5-Day Casablanca to Marrakech Tour: Desert, Gorges & Berber Camp

Cross Morocco's mountains and dunes, spending a night under the stars in a Saharan camp.

This 5-day guided tour departs Casablanca, crosses the High Atlas Mountains to Marrakech, continues through the Todgha Gorges and oasis villages to the Merzouga desert, and returns via the Draa Valley. You travel in a comfortable vehicle with a professional driver, stay four nights in hotels and a Berber nomad camp, ride camels at sunset and sunrise across the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, and walk the highest dunes for sandboarding. The guide speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese or French, and pickup from your Casablanca hotel is included. Lunch, drinks and some entrance fees are not covered and paid separately.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Casablanca to Marrakech guided tour

• Pickup from Casablanca
• Transfer to Marrakech
• 3-hour guided tour of Marrakech
• Visit Koutoubia mosque
• Explore Kasbah and Saadian tombs
• Tour Bahia Palace
• Visit Medina and Jemaa El Fna Square

Day 2: Atlas Mountains and Tinghir journey

• Pickup from accommodation at 7:00 am
• Drive across Tizi-n-Tichka Atlas pass
• Visit High Atlas Berber villages
• Visit UNESCO site Ait Ben Haddou
• Lunch at Ait Ben Haddou
• Stop at supermarket in Ouarzazate
• Continue to Tinghir via Rose Valley
• Overnight at hotel with dinner and breakfast

Day 3: Tinghir to Merzouga Desert adventure

• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive to Erg Chebbi Sahara desert
• Pass Todra Gorges, oasis, Tinjdad, Jorf, Erfoud
• Check in hotel in Merzouga
• Pack small bag for desert night
• Ride camels across sand dunes
• Sandboarding and sunset viewing
• Overnight in Berber nomad tents with drum music

Day 4: Merzouga Desert to Agdz

• Watch sunrise in desert
• Return by camel to hotel
• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive to Rissani city
• Continue to Alnif, Tazarine oasis, and N'Kob
• Lunch on route
• Drive through Draa Valley to Agdz
• Overnight at hotel in Agdz palm grove

Day 5: Return to Marrakech

• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive over Tizi N Tichka pass
• Arrive in Marrakech
• Transfer to Riad
• End of services

The experience

The tour begins with a pickup in Casablanca and a transfer to Marrakech, where a local guide leads a 3-hour walk through the medina: the Koutoubia mosque, the Kasbah with its Saadian tombs, and the Bahia Palace, an 8-hectare masterpiece of Moroccan architecture built in 1866. You'll explore the souks, craft workshops and Jemaa El Fna Square, where performers demonstrate everyday Moroccan life. The first night is in a riad in Marrakech.

On day two, departure is at 7 a.m. from your accommodation. The route crosses the Tizi-n-Tichka Atlas pass with views across the mountains to High Atlas Berber villages, then reaches the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou. After lunch there, you'll stop in Ouarzazate before continuing through the Rose Valley to Tinghir, where you stay overnight. Day three takes you from Tinghir through the Todgha Gorges (a dramatic canyon carved through oasis and Berber settlements), and on to Erfoud, where the Saharan landscape begins. You reach Merzouga in the afternoon, leave most luggage at the hotel, and ride camels across the Erg Chebbi sand dunes. At the camp, you walk to the highest dunes for sandboarding and to watch the sunset, then spend the night in a Berber nomad tent with drums and the desert around you.

The morning of day four starts with a sunrise ride back by camel to the hotel. After breakfast, the route goes through Rissani (the ancient capital of the Alawite sultans), then Alnif, the Tazarine oasis and the Berber village of N'Kob. Lunch is on the way. You continue through the Draa Valley to Agdz and stay overnight in a hotel in the palm grove. The final day crosses back over the Tizi N Tichka pass and the High Atlas to return to Marrakech, where the tour ends.

What’s included

• Four nights in hotels and a Berber nomad camp.
• a comfortable vehicle with professional driver and fuel for all transfers.
• camel rides at sunset and sunrise across the Erg Chebbi dunes.
• sandboarding on the highest dunes.
• a 3-hour guided tour of Marrakech's medina, souks and landmarks.
• and pickup from your Casablanca hotel.

Before you book

Lasts 5d, runs every day at 07:30, from US$ 912 per person, with a live guide in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (under 12)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Portuguese

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

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

Paid on siteUS$ 100

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats available

Operated by Imperial Trail Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want mountains, gorges, and desert in one loop without driving yourself: the group format and fixed route make it possible to include camel rides and a night in a Berber camp alongside the major sites.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 12).

What's included in the 5-day tour price?

The tour includes four nights of accommodations in hotels and a Berber nomad camp; a comfortable vehicle with a professional driver and fuel; camel rides at both sunset and sunrise; and sandboarding on the desert dunes. Lunch, drinks, entrance fees to Ait Benhaddou and Marrakech attractions, and dinner in Marrakech are paid separately.

Do I need to arrange my own transport, or does the driver pick me up?

Pickup from your Casablanca hotel is included. A professional driver handles all transport throughout the 5 days, so you don't arrange vehicles or navigate yourself.

What happens on the night in the Merzouga desert?

You ride camels across the Erg Chebbi sand dunes to a Berber nomad camp, walk to the highest dunes for sandboarding and to watch the sunset, then sleep in a traditional nomad tent with drums and music in the middle of the Sahara. The next morning you ride camels back to the hotel to watch the sunrise.

What are the Todgha Gorges, and do we spend time there?

The Todgha Gorges are a dramatic canyon carved through the landscape between Tinghir and Erfoud. You pass through them on day three as part of the route toward the Merzouga desert, traveling through oasis villages and Berber settlements along the way.

Is this tour suitable if I'm not very fit?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The camel rides and sandboarding are included, but you set your own pace, and the vehicle does most of the traveling between stops.