3-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Tour with Camel Trek and Sahara Dunes
Sunsets and sunrises at the Bedouin camp, and a night under the stars
Ride a camel into the middle of the dunes, then sleep in a nomad tent under the stars. This shared tour leaves Marrakech for Merzouga over the High Atlas, with stops at Aït Ben Haddou and the Todgha Gorge, and a lunch in the Kelaat Mgouna rose valley. Sunsets and sunrises at the Bedouin camp are part of it.
Options for this experience
4 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Marrakech to Tinghir via Atlas Mountains
- Leave Marrakech Jamaa El Fnaa square
- Cross High Atlas Tizi n'Tichka pass
- Stop for photography at Tizi n Tichka
- Explore Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah village
- Photography stop at Atlas Studios and Kasbah Tawrirt
- Short break for photography at Roses Valley
- Overnight in hotel in Tinghir area
Day 2: Tinghir to Merzouga Desert
- Visit Todgha Gorges and garden with local guide
- Drive through Tinejdad Berber villages to Erfoud
- Continue to Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga
- Ride camel into desert dunes
- Overnight in nomad tents in desert bivouac
Day 3: Merzouga to Marrakech return
- Early breakfast and drive to Kelaat Mgouna Roses Valley
- Lunch stop at Kelaat Mgouna
- Stop for break at Ouarzazate
- Pass by Tizi n'Tichka Atlas mountain
- Arrive back in Marrakech accommodation
What’s included
- Two dinners.
- Air-conditioned minibus with fuel covered.
- A camel for each traveler.
- Overnight stay in a desert camp.
- Entry to the Merzouga desert.
- Every day 07:00 08:00
Information
Ride a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes after a day crossing the High Atlas, then you sleep in a desert camp under the stars.
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Traveler reviews
The experience
The day starts as the driver leads you out of Marrakech from Jemaa el-Fna, and the minibus climbs toward the High Atlas. The air conditioning keeps the long climb comfortable. At the top of the Tizi n'Tichka pass, 2260 metres up, there is a photo stop with the mountains all around. Next comes Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed Berber fortified village that has also served as a film set for Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and Kingdom of Heaven. You cross the river that separates the kasbah from the main road and explore the village at a leisurely pace.
Day two opens with breakfast and a visit to the Todgha Gorge and its palm grove, with a local guide showing you the gardens and the kasbah. The road then runs through the Berber villages of Tinejdad to Erfoud, known as the capital of fossils, before the dunes of Erg Chebbi rise ahead. You leave the vehicle for a camel ride into the middle of the dunes, then settle into nomad tents among the big dunes. Dinner is served at the bivouac, and the silence under the stars is the last thing you hear before sleep.
The last morning starts after an early breakfast, when the driver meets you back on the main road. A lunch stop in the Kelaat Mgouna rose valley comes first, then a break in Ouarzazate and another pass over the Tizi n'Tichka bring you back to Marrakech, where you are dropped at your accommodation. The rose valley also appears on the way out, where rose picking starts in April, a festival runs in the first week of May, and rose oil cosmetics are sold in the local associations.
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English, Spanish and French.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (8 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 7 years).
Is there a camel ride on this Merzouga tour?
Yes, the vehicle is left at the dunes for a camel ride in the middle of them, with one camel for each traveler.
Where do you sleep on the night in the desert?
In nomad tents in the big dunes of Erg Chebbi, after dinner and the overnight at the bivouac.
Do you stop at Aït Ben Haddou on the way?
Yes, you cross the river from the main road and explore the UNESCO-listed Berber village at a leisurely pace.
Is there a photo stop at the Tizi n'Tichka pass?
Yes, there is a photography stop at the top of the pass, at 2260 metres in the High Atlas.
What is the Todgha Gorge visit like?
After breakfast you visit the gorges and the palm grove with a local guide, who shows the gardens and the kasbah.
Does the drive pass through Erfoud and Tinejdad?
Yes, the route goes through the Berber villages of Tinejdad to Erfoud, known as the capital of fossils, before the dunes.
Operated by Africa Tours 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 3 days ago
Marrakech to Merzouga 3-Day Tour with Camel Trek and Dunes
3d · EN · ES · FR · at your hotel
from US$ 159 per person
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