3-Day Merzouga Desert Tour: Camel Rides & Desert Camp

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/22

Duration3d

GroupUp to 18

LanguagesEN · AR +8

PickupAt your hotel

You ride camels at sunset into dunes that rise 300 meters, then sleep under stars in a nomad tent.

A 3-day guided tour from Marrakech to Merzouga in the Sahara Desert, crossing the Atlas Mountains and visiting the UNESCO Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, with camel rides, sandboarding, and a night in a desert camp. The tour includes air-conditioned transport, hotel accommodation in Tinghir, a camel ride at sunset and sunrise, and dinner and breakfast at the camp; lunches and drinks are not included. A live guide speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and six other languages.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Marrakech to Tinghir via Atlas Mountains

Depart Marrakech at 8 am
Cross Tizi n'Tichka pass
Stop for photos at Tizi n'Tichka peak
Visit Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah
Photo stop at Atlas studios
Pause at Roses Valley for photos
Stop for panoramic views in Dades Valley
Overnight stay in Tinghir hotel

Day 2 — Tinghir to Merzouga Desert Camp

Breakfast in Tinghir
Visit Todra Gorges and trek
Drive through Berber villages to Tinejdad
Lunch stop in Tinejdad
Continue to Erfoud and Merzouga
Camel ride into Erg Chebbi dunes
Dinner and overnight in desert camp

Day 3 — Merzouga to Marrakech via Roses Valley

Early breakfast in desert camp
Drive to Kelaat Mgouna Roses Valley
Pass Ouarzazate and Atlas Mountains
Pass Tizi n'Tichka pass
Arrive back in Marrakech

The Experience

You depart Marrakech's Jamaa El Fnaa square at 8 am and drive toward Ouarzazate, crossing the High Atlas at Tizi n'Tichka Pass (2,260 meters elevation). A stop at the pass gives photography time before you reach the Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed Berber fortified village that has stood as a film set for Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Kingdom of Heaven. You cross the river to explore the village at your own pace, then pass through the Roses Valley—where rose picking starts in April and a three-day festival runs the first week of May—before arriving in Tinghir for the night.

Day two takes you from Tinghir through the Todgha Gorges, a 15-kilometer valley lined with 300-meter-high grey and pink rock walls and date palms. You pass through Berber villages like Tinjdad and Erfoud (known for fossils) on your way to Merzouga. In the late afternoon, your guide and camels meet you at the edge of Erg Chebbi, and you ride across the towering sand dunes as the sun sets. Dinner and the night happen in a traditional nomad tent at the desert camp, with drums and Moroccan food around the fire.

The final day starts early with breakfast, then a camel ride at sunrise before you drive back through the Roses Valley and over the Tichka Pass to return to Marrakech by evening. The minibus is air-conditioned throughout, and you can upgrade from the standard desert camp tent to a luxury option at checkout.

What’s included

Air-conditioned minibus transport with fuel included.
hotel accommodation in Tinghir.
a night in a traditional desert camp tent in Merzouga with dinner and breakfast.
camel rides at sunset and sunrise with an individual camel for each person.
sandboarding in the Erg Chebbi dunes.
a live guide in your choice of language.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Morocco Trip

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want multiple landscapes—mountains, gorges, oasis, and desert dunes—connected by a single itinerary rather than piecing together separate day trips.