5 Days from Marrakech to Merzouga Desert

Day 1: Marrakech – Ouarzazate – Dades Gorges

We will start our 5 Days from Marrakech to Dadès Gorges. We travel across the Tizi-n-Tichka Atlas pass (2260m) to the traditional High Atlas Berber village of Telouet and take a guided tour of the Kasbah of el Glaoui, former War Lord and Pasha of Marrakech. We continue and visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou, a spectacular fortified village. We have our lunch at Ait Benhaddou or Ouarzazate and continue to Dadès Valley where we will spend the night in a riad/hotel.

Day 2: from Dadès Gorges to Merzouga

Breakfast, we travel from Dades Gorges to Merzouga in the Sahara desert. Along the road, there are a few Berber communities. We’ll pass through Erfoud, where we’ll feel the start of the Tafilalt Saharan Oasis, before continuing on to Merzouga. Dinner will be served in a hotel near Erg Chebbi, where we will stay the night and listen to Berber music.

Day 3: 4×4 Desert Tour

In the morning, we start our tour around the dunes of Erg Chebbi. We will visit a Berber house and listen to some Gnawa music; originally from Ghana and Sudan. We will visit some deserted mines, Berber nomads, and the oasis of palm trees. For lunch, we will head back to Merzouga.

We’ll go find the camels that are waiting to take us on an adventure across the dunes once we’ve relaxed for a little. We’ll spend the night in a well-equipped camp in the center of the Sahara, complete with drum music, which will provide an excellent opportunity to get beautiful sunset and sunrise photographs. We spend the night in nomad tents after climbing high dunes to watch the sunset.

Day 4: Merzouga – Ouarzazate

After watching the sunrise we ride camels back to Merzouga. We will have an opportunity to take a shower and have a lovely breakfast. Then we start our journey back to Ouarzazate. On our way, we visit the Berber shops where you may purchase souvenirs like fossils, carpets, lamps, leather. We arrive in Ouarzazate in the afternoon and spend the night in a hotel.

Day 5: Ouarzazate – Marrakech

Today we will have a chance to visit Ait Benhaddou for lunch and tour this world heritage site. This famous 11th-century kasbah was used as a backdrop for more than 20 films including the famous Gladiator. After lunch, we will start our journey back to Marrakech through Tizi-n- Tichka and reach Marrakech in the evening.