If you had to choose just one trip in your life to discover Morocco, the 3-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga would be the right answer. In 72 hours you cross three completely different worlds: the Atlas Mountains with their Berber villages of stone and clay, the pre-Saharan south with its medieval kasbahs and palm groves, and finally the Sahara, with those 150-metre dunes that look straight out of a film. No photo, no documentary, and no book prepares you for the real impact of seeing the desert for the first time.
Why 3 days is the perfect duration
Three days is the right amount of time to avoid rushing but also avoid getting bored. Each day has its own rhythm: the first day is a long journey but full of stops worth making. The second day is the desert day, which is naturally slow and invites you to be present without checking your phone. The third day is the return, with the satisfaction of having lived something that is not easily forgotten. Our Gallery follows exactly this structure.
Day-by-day itinerary: Marrakech to Merzouga in 3 days
Day one: Marrakech to Merzouga via the Atlas and the south
Departure from Marrakech is early, around 7am, to maximise the day. The first hour is spent climbing the Tizi n’Tichka pass with views of the snow-covered Atlas if you are travelling in winter or spring. The first major stop is Ait Benhaddou, the ksar declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, whose official record you can consult at National Geographic – Sahara. It is worth spending around 45 minutes walking inside to see the red earth towers and climb up to the granary from where you can see the entire landscape.
Then you stop for lunch in Ouarzazate and continue through the Dades Valley to reach Merzouga at sunset. There the camel awaits. The ride lasts about 45 minutes and you arrive at the camp just when the dunes are at their most intense colour.
Second night and dawn: the Sahara experience
Dinner at the camp is a homemade tagine followed by Berber music around the fire. The sky free of light pollution makes star-watching an experience in itself. You are woken at 5:30am for sunrise: you climb the highest dune by camel and watch the entire desert pass from purple to gold in just minutes. Berber breakfast at the camp and ready to continue.
Day three: return to Marrakech or continuation to Fes
On the third day you can return to Marrakech via a different route or, if you have a bit more time, continue to Fes passing through the Dades Valley and Todra Gorges. The tour that goes from one city to the other, our Private 4-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes, is ideal for those with flights from different cities.
What is included in the price
Our tours include private transport with air conditioning, an experienced local guide, all overnight accommodation, breakfasts, dinner at the desert camp, and the camel ride. Monument entries and lunches are separate. You can see all the details on the tours from Marrakech page and consult our blog section for more practical information. For references about Morocco as a destination, Lonely Planet Morocco has very useful information.
