Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour: Camel Trek & Sahara Camp

Three days crossing Morocco's mountains and desert, sleeping where the landscape changes

A 3-day guided tour from Marrakech to Merzouga in the Sahara, with stops at Ait-Ben-Haddou, the Rose Valley, Dades Gorge and Todra Gorge, overnight stays in a riad and a Berber desert camp, and a camel trek across Erg Chebbie dunes. The route is fixed, transport is air-conditioned, meals are included, and your guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian or French. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Dades Gorge via key sites

• Visit Kasbah Ait ben Haddou
• Explore Ouarzazate city
• Stop at Valley of the Roses
• Travel through Dades Gorge
• Overnight in Riad in Dades Canyon

Day 2: Dades Gorge to Merzouga Desert

• Visit Todra Gorge
• Travel to Merzouga dunes
• Camel ride to Erg Chebbie camp
• Watch desert sunset
• Enjoy sand boarding
• Listen to Berber music by fire
• Overnight in Berber tent

Day 3: Return from Merzouga to Marrakech

• Pass through Rissani
• Stop for lunch in Ouarzazate
• Return to Marrakech
• Drop off at Jamma El Fna square

The experience

The tour leaves Marrakech and climbs into the High Atlas, stopping at Ait-Ben-Haddou, a centuries-old ksar built into the foothills with rust-colored earthen walls that have appeared in major films. From there you move south through the Rose Valley, where hedges of roses protect the fields and the scent fills the air in May before the harvest. By evening you reach Dades Gorge, a dramatic landscape of rust-red and mauve mountains carved into zigzagging layers of stone. You stay overnight in a private room at a riad with dinner and breakfast included.

Day two takes you through Todra Gorge, where limestone canyon walls rise over 400 meters above the river, then onward to Merzouga at the edge of the Sahara. From here you mount a camel for roughly an hour across Erg Chebbie, a sea of dunes, and reach the desert camp as the sun sets. After dinner you can sandboard on the dunes, then settle into a Berber tent with hot and cold running water, showers and a toilet block. The camp offers either standard tents or a luxury option with an en suite bathroom. Authentic Berber music plays around an open fire before you sleep under the stars, where shooting stars cross the sky.

The return on day three passes through Rissani and stops for lunch in Ouarzazate before the drive back to Marrakech, where you are dropped at Jemaa El Fna square. Air-conditioned transport throughout means the long hours in the vehicle stay comfortable, and your multilingual driver handles all navigation and timing. All meals feature a wide array of authentic Berber food.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned transport throughout.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech.
• overnight accommodation at a riad in Dades Gorge and a Berber desert camp with dinner and breakfast both nights.
• camel trekking across Erg Chebbie dunes.
• sandboarding experience.
• authentic Berber music and entertainment around a campfire.
• all meals with a wide choice of Berber food.

Before you book

Lasts 3d, runs every day at 08:00, from US$ 342 per person, with a live guide in English, Spanish, French and Italian and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (7 to 80 years) · Infant (under 7)

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

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 2 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Morocco Sahara 4x4 - Day Tours

Is this one for you?The 3-day span lets you cross two distinct landscapes (mountains and desert) with time to sleep in each, which a shorter tour cannot do. If you have only one day free, a different product will fit better. If you have a week, you could add more southern Morocco. This length is what holds the full route together without rushing the drive or the desert night.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 7).

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 is Ait-Ben-Haddou and why do we stop there?

Ait-Ben-Haddou is the most famous ksar in Morocco, a striking example of southern Moroccan architecture built into the foothills of the High Atlas. It has appeared in several major film productions and sits in the Ounila Valley south of the mountains, making it a key landmark on the route between Marrakech and the desert.

What happens during the camel trek in Merzouga?

You ride a camel for about an hour across Erg Chebbie, a sea of sand dunes, reaching the desert camp in time to watch the sunset. After dinner you can sandboard on the dunes, and the evening includes authentic Berber music around an open fire before you sleep in a Berber tent or under the stars.

What are the sleeping arrangements in the desert camp?

The Sahara camp offers standard Berber tents or a luxury tent option with an en suite bathroom. Both include hot and cold running water, showers and a toilet block. Dinner and breakfast are provided, and you sleep under the stars where shooting stars are often visible across the sky.

Does the tour include meals?

Yes, all meals are included throughout the 3 days. Dinner and breakfast are provided at the riad in Dades Gorge and at the desert camp, and lunch is served in Ouarzazate on the return day. The food features a wide array of authentic Berber dishes.

Is hotel pickup in Marrakech included?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included for hotels inside Marrakech only. You are picked up from your hotel at the start and dropped at Jemaa El Fna square at the end of the tour.