Overview:
This 3-day desert tour from Marrakech is the ideal choice for travelers who want to experience the magic of the Sahara Desert but have limited time. Starting and ending in the Red City, this express adventure maximizes every moment to take you all the way to the spectacular dunes of Erg Chebbi, the main highlight of the route. In just a few days, you will discover breathtaking landscapes, authentic villages, and unforgettable desert scenery that turn this short getaway into a truly memorable journey.
Along this circular route, beauty is found not only in the final destination but also in the incredible road leading from Marrakech to Merzouga. You will cross the majestic High Atlas Mountains through the famous Tizi n’Tichka Pass, visit impressive Berber adobe fortresses, and explore the fascinating pre-Saharan valleys of Dades and Draa, home to dramatic rocky canyons and lush palm-filled oases. The itinerary also includes charming, traditional towns such as Rissani, known for its authentic character and local heritage. This 3-day, 2-night Morocco tour, starting and ending in Marrakech, offers the perfect introduction to the wonders of the Sahara.
Included/Excluded
- Private vehicle with chauffeur throughout the tour
- One night in a charming riad in the Dades Valley, half-board (dinner and breakfast)
- One night in a luxury tent camp in the dunes of Erg Chebbi, half board (dinner and breakfast). Depending on the package, the morning shower will be taken at the camp or in a hotel in Merzouga.
- Dromedary excursion from Merzouga to the dunes of Erg Chebbi (one dromedary per person)
- International flights in and out of the country
- Transfers to/from airport
- Midday lunches
- Beverages
- Tips
- Entrance fees to museums and monuments
Tour Plan
On this first day of the trip, we will leave early from your hotel in Marrakech to make the most of the day. We will do it in our private vehicle with chauffeur, who will be with you during the whole circuit. Leaving the red city, we will begin our ascent to the High Atlas Mountains through valleys of wild beauty, framed by snow-capped peaks for most of the year.
Once we pass the Tizi n’Tichka pass, we will see that the landscape changes: it becomes more arid and rocky. We will pass by ancient Berber castles (kasbahs) and visit one of them: the kasbah of Telouet, which belonged to the Lord of the Atlas or Pasha of Marrakech, the powerful Thami El Glaoui.
This is just the appetizer of what will come miles later: the fortified village (ksar) of Ait Ben Haddou, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco for its unique beauty. It became important as a stop on the caravan routes that reached Marrakech from the other side of the Sahara, and its inhabitants fortified it in this way for defensive purposes.
We will continue through the Dades Valley, with picturesque villages among rocky hills and green bumps on the banks of this humble river. In one of them, Boulmane Dades, we will spend the night in a traditional riad.
- Departure in private vehicle with driver from Marrakech
- Road trip, with these landmarks:
- High Atlas pass through Tizi n’Tichka
- Kasbah of Telouet. Visit
- Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou. Visit
- Arrival in the Dades Valley
- Dinner and night in a charming riad in the Dades Valley
At the beginning of this second day, we will continue to discover charming corners of the Dades Valley, in particular Tinghir (or Tinerhir), carpeted in green and crowned by unique steep mountains. It is also considered the gateway to the Todra Gorges, a unique place that we will access shortly after: it is a rocky canyon, carved by the small river that gives it its name, with nooks and walls that exceed 100 meters high in many cases.
From the Todra Gorges we will continue our route by road, framed in this pre-Saharan valley landscape, until we reach the gates of the desert: we will pass Erfoud and, shortly after, we will visit the picturesque Rissani, a town with the largest and most beautiful medina in the desert, where there are still scenes from another time, such as its donkey parking or its market with bulk goods.
The next stop is Merzouga, where we will make a peculiar transfer: we will leave our motor vehicle to take a four-legged means of transport, the dromedary, authentic desert all-terrain vehicle. On the back of these docile and noble animals, we will start a ride through the dunes of Erg Chebbi until we reach the luxury tent camp where we will spend the night.
At the camp we will be welcomed as tradition dictates: with Berber tea and lots of hospitality. Here we will have dinner and let ourselves be embraced by the peace of the desert, which contributes to its night silence and starry sky, free of light and air pollution.
- Breakfast in riad in the Dades Valley
- Continuation of the route through the Dades Valley
- Visit to the Todra Gorges
- Visit of Rissani
- Arrival in Merzouga:
- Dromedary ride in the Erg Chebbi dunes
- Dinner and night in luxury tent camp in the dunes of Erg Chebbi
The last hours of the previous day were magical, because of the particular lights of the sunset and the brightness of the desert sky. But the early hours of this third day will also be very special: it will be worth getting up early to watch the sunrise in this unique environment.
After that and after breakfast at the camp, we will return to Merzouga to take a shower and start our way back to Marrakech. In this case, the route will be more direct, but we will take an alternative route to appreciate the subtle differences of this other pre-Saharan valley: the Draa Valley, considered the largest palm grove in Africa, as its green tongue extends more than 150 km from one end to the other.
We will pass Ouarzazate and cross the High Atlas again by Tizi n’Tickha, to descend towards Marrakech between fertile landscapes and mountain villages. Upon arrival to the red city, we will drop you off at the agreed point, where we will say goodbye and our services will end.
- Sunrise on the dunes of Erg Chebbi
- Breakfast in the Berber tents camp
- Return to Merzouga and shower
- Continuation of the road route through the Draa Valley
- High Atlas pass through Tizi n’Tichka
- Arrival in Marrakech
Tour Map
Contact us
- Riad El Moukha, Darb El, Bazioui, N 14, Morocco
Informations
Morocco Desert Tours
Cultural Travel Morocco Tours
