The most popular desert tour from Marrakech — three days covering the High Atlas Mountains, the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou (UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Dades Valley, the Todra Gorges, and the Erg Chebbi dunes, before returning via the Draa Valley. An overnight stay in the Dades Valley on Day 1 breaks up the long journey south and allows a morning visit to the Dades rock formations and Todra Canyon before heading into the desert on Day 2.
The third day returns to Marrakech via the Draa Valley — Morocco’s longest river corridor, lined with endless palm groves and ancient kasbahs — offering a completely different perspective of southern Morocco.
8:00 AM pick-up from your riad or hotel. The city quickly gives way to the foothills of the mountains, and the Tizi n’Tichka pass marks the point where the Atlas opens into a landscape of rugged ridges, remote Berber settlements, and wide views toward the desert. Several stops along the way allow for photos and short walks in mountain villages.
Ait Ben Haddou appears as a cluster of earthen towers rising from the valley floor — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and a familiar filming location for Kingdom of Heaven, Prince of Persia, and Game of Thrones. Walking exploration and lunch nearby.
Continue east from Ouarzazate along the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs: through the Skoura palm grove and then the Rose Valley of Kalaat M’Gouna before reaching the Dades Valley. If time allows, the “Monkey Fingers” rock formations add a surreal touch to the afternoon.
Dinner and overnight in a hotel in the Dades Valley.
Breakfast, then drive east through the Tinerhir oasis — a vast palm grove with ancient kasbahs visible above the palms, once home to Berber and Jewish communities. The Todra Gorge is nearby: a narrow canyon where 300-meter rock walls rise above you and the light on the canyon floor constantly changes color. A short but impressive walk.
From Tinghir, the road continues southeast. The landscape becomes drier and more open until the orange dunes of Erg Chebbi fill the horizon. Camels await. The ride to the camp takes place just before sunset, and by the time you arrive at the luxury camp, the sky is already shifting colors. Dinner, drum music, campfire, and a sky free of light pollution.
Overnight in a luxury desert camp in Merzouga.
A pre-sunrise walk to a nearby dune ridge reveals the sunrise — the Erg Chebbi dunes shift from grey to amber and glowing copper within minutes. Breakfast, then a 4×4 transfer back to Merzouga village. The return to Marrakech follows a different route: southwest through the Draa Valley, Morocco’s longest river stretching 1,100 km, with palm-lined banks and ancient earthen ksour. Agdez offers a panoramic stop over the valley before the road climbs again to Ouarzazate for lunch, followed by the High Atlas crossing back to Marrakech. Drop-off at your accommodation in the evening.
End of the 3-day desert tour from Marrakech.
IMPORTANT NOTES
