5 day Marrakech to Merzouga desert tour, Erg Chebbi
A longer, quieter road into the Sahara
With an extra two days over our classic loop, this route takes the quieter road south through Nkob and the Jbel Sagrho instead of the busier Ouarzazate highway, so you'll spend more time in small Berber villages and pre-desert landscapes before reaching Merzouga. You get a full free day around the dunes — sunrise over the Sahara, a visit to a nomad family, and the option to climb the Great Dune — before heading back north through the Todra Gorges and Ait Ben Haddou.
Over the High Atlas to the edge of the pre-desert
Pick-up from your hotel, and we set off for Nkob, crossing the High Atlas at 2,260 metres with stops for the views along one of Morocco's most striking routes. The landscape shifts from Marrakech's palm groves and green north-facing slopes to the aridity of the south, and you'll see your first mudbrick Berber villages at the foot of the mountains. Past Ouarzazate, we follow the Draa Valley to Nkob, at the base of Jbel Sagrho. Dinner and overnight at a hotel.
Through the pre-desert to the dunes
We cross Jbel Sagrho, a rocky pre-desert landscape with vegetation only in small oases like Tazzarine and Alnif, with beautiful scenery the whole way. After a brief stop in Erfoud, we continue on to Merzouga and our camp beside the dunes. Dinner and overnight at the desert camp.
Sunrise, nomad families, and the Great Dune
An early start for sunrise over the dunes, a sight that's hard to forget. After breakfast, we visit the abandoned village of Mephis and the small, isolated settlements around it, and stop for tea with a local nomad family. In the afternoon, those who want to can climb the Great Dune (around 200 metres). Overnight at the desert camp.
Between Jbel Sagrho and the Atlas, through the Todra Gorges
We say goodbye to Merzouga and head toward Tineghir, a route between Jbel Sagrho and the Atlas, arriving at the palm groves and mudbrick houses of Tineghir. We stop briefly at the Todra Gorges, where two rock walls rise around 300 metres, then continue to Ouarzazate through its kasbahs, with a visit to Kasbah Taourirt if time allows. Overnight at a hotel.
Ait Ben Haddou and the return to the red city
We cross the Tizi n'Tichka once more, stopping first at Ait Ben Haddou, the "queen of the kasbahs," a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the backdrop for many films. We arrive in Marrakech, the red city, by evening. Dinner with a traditional show. Airport transfer available the following day to close out our services.
We're a message away.
Tell us your travel dates and what you'd like to see, and we'll put together a tailored Morocco itinerary and quote.