5 Days Tour From Marrakech To Merzouga
5 Days Tour From Marrakech To Merzouga Overview:
- 5 Days/ 4 Nights
- Start in Marrakech
- Ends in Marrakech
This great 5 day desert tour is starting and ending in Marrakech. It is a long trip but we make it very nice for you. You travel through Morocco’s beautiful High Atlas Mountains. We stop at famous old villages like Ait Ben Haddou. You will see big canyons and green valleys before you come to the Sahara desert.
In the Merzouga desert, you ride camels and you sleep in a nice camp under the sky with so many stars. We spend a full day to explore the desert area and meet nomad people. This is a very special day. On the way back to Marrakech, we visit Ouarzazate, the city where they make movies. This tour is a great way to see a lot of Morocco in just five days. We promise it is an adventure.
Highlights of The 5 Day Desert Tour From Marrakech to Merzouga
- Driving over the great High Atlas Mountains, you see beautiful views.
- Visiting Ait Ben Haddou, the old village from famous movies.
- Seeing the Dades Valley and the big rock walls of Todra Gorge.
- A special camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset time.
- Sleeping in a beautiful desert camp, you see the stars clearly.
- Spending time with nomad families and listening to Gnawa music.
- Visiting the old market in Rissani and the film studios in Ouarzazate.
Why Choose The Private Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour 5 Days?
When you choose this private 5 day tour it is just for you and your friends or family. This is very good. You travel in a comfortable car, not with a big group. You can stop when you want to take pictures or just rest a little bit. We make the trip easy for you. You do not need to plan anything everything is done. This trip is made to make sure you see many things but you are not too rushed. It is the best way to see the Sahara desert.
We know Morocco very well, this is our home. We want you to feel happy and safe. This private desert tour lets you relax and enjoy the trip more than the big bus tours. We give you good hotels and a nice camp. You will have a driver who speaks English. The price is good and everything is clear about what you get. You should book this 5-day desert tour now and start your adventure with us.
5 Days Desert Tour From Marrakech To Merzouga Itinerary:
Please look here at the detailed programme for each day of your 5-day desert tour. Remember this is your trip. If there is something you do not like or want to change, just tell us. Feel free to contact us and we can change the programme easy for you.
DAY 1: MARRAKECH ⇢ HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS ⇢ AIT BEN HADDOU KASBAH ⇢ DADES VALLEY
We pick you up from your hotel in Marrakech. Our 5 day trip starts by driving over the High Atlas Mountains. This is a very long drive, but the views are amazing. We drive on the Tizi-N-Tichka pass. This pass is very high up, 2,260 meters! We will stop many times to take pictures and see the Berber villages down in the valley.
Then we go to Ait Ben Haddou. This is a very famous old Kasbah, a fortified village. UNESCO says it is a World Heritage Site. Many popular movies used this place, like Gladiator. We walk around the Kasbah and learn its history. After lunch, we drive to Dades Valley. We pass the town of Ouarzazate and the Rose Valley.
The road into Dades Valley is called “The Road of 1000 Kasbahs”. In Dades, we see a beautiful sunset over the valley and the strange rock formations like “Monkey Fingers.” Then you eat dinner and sleep at your hotel in the Dades Valley.
DAY 2: DADES VALLEY ⇢ TODRA GORGE ⇢ MERZOUGA DESERT
After breakfast, we leave Dades Valley and go to Tinghir. Here we will visit the Todra Gorge. The gorge is a big canyon, the rock walls are 300 meters high. It feels very small when you walk between them. This is a great place to walk for a little while. The river water is cool.
We drive through many small towns and palm tree areas. We stop for lunch. After lunch, the road goes to the famous Sahara desert. When we get to the town of Merzouga, we find our camels waiting. This is the start of the most exciting part, the camel trek.
Your camel takes you for about one hour into the Erg Chebbi dunes. The sand dunes here are very high, they look like big waves. We stop on a high dune to watch the sunset. This is so beautiful and peaceful. When it is dark, we arrive at the desert camp. You have a great dinner, maybe listen to Berber drums, and sleep in your comfortable private tent.
DAY 3: A FULL DAY IN THE DESERT EXPLORING THE AREA
You should wake up early today. It is important to see the sunrise over the desert dunes. The colors are great, really nice. After the sunrise, you come back to the camp for a big breakfast. Then we go exploring the desert area.
We drive in a 4×4 car today. We visit the local nomads. These people live in tents in the middle of nowhere. They are very friendly and will invite us for some tea. It is a good chance to see their simple life. We also visit Khamlia village where the locals play Gnawa music. The music is very special and loud. We will stop at an old mine or fossil area too.
In the afternoon you have free time. Maybe you want to relax at a hotel near the dunes, or you can walk in the sand. If you want, you can spend another night at the camp. Today is about seeing the culture and history of the desert and relaxing near the big dunes.
DAY 4: MERZOUGA ⇢ RISSANI ⇢ AGDEZ ⇢ OUARZAZATE
After a good desert breakfast, we leave the sand dunes and Merzouga. Our first stop is Rissani. This is an old city, famous for being the start of the trading routes. We visit the Souk, the local market. It is very busy on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. You can buy many spices and local things here.
We drive toward Ouarzazate. This is a long journey so we make stops. We pass Erfoud, where they make marble with fossils. Then we travel south through the Draa Valley. You will see many green palm groves and old Kasbahs all along the river. We stop at Agdez for a nice view of the Draa Valley.
We get to Ouarzazate in the late afternoon. This city is called “The Hollywood of Africa” because of the film studios. We check into your hotel. You have dinner and rest before the last day of the tour.
DAY 5: OUARZAZATE ⇢ AIT BEN HADDOU KASBAH ⇢ TELOUET KASBAH ⇢ MARRAKECH
We start the last day of our desert tour with breakfast. In Ouarzazate we can visit the old Kasbah of Taourirt, this was the home of a powerful family long ago. Also, you can visit the cinema studios, if you like films. This is a fun stop before we go back to Marrakech.
We drive back into the High Atlas Mountains. We stop again at Ait Ben Haddou, it is good to see this special place. We visit the historic Telouet Kasbah. This Kasbah is a little broken now but it is very beautiful and has a sad history. It is a different kind of Kasbah than Ait Ben Haddou.
After Telouet, we drive over the High Atlas mountains again, back to Marrakech. We arrive in Marrakech in the afternoon. We take you to your hotel. This is where your wonderful 5 day desert tour ends. Thank you for traveling with us.
Tour Includes & Excludes
Includes:
- Travel in a nice private car, 4x4 or minivan, with air condition.
- An English-speaking driver, he is also your guide.
- All your places to sleep: 3 nights in a good hotel or Riad, 1 night in a desert camp.
- Dinner and breakfast every day, this is 4 dinners and 4 breakfasts.
- The camel ride and sandboarding activity.
- 4x4 tour to explore the desert on Day 3.
- Pick up and drop off at your place in Marrakech.
Excludes:
- Lunch meals every day.
- All drinks, like water, soda, coffee.
- The money to go inside the movie studios or some Kasbahs.
- Tips for the driver and guides, this is not needed but very nice.
5 Days Desert Tour Marrakech To Merzouga Price:
The price for this great 5 days desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga can change for many reasons. For example, if you want a luxury hotel or luxury camp it will cost more. Also, if you are a bigger group, the price per person is lower. The time of year you travel and when you book also changes the cost. Please contact us now to get your final price.
Book Now
To start your desert trip, please fill out the form below. We will get back to you fast with the best price for your group. Tell us your travel date and how many people. We look forward to planning this special 5 day tour to Merzouga with you. Book now to get your place!
The Tour Map
Available Tour Options
Luxury Tour Pack
- Luxury Hotels / Riads
- Luxury Desert Camp
- Private Transportation
Mixed Tour Pack
- Standard Hotels / Riads
- Luxury Desert Camp
- Private Transportation
Standard Tour Pack
- Standard Hotels / Riads
- Standard Desert Camp
- Private Transportation
Know Before You Go:
- Please tell us about any food allergy you have when you book this tour. We can change your meals for you. Also, if you are vegetarian or vegan, we need to know this. Your comfort and health is very important to us, so we want to prepare the food right.
- The days are long drive. This is why we stop in Dades Valley and Ouarzazate for the nights. It is better to break the journey. This trip is good because it breaks the long drive and you see more things too.
The desert is very hot in the summer and very cold at night in winter. You need to pack the right clothes. During the day, light clothes are good, but bring a warm jacket for the sunset and night time in the desert camp. It is very cold then. - We know some people do not want to ride the camel. It is fine! You can choose to go to the camp by a comfortable 4×4 car. Just let us know when you book. The camel ride is for fun, not a must.
- You should bring a little cash money with you, in Euros or Dirhams. You will need this for your lunches, drinks, and for buying small souvenirs at the local markets like Rissani.
- We use good hotels and the desert camp has a private bathroom for you. This is a very comfortable tour. You can always talk to your driver if you need something, he is here to help you.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can pay a small deposit first to save your booking. The rest of the money, the balance, you pay in cash to your driver when the tour starts on day one. You can use Euros, US Dollars, or Moroccan Dirhams for the cash payment.
We use comfortable, modern cars for the trip. Depending on how many people are in your group, it will be a 4×4 car, a van, or a minibus. All our cars have air-conditioning so the long drive is nice.
Yes, we can pick you up from the Marrakech airport on Day 1. We can also take you back to the airport on Day 5, or to your hotel in the city. Just tell us the details when you book the trip.
Yes, all the camps we use have clean toilets and places to shower. But, the type of bathroom depends on which camp you choose. If you choose the Standard Camp, the showers and toilets are very clean but you must share them with other guests in a separate area of the camp. If you choose the Luxury Camp, your tent will be much bigger and it has its own private bathroom right inside. This bathroom has a toilet, a sink, and a shower, just like a hotel room, for your comfort.
The roads are good, but we have some long driving days. The longest drive is the last day from Merzouga to Fes, that takes about 7 hours of driving time. The other days are shorter, about 5 to 6 hours driving. But we stop many, many times for photos, lunch, coffee, and sights. Your car is an air-conditioned 4×4, so it is a good car and we make sure you are comfortable.
If you need to change your dates, please tell us as soon as possible. We will try our best to change the booking for you without problems. We are flexible and want to help you.
