Marrakech to Merzouga: 3-Day Desert Tour & Luxury Camp

Three Days Across the Atlas & Into the Erg Chebbi Dunes

You travel by air-conditioned minibus with a professional guide, staying one night in a hotel in Tinghir and one in a luxury desert camp with a private bathroom. The itinerary includes entry to Todra Gorge and Tizi n'Tichka Pass, a camel trek in Merzouga, sandboarding and a henna tattoo experience. Transport and fuel are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Tinghir via Atlas Mountains

• Pick up from Marrakech accommodation
• Stop at Atlas Mountains café
• Drive to Tizi n’Tichka Pass, take photos
• Visit Morocco Argan Oil Workshop
• Drive to Aït Benhaddou Kasbah, have lunch
• Explore Aït Benhaddou Kasbah
• Drive to Kalaat M’Gouna, short café break
• Drive to Tinghir hotel, optional local store stop
• Overnight at Hotel Saghro or similar

Day 2: Tinghir to Merzouga Desert Adventure

• Breakfast at hotel
• Visit Todra Gorge, stroll and take photos
• Stop at Panorama Palms Viewpoint
• Convenience stop for restroom and snacks
• Visit traditional Berber Bazaar, henna and photos
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Supermarket stop for desert supplies
• Drive to Merzouga Desert
• 1-hour camel trek across dunes
• Arrive at desert camp, watch sunset
• Try sandboarding and enjoy Berber music
• Overnight in luxury desert camp with private bathroom

Day 3: Merzouga to Marrakech via Atlas Mountains

• Breakfast at desert camp, watch sunrise
• Return by camel or car
• Drive to Touroug, café break
• Drive to Kalaat M’Gouna, lunch and relax
• Drive to Ouarzazate, short break
• Drive through Atlas Mountains to Tizi n’Tichka Pass, break
• Drive back to Marrakech, tour ends

The experience

You wonder, halfway through the drive, whether three days is actually enough to cross Morocco like this. About an hour out of Marrakech, you stop at a café in the Atlas Mountains, with coffee and the kind of quiet that makes you understand why people come here. The road climbs to Tizi n'Tichka Pass at 2,260 meters, the highest road pass in Morocco, and the views of the mountains fold away in every direction. After that comes the argan oil workshop, then Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO kasbah with its earthen walls that look like they've been there since the beginning of time. By evening you're in Tinghir, in a hotel, and the first day has already moved through four different landscapes.

Day two starts with breakfast at the hotel, and then you're standing in Todra Gorge, where the canyon walls rise so high and close that the light changes color. The river runs below, and you walk along it for a while, taking photos that won't quite capture how narrow it is. Then comes the Panorama Palms Viewpoint: a quick stop, ten minutes away, but the palm groves spread out below like someone laid them there on purpose. After that, a Berber bazaar where you can try on traditional clothes and get a henna tattoo, then lunch, then a supermarket stop to grab water and snacks. By afternoon you're in Merzouga, and the desert is actually there, not a photo anymore. You can ride a camel over the dunes for an hour or take a short fifteen-minute drive to the camp. Either way, you watch the sunset, try sandboarding, and sleep in a luxury desert camp with a private bathroom, which sounds small until you're actually in the Sahara and realize you have your own space.

The third morning you wake to the sunrise over the dunes, eat breakfast at the camp, and then decide how to leave: by camel or by car. The drive back to Marrakech takes the same route in reverse: Touroug for a break, Kalaat M'Gouna for lunch in the Rose Valley, Ouarzazate for a stretch, then back over Tizi n'Tichka Pass and down to your accommodation. By the end of the final day you've seen the pass twice, and it feels less like a landmark and more like a place you know.

What’s included

Your three days include hotel pickup from Marrakech, transport by air-conditioned minibus with fuel, a professional English-speaking driver and guide, one night in a hotel in Tinghir, one night at a luxury desert camp with a private bathroom, entry to Todra Gorge and Tizi n'Tichka Pass, a one-hour camel trek in Merzouga, sandboarding, a henna tattoo experience, a photoshoot in traditional desert clothes, breakfast at both accommodations and dinner on the first two nights.

Options for this experience

3 options

Standard CampGuide in 5 languages · 07:30Basic-level tour lasting 3 days. First night in a hotel in Tinghir (Hotel Saghro or similar); second night in a standard desert camp tent with shared bathroom. Camel trekking and sandboarding are included, and ATV quad bikes and buggies can be rented locally in the desert dunes. Meals included: 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts. Transport is a comfortable minivan with ample luggage space. Pickup is included.

Deluxe Desert AccommodationsGuide in 5 languages · 07:30Upgraded/Deluxe tour level, lasting 3 days. First night in a hotel in Tinghir (Hotel Saghro or similar); second night in a deluxe desert camp tent with private bathroom. Camel trekking and sandboarding are included, and ATV quads and buggies can be rented locally in the desert dunes. Meals included: 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts. Transportation is a comfortable minivan with ample luggage space. Pickup is included.

Private tour (only your group)Guide in 5 languages · 07:30Three-day private desert tour with flexible, personalized travel for your group only. First night at Hotel Babylon Dades, Xaluca Dades, or similar; second night at Africa Luxury Camp with private bathroom or similar. Enjoy a camel trek to your desert camp, or take a 4x4 transfer at no extra cost if you prefer. Meals: 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts at your accommodations. Vehicles depend on group size and include a Toyota Land Cruiser, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Ford Tourneo Custom, or Mercedes-Benz minibus. We pick up and drop off at your hotel or riad in Marrakech. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

AgesAdult (19 to 65 years) · Senior (66 and older) · Youth (11 to 18 years) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, Portuguese 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 yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Morocco Official Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the Atlas Mountains, the Sahara, and the major stops between Marrakech and Merzouga without arranging transport, guides, or accommodation yourself: the fixed itinerary and included breakfasts and dinners mean you show up and travel, which is what makes three days feel like enough time.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 18 years); Child (5 to 10 years); Infant (under 5).

What's included in the price?

Transport by air-conditioned minibus, professional guide, two nights' accommodation (one hotel, one luxury desert camp), entry fees to Todra Gorge and Tizi n'Tichka Pass, camel trek, sandboarding, henna tattoo, and two breakfasts and two dinners. Fuel is included.

Do I need to book the camel trek in advance?

The camel trek is part of the tour itinerary on day two in Merzouga. You can also choose a 15-minute car transfer to the camp instead.

Is the desert camp comfortable?

Yes, it's a luxury camp with a private bathroom in your room. After dinner, the evening brings traditional Berber music and dancing.