Marrakech: Merzouga Desert & Ait Ben Haddou 3-Day Tour

Three days crossing the Atlas to sleep under Sahara stars

You get picked up from your Marrakech hotel and driven through the High Atlas to the UNESCO kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou with a local guide, then continue east through Rose Valley and the Todra Gorge to Merzouga, where you ride a camel across the Erg Chebbi dunes and sleep in a luxury Berber camp with a private bathroom. The next morning you catch the desert sunrise, then drive back to Marrakech the same day. Transport, meals, guides, and both nights' accommodation are included, so you don't arrange anything once you're picked up.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Dades Gorge via Atlas Mountains

• Pick up from Marrakech hotel
• Drive through High Atlas Mountains
• Coffee and bathroom break at foothills
• Stop at scenic mountain terrace
• Cross highest mountain pass (2,262 m)
• Explore Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou with guide
• Lunch near Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou
• Drive to Ouarzazate, view city
• Pass by film studio and Kasbah Taourirt
• Drive along Road of a Thousand Kasbahs
• View palm oasis in Skoura
• Break at café in Kelaat M'gouna (Rose Valley)
• Drive through Dades Valley and visit Tisdrine viewpoint
• Check in at guesthouse in Dades
• Dinner at guesthouse

Day 2: Dades Gorge to Merzouga Desert Camp

• Breakfast at guesthouse
• Drive through Boumalen Dades and Tinghir
• Visit Todra Valley and Todra Gorge
• Lunch near Todra Gorge
• Pass through Tinjdad and Erfoud
• Camel ride across Erg Chebbi dunes
• Arrive at luxury Berber desert camp
• Dinner and traditional music at camp

Day 3: Merzouga Desert to Marrakech via Atlas Mountains

• Sunrise viewing from dunes
• Breakfast at desert camp
• Morning camel trek in desert
• Depart Merzouga for return journey
• Pass by Erfoud, Tinghir, Boumalen Dades
• Lunch at Kelaat M'gouna
• Drive through Skoura and Ouarzazate
• Cafe and restroom break in Atlas Mountains
• Arrive back in Marrakech

The experience

You're picked up at 7:30 a.m. from your Marrakech hotel, and within an hour the city's noise is behind you. The minibus climbs into the High Atlas Mountains, and the air changes: cooler, thinner, the views opening up across valleys you didn't know existed. At 2,262 meters, you cross the highest mountain pass in North Africa. Your guide stops for coffee at a terrace with a view that makes you understand why people come here. Then the road descends into Ait Ben Haddou, and suddenly you're walking through a UNESCO World Heritage kasbah that's been used as a film set for Gladiator and a dozen other movies. The earthen walls, the narrow alleys, the sense of centuries. It's not a museum piece, it's a place that's still lived in, and your local guide walks you through the history of trans-Saharan trade that built it.

Day two moves you deeper into the desert. You pass through Ouarzazate (they call it the Hollywood of Africa, and the nickname sticks when you see the landscape), then follow the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through Skoura's palm oasis and Kelaat M'gouna, where roses grow in such volume that the whole town smells like perfume. The Todra Gorge arrives suddenly: towering red cliffs that narrow so tight the light barely reaches the canyon floor. After lunch, you keep going east toward Merzouga, and by late afternoon you're at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes. One camel per person carries you across the sand as the light turns gold, and you arrive at a traditional Berber luxury camp with private bathrooms and a real bed. Dinner comes with live music, and you fall asleep to the sound of nothing.

The third morning starts before sunrise. You ride back out to the dunes to watch the sun come up from the top of the sand, then return to the camp for breakfast. After that, the long drive back begins: the same route in reverse, but it feels different going west. You stop for lunch in Kelaat M'gouna, then climb back into the Atlas as the afternoon light softens everything. You arrive in Marrakech in the evening, dropped at Jamaa el Fna square or as close as you can get to your accommodation. The whole thing takes three days, but the distance traveled feels much longer.

What’s included

Your three days include hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech, transport in an air-conditioned minibus with fuel, entry to Ait Ben Haddou with a local guide, one night in a guesthouse in Dades Valley with a private bathroom and swimming pool, one night in a luxury Berber tent in Merzouga with a private bathroom, all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), a camel ride across the Erg Chebbi dunes, sandboarding in the desert, entry to the Tizi n Tichka mountain pass, and entry to Vallée Des Roses. Stops for coffee, lunch, and rest breaks are built into the drive.

Options for this experience

3 options

Option with the Standard Desert CampGuide in 5 languages · 07:30 and 08:00Accommodation: one night in a hotel in the Tinghir/Dades area (Hotel Saghro or similar), plus one night in a standard desert camp with a shared bathroom. Included: camel trek, sandboarding, 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts. Lasts 3 days and 2 nights. Transport in an air-conditioned minivan with luggage space. Pickup is included.

Option with the Deluxe Desert CampGuide in 4 languages · 08:00Accommodation: one night in a hotel in the Tinghir/Dades area (Hotel Saghro or similar), plus one night in a deluxe desert camp with a private bathroom. Included: camel trekking, sandboarding, 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts. Lasts 3 days and 2 nights. Transport in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan with luggage space. Camel riding to your desert. A 4x4 transfer to the camp is also available at no extra cost if you prefer. Pickup is included.

Private tour (using your own vehicle). Accommodation: one night at Hotel Babylon Dades, Xaluca Dades, or a similar hotel, plus one night at Africa Luxury Camp with a private bathroom or a similar camp. Desert transfer by camel ride or 4x4 transfer at no extra cost. The tour is private and reserved exclusively for your group. Lasts 3 days and 2 nights. Meals included: 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts. Transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle sized to your group. Pickup and drop-off at your Marrakech hotel or riad are included. Pickup is included.Guide in 5 languages · 07:30Private tour (using your own vehicle). Accommodation: one night at Hotel Babylon Dades, Xaluca Dades, or a similar hotel, plus one night at Africa Luxury Camp with a private bathroom or a similar camp. Desert transfer by camel ride or 4x4 transfer at no extra cost. The tour is private and reserved exclusively for your group. Lasts 3 days and 2 nights. Meals included: 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts. Transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle sized to your group. Pickup and drop-off at your Marrakech hotel or riad are included. Pickup is included.

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

Before you book

Lasts 3d, runs every day at 07:30 and 08:00, from US$ 148 per person, with live guides in 5 languages and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:30 and 08:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (3 and older) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 150

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Japanese

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

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Explore Marrakech Trips

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the Atlas Mountains, a UNESCO kasbah, and the Sahara in one trip without arranging transport, guides, or camp bookings yourself: the fixed three-day route and included guide at Ait Ben Haddou mean you show up and the logistics are handled.

Traveler reviews

4.95★★★★★★★★★★

576 verified traveler reviews

5 ★560

4 ★11

3 ★2

2 ★1

1 ★2

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 3).

What's included in the tour?

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech, air-conditioned minibus transport, one night in a guesthouse in Dades Valley with en-suite bathroom, one night in a luxury Berber tent in Merzouga with private bathroom, all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), camel ride across the Erg Chebbi dunes, entry to Ait Ben Haddou with a local guide, entry to Tizi n Tichka pass, entry to Vallée Des Roses, and sandboarding in the desert.

How long is the tour?

Three days and two nights. Pickup is at 7:30 a.m. on day one from your Marrakech hotel, and you return to Marrakech in the evening of day three.

Do I ride a camel to the desert camp?

Yes, one camel per person carries you across the Erg Chebbi dunes to the camp. If you prefer not to ride, a 4x4 transfer is available as an alternative.

What's the accommodation like?

Night one is in a guesthouse in Dades Valley with an en-suite bathroom and a swimming pool. Night two is in a luxury Berber tent at the desert camp in Merzouga, also with a private bathroom.

What happens if I don't want to visit Ouarzazate or the fossil museum?

Both are optional stops. You can pass by Ouarzazate without stopping, and the fossil museum in Erfoud is skipped if no one in the group is interested.

Are meals included?

Yes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included throughout the three days, including meals at the desert camp with traditional music.

What's the physical fitness requirement?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The camel ride is the most active part, but a 4x4 alternative is available if you prefer not to ride.