Marrakech to Merzouga 3-Day Desert Tour: Camel Trekking & Camp

The sunrise camel trek happens on the last morning, after you've already spent a night under the stars at the camp.

A 3-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga combines minibus travel through mountain passes and river gorges with two nights of accommodation (one in a Dades Valley guesthouse and one in a Sahara desert camp) plus camel trekking at sunset and sunrise, a traditional music party, and meals at each stop. Hotel pickup in Marrakech is included, along with visits to Kasbah Aït Ben Haddou, Dades Gorge, and Todra Gorge. You choose between a comfortable standard tent, a private premium option, or an upgrade to a luxury private tent at the desert camp.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Dades Gorge via Atlas Mountains

• Pick up from Marrakech hotel
• Drive through Atlas Mountains with coffee stop
• Visit Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou and guided tour
• Lunch at Ait Ben Haddou
• Drive past Ouarzazate and optional studio visit
• Drive along road of one thousand kasbahs to Skoura
• Stop at Kelaat M'gouna (Rose Valley) café
• Visit Dades Valley and Tisdrine viewpoint
• Check in at Dades guesthouse
• Dinner at hotel

Day 2: Dades Gorge to Merzouga Desert Camp

• Breakfast at guesthouse
• Drive to Todra Gorge via Tinghir and Todra Valley
• Lunch near Todra Gorge
• Drive past Erfoud city
• Camel trek to Merzouga desert camp
• Dinner and traditional music at camp

Day 3: Merzouga to Marrakech via Atlas Mountains

• Sunrise on dunes and breakfast at camp
• Morning camel trek back from dunes
• Drive back towards Marrakech with stops for cafes and toilets
• Lunch at Kelaat M'gouna
• Scenic drive through Atlas Mountains
• Arrive in Marrakech in the evening

The experience

The tour starts with a 7:30 a.m. pickup from your Marrakech hotel or a meeting point, then heads east in a modern air-conditioned minibus toward the Atlas Mountains. You'll stop at the foothills for coffee and restrooms, then climb to the highest pass in North Africa at 2,262 meters before descending to Kasbah Aït Ben Haddou. This walled city of six structures sits where gladiators, desert nomads and ancient trading routes once converged. After a guided tour you eat lunch within the kasbah's walls. The afternoon continues through Ouarzazate (the Hollywood of Africa, backdrop for films like The Mummy and Lawrence of Arabia), then onward through Skoura's palm oases and Kelaat M'gouna, the Rose Valley, where an international festival runs each year. By evening you reach Dades Gorge, where you stay overnight at a private guesthouse with en-suite bathroom, enjoy a Moroccan dinner, and rest for the next leg.

Day two takes you through Todra Gorge, whose cliffs rise so dramatically that travelers wonder why it's not counted among the world's wonders. You pass through Tinghir and Todra Valley, stop for lunch, then continue south past Erfoud (Morocco's capital of dates and fossils) toward Merzouga. Once you arrive in the desert, you mount a camel and ride across the Erg Chebbi Dunes at sunset, reaching a Berber desert camp where you'll spend the night. Dinner and a traditional music party happen at the camp. Breakfast is served the next morning.

On the final day, you wake early to ride camels again across the dunes and watch the sunrise, return to the camp for a full breakfast, then begin the long drive back to Marrakech. Stops for cafés and restrooms break up the road. Lunch happens in Kelaat M'gouna at a local restaurant. The return route retraces the Atlas Mountains with occasional pauses for photos and rest, arriving in Marrakech by evening. The minibus holds a maximum of 17 passengers, and sandboards for dune skating are provided if you want to try them.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup in Marrakech.
• modern air-conditioned minibus with a maximum of 17 passengers.
• guided visits to Kasbah Aït Ben Haddou, Dades Gorge, and Todra Gorge.
• one night in a Dades Valley guesthouse with en-suite bathroom, dinner and breakfast.
• one night in a Berber desert camp with dinner, breakfast and a traditional music party.
• camel trekking at sunset and sunrise.
• sandboards for dune skating.

Options for this experience

3 options

Standard Comfortable TentGuide in 4 languages · 07:30Standard tent at the camp, a comfortable semi-luxury option, with a camel trek to the camp. Duration: 3 days. Dinner and breakfast are included. Air-conditioned minibus. Pickup is included.

Upgrade to a Private Luxury TentGuide in 4 languages · 07:30A private luxury ensuite tent in the desert, with a private bathroom and hot shower inside your tent. Choose between a camel ride or a 4×4 transfer to and from the camp. Duration: 3 days. Dinner and breakfast included. Route 9. Minibus. Private bathroom and shower; shower amenities and towels are provided in your tent. Pickup is included.

Premium Private OptionGuide in 4 languages · 07:30Overnight at Riad Paradise or similar on the first night in Dades, and a luxury private tent in the desert on the second night. Sandboarding. Private tour: everything is private, including accommodation, transportation and a private driver. Duration: 3 days. Dinners and breakfasts are included, both at the hotel and in the desert luxury tent. Private air-conditioned vehicle: a minivan or 4×4 with a private driver at your disposal throughout the 3-day private tour. 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

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (19 to 59 years) · Senior (60 and older) · Youth (15 to 18 years) · Child (3 to 14 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years)

GroupUp to 100

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French 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 17 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Morocco Tours Traveling

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want the full Sahara experience (mountains, gorges, and desert) without arranging separate transport or accommodation. The minibus, two hotels and the camp are all coordinated, and the camel rides bookend the desert night so you see both sunset and sunrise from the dunes. If you prefer a faster route to the desert or want to skip the gorges, a shorter tour might suit you better.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (15 to 18 years); Child (3 to 14 years); Infant (1 to 2 years).

What's included in the meals during the 3-day tour?

Dinner and breakfast come with both nights of accommodation: at the Dades Valley guesthouse and the desert camp. Lunches on days one and two are included. You eat at Aït Ben Haddou on day one and at a restaurant in Kelaat M'gouna on day three. Beverages are not included.

How does the camel trekking work? Is it difficult?

You ride camels twice: at sunset on day two to reach the desert camp, and at sunrise on day three to watch the dunes light up. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and the rides are paced to the animals' natural gait, not a gallop.

What's the difference between the tent options at the desert camp?

You choose at checkout between a comfortable standard tent, a private premium option, or an upgrade to a luxury private tent. All include dinner, breakfast, and access to the traditional music party. The difference is in the tent's size and amenities.

Does the tour stop at Dades Gorge and Todra Gorge, or just pass by?

Dades Gorge is a full stop where you spend the night in the valley and see the zigzag road from above at a viewpoint called Tisdrine. Todra Gorge is visited on day two with time to walk and view the cliffs before continuing to Merzouga.

What happens if I arrive in Marrakech on the morning the tour starts?

Pickup happens at 7:30 a.m. from your hotel or a meeting point in Marrakech, so you'll need to be in the city the night before. If you're arriving by flight, arrange accommodation for the previous night or contact the operator about early-morning coordination.