Trip overview
Four private days from Marrakech to Erg Chebbi and back, with 4 to 6 hour stages: Aït Ben Haddou, Skoura, the Dades, a night in the Todra and another in camp.
- Duration4 days / 3 nights
- Starts inMarrakech
- GroupPrivate or shared · 1–16 people
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguageEspañol
- DeparturesDaily departures all year round
Highlights
- 4 to 6 hour drives on the first three days
- Time at Aït Ben Haddou and the kasbahs of Skoura
- A night beside the Todra Gorge
- Valley of Roses and Dades Valley
- Sunset camel ride in Erg Chebbi
- Night in camp with dinner and Berber music
- Sunrise in the dunes
- Return via N'kob and the Draa Valley
Who it's for
It suits you if…
You want the Marrakech-to-desert route with an extra day to spread out the kilometres. If you take photos, you reach places in the morning or late-afternoon light.
- Families with children
- Older travellers
- You don't want to spend the whole day in the car
Pick something else if…
You have one day less and don't mind driving straight through to the Dades Valley on the first day.
See the 3-day tourPrivate or small group
You can book this route either way, on this same page.
Private
A vehicle and driver just for you: you choose the start time and the stops. The price per person drops the more of you there are.
Small group
A seat in a shared minibus with other travellers on the same itinerary. Daily departures; the price is the same even if you travel alone.
Before you book
This is the format we recommend most for families with children, because the drives are manageable. In summer we set off early to avoid the heat. In winter bring warm clothes: the temperature drops a lot at night in the desert.
If you'd like another night in the dunes or to finish in Fez, we can change it. Message us with your dates. There's more information in our Merzouga guide and our Marrakech guide.
Driving hours and overnight stops
On Standard, comfortable hotels and a simple desert camp; on Superior, nicer kasbahs and a tent with a private bathroom.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Aït Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate
We leave Marrakech mid-morning, with no early start, and climb into the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass. On the way up we stop at a viewpoint over the mud-brick villages and, if you like, at an argan oil cooperative. They will show you their products, but you don't have to buy anything.
Around midday we reach Aït Ben Haddou. Today there is time to cross the river, explore the ksar, climb to the granary on the hill and have lunch looking out at the walls. In the afternoon we continue to Ouarzazate, where you can see the film studios from outside or the Taourirt kasbah. Dinner and overnight at a hotel or kasbah in Ouarzazate or Skoura. About 4 or 5 hours of driving.
Day 2: Skoura – Valley of Roses – Dades Valley – Todra Gorge
In the morning we walk through the Skoura palm grove, where kasbahs such as Amridil still stand. We continue to Kalaat M'Gouna in the Valley of Roses, where you can visit a cooperative selling rose products.
Then we drive up the Dades road, with plenty of bends between reddish rocks, and stop for photos and lunch. In the afternoon we reach Tinghir and the Todra Gorge. If there is still light, we take a first walk through the canyon, when the day visitors have left and it is quieter. Dinner and overnight at a hotel near the gorge. About 5 hours of driving spread over the day.
Day 3: Todra Gorge – Erfoud – Merzouga: camel ride and camp
In the morning we walk along the floor of the Todra Gorge, when the light comes in between the walls. Then we set off for Tinejdad, where you can see the old underground irrigation channels, and pass through Erfoud, known for its fossil workshops, to Rissani and Merzouga.
We arrive early in the afternoon at a guesthouse at the foot of the dunes, where you rest and pack a small bag for the night. As the sun goes down, you get on a camel and head for the camp across Erg Chebbi. From the top of a dune you watch the sand change colour. Dinner, music by the fire and a night in a tent. About 4 hours of driving.
Day 4: Sunrise in Erg Chebbi – Alnif – N'kob – Draa Valley – Marrakech
We wake you before dawn to climb a dune. It is cold at that hour almost all year. You ride back to Merzouga by camel or 4x4, where you have breakfast and can shower before leaving.
We take the southern road through Rissani, Alnif and Tazarine, between black mountains and mud-brick hamlets, to N'kob, a village with dozens of kasbahs. At Agdz we enter the Draa Valley with its long palm grove, and from Ouarzazate we cross the Atlas again over the Tichka. You reach Marrakech in the late afternoon or early evening. It is the longest day, about 9 or 10 hours including stops.
What's included
Included (8)
- Pick-up from and return to your accommodation in Marrakech
- Private air-conditioned vehicle
- Multilingual driver (speaks Spanish)
- Fuel and tolls
- 1 night in a hotel or kasbah in Ouarzazate or Skoura with dinner and breakfast
- 1 night in a hotel at the Todra Gorge with dinner and breakfast
- Camel ride in Erg Chebbi (one camel per person)
- 1 night in a desert camp with dinner and breakfast
Not included (6)
- Drinks
- Lunches
- Entry fees to monuments and kasbahs
- Local guides at Aït Ben Haddou or the Todra (optional)
- Tips
- Accommodation in Marrakech
Important information (5)
- Tell us if you are vegetarian or have allergies and we will sort it out with the hotels and camp.
- Quads, buggies and 4x4 trips in the dunes are optional and paid separately.
- Wear long trousers for the camel and comfortable shoes for walking in the Todra.
- Desert nights are cool for most of the year and cold from November to February.
- If you ask when booking, we can add a second night in the desert or finish the trip in Fez.
Prices per person
Private
The vehicle and driver are paid per day and shared between the travellers, so the price per person goes down the more of you there are. Accommodation is charged per person per night (3 nights).
| Travellers | Standard | Superior |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | €880 | €1,015 |
| 2 people | €500 | €635 |
| 3 people | €373 | €508 |
| 4 people | €310 | €445 |
| 5 people | €272 | €407 |
| 6 people | €247 | €382 |
- Standard: Comfortable hotels and riads, standard desert camp
- Superior: More characterful accommodation and a superior desert camp
- Children aged 3 to 11: 3% less than an adult.
- Groups of more than 7 people travel in two vehicles. The booking calculator takes this into account.
Small group
Small group
A seat in a shared minibus with other travellers, the same price even if you travel alone. Daily departures.
Payment and cancellation
You pay a 15% deposit when you book. The rest is paid on the first day of the trip, in cash or by bank transfer. You can also pay it by PayPal or card, with a 5% surcharge.
Private: free up to 48 hours before the start. Group: free up to 10 days before departure. If you cancel in time, we refund the full deposit.
Extras you can add
Chosen when you book and added to the total. You can also ask for them later, subject to availability.
Quad bike in the Merzouga dunes
Guided quad ride around Erg Chebbi, helmet included
Dune buggy in Merzouga
Two-seater buggy with a guide through the dunes, helmet included
Upgrade the accommodation
More characterful hotels and riads, and a superior desert camp On the group booking; for a private trip choose the Superior option.
Did you take this trip with us? Leave the first review using your booking reference.
Read our reviews on Tripadvisor
Leave a reviewFrequently asked questions
Is it worth doing four days instead of three?
If you have the extra day, yes. With four days the first three stages have 4 to 6 hours of driving, and you have time to walk around Aït Ben Haddou, Skoura and the Todra without watching the clock. You arrive in the desert less tired and the camel ride is easier. The day back to Marrakech is still long.
What time do we leave Marrakech on the first day?
As the first day is shorter, we usually pick you up between 8:30 and 9:00, though the time can be changed. If you want the morning light in the Atlas, we leave earlier. If you arrived in Marrakech late the night before, we push the start back a little and the programme stays the same.
Does the camp have a bathroom?
It depends on the option. With Superior the tents have a private bathroom with a shower and hot water. With Standard the camp is simpler and, depending on the camp and availability, the bathroom may be private or shared. We confirm the type of tent before you book.
