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

Cross the Atlas, ride camels into the Sahara, and wake under desert stars

A three-day guided tour from Marrakech to Merzouga combines mountain passes, a UNESCO heritage kasbah, gorge stops and a camel trek across Erg Chebbi dunes, ending with an overnight in a Berber desert camp. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech are included. Lunch is your own expense. The tour runs with a live guide in English, Spanish or French, and you choose between a standard camp, a luxury tent or private desert travel at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Dades via Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou

• Depart Marrakech at 08:00 AM
• Cross Tizi-n-Tichka pass
• Stop at Berber villages
• Visit Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou
• Lunch (own expense)
• Drive to Dades via Valley of the Roses
• Check in at hotel in Dades Valley
• Dinner and overnight at hotel

Day 2: Dades to Merzouga Desert

• Breakfast at hotel
• Visit Todra Gorges
• Lunch (own expense)
• Drive to Merzouga via Erfoud and Tinejdad
• One-hour camel ride in Merzouga dunes
• Watch sunset in desert
• Dinner with Berber rhythms
• Overnight in nomad tent in desert

Day 3: Merzouga to Marrakech via Atlas Mountains

• Optional sunrise stroll in dunes
• Camel ride back to main road
• Meet driver and vehicle
• Drive towards Marrakech
• Lunch at leisure (own expense)
• Cross High Atlas Mountains
• End tour in Marrakech

The experience

The tour leaves Marrakech at 8am and climbs through the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass (2,260 m) into the High Atlas, stopping along the way to watch Berber shepherds and their flocks in the high valleys. You reach Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou by midday: a UNESCO world heritage site that has doubled as a set for Hollywood films, its earthen kasbahs rising from the valley floor. After lunch on your own, the route drops into the Valley of the Roses and follows the Dades Gorge to your hotel for the night.

Day two takes you to Todra Gorges, where limestone cliffs tower overhead and climbers scale the rock face. The road then pushes south through Tinejdad toward Merzouga, a village where the Sahara begins. Here you trade the vehicle for a camel and ride for an hour across Erg Chebbi's dunes, watching the light shift as the sun sets. After a traditional dinner with Berber music, you sleep in a nomad tent pitched in the middle of the desert: no walls, just canvas and stars overhead.

On the final morning, an optional sunrise walk crosses the dunes before breakfast. You ride camels back to the main road, meet your driver and vehicle, and drive back to Marrakech through the High Atlas. The tour ends in the afternoon, giving you time to settle in before the day closes.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech.
• a live guide in English, Spanish or French.
• all transport by vehicle and camel.
• two nights' accommodation (one in Dades Valley, one in a nomad tent in the Sahara).
• breakfast on days two and three.
• a traditional dinner with Berber music on the second night.
• the one-hour camel trek across Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset.

Options for this experience

3 options

Standard campGuide in English, Spanish or French · 07:00Includes pickup.

Luxury tent (Recommended)Guide in English, Spanish or French · 07:00Overnight stay in a luxury tent: includes a private room at a hotel in Tinghir on the first night and a deluxe camp tent with a private bathroom on the second night. Camel trekking, sandboarding and renting an ATV quad or buggy to explore the desert dunes with locals. Duration: 3 days, with two dinners and two breakfasts included. Route via Tizi n'Tichka, Dades and Merzouga. Travel in a comfortable minivan with ample space; pickup is included.

Private desert travelGuide in English, Spanish or French · 07:00Luxury camp and luxury riad: first night at Chez Pierre, Dades Paradise or Xaluca Dades; second night at the Merzouga Luxury Camp. Camel trekking, sandboarding and renting an ATV quad or buggy to explore the desert dunes with locals, in deluxe style. Duration: 3 days, with two dinners and two breakfasts. Travel through Dades and Merzouga in a private, air-conditioned vehicle that offers comfort and style for your transport needs; pickup is included.

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

Information

Lasts 3d, runs every day at 07:00, from US$ 113 per person, with a live guide in English, Spanish and French, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and FrenchOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Child (2 to 6 years)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by morocco desert travel

Is this one for you?Book the standard camp if you want the full desert experience at the core price. The luxury tent adds comfort without changing the route or the camel ride. Choose private desert travel if you're traveling as a family or small group and want the vehicle and guide to yourselves for all three days.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 6 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the camel ride actually like in Merzouga?

The camel trek lasts about an hour across the Erg Chebbi dunes in the late afternoon, timed so you watch the sunset from the saddle and see the light change colors as you ride. You return to the main road on camel before transferring back to the vehicle the next morning.

Do I need to be fit to do this tour?

The tour requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The camel ride and the optional sunrise walk are the main physical elements. The rest is travel by vehicle and walking at stops like the gorges and the kasbah.

What's included in the price and what do I pay separately?

The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech, the camel trek, accommodation in your chosen camp (standard, luxury tent, or private desert travel), and all transport. Lunch on each of the three days is your own expense, as is a 2€ guide fee at Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou if you want a detailed explanation there.

What happens if the weather is bad?

The tour requires good weather to run. If it's canceled due to poor conditions, you'll be offered a different departure date or a full refund.