5 days Marrakech Merzouga desert tour. This trip from Marrakech to the south of Morocco and Merzouga desert. Will take you to the charming desert landscape of Morocco. During this trip from Marrakech to Merzouga you will cross the high atlas mountains. Visit the famous kasbah Ai ben haddou and travel in a beautiful road of oasis and berber kasbah. See the dunes of Erg Chebbi Camel ride, and night in the nomadic camp. Then visit the Zagora desert before returning to Marrakech.
5 days Marrakech Merzouga desert tour
Day 1 : Marrakech Dades Gorges:
We will meet at the designated ending point in Marrakech. Then start our 5 days Marrakech Merzouga desert tour to the Dades Gorges. We will cross the Tizi-n-Tichka pass in the High Atlas mountains. Where we will have the opportunity to take photos of exceptional landscapes. Then we will visit the fortified village / ksar of Ait Ben haddou recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Then we will drive a short distance to Ouarzazate, known as the doorway to the desert. For many centuries, this city has been a trading route and is now home to Atlas Studios, the movie capital of Morocco where Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones were filmed. In addition, we will have the chance to visit a remarkable abandoned fortified residence from the 17th to the 19th century, Taourit Kasbah,
in the center of Ouarzazate, then proceed to the valley of roses where we will have the opportunity to discover the process of distillation of the flowers grown there in rose water. After our tour of the region, we will head to Dades to spend the night in a traditional house with dinner.
Day 2: Dades Gorges Merzouga:
Today, we will have breakfast at the Riad and then we will drive to Merzouga known for having the highest Sahara sand dunes in Northern Africa, called Erg Chebbi. On our way to our destination, we will have a chance to see many oasis such as the small desert town of Tinjdad. Further on, we will arrive at Rissani where it is possible to visit a number of ruins/musuems/ markets. We will continue on our way reaching the dense palm tree oasis (palm grove) of the Ziz “Tafilet” Valley followed by the hard rocky plateaus of the desert, hamada, before arriving in Merzouga, at the edge of the Sahara, where we will take a camel ride later in the day to watch the ever changing colors and shapes of the sand dunes. We will spend the night in a well equipped campsite in the middle of the Sahara which will give us a chance to observe the day/night/day changes of the landscape and take photos of the sunset along with the sunrise. You will be served dinner at the campsite
before turning in to your tent for the night under the starlit desert sky.
Day 3 : Merzouga desert:
After a refreshing night sleep in the desert followed by breakfast, we will explore this section of the Sahara desert where you will have the opportunity to sand-board, ski on the dunes, and/or explore the area in a 4×4. Subsequently, we will visit the town of Merzouga and then Khamlia village which is 7 km away from Merzouga. The village is known for the famous Gnawa music throughout Morocco and there is also time to birdwatch along with walking through the small shopping area. We will continue our camping in the desert tents, get a chance to see the spectacular sunset over the sand dunes, have a locally sourced dinner at the campsite, hear some local Gnawa music, and watch the beauty of the desert sky before you retire to your tent for the night.
Day 4: Merzouga desert – Zagora desert:
After breakfast at the dune campsite, we will ride camels to the hotel in Merzouga where you can take a refreshing shower. Subsequently we will drive through the Draa Valley which has a stunning Palm Tree Oasis. We will pass through the oasis of Rissani followed by the Berber town of N’Koub and stay overnight in a local Zagora hotel along with dining at a local restaurant before retiring for the night .
Day 5: Zagora – Marrakech:
After breakfast in your Zagora hotel, we will travel through the scenic Draa Valley, the town of Agdz, Ouarzazate, the Thousand Kasbah route, and end in Marrakech where you will be escorted to your hotel.
Tour includes :
- Fluent, English speaking Moroccan driver
- Private air-conditioned 4×4 mini-bus for the duration of the tour
- Fuel costs
- Camel trek
- Costs of the Dades Riad and the desert tent camp
- Breakfasts & dinners
- Sandboarding on the dunes
Not included list:
- Flights or other transportation costs not included in the tour itinerary
- Daily lunch
- Extra water or other fluids
- Tips for the driver
