5 days desert tour from Marrakech

Overview:

A 5-day desert tour from Marrakech to the Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga lets you experience the Sahara without rushing. You cross the High Atlas Mountains, explore ancient clay castles, walk through deep canyons, ride camels at sunset, and sleep under the stars in a desert camp.

Highlights:

Drive over the high mountain road (Tizi n'Tichka pass).

Stop at the famous old mud-brick village of Aït Benhaddou.

Pass through Ouarzazate and continue to the rocky cliffs of the Dades Valley for the night.

Dades Valley to Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) Walk through the towering rock walls of the Todra Gorge.

Travel past palm oases and desert towns like Erfoud.

Arrive at the edge of the large sand dunes.

Deep Sahara & Camel Trek: Take a 4x4 drive around the desert dunes.

Visit local nomadic families and hear traditional music in Khamlia village.

Ride a camel into the sand dunes to watch the sunset and sleep in a desert tent camp.

Merzouga to Ouarzazate: Wake up early to watch the desert sunrise.

Travel back through the scenic Draa Valley and town of Nkob.

Stop for the evening in Ouarzazate.

Ouarzazate to Marrakech: Enjoy a relaxed morning visit locally or head straight back across the mountains.

Arrive back in Marrakech by late afternoon.

Day 1: Marrakech – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley.

Meeting at 8h00 am with your driver at your Marrakech Hotel Nobu Hotel, take you to the 4×4 and depart from Marrakech to Dades valley, through the Tizi- N-Tichka pass (2260m) in the High Atlas Mountains.

From Marrakech to Ouarzazate, you will enjoy the scenic road, beautiful landscapes with different colors and the Berber villages along the way.

You will have free time here to visit the old Kasbah of Ouarzazate “Taourirt Kasbah” and have lunch. Afterwards, you go further southeast to the green Dades valley and the city of roses via the fascinating Skoura palmery.

overnight in Dades valley in the hotel with dinner.

Day 2: Dades – Todra Gorges – Merzouga Dunes (Erg Chebbi)

After breakfast, departing from the hotel in Dades valley at 8 a.m., taking the road of 1000 kasbahs drive around the colorful Berber villages of the Dades valley.

45 km further, you will get to Tinghir with its beautiful palm grove and Jewish quarter.

You continue to Todra Gorges (Todgha), free time to go on trek along the canyons of about 300m high, a favorite place for rock climbers.

Afterwards you will leave for Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga Sahara Desert, and you will have time for lunch on the way before you arrive at Erfoud.

Then we’ll head for the Erg Chebbi sand dunes.

We continued into Merzouga village, Night in Hotel, Dinner.

Day 3: Merzouga – Luxury Camp – Visit Nomads – Merzouga.

We start the trip after your breakfast at the hotel, direction to Gnawa music, In village of black people from Mali and Sudan.

After listening and dancing our adventure will continue to the route of rally Paris Dakar, crossing Desert track direction to ‘ Mefes mines ‘ After half hour we will drive in desert stones it will be fantastic.

Midday we stop the car for tea with lunch of Berber pizza in nomad land, You will experience how the people can live in desert with sandstorm in summer with very warm weather.

After lunch we will come back to your hotel. relax a bit then ride the camels into the dunes, to spend the night in luxury camp inside the dunes of Erg chebbi desert.

one hour by camels then sand boarding, then sunset over the dunes, tents with private bathrooms.

then the dinner and Berber music,

Day 4: Merzouga – Ouarzazate

Wake up well before sunrise to catch the first glimpses of the sun as it casts its rays over the Erg Chebbi dunes, followed by breakfast in camp and a shower and a camel trek to the hotel.

Then we will head to Rissani , a small Saharan town in southeastern Morocco to visit another fossil workshop. before continuing to the junction of the Agdz Valley and the Draa where we will head north to Ouarzazate after crossing the volcanic Atlas Mountains.

We will spend the night in Ouarzazate, Dinner.

Day 5: Ouarzazate – Marrakech

The last day will also start with breakfast and then a visit to Ouarzazate’s famous film studio known as Africa’s Hollywood.

Then we head to the UNESCO heritage site of Ait Benhaddou Kasbah where some of the modern classics like Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and Indiana Jones were shot.

We will also have the chance to visit the Kasbahs to learn more about Moroccan architecture.

Finally, we will take the Tizi n’Tichka pass through the Atlas Mountains back to Marrakech with a stop in the mountains for lunch. Arrive in the afternoon to your hotel in Marrakech .