4 Days Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga

Day 1: Marrakech → High Atlas Mountains → Skoura → Dades Gorges

Your tour begins with a pick-up from your accommodation in Marrakech. We leave the city and climb into the High Atlas Mountains along the famous Tizi-n-Tichka Pass. Your driver/guide will stop at the most scenic viewpoints along the way, and you’re free to ask for a photo stop whenever something catches your eye. After lunch in Ait Ben Haddou or Ouarzazate, we continue toward the Dades Gorges, passing through the oasis of Skoura and the Rose Valley. In Skoura’s green palm grove, you can choose to visit Amridil Kasbah, one of the finest fortified kasbahs in Morocco. If you’re traveling in spring, we’ll also stop to see the Rose Valley at its best, when the fields burst into bloom. On reaching the Dades Gorges, you’ll see the remarkable rock formations known locally as “monkey fingers” and enjoy a wide view over the gorge. We then head to your hotel to unwind, have dinner and spend the night.

Day 2: Dades Gorges → Todra Canyon → Merzouga Desert

After breakfast, we follow the Dades and Todra Rivers on a beautiful drive lined with palm groves and Berber villages. Our first stop is the Todra Gorge near Tinghir, a spectacular canyon that ranks among the most impressive in the world. From there, we set off toward the Merzouga desert. On the way to the Erg Chebbi dunes, your driver/guide may suggest a visit to a traditional Berber shop, where you can try on Berber clothing and take photos free of charge. If you like, you can pick up a desert scarf or a souvenir, but there’s no obligation to buy anything; the visit is simply a way to share local culture. If you’d rather not stop, just tell your driver/guide and we’ll carry on. When we arrive in Merzouga, you’ll set off on a camel ride into the dunes to watch the sunset and have a go at sandboarding. You’ll then spend the night at a luxury desert camp, with a delicious dinner and the quiet magic of the Sahara after dark.

Day 3: Merzouga → Rissani → Agdez → Ouarzazate

Wake up early for a sunrise you won’t forget, best seen from the dune closest to your camp as the sand changes color with the first light. After breakfast at camp, you can return to Merzouga village either by camel or in a comfortable 4×4. Not far from town is the village of Khamlia, famous for its Gnawa music, where we stop to listen to this hypnotic traditional sound. Next, we visit Rissani, a historic town known as the birthplace of Morocco’s ruling Alaouite dynasty and once a key stop on the old caravan routes. If your visit falls on a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday, we’ll also explore its traditional market. From Rissani, we drive through the lovely Draa Valley around Agdez before continuing to Ouarzazate, where we arrive in the afternoon and check into your accommodation.

Day 4: Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah → Telouet Kasbah → Marrakech

After breakfast, we explore Ouarzazate, nicknamed the “Hollywood of Africa” and one of the main gateways to the Sahara. The city is home to Atlas Studios, the largest film studio in Africa, as well as the historic Taourirt Kasbah. Next, we drive to Ait Ben Haddou to explore its ancient kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. This striking fortified village has appeared in many famous films and series, including Gladiator, The Mummy and Game of Thrones. From Ait Ben Haddou, we head back toward Marrakech across the Atlas Mountains, enjoying wide mountain views and the small Berber villages perched along the slopes. On the way, we stop to visit the Kasbah of Telouet. Your 4 days tour from Marrakech to Merzouga ends with a drop-off at your accommodation in Marrakech, after four days filled with desert landscapes, history and local culture.