3-Days tour from marrakech to Merzouga

OVERVIEW

Escape the busy streets of Marrakech’s Medina for the stark beauty of the desert during this 3-day Tour to Mezrouga and Erg Chebbi. Cross through the Atlas Mountains via the stunning Tizi-n-Tichka pass, explore the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Aït Benhaddou kashbah and visit the desert oasis at Skoura. Then discover the Todra Gorge and the sacred city of Rissani before spending the night amidst the stark beauty of the Sahara Desert. This 3-day, 2-night tour also includes a driver, 2 nights of accommodation (one at a desert camp), camel trek, meals as per the itinerary, round-trip air-conditioned transport from your hotel.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore Atlas mountains

• Explore Ait Benhaddou Unseco site

• Visit Ouarzazatte movie studio

• Explore Dades and Todra Gorges

• Camel ride in Sahara desert

• A night in Merzouga desert camp

WHY OUR CUSTOMERS CHOOSE THIS TOUR?

This 3-day tour to Merzouga and Erg Chebbi is ideal for intrepid travelers hoping to explore Morocco away from the hustle and bustle of busy Marrakech. Visit UNESCO-listed sites and relax to traditional Moroccan music beneath star-lit Sahara Desert skies.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT?

Trade the bustling city of Marrakech for the solitude of the desert during this 3-day, 2-night excursion to Mezrouga and Erg Chebbi, Over the course of your journey you’ll get an up-close-personal experience in the desert, including a chance to visit a desert oasis, explore a UNESCO World Heritage site and spend the night under the stars at a camp in the Sahara Desert.

Start the first day with a pickup from your Marrakech accommodation, continuing into the Atlas Mountains as you pass Berber villages and cross the Tizi-n-Tichka pass. You’ll also visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Aït Benhaddou kashbah, a historic meeting place and trading site, and check out the desert oasis at Skoura before spending the night in Boumalne Dades.

On day two travel the “Road of 1,000 Kashbahs” to the Todra Gorge, stopping at the holy city of Rissani in the afternoon. Then climb aboard a camel for an unforgettable ride in the late afternoon sun toward Erg Chebbi and your evening camping accommodations in the desert. Spend the evening enjoying dinner and serenades of traditional music from local nomads under the stars. On day three you’ll ride your camel back to Mezrouga, heading back through the High Atlas Mountains to your Marrakech accommodations to finish the trip.

For a full run-down of the trip itinerary as well as more details about overnight accommodation choices, please read the details below.

ITINERARY

DAY 1: MARRAKECH – OUARZAZATE – BOUMALNE DADES

Following a morning pickup from your accommodation in Marrakech, head deep into the High Atlas Mountains in your air-conditioned car to begin your tour. Travel along the Tizi-n-Tichka pass and past rural Berber villages, where local shepherds herd their flocks the way they have for thousands of years.

First, visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Aït Benhaddou kasbah, where locals and travelers alike have met to socialize and trade down the centuries. Soak up the atmosphere at your leisure, then head onward with your guide to Ouarzazate for lunch in a local cafe (own expense). Perhaps visit Taourirte Kasbah — a popular meeting place for people from the Atlas, Drâa and Dadès Valleys.

In the afternoon, head onward with your guide to the oasis at Skoura. Pause to admire the lush, green palm trees rising like a mirage in the dry desert, then continue on along the Dadès River through deep gorges, where the ruins of ancient kasbahs lie among traditional Berber villages.

Arrive in Boumalne du Dadès in the evening, where your dinner and accommodation await.

DAY 2: BOUMALNE DU DADÈS – MERZOUGA – ERG CHEBBI

After breakfast at your hotel, hop back aboard your minivan and travel out along the famous ‘Road of 1000 Kasbahs’ to nearby Tinghir. Stroll through the oasis to the mighty Todra Gorge, where a deep crevasse in the orange limestone provides spectacular views, then sit down to lunch at your leisure (own expense) in one of the local cafes

In the afternoon, visit the holy town of Rissani — birthplace of Morocco’s ruling royal family and the age-old capital of the Tafilalt region. Continue on to Merzouga, a small village sitting on the borders of the Sahara Desert. Meet your camel caravan and, with the sun slowly moving across the afternoon sky, set off toward Erg Chebbi and your camp in the heart of the desert.

With traditional music from local nomads to entertain you, enjoy dinner and an evening under the stars before retiring to bed.

DAY 3: ERG CHEBBI – OUARZAZATE – MARRAKECH

Following an early-morning stroll before breakfast to enjoy sunrise among the sand dunes (optional), ride your camel back to Merzouga and meet your driver for the start of your return journey to Marrakech.

Stop for lunch in Ouarzazate (own expense), then head onward through the spectacular scenery of the High Atlas Mountains. Arrive back at your Marrakech accommodation in the mid-evening to conclude your tour.