3-Day Merzouga Dunes Camel Trek from Marrakech, Sunset Camel Ride
Golden sand at dusk, then a night at the oasis camp
Ride a camel across the Erg Chebbi dunes as the sun sets, then spend the night in a desert bivouac at the oasis. This three-day tour from Marrakech crosses the Atlas by air-conditioned vehicle, passes Ait Benhaddou and Dades Gorges, and brings you back to the dunes for sunrise before the drive back.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Marrakech to Dades Gorges via Kasbahs
- Pick up from accommodation
- Drive from Marrakech to Dades Gorges
- Cross Tizi-n-Tichka Atlas pass
- See traditional High Atlas Berber villages
- Visit UNESCO site Ait Benhaddou
- Lunch at Ait Benhaddou or Ouarzazate
- See Kasbah Taourirt from outside
- Continue to Dades Gorges through roses and valley
- Overnight in riad or hotel in Dades Gorges
Day 2: Dades Gorges to Merzouga Desert Trek
- Breakfast
- Visit Dades Gorges
- Drive along road of 1000 kasbahs
- Pass colorful Berber villages in Dades valley
- Arrive at Tineghir palm grove
- Trek in Todra Gorges canyon
- Drive to Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga Sahara Desert
- Lunch en route
- Camel ride to desert camp at sunset
- Overnight in bivouac under nomadic tents or stars
- Play drums with camel drivers
Day 3: Merzouga to Marrakech via Ouarzazate
- Wake early to watch sunrise in dunes
- Camel ride back to Merzouga
- Breakfast
- Drive back to Marrakech through Berber villages
- Break for lunch in Ouarzazate
- Continue drive to Marrakech
- Arrive in Marrakech evening or night
What’s included
- Night at the desert bivouac.
- Camel ride.
- Air-conditioned vehicle for the drives.
- Every day 07:30
Information
You ride camels across Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset, sleep in a desert bivouac, and pass Ait Benhaddou and Dades Gorges on the way.
Compare the 12 alternatives
Traveler reviews
The experience
The first day is largely road, and the road is the show. The climb over the Tizi-n-Tichka pass opens onto far-reaching views across the mountains, and High Atlas Berber villages slide past the window. Ait Benhaddou, the UNESCO World Heritage kasbah, comes into view on the way, and a photo stop at Kasbah Taourirt in Ouarzazate lets you study its walls and adobe towers. Ouarzazate is the Hollywood of Africa, and films such as Alexander the Great, The Mummy and Kingdom of Heaven were shot around it.
The second day rolls through the colourful Berber villages of the Dades valley, along the road of 1000 kasbahs, and on to Tinghir with its palm grove. At the Todgha Gorge you go on a trek along canyons about 300 metres high, a favourite of mountain climbers. Lunch is taken on the way, then the dunes of Erg Chebbi rise out of the desert. You take a one-hour camel ride into the sunset, and the camp waits in the oasis.
At the bivouac the evening turns to drums, as you play them with the camel drivers. You may sleep under nomadic tents or outside under shooting stars. Before sunrise you wake to watch the light spread over the dunes, then ride back to Merzouga on camelback. After breakfast the road takes you through more Berber villages to a lunch break in Ouarzazate, and the expected arrival in Marrakech is around 7 pm.
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English, Spanish and French.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 17 years).
Do I sleep in a tent in the desert?
Yes, you spend the night at the bivouac camp in the oasis near Erg Chebbi. You may sleep under nomadic tents or outside under the shooting stars.
Is the camel ride part of the tour?
Yes, you ride for about an hour at sunset to reach the camp, and you ride back to Merzouga after watching the sunrise over the dunes.
Does the tour pass Ait Benhaddou on the way?
Yes, the route passes the UNESCO World Heritage kasbah of Ait Benhaddou on the first day, and lunch may be taken there or in Ouarzazate.
What is the trek in Todgha Gorge like?
It is a walk along canyons about 300 metres high, a place mountain climbers prefer. It happens on the second day, before the drive to the dunes.
Can I play drums in the desert camp?
Yes, at the bivouac you play drums with the camel drivers in the evening.
What is the travel between sites like?
You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle, and on the first day the road climbs the Tizi-n-Tichka pass with far-reaching views.
Operated by Day Out Marrakech. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 6 days ago
3-Day Merzouga Dunes Camel Trek from Marrakech
3d · EN · ES · FR · at your hotel
from US$ 146 per person
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.