5 Days Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech to Marrakech

Your adventure begins in the morning with a pick up from your hotel in Marrakesh. Drive across the beautiful High Atlas Mountains, through the Tizi n’Tichka Pass with panoramic views. Thereafter, visit another UNESCO World Heritage site, Aït Ben Haddou, with some time to explore the ancient fortified village before lunch.

Drive through Ouarzazate, the ‘Hollywood of Africa’, and on to Skoura and the fragrant Rose Valley. Get to the beautiful Dades Valley, famous for its spectacular rock formations known as the ‘Monkey Fingers’. Dinner and an overnight at traditional accommodation.

After breakfast, you can visit the famous Atlas Studios or explore Ouarzazate before moving on to Aït Ben Haddou, Morocco’s best-preserved fortified village and a UNESCO World Heritage Site; drive through the beautiful Dades Valley to the spectacular Todra Gorge, where towering cliffs of limestone form one of Morocco’s most impressive natural wonders. Then on to Merzouga, stopping at a traditional Berber shop en route to learn more about Berber culture and crafts.

We’ll have time to walk the canyon. Arrive in the Sahara Desert in the late afternoon, then enjoy a memorable camel ride through the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi. Arrive at your luxury desert camp, watch the spectacular desert sunset, and spend the night under the stars.

We recommend the early morning to see the magic of sunrise from a nearby dune and then back to the camp for breakfast. You can visit the famous Atlas Studios or explore Ouarzazate before moving on to Aït Ben Haddou, Morocco’s best-preserved fortified village and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You can then return to Merzouga by camel or 4×4 vehicle. A day in the wonderful Sahara desert in a 4×4. Experience the traditional lifestyle of Berber nomadic families and enjoy a live performance of Gnawa music in Khamlia village.

Gnawa culture performance in Khamlia village and a stop at the seasonal Lake Merzouga (if present), home to migratory birds like flamingos. Lunch will be in a local restaurant and you will taste the famous Berber pizza of the area. Afternoon, drive back to your hotel in Merzouga, dinner and overnight.

After breakfast at your hotel, visit the historic town of Rissani, once an important stop for the ancient trans-Saharan caravan routes and home to one of the most authentic traditional markets in the region. Continue your trip through the spectacular Draa Valley, the longest palm oasis in Morocco with endless kasbahs and scenic villages. Arrive in Ouarzazate in the afternoon; visit Atlas Studios or the old city of Taourirt Kasbah. Overnight in Ouarzazate and dinner.

After breakfast you can visit the famous Atlas Studios or explore Ouarzazate before moving on to Aït Ben Haddou, Morocco’s best-preserved fortified village and a UNESCO World Heritage Site which has been the setting for many international films and television productions.

Drive through the lovely village of Telouet and visit the historic Telouet Kasbah and then cross the dramatic High Atlas Mountains by the Tizi n’Tichka Pass. On the way back to Marrakech, stop at scenic viewpoints. Arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon for your tour’s end, with a drop-off at your hotel or with a drop-off at your accommodation or at the airport.