Marrakech Desert Tour to Merzouga: 6 Days and 5 Nights
Six days from Marrakech to the Merzouga desert, through the Todra Gorge, Ait Ben Haddou and the Erg Chebbi dunes, with a night in a Berber tent in the Sahara.
From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
On the way you visit Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the setting for Gladiator and Game of Thrones, cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass in the Atlas Mountains, follow the Valley of Roses and reach the towering Todra Gorge. Berber guides tell you the story of each place, and you stop at the date market in Rissani, where caravans once set off across the Sahara to Timbuktu.A night in a Berber tent: the highlight of this Marrakech desert tour
In the late afternoon you ride a quad bike across the Erg Chebbi dunes as they change colour at sunset, with time for sandboarding. The night is spent at a Berber camp, with a Moroccan dinner under the stars by the campfire and the drums of your nomad hosts. In the morning you ride a camel back to the road.Marrakech at your own pace
The trip starts and ends in Marrakech, with nights in a riad inside the Medina and a tour of the neighbourhoods most visitors never find: craftsmen bending iron, stitching babouches and dyeing cotton, Bahia Palace, the Menara Gardens and Jemaa el-Fna square with views of the Koutoubia.What is included
Arrival and departure transfers, 3 nights in a riad in Marrakech with breakfast, 1 night in the Dades Valley with dinner, 1 night in a desert tent with dinner and entertainment, shared group transport (17 to 19 people at most) on the desert days, a double quad bike, sandboarding and a camel ride. Flights, lunches, drinks and dinners in Marrakech are not included. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for this Marrakech desert tour.Only have a weekend?
See our Marrakech city break in a riad in the Medina.Day-by-day itinerary
Pick-up at the airport or your arrival point and transfer to your booked riad. You'll have free time today to explore the medina and wander through the souks, where you can try local food and browse the markets. Jemaa el-Fna Square is Marrakech's most famous square, the perfect place to stop for a tea with a view of the Koutoubia Mosque (the sister of Seville's Giralda).
Your trip to the Merzouga desert starts early in the morning. We'll pick you up around 7:00–7:30 am at your accommodation or the nearest accessible point, and once the group is together, we'll head towards Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah via the Tizi n'Tichka pass and the Atlas Mountains.
We'll make several stops along the way. First, we'll visit Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has served as the backdrop for several Hollywood blockbusters. We'll have lunch there, then continue to Ouarzazate and visit Taourirt Kasbah (exterior view only, currently closed due to earthquake damage). In the afternoon, we'll head to Boumalne Dades via the Rose Valley road.
Day one ends at our hotel in the Dades Valley (dinner and overnight stay).
After breakfast at your hotel in the Dades Valley, our journey continues along the road of the 1,001 Kasbahs through the Tinghir oasis, where we'll turn off onto a secondary road running along the river until we reach the Todra Gorge.
We'll then have free time to take in the sheer scale of the towering cliffs and grab lunch at a local café. From there, we'll continue towards Rissani, making a brief stop — famous for its date market and as a historic starting point for the caravan trade crossing the Sahara to Timbuktu.
After this quick stop, we'll continue to Merzouga through a rocky desert landscape. On reaching the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes, we'll meet our quad bikes and guide and ride across the incredible sand dunes, which change colour with the sunset against the horizon.
Just before dark, we'll arrive at our camp in the Sahara desert. After some time to take in the dunes and surrounding scenery, we'll enjoy a traditional Moroccan dinner by the campfire.
In the evening, local nomadic hosts will entertain you with their drums.
After an early breakfast, we'll take a camel ride back to the main road, where you'll meet your driver and vehicle for the journey back to Ouarzazate, where you'll have free time for lunch. In the afternoon, we'll continue to Marrakech, crossing the High Atlas Mountains.
Estimated arrival from 6:30 pm.
Breakfast. Forget every kind of pre-packaged tour you've ever heard of — we sell an experience, and the city of Marrakech is no exception. We'll take you to places tourists don't normally go: the industrial quarter right in the heart of the medina, where you'll see craftsmen bending iron, stitching babouches, painting furniture, dyeing cotton and much more. A blend of colours and sensations that sweeps you away as you step into the Bahia Palace or the Menara Gardens. Free time by the famous Jemaa el-Fna Square, with a fantastic view of the Koutoubia. Overnight stay. Optional farewell group dinner at a private party.
On this final day, after breakfast, you'll have time to stroll around and buy souvenirs before heading to the airport.
If your flight is later in the day and you'd like to, you can book a private city tour or a day activity such as a hot air balloon ride or a visit to a hammam.
At the scheduled time, we'll take you to the airport, where our services will end.
Rest assured, we'll always be waiting for you again — because we know that whoever comes to Morocco always comes back!
What's included
- Arrival transfer from the airport to your booked riad;
- First and last night in Marrakech with breakfast;
- Second night in a private hotel in the Dades Valley with dinner and breakfast;
- Third night in a desert camp with dinner, Berber entertainment and breakfast;
- Fourth night in a riad in Marrakech with breakfast;
- Group transport during the Merzouga tour on days 2, 3 and 4, for a maximum of 17 to 19 people;
- Pick-up from your riad/hotel or the nearest accessible point for the Merzouga tour on days 2, 3 and 4;
- Shared quad bike for 2 people;
- Sandboarding on the dunes;
- Camel ride;
- Transfer from your booked riad in Marrakech to the airport at the scheduled time.
What's not included
- International flights;
- Drinks;
- Lunches;
- Personal expenses;
- Tips;
- Dinners on Marrakech nights (1st and 4th nights);
- Anything not described in the "Included" section.
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Frequently asked questions
Most EU citizens, including Portuguese nationals, do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days in Morocco — you'll just need a passport valid for at least 6 more months.
You'll sleep in a traditional Berber tent (haima) among the Erg Chebbi dunes, with a typical Moroccan dinner and Berber entertainment by the campfire.
No special fitness is required. The camel ride and quad biking are accessible to most people; if you have any health limitations, let us know in advance.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the best times, with milder temperatures in both Marrakech and the desert. Summer can be quite hot, especially during the day in the desert.
No. This 6-day/5-night package includes everything on the ground (transport, accommodation, activities) from your arrival in Marrakech — you just need to book your international flight.
Terms and conditions
- Shared group: transport during the desert section (days 2, 3 and 4) is in a shared group of up to 17 to 19 people.
- Payment terms: a booking deposit is required on confirmation, with the balance due before departure.
- Cancellation fees: 50% once the booking is confirmed.
- Flights: international flights are not included — you only need to arrange your own flight to Marrakech.
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