Merzouga Desert Tour: Camel Trekking & Sandboarding

Camel trekking across golden dunes, sandboarding at sunset, drums under the stars

A 3-day group tour from Marrakech to Merzouga in the Sahara, with hotel pickup, camel rides at both sunset and sunrise, sandboarding on Erg Chebbi, and two nights' accommodation in a 3-star hotel and a traditional Berber desert camp. The itinerary crosses the Tizi N'tichka Atlas pass, stops at the UNESCO site of Ait Benhaddou, and passes through Todra Gorges and Berber villages on the way to and from the dunes.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Marrakech to Tinghir via Ait Ben Haddou

• Pick up 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
• Overnight at hotel with dinner

Day 2 — Tinghir to Merzouga Desert

• Breakfast at hotel
• Depart to Erg Chebbi Sahara desert
• Pass through Todra Gorges, oasis, Tinjdad, Jorf, Erfoud
• Arrive at hotel in Merzouga
• Pack small bag for desert night
• Ride camels across Erg Chebbi dunes
• Walk to highest dunes for sandboarding and sunset
• Overnight in Berber nomad desert camp with drums

Day 3 — Merzouga Desert to Marrakech

• Wake up to sunrise in dunes
• Ride camels back to Merzouga
• Breakfast and shower at camp
• Drive back to Marrakech via Ouarzazate
• Drop off at hotel or nearest accessible point

The Experience

The tour starts with a 7 a.m. pickup from your Marrakech accommodation. You'll cross the Tizi N'tichka Atlas pass with views across the High Atlas, stop at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou for lunch and exploration, then continue through Ouarzazate to Tinghir, where you spend the first night in a 3-star hotel with dinner and breakfast included.

On day two, you leave Tinghir after breakfast and head toward Merzouga, passing through Todra Gorges, oasis villages, and the towns of Tinjdad, Jorf and Erfoud as the landscape shifts into the Saharan oasis. Once you reach Merzouga, you pack a small bag with essentials for the night and leave the rest at the hotel. Then comes the camel ride: you cross Erg Chebbi's sand dunes on your own camel, with time to photograph the sunset. At the camp, you dismount and walk to the highest dunes for sandboarding before settling into a traditional Berber nomad tent for the night, with drums and music in the middle of the desert.

Day three begins with sunrise from the dunes. You ride camels back to Merzouga, shower and have breakfast at the camp, then start the return journey to Marrakech along the same route. You'll pass through Berber villages and Ouarzazate again, arriving at your hotel or the nearest accessible point around 7:30 to 8 p.m.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech.
• a shared vehicle with professional driver and fuel.
• two nights' accommodation (3-star hotel in Tinghir, traditional Berber nomad tent in the desert).
• camel rides at sunset and sunrise on Erg Chebbi dunes.
• sandboarding on the highest dunes.
• breakfast on days two and three.
• dinner on night one.
• live guide in your choice of English, Spanish, Portuguese or French.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendly

Operated by Imperial Trail Tours

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a structured three-day itinerary with group departures from Marrakech—you'll move through the Atlas Mountains and Sahara with a set schedule rather than piecing together your own route.

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Top questions

What's included in the 3-day Merzouga desert tour from Marrakech?

The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech, a comfortable vehicle with a professional driver and fuel, two nights' accommodation (one in a 3-star hotel, one in a Berber desert camp), two camel rides (sunset and sunrise), sandboarding on the dunes, breakfast on days two and three, and dinner on night one. Lunch, drinks and monument entrance fees are not included.

How much camel riding is there, and what if I've never ridden before?

You ride one camel each for the sunset crossing to the camp and again for the sunrise return to Merzouga the next morning. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and infants and small children can travel in a pram or stroller during the vehicle portions.

What happens at the Berber desert camp, and what's the accommodation like?

After the sunset camel ride, you walk to the highest sand dunes for sandboarding and to watch the sunset, then return to the camp for the night. You sleep in a traditional Berber nomad tent with drums and music playing in the desert. Breakfast and a shower are provided the next morning before you ride back to Merzouga.

What are Todra Gorges and Ait Benhaddou, and do we stop there long?

Ait Benhaddou is a UNESCO World Heritage site you visit on day one after crossing the Atlas pass; you have time to explore it and eat lunch there. Todra Gorges is a dramatic canyon landscape you pass through on day two on the way to Merzouga, part of the route through Berber villages and oasis towns.

What language does the guide speak?

The guide speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, so you can choose the language that suits you when you book.

What should I pack for three days in the desert?

You'll keep most luggage at the Merzouga hotel and carry only essentials in a small bag for the night in the desert camp. Bring sun protection, a light jacket for cool desert nights, comfortable walking shoes for sandboarding, and a camera for sunrise and sunset. The tour operates year-round, so pack for the season you're traveling.