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8-Day Sahara Desert Circuit from Marrakech via Merzouga & Draa Valley
8-Day Sahara Desert Circuit from Marrakech via Merzouga & Draa Valley
Duration8 Days - 7 Nights
Group Size1-40 People
Tour TypeTours from Marrakech
DifficultyEasy
Why go?
This 8-day circuit is made for travellers who want to take their time in the Sahara. After a guided day in Marrakech, you follow the old caravan road over the High Atlas to Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, continue through the Valley of Roses and the Dades and Todra gorges, and spend three nights around the great dunes of Erg Chebbi.
In Merzouga you ride camels at sunset, explore the desert by 4x4, listen to Gnawa musicians in Khamlia and enjoy a free day for quad biking, sandboarding or simply relaxing. The return to Marrakech takes a different road, through the palm groves and kasbahs of the Draa Valley.
A relaxed, complete desert journey that starts and ends in Marrakech, with no long days back on the same road.
Tour Highlights
- Private guided tour of the Marrakech medina.
- Ait Ben Haddou kasbah and the Taourirt kasbah in Ouarzazate.
- Valley of Roses, Dades Gorges and Todra Gorge.
- Three nights around the Erg Chebbi dunes, including a desert camp.
- Camel ride at sunset and 4x4 tour of the dunes.
- Gnawa music in the village of Khamlia.
- Return through Tamnougalt and the palm groves of the Draa Valley.
Tour Plan
01
Start with a private tour of Marrakech: the Koutoubia, the Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef Medersa, the old Jewish quarter and the colourful souks around Jemaa el-Fna. Evening and night in your riad.
02
Cross the High Atlas via the Tizi n’Tichka pass, at more than 2,200 metres. Visit the ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a film set for many famous movies, then reach Ouarzazate and the Taourirt kasbah, former home of the Glaoui family. Night in Ouarzazate.
03
Drive east through Skoura and Kelaa M’Gouna, the heart of the Valley of Roses, with a stop at a rose cooperative. Continue into the Dades Gorges and their famous “monkey finger” rocks, with time for a walk by the river. Dinner and night in the Dades Valley.
04
Walk through the Todra Gorge between its towering cliffs, then cross the desert towns of Tinghir and Rissani, former capital of the Tafilalet. In the afternoon, ride camels into the Erg Chebbi dunes for the sunset and spend the night in a desert camp with dinner around the fire.
05
After the sunrise, explore the dunes by 4x4: nomad families, fossil sites and the village of Khamlia, where local musicians play traditional Gnawa music. Dinner and night in Merzouga.
06
A day at your own pace in Merzouga. Try quad biking or sandboarding, take a longer camel ride, visit a nomad tent for tea, or simply relax by the pool with a view of the dunes. Night in Merzouga.
07
Leave the dunes and head west on the desert road through Alnif, known for its fossils, and Tazzarine. Visit the kasbah of Tamnougalt and arrive in Agdz, an oasis town among the palm groves of the Draa Valley. Night in Agdz.
08
Follow the Draa Valley and its date palms, then climb back over the High Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka pass, with stops for photos and local crafts. Arrival in Marrakech in the late afternoon, drop-off at your hotel or riad.
Included/Exclude
Cost Includes
- Pickup and drop-off at your hotel or riad in Marrakech.
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver for 8 days.
- 7 nights of accommodation: Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Dades Valley, Merzouga (3 nights, including 1 in a desert camp) and Agdz.
- Daily breakfast, and dinner in the desert and on the nights outside Marrakech.
- Guided city tour of Marrakech with a local guide.
- Camel ride at sunset and 4x4 tour around Erg Chebbi.
- Gnawa music in Khamlia village.
Cost Excludes
- International flights to and from Morocco.
- Lunches and drinks.
- Entrance fees to monuments, museums and historical sites.
- Tips for drivers, guides and camp staff.
- Travel insurance and personal expenses.
- Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary (quad biking, sandboarding...).
