Home › 5-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga
5-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga with Marrakech on day 1 and two desert days. From €280 per person.
This tour starts with a day in Marrakech, then follows the classic desert road to Merzouga and back. You get two days in the desert: the camel night and a full day around the dunes. No day is longer than it needs to be.
It suits travellers who want to see Marrakech first and take the desert slowly. The price starts at €280 per person.
Driving: Walking day in the medina, driver on call
A local guide meets you at your riad after breakfast. You visit the Koutoubia Mosque from the outside, the Bahia Palace, and the Saadian Tombs. You walk through the souks, where each lane sells one trade: leather, metal, spices, or cloth. You stop for lunch near Jemaa el-Fnaa square. In the afternoon you can visit the Majorelle Garden or the old medina. The evening is free in the square.
Driving: About 353 km, 6-7 hours on the road
We pick you up in Marrakech between 7:30 and 8:30 in the morning. The road climbs the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka Pass, 2,260 metres high. We stop for photos at the top. Then we drive down to Ait Ben Haddou, a clay village and UNESCO site. You can walk through it with a local guide, about €3 as a tip. After lunch in Ouarzazate we follow the Valley of Roses to Dades Valley. Dinner and the night are in a hotel in the valley.
Driving: About 275 km, 4-5 hours on the road
After breakfast we drive to Todra Gorges. The rock walls rise about 300 metres. You walk into the narrow part of the gorge for about 30 minutes. Then the road crosses flat desert land to Merzouga, at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes. In the late afternoon you ride a camel into the dunes for about 1 hour. The sun sets over the sand. Dinner is at the camp, with music around the fire. You sleep in a tent.
Driving: About 57 km by 4x4, plus a camel ride
We start after breakfast with a 4x4 drive around the dunes. We visit a family of nomads and drink tea in their tent. We stop at the village of Khamlia, where local musicians play Gnawa music. In the afternoon you have free time at the camp. You can try sandboarding or ride a quad bike, paid on the spot. At sunset you ride a camel back into the dunes. Dinner and music at the camp follow.
Driving: About 560 km, 9-10 hours on the road
We wake up early for sunrise over the dunes. After breakfast at the camp you ride a camel or take the 4x4 back to Merzouga village. Then we drive back through the Draa Valley, the long palm valley in the south. We stop in Ouarzazate for lunch. The road climbs back over the Tizi n'Tichka Pass in the afternoon. We reach Marrakech in the early evening and drop you at your stay.
Night 1 in a riad in Marrakech. Night 2 in a hotel in Dades Valley. Nights 3 and 4 in a desert camp in Merzouga, or 1 camp night and 1 hotel night in the village.
The price starts at €280 per person. The shared tour is the lowest price. A private tour for 2 people costs more per person than a private tour for 4 or 6 people, because the vehicle cost is shared. Tell us your group size and we give you the exact price.
You can book it both ways. The shared tour has 6 to 8 travellers in one minibus. The private tour is only your group, with your own driver and your own pace. The price on this page is the shared price unless the tour says private.
The camp sits in the Erg Chebbi dunes, near Merzouga. Tents have real beds, mattresses and blankets. Dinner and breakfast are served in the camp restaurant tent. In the evening there is music around the fire. Standard camps share bathrooms. Luxury camps have a private bathroom in the tent.
No. The camel ride takes about 1 hour at sunset and a shorter ride at sunrise. If you prefer, the 4x4 takes you to the camp and back. Tell us when you book and we plan it that way.
Bring a small bag for the camp night: a change of clothes, a toothbrush, sun cream and a warm layer. Your main luggage stays locked in the vehicle in Merzouga. It is there when you return in the morning.
Book as early as you can, above all for March to May and September to November. Camps fill up on weekends. If your date is close, write to us on WhatsApp and we check what is still free the same day.
Yes, from age 4. The drive is long, so we plan stops every 2 hours. We fit child seats on request. Children under 5 often ride the camel with a parent.
Rain in the desert is rare and short. If the road over the pass is closed by snow in winter, we take a safe detour or change the plan with you. We never drive a closed road.
We reply within a few hours, usually the same day. No payment is needed to ask.
