3-Day Merzouga Desert Tour from Marrakech: Camel Trek & Kasbah

Aït Benhaddou, Dades Canyon, Camel Trek, Sunset Over Sand

A 3-day guided tour from Marrakech crosses the Atlas Mountains to the UNESCO-protected Aït Benhaddou Kasbah, stays a night in Dades gorges, then descends to Merzouga for camel trekking and overnight camping in the Sahara. Private transportation with an English-speaking driver, two nights' accommodation, camel trek with turban, and sandboarding are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Dades Canyon valley

• Pickup from Marrakech at 7:00 am
• Drive through Atlas Mountains via Tizi 'n Tichka pass
• Stop for photos and breakfast
• Visit Telouet kasbah
• Visit Aït Benhaddou Kasbah
• Have lunch at Aït Benhaddou
• Visit Atlas Film Studios
• Drive to Skoura and Dades Valley
• Overnight at hotel in Dades gorges

Day 2: Dades gorges to Merzouga Desert Camp

• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive to Todra Gorge
• Stop for lunch in Tinjdad village
• Pass through Arfoud and Rissani
• Arrive at Merzouga hotel
• Relax by swimming pool and have Berber tea
• Camel ride through desert dunes
• Arrive at Berber desert camp
• Relax and drink Berber tea with nomads
• Enjoy sandboarding in dunes
• Watch sunset over sand dunes
• Dinner and music around campfire
• Overnight in Berber tent

Day 3: Merzouga to Marrakech return

• Wake up early to see sunrise
• Enjoy sandboarding and breakfast at camp
• Take shower at camp
• Camel ride back to Merzouga hotel
• Meet driver and depart for Marrakech
• Stop for lunch on the way
• Arrive in Marrakech around 7:00 pm

The experience

The tour starts at 7:00 am from Marrakech and climbs through the Atlas Mountains via the Tizi 'n Tichka pass, with stops for photos and breakfast along the way. You'll visit the 17th-century Telouet Kasbah, then spend the afternoon at Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO world heritage site where you have lunch and explore the kasbah before moving on to the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate. The drive continues through Skoura toward Dades Valley, where you spend your first night in a hotel overlooking the gorges.

Day two takes you through Todra Gorge and into the Merzouga region, home to Erg Chebbi, Morocco's tallest sand dunes. After lunch in Tinjdad and a drive through Arfoud and Rissani, you arrive at the desert hotel in late afternoon. Around 5:30 pm you mount a camel for a 90-minute trek across the dunes, arriving at the Berber camp where you'll have time to relax, drink tea with nomads, try sandboarding, and watch the sunset. Dinner and music around the campfire happen at the camp, where you sleep in a luxury tent.

The final morning starts early to catch the sunrise over the dunes. After breakfast and time for another sandboarding session if you want it, you ride camels back to the hotel, then begin the return drive to Marrakech with a lunch stop on the way. You arrive around 7:00 pm.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver.
• one night in a hotel in Dades gorges and one night in a luxury desert camp.
• camel trekking with turban.
• sandboarding in the dunes.
• breakfast and dinner at the desert camp.

Information

Lasts 3d, runs every day, 4 start times, from US$ 595 per person, with a live guide in English, French and Arabic, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

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

GroupPrivate12 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish, French and ArabicOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 to 80 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availableNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Discover Morocco Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want a self-contained journey with a driver handling all the navigation and timing: the three days move through multiple landscapes without you arranging transport between stops, and the overnight desert camp is the centerpiece rather than an add-on you coordinate separately.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3).

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 Aït Benhaddou Kasbah and why is it on this tour?

Aït Benhaddou is a UNESCO world heritage site. A centuries-old kasbah that has been used as a filming location for major films. You visit it on day one after crossing the Atlas Mountains, with time to explore the site and have lunch there before continuing toward Dades Valley.

How long is the camel trek in Merzouga and what happens at the desert camp?

The camel trek lasts about 90 minutes in the late afternoon of day two. At the Berber camp you'll have berber tea with nomads, try sandboarding on the dunes, watch the sunset, eat dinner, and sleep overnight in a luxury tent with music and a campfire.

What's included in the price and what do I need to pay for separately?

The tour includes private transportation with an air-conditioned vehicle and English-speaking driver, two nights' accommodation (one in a Dades hotel, one in the desert camp), camel trekking with a turban for the ride, and sandboarding. Lunches at local cafes and restaurants are not included, though breakfast and dinner at the camp are part of the package.

Is there time to see the sunrise in Merzouga?

Yes. Day three begins early so you can watch the sunrise over the dunes from the camp. You'll have time to sandboard again if you wish and have breakfast before riding camels back to the hotel to meet your driver for the return journey.

What are Dades gorges and where do you stay there?

Dades gorges is a dramatic canyon valley in central Morocco. You spend your first night in a hotel there after the drive from Aït Benhaddou, giving you a base to explore the landscape before heading south toward the Sahara on day two.