Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour: Camel Trek & Camp

You sleep in a Bedouin tent under the Sahara sky, then wake to ride camels across the tallest sand dunes in Morocco.

A 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga combines mountain passes, UNESCO kasbahs, and two nights in the Sahara: one at a hotel in Dades Valley and one at a Bedouin camp in Erg Chebbi. The tour includes camel treks at sunset and sunrise, visits to Todra Gorge and the Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, and a night of Berber tea and music around the campfire. Hotel pickup from Marrakech is included. Guides speak English, Spanish, Italian, French and additional languages. Children from age 1 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Dades Valley via Kasbahs

• Pick up from Marrakech hotel
• Drive through Atlas Mountains
• Stop for photos and breakfast
• Visit Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah
• Lunch at Ait Ben Haddou
• Visit Atlas Film Studios
• Drive to Skoura and Dades Valley
• Overnight in Dades Valley hotel

Day 2: Dades Valley to Desert Camp

• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive to Todra Gorges
• Explore Todra Gorges
• Lunch in Tinjdad village
• Drive through Erfoud and Rissani
• Arrive at Merzouga hotel
• Relax and have Berber tea
• Camel ride to desert camp
• Relax and drink tea at camp
• Watch sunset on dunes
• Dinner and music at campfire

Day 3: Desert Sunrise and Return to Marrakech

• Wake up early for sunrise
• Camel ride back to Merzouga hotel
• Breakfast and shower at hotel
• Drive back to Marrakech via Alnif, Nkob, Agdaz

The experience

The tour starts at 7:00 am with pickup from your Marrakech hotel. The first day crosses the Tizi 'n Tichka pass through the High Atlas Mountains for roughly two hours, stopping for photos and breakfast as you pass Berber villages and 17th-century kasbahs. You'll reach the Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-protected site where you have lunch, then visit the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate before heading to Dades Valley for the night.

Day two takes you through Todra Gorge near Tinghir, then south through Erfoud and Rissani toward Merzouga. You arrive in the late afternoon and have time to rest and drink Berber tea before the camel trek begins around 5:30 pm. The ride lasts roughly an hour and a half across the Erg Chebbi dunes to the Bedouin camp, where you watch the sunset from the sand, share tea with nomads, and spend the evening around the campfire with music and dinner.

On the final morning, you wake early to ride camels back across the dunes to watch the sunrise, return to the hotel for breakfast and a shower, then drive back to Marrakech via Alnif, Nkob and Agdaz. The route covers landscapes that shift from mountain passes to desert floor, with stops at two of Morocco's most recognizable landmarks.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from Marrakech.
• transportation throughout the three days.
• visits to the Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou and Atlas Film Studios.
• entry to Todra Gorge.
• two nights' accommodation (one hotel night in Dades Valley, one night at a Bedouin camp in Erg Chebbi).
• camel treks at sunset and sunrise.
• Berber tea at the camp.
• dinner and music around the campfire.
• a live guide in your chosen language.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (8 to 12 years) · Senior (15 to 29 years) · Youth (5 to 7 years) · Child (3 to 4 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years)

GroupUp to 16

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Mission Travel Morocco

Is this one for you?You get to sleep under the stars in the Sahara and ride camels across Morocco's tallest dunes without arranging transport, guides, or camp logistics yourself: the three-day structure and hotel pickup handle all of it, so you move through the desert and mountains on a fixed schedule that connects the major stops.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 7 years); Child (3 to 4 years); Infant (1 to 2 years).

What exactly is the Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou?

The Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou is a UNESCO-protected fortified village in the Atlas foothills near Ouarzazate, built in the 17th century. You visit it on day one after crossing the High Atlas, and it's also used as a film location for the Atlas Film Studios you tour the same afternoon.

How long is the camel ride in the desert?

The camel trek from the hotel in Merzouga to the Bedouin camp lasts roughly an hour and a half, departing around 5:30 pm on day two. You ride back across the dunes the following morning to watch the sunrise before returning to the hotel for breakfast.

Where do I sleep on this tour?

Night one is at a hotel in Dades Valley. Night two is at a Bedouin camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes near Merzouga, where you sleep in a tent, share Berber tea with nomads, and listen to music around the campfire.

Is hotel pickup from Marrakech included?

Yes, the tour includes pickup from your Marrakech hotel or riad at 7:00 am on day one. The driver will collect you and return you to Marrakech at the end of day three.