Trip overview
Land in Marrakech, head south in a shared minibus, sleep in the Dades, in an Erg Chebbi desert tent and in a hotel by the dunes, then finish with a guided walk through the medina.
- Duration7 days / 7 nights
- Starts inMarrakech
- GroupSmall group · 1–17 people
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguageEspañol
- DeparturesDepartures every Tuesday and Saturday from Marrakech
Highlights
- We meet you at Menara airport on the day you land
- Fixed departures on Tuesdays and Saturdays, 17 travellers at most
- The climb to Tizi n'Tichka, a pass of about 2,260 m
- Hotel in the Dades and a short walk inside the Todra Gorge
- Riding a camel into Erg Chebbi as the sun goes down
- A second night in Merzouga, in a hotel by the dunes
- Kasbah Amridil in the Skoura palm grove
- The ksar of Aït Ben Haddou on the way to Marrakech
- A three- to four-hour walk through the medina with an official guide on day 7
- Length
- 7 days and 7 nights, departure on day 8
- Group
- Up to 17 travellers
- Departures
- Tuesdays and Saturdays
- In Merzouga
- A desert tent and a hotel by the dunes
Where you sleep each night
Seven nights in five different places, all in standard accommodation with breakfast.
When to go
- March – MayGood timeMild temperatures and roses in bloom in Kelaat M'Gouna around April and May.
- June – AugustMixedAt midday Merzouga often goes above 40 °C; the free afternoon on day 4 is spent by the pool.
- September – NovemberGood timeGood weather in the dunes and in Marrakech, with the days still long.
- December – FebruaryMixedFreezing nights in the tent and possible closures for snow on the Tichka.
Before you book
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Marrakech airport and a night in the medina
Outside arrivals at Menara our driver is waiting with your name on a sign. It's 20 to 30 minutes to the riad or hotel, depending on traffic. Nothing else is scheduled. If you land early, take a stroll round Jemaa el Fna after dark, when the grills are lit. Before you go to bed we leave word at reception with the time the minibus leaves in the morning.
Day 2: Marrakech – Taddert – Tizi n'Tichka – Kelaat M'Gouna – Dades
We leave at around 7:30. If your riad is down a derb that cars can't reach, someone comes to fetch you on foot and walks you to the minibus. After Ait Ourir the N9 starts to climb; we stop for tea around Taddert and carry on to Tizi n'Tichka, whose highest point is around 2,260 metres. In winter there may be snow at the side of the road.
Coming down from the pass, the landscape turns red and dry. Lunch is near Ouarzazate (not included) and in the afternoon we go through Skoura and Kelaat M'Gouna, where rose water is for sale in every shop window. The last hour is inside the Dades Valley itself, among rock formations shaped like fingers. It's about 7 or 8 hours with stops. You have dinner and sleep in a hotel in the Dades.
Day 3: Tisdrine viewpoint – Todra – Jorf – camel ride into Erg Chebbi
To start, we drive a few kilometres up the gorge to the viewpoint over the Tisdrine bends, the best-known photo of the Dades. Then, in Tinghir, the vehicle heads into the Todra and you walk for about 20 minutes along the floor of the canyon, beside the river, with very high rock walls on both sides.
From Tinghir we continue through Tinejdad and Jorf, where you can see the lines of wells of the khettaras, the old underground irrigation channels, and reach Merzouga in mid-afternoon. There you swap your suitcase for a small backpack. The camels set off at around 17:00 (later in summer) and in a little over an hour drop you at the tents, well inside Erg Chebbi. It's about 6 or 7 hours on the road with stops. Dinner and a night in a desert tent.
Day 4: A full day in Merzouga with Rissani, Khamlia and a hotel by the sand
If you want to see the sunrise, you're woken at around 6:00 (earlier in summer) and climb the dune nearest the camp. Back in the village by camel, you eat breakfast and drop your bags at the hotel, which sits right on the sand and has hot showers and often a pool.
Mid-morning the driver takes the group to Rissani, the town with the biggest souk in the area, where donkeys wait tied up beside the stalls of dates and spices. On the way back we stop in Khamlia, whose families came originally from south of the Sahara and where a Gnawa band plays for visitors; you leave a tip or buy a CD. The afternoon is free: a nap, the pool or, if you fancy it, a quad bike or 4x4 in the dunes, paid separately. Dinner and the night at the hotel.
Day 5: Merzouga – Tinghir palm grove – rose cooperative – Kasbah Amridil – Ouarzazate
We leave after breakfast, at around 8:30, and retrace the road to Tinghir. This time the stop is at the viewpoint over the palm grove, a green strip several kilometres long that follows the river. Lunch is on the way (not included).
In Kelaat M'Gouna we visit a cooperative where they explain how rose water is distilled; the fields flower around April and May, and the rose festival is usually held in May. Further on, in Skoura, we stop at Kasbah Amridil, one of the best preserved in the palm grove (entry extra). We drive into Ouarzazate at about 18:00, after roughly 7 hours in all. You have dinner and sleep in Ouarzazate.
Day 6: Ouarzazate – ksar of Aït Ben Haddou – Tichka pass – back to Marrakech
Not much driving today. About half an hour from Ouarzazate is Aït Ben Haddou, the fortified mud-brick village looking over the Ounila river, protected by UNESCO since 1987. You walk up its lanes to the agadir, the communal granary that crowns the hill; from the top you can see the whole valley. Local guides usually wait at the entrance and are paid separately if you want one.
Then we climb the Tichka again, this time in the other direction, and stop for lunch on the northern side (not included). We're back in Marrakech around 16:00 or 17:00 and everyone is dropped at their accommodation. What's left of the day can go on the Majorelle Garden (entry extra) or rest before the sightseeing day.
Day 7: Day seven in Marrakech with an official guide and a free afternoon
In the morning an official Marrakech guide collects you for a walking visit of about three or four hours. The usual route starts at the Koutoubia, the mosque whose 12th-century minaret is the landmark everyone uses to get their bearings, continues through the Bahia Palace and the old Jewish quarter of the Mellah, and ends in the souks and on Jemaa el Fna square. Monument entrance fees are paid separately.
If you want to buy something, ask the guide for rough prices before you haggle. You're under no obligation to go into any shop he shows you. The afternoon is free and it's your last night in Morocco: many people use it for dinner on a terrace overlooking the square.
Day 8: Last breakfast and transfer to the airport
You have breakfast at the riad and the driver collects you at the time we've set according to your flight to go to Menara. For an international flight, plan to be there about two hours before. If you fly in the evening, almost every hotel will keep your luggage at reception and you can spend the day in town. If you'd rather stay longer, we can book extra nights or a day trip to Essaouira.
What's included
Included (7)
- Transfers between Menara airport and your accommodation on arrival (day 1) and departure (day 8)
- Transport through the south from day 2 to day 6 in a shared air-conditioned minibus, with a Spanish-speaking driver
- Seven nights in standard accommodation: Marrakech on nights 1, 6 and 7; the Dades, the Erg Chebbi tent, the Merzouga hotel and Ouarzazate on the other four
- Breakfast every day and dinner on the four nights on the road (Dades, camp, Merzouga and Ouarzazate)
- Camel ride to the Erg Chebbi tents and back to the village the next morning
- Outing with the driver to Rissani and Khamlia on day 4
- Local official guide for the walking visit of the Marrakech medina on day 7
Not included (8)
- Flights
- Lunches, and dinners in Marrakech
- Drinks
- Entrance fees to monuments, kasbahs and gardens
- Optional local guides at Aït Ben Haddou and the Todra
- Optional activities in Merzouga (quad bike, 4x4, sandboarding)
- Tips
- Travel insurance
Important information (6)
- No date runs below a certain number of travellers. Before you buy your flight, we confirm in writing whether yours is guaranteed.
- The 660 € is per person sharing a double. A single room carries a supplement; ask us how much for your date.
- For the night in the desert tent a hand-luggage backpack is enough; your suitcase sleeps in the minibus and you pick it up the next day at the hotel.
- Between December and February nights in the dunes drop to around 0 °C and it can snow on the Tichka; bring warm clothes.
- Departure and arrival times are approximate and depend on traffic, the weather on the pass and the pace of the group.
- If you arrive in Marrakech a day early or stay on afterwards, we can book the extra nights in the same accommodation.
Prices per person
Seat on the group tour
Price per person sharing a double room
Fixed price per person, whatever the size of your group.
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.
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
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Leave a reviewFrequently asked questions
Why is it called 7 days when the programme has 8?
Because it counts the full days in Morocco. Day 1 is arrival and day 8 is just breakfast and the airport transfer. In between there are five days on the road through the south and a full day in Marrakech. That's 7 nights of accommodation, all included in the price.
What happens if my flight lands very late on day 1?
That's fine, because arrival day has no activities. Send us your flight number and time, and the person meeting you tracks the landing even if it's delayed. If you're arriving after midnight, we tell the riad so someone is there to let you in.
What language is the tour run in?
The driver speaks Spanish and the Marrakech guide is a Spanish-speaking official guide. The group may include travellers from other countries, so some explanations are repeated in another language. If it matters to you that the whole group speaks Spanish, ask us before booking how the date you want is looking.
Can I do this trip privately?
Yes. The same route can be organised in a private car with a driver, starting on any day you like and stopping where you choose. It costs more per person, especially if there are only two of you. Have a look at our desert tours from Marrakech or send us your dates and we'll give you a price.
Is there free time in Marrakech?
Yes. The afternoon of day 6, the afternoon of day 7 after the guided visit and, depending on your flight time, the morning of day 8. The evening you arrive is free too. That's enough for the Majorelle Garden, a hammam or dinner on the square.
