Marrakech to Merzouga: 3-Day Desert Tour & Camel Trek

Three days crossing Morocco's Atlas to sleep under Sahara stars

You travel by air-conditioned vehicle from Marrakech across the Atlas Mountains to Ait Benhaddou kasbah and Todra Gorge, then continue to Merzouga for a sunset camel trek and a night in a desert camp under the stars. The return journey takes you through Berber villages and past Taourirt kasbah before the long drive back to Marrakech. Hotel pickup is included, as are meals and both camel rides.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Dades via Ait Benhaddou

• Pick up from Marrakech hotel
• Drive through Tizi-n-Tichka Pass
• Visit Ait Benhaddou Kasbah
• Drive to Dades Gorge
• Overnight at hotel in Dades

Day 2: Dades to Merzouga via Todra Gorge

• Walk through Todra Gorge canyon
• Drive to Merzouga via Erfoud
• Relax or start camel trek
• Sunset camel trek in Sahara dunes
• Dinner and campfire at desert camp
• Overnight in desert camp

Day 3: Merzouga to Marrakech via Ouarzazate

• Sunrise camel trek in desert
• Breakfast and shower at camp
• Drive back to Marrakech
• Stop at Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate
• Continue drive to Marrakech

The experience

The road climbs fast. Within an hour of leaving Marrakech, you're at Tizi-n'Tichka Pass (2,260 meters high), and the city has already shrunk behind you. Your driver navigates the switchbacks while the Atlas Mountains open up on both sides, valleys dropping away, Berber villages scattered across the slopes like someone tossed them there. It's not what you expected from a desert tour. The desert doesn't start in the desert. It starts here, in the cold thin air, where the landscape keeps changing every few kilometers and you realize how much ground three days can actually cover.

Day one ends at Ait Benhaddou, a kasbah so well-preserved it's been used as a film set for Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, and Game of Thrones, which means you'll recognize it the moment you see it, even though no photograph quite captures the clay-brick geometry or the way the whole structure seems to grow out of the hillside. After that, it's another 2.5 hours to Dades Gorge, where you sleep your first night. The second day moves you through Todra Gorge, a canyon narrow enough that the river runs alongside the path and the walls rise so close you can almost touch both sides at once. Then the landscape opens again, and you drive through oases and Berber villages toward Merzouga, where the Sahara actually begins. The camel trek takes about an hour: long enough to feel the shift from solid ground to sand, to watch the light change as the sun drops, to understand why people talk about desert sunsets the way they do. Dinner happens in a nomadic camp, and afterward there's music from locals and a fire, and then the sky fills with stars in a way that doesn't happen anywhere else. You sleep in the camp that night.

The third day is the longest drive, roughly ten hours back to Marrakech, but it starts with sunrise from the dunes and a second camel trek before breakfast. You'll pass through different Berber villages on the way back, stop at Taourirt kasbah near Ouarzazate for photos, and wind through the Atlas again on roads that feel narrower and more dramatic in daylight. The whole thing is built around the fact that you don't have to arrange transport, negotiate with camel handlers, find a camp, or figure out where to sleep in the middle of the Sahara. The vehicle is air-conditioned, the driver knows the route, and meals are included. If you're traveling solo or with people who don't know Morocco, this removes the logistics entirely.

What’s included

Your three days include hotel or meeting-point pickup in Marrakech, transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, passage through Tizi-n'Tichka Pass and stops at Ait Benhaddou kasbah and Todra Gorge, two camel treks (sunset and sunrise), overnight accommodation in Dades and in a desert camp near Merzouga, meals at the camp, and the return journey to Marrakech with a stop at Taourirt kasbah.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 80 years) · Infant (2 to 6 years): free

GroupUp to 32

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Morocco Featured Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to reach the Sahara and sleep in the desert without arranging your own transport, camp, or camel handler: the fixed itinerary and included vehicle mean you travel at a set pace and arrive where you need to be.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (2 to 6 years): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the camel trek in Merzouga?

About one hour at sunset on day two, and another camel trek in the morning on day three before breakfast.

What is Ait Benhaddou?

A UNESCO-protected kasbah and fortress near Ouarzazate that has been used as a filming location for movies including Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, and Game of Thrones.

How many hours of driving is there each day?

Day one: roughly 2.5 hours to Dades after the Tizi-n'Tichka Pass and Ait Benhaddou stop. Day two: several hours to Merzouga with stops at Todra Gorge and oases. Day three: approximately 10 hours back to Marrakech.

Is the tour suitable for people who aren't very fit?

Yes, the tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The camel trekking is gentle pacing, and most of the time is spent in the vehicle or at rest stops.

Where do you sleep on the desert tour?

Night one is in a hotel or guesthouse in Dades Gorge. Night two is in a nomadic tent camp in the Sahara near Merzouga.

Does the tour include meals?

Yes, meals are included. Dinner is served at the desert camp on night two, and breakfast happens before the morning camel trek on day three.