Marrakech: 3-Day Private Desert Tour Merzouga & Erg Chebbi

Three Days in Morocco's Desert Without the Tourist Groups

You travel in a private vehicle with an experienced driver for three full days, crossing the High Atlas Mountains, visiting Ait Benhaddou Kasbah and Dades Gorge, then spending two nights in desert camps with a camel ride at sunset in Erg Chebbi. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech are included, as is all transport and meals at designated stops. An upgrade to a luxury desert camp costs an extra 75 euros per person.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Skoura Oasis

• Depart Marrakech at 8:30 am
• Cross High Atlas Mountains via Tizin-Tichka
• Stop for photos and tea break
• Visit Ait Benhaddou Kasbah
• Lunch with Kasbah view
• Drive to Ouarzazate
• Photo stop at Taourirt Kasbah
• Visit Kasbah Amridil
• Drive to Skoura Oasis guest house

Day 2: Skoura to Merzouga Desert Camp

• Breakfast at guest house
• Drive along Valley of Roses
• Stop to see local rose cosmetics
• Visit Valley of the Thousand Kasbahs
• Visit Tinghir palm
• Visit Todra Gorges
• Drive through Rissani, Erfoud, Tafilalte Oasis
• Arrive Merzouga
• 1.5 hour camel ride to desert camp
• Sunset over Erg Chebbi dunes
• Overnight in traditional nomad tent

Day 3: Merzouga to Marrakech via Draa Valley

• Drive from Merzouga to Alnif
• Stop for break
• Stop for photos at largest valley in Morocco
• Stop for lunch
• Drive from Agdez through Ait Saouen Mountains
• Break at High Atlas Mountains
• Drive 1.5 hours to Marrakech

The experience

What if you could spend two nights in the Sahara without sharing a tent with twenty other travelers? That's the pull of this private desert tour from Marrakech. You get the whole vehicle, the same driver for all three days, and the space to actually notice things. The tour leaves Marrakech at 8:30 am and heads south through the High Atlas Mountains, crossing the Tizin-Tichka pass at 2,260 meters where the landscape opens up into something that doesn't look like anywhere else. You stop for tea or coffee in a Berber village, then drive toward Ouarzazate, the gateway to the deep south. Before the city, there's Ait Benhaddou (a UNESCO-listed kasbah that's been used as a film set for decades), where you eat lunch with a view of the whole clay fortress. It's the kind of stop that feels unhurried because you're not on a schedule with thirty other people.

Day two is the desert itself. After breakfast in Skoura Oasis, you drive through the Valley of Roses (there's a stop to see how locals make cosmetics from the roses if that interests you), then past Dades Gorge and Todra Gorges: both narrow, dramatic cuts through red rock that you see from the vehicle and from the road. By afternoon you're in Merzouga, and that's when the camel ride happens. An hour and a half on a camel takes you into Erg Chebbi, the massive sand dunes, timed so you arrive as the sun drops. You spend the night in a traditional nomad tent in a desert camp, not luxury in the five-star sense, but solid and clean, with Berber music playing while the stars come up. The quiet out there is real. No cell signal, no traffic, just the sound of wind and maybe someone playing an oud.

The return on day three is a long drive but broken into pieces. You leave the desert heading north through Rissani and Erfoud, stop for a break, pass through the Draa Valley, Morocco's largest valley, and stop for lunch. Then it's three hours through the Ait Saouen rocky mountains and back into the High Atlas, with a final break before the last hour and a half into Marrakech. The whole private desert tour takes you through four different landscapes and two nights away from the city, but you're back by evening.

What’s included

Your three days include hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech, private vehicle with an experienced driver for the entire tour, camel rides at sunset and sunrise in Erg Chebbi, two nights in traditional desert camps (or a luxury camp upgrade for 75 euros per person), stops at Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Dades Gorge, Todra Gorges, and the Draa Valley, tea or coffee breaks in Berber villages, and lunch at designated restaurants along the route. All transport between Marrakech and the desert is included.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private TourGuide in English, Spanish or French · 09:00Luxury option. Lasts 3 days, with dinner and breakfast included. Travel from Marrakech to Merzouga and back to Marrakech in a modern 4WD or minivan. Pickup is included.

Small Group TourGuide in English, Spanish or French · 08:00Standard option: a private room in a comfortable standard hotel or guesthouse in Dades, plus a standard desert camp in Merzouga. Includes sandboarding. Lasts 3 days, with breakfast, dinner and tea (2 dinners and 2 breakfasts). Transport from Marrakech to Merzouga and back to Marrakech by minivan. 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 08:00 and 09:00, from US$ 378 per person, with a live guide in English, Spanish and French, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00 and 09:00

GroupPrivate12 group tours ›

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 to10h before

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Senior (66 and older) · Youth (11 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 10 years) · Infant (2 to 5 years)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Morocco Desert Trips

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want the Sahara without a crowded group tour and don't mind long driving days: the private vehicle and fixed itinerary mean you move at your own pace and see the main desert landmarks without arranging transport or timing yourself.

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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: Youth (11 to 17 years); Child (6 to 10 years); Infant (2 to 5 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.

How long is the camel ride in the desert?

About an hour and a half, timed to reach the dunes at sunset on day two.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech, private vehicle, experienced driver, camel rides at sunset and sunrise, and accommodation in traditional desert camps. Meals at restaurants along the route are not included unless specified.

Is the desert camp comfortable?

It's a traditional nomad tent setup: clean and functional, with Berber music in the evening. A luxury camp upgrade is available for 75 euros extra per person.

What time does the tour start?

Departure from Marrakech is at 8:30 am on day one.

How many people travel together?

This is a private tour, so it's just your group and your driver: no shared vehicle or shared tent.

What happens if I want to skip the camel ride?

The camel ride is part of the itinerary on day two at sunset and sunrise. Speak with the operator before booking if you have concerns.

Do I need a visa for Morocco?

Visa requirements depend on your nationality. Check with your country's Moroccan embassy or consulate before traveling.