Sahara.
There we will leave the car and continue into the beautiful Erg Chebbi sand dunes on camels. Your second night will be spent in a desert nomads’ camp, where you will sleep in your own khaima (Berber tent). After a delicious sunset dinner, we will enjoy traditional Berber music and dancing around the campfire.
Before turning in for the night, take a short walk into the desert and admire the beauty of the clear night skies, filled with stars and the occasional spectacular meteor shower.
After admiring the beautiful sunrise in the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, we will return to Merzouga by camel. From there we will visit the ancient trans-Saharan trading post of Risani, before stopping to walk amongst the palm groves of Tafilalet.
We will then visit the Berber villages of Alnif and Tazarine, before returning to Ouarzazate where we will spend the third night.
On the last day your driver will take you to Agdz, located on the old caravan route from Marrakech to Timbuktu and the gateway to the Draa Valley. There we will stroll around the famous date market, beautiful little villages and lush palmeraie (palm oases).
Our tour ends with your return trip back through the High Atlas mountains’ Tizi n’Tichka Pass (lit. “difficult mountain pasture” in Berber ) to your hotel in Marrakech.
