3-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour: Kasbah, Oasis & Dunes

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Free cancellation

1/7

Duration3d

GroupUp to 17

LanguagesEN · FR

PickupAt your hotel

Ride camels across Erg Chebbi at sunset, then wake in the Sahara to do it again at dawn.

A 3-day guided tour from Marrakech to Merzouga takes you through the Atlas Mountains, the UNESCO kasbah at Aït Ben Haddou, the Tinghir Oasis, and the Todgha Canyons before two days in the Sahara Desert. You ride camels at sunset and sunrise, sleep at a luxury desert camp, and try sandboarding in the dunes; a local guide leads the oasis walk and the kasbah visit is available with an additional guide. The tour includes an air-conditioned vehicle, pickup from your hotel, and children from age 5 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Marrakech to Dades Valley via Kasbah

Stop for photos and scenery
Guided tour of Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou
Climb Kasbah summit for views
Engage with Berber community
Lunch at local cafe
Overnight at Hotel Le Chateau de Dades
Enjoy 3 course Moroccan dinner

Day 2 — Dades Valley to Merzouga Desert

Walking tour of Tinghir Oasis
Stroll through Todgha Canyons
Sunset camel ride in Erg Chebbi dunes
Overnight at Palais Des Dunes Desert Camp
3 course dinner at desert camp

Day 3 — Merzouga to Marrakech via Ouarzazate

Breakfast at Sahara desert camp
Stop and walk in Ouarzazate city

The Experience

The route leaves Marrakech and climbs into the Atlas Mountains with stops to stretch and photograph the high passes. At Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO fortified village built of mud brick, you walk the narrow lanes with a guide who explains the Berber community and the kasbah's history—it has appeared in Gladiator and Game of Thrones. You climb to the summit for views across the Ounila River valley and the desert beyond, then eat lunch at a local café. That night you stay at a hotel in the Dades Valley.

Day two starts with a guided walk through the Tinghir Oasis, where you see the palm groves and ancient irrigation channels that keep the settlement alive in the desert, and learn how Berber farmers work the land. Then you walk the Todgha Canyons, where rust-colored walls carved by the river over centuries rise on both sides of a narrow gorge. By afternoon you reach Merzouga village and ride a camel into Erg Chebbi as the sun sets, watching the light change across the dunes. You sleep at the Palais Des Dunes, a luxury desert camp.

The third morning brings a sunrise camel ride before breakfast. After that, you try sandboarding down the dunes. The return journey stops in Ouarzazate for a walk through the city's traditional streets and markets, then continues to Marrakech. Lunches on the road are on your own; the tour includes the guide, the vehicle, the camel rides, and the camp night.

What’s included

Air-conditioned vehicle for all three days.
sunset and sunrise camel rides in Erg Chebbi (one hour each).
sandboarding in the dunes.
one night at the Palais Des Dunes luxury desert camp.
guided walk through the Tinghir Oasis.
hotel accommodation in the Dades Valley.
hotel pickup in Marrakech.
a local guide in English or French.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Marrakech Desert Trips

Is this one for you?The tour keeps a steady pace with long driving days and early starts, so it suits travelers who are comfortable in a vehicle for several hours and ready to wake before dawn for the sunrise ride. The camel rides and sandboarding are gentle activities, not strenuous, and the walking through the oasis and canyons is leisurely—the main demand is the schedule itself, not the physical effort.