5-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, 4 nights/5 days in Morocco. Book your trip with Morocco Vacations and discover the Atlas Mountains, the Sahara desert, kasbahs, and gorges. This tour gives you a glimpse into the diversity of Morocco, from unique landscapes to ancient monuments. Join us on a journey through Moroccan culture, history, and warm hospitality.
Here are the tour highlights:
This 5-day desert journey in Morocco begins in Marrakech, the capital of tourism in the country. We’ll depart at 8 am, heading to the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi N’Tichka pass. Enjoy stunning views as we make some stops along the way. For example, a pause at an altitude of 2260m, the highest point of the trip.
Continuing our Marrakech desert tour, we’ll pass through Ouarzazate. A very famous destination for making movies. Here, you can pay a visit to the Atlas Studios, one of the main attractions of the city. You can have a local guided tour inside to discover where they made scenes for popular movies like The Mummy, Prince of Persia, Prison Break, Kundun, and many more.
After that, we drive across Skoura Oasis and the Valley of Roses. This latter is known for producing most of the rose water in Morocco, which we use for cooking and cosmetic products.
Finally, we will reach our last destination, Boumalne Dades. Admire the stunning rock formations and the curry road of Tissdrine in Dades Gorges. Check-in the hotel and relax for the next day.
After a Moroccan breakfast in Boumalne Dades, we will continue our 5-day Marrakech desert tour. Firstly, we will head to explore Todra Gorges, known for its towering red cliffs and a running river. Here, you will have some free time to Take a walk in between the gorges and enjoy the panoramic views. Then, we stop for lunch in either Tinghir or Tinjedad before reaching Merzouga, the gate to the Sahara Desert.
The next destination is Erfoud, famous for its fossil discoveries. The desert area is believed to be an ocean in the past because of the large number of fossils they find. We can pay a visit to one of the factories and have a local guided trip to enrich our knowledge.
Upon arrival in Merzouga, your camel guides will be there waiting for you. Leave the car behind and opt for a more traditional way of traveling in the desert. Watch the sunset over the dunes and spend the night in a traditional desert camp, enjoying Berber music around the campfire.
Today, we’ll explore the surrounding area of Merzouga, meeting local desert families. Learn about their traditional way of life and enjoy tea with the friendly locals. First of all, we will go deeper into the desert, passing through the Black Desert landscapes.
We travel through the volcanic rocks and visit the nomadic families in their tents. Learn about their customs and traditions. Afterward, we will head to the mines of Mascara and the old factory where they used to extract it. Here, you can have free time to do some hiking. Around the afternoon, we will head to a village called Khamlia to have lunch and visit the Gnawa people.
Return to the desert camp or the hotel for a night under the stars. Enjoy a traditional Berber dinner and yourself in the peaceful ambiance of the desert. If you choose to stay in the hotel, you can enjoy the swimming pool and why not do some hiking or extra activities like Sandboarding or ATVS.
Today, it is recommended to wake up early for the magical sunrise over the golden dunes. After breakfast, we’ll ride camels back to Merzouga village, you can choose to take a 4×4 instead! Our 5-day Marrakech desert tour continues towards Rissani. A very important city in the southeast of Morocco. It is known for its big traditional market. If you are lucky to be there on a market day (Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday), It gets very busy with the local people. There, you can have a walk and see where the locals go to buy goods. You can visit the animal market, the Jewish quarter, the craftsmen area, and many more.
Afterward, we will drive through Draa Valley, the longest river in Morocco. Not to mention that it is considered the biggest source of dates in the country.
Arriving in Ouarzazate, we will check in the hotel, relax, and get our energy restored. Dinner and Breakfast included.
Start the last day of our Marrakech desert tour with a visit to the largest Kasbah in Morocco. Explore the area and learn about its history. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. Moreover, in the past, it used to function as a s station for the trading camel caravans to stop by and relax. This ancient fortress is now famous for its appearance in films like Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia. Explore narrow alleys and mud-brick houses as we wander through the kasbah.
Afterward, we drive again through the unique Tizi N’Tichka pass, offering amazing mountain views.
Finally, we’ll head back to Marrakech, the red city. End of the 5-day Marrakech to Merzouga desert tour.
“We spent 5 days on tour from Marrakech to the Sahara desert of Merzouga. It was an amazing experience guided by Youssef who was at all times aware that we were as comfortable as possible. He was very patient, and professional in all ways. Moreover, we would also like to highlight the second day in the desert, where all the guys in the camp were very helpful and we could learn a lot about their culture. In summary, we highly recommend the experience with Morocco Vacations!”
“We totally enjoyed our 5-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga and then Marrakech. The itinerary was exactly as advertised and everything worked out smoothly. Our driver/guide Mustapha was very professional, kind, respectful, knowledgeable, and always on time. We felt very comfortable traveling with him, he was pleasant to be around and a great/safe driver. We had a great trip overall and recommend booking with Morocco Vacations!”
To book this tour, use the contact form above, email, WhatsApp, or our social networks, and provide us with your chosen tour, number of travelers, type of accommodation (standard, luxury, etc.), and your tour date (if known). To confirm your tour, we require a deposit. The rest of the payment is paid in cash when you meet your driver.
The cost of the 5-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga varies depending on the number of participants and your chosen accommodation type. Generally, larger groups benefit from a more economical price per person. Request a complimentary quote today to determine your personalized rate!
Your money will be refunded only if you cancel the tour 20 days before your arrival. (20-day money-back guarantee). If the tour is postponed, your deposit will still be available for future use.
