Private desert tour
4 Days Tour From Marrakech to Merzouga Desert
Four days from Marrakech into the Sahara and back, taking the same great route as our 3-day tour but splitting the long return so that no single day is spent mostly in the vehicle. Aït Ben Haddou, the Valley of Roses, the Dades and Todra gorges, a night in a desert camp at Erg Chebbi, and a second southern night on the way home.
- Duration
- 4 days / 3 nights
- From
- €500 per vehicle
- Starts
- Marrakech
- Ends
- Marrakech
A starting price for one comfortable 4x4 carrying up to 4 people — not per person. What you finally pay depends on your dates, the accommodation you choose and any changes you make to the route. One day more than the 3-day tour, and the only one of the two we would call restful.
If you have four days rather than three, take them. The 3-day tour works, but its final day is a nine-hour drive back to Marrakech; this version breaks that return with a night in the Draa valley or Ouarzazate, and uses the extra time in between to actually stop — at the rose valley, at the Todra riverbed, at the viewpoints along the Dades road where most tours simply pass.
The result is the same Sahara with about a third less time sitting down.
Trip highlights
- Two full days in the pre-Sahara rather than one
- Aït Ben Haddou with time to walk the whole ksar, not just photograph it
- The Dades Valley 'monkey fingers' rock formations and the gorge road
- Todra Gorge on foot, early, before the coaches arrive
- Sunset camel trek and a night at an Erg Chebbi desert camp
- A broken return via Ouarzazate instead of one long haul
Day by day
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Day 1
Marrakech → Tizi n'Tichka → Aït Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate → Dades
Pick-up at 8am from your riad. The Tizi n'Tichka pass carries you over the High Atlas at 2,260 metres, through argan and walnut country and Berber villages built into the hillsides. At Aït Ben Haddou you cross the riverbed on foot and climb through the ksar to the granary at the top, with the whole valley below you. Lunch in the village, then Ouarzazate, the Atlas film studios, and the Valley of Roses — at its best in April and May when the damask roses are harvested. Overnight in the Dades Valley.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner Night: Hotel in Dades Valley
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Day 2
Dades Gorge → Todra Gorge → Erfoud → Erg Chebbi camp
Start with the switchback road up the Dades Gorge and the eroded 'monkey fingers' rock formations, then cut east to the Todra Gorge for a walk along the river between 300-metre walls. The afternoon road runs through Tinejdad and Erfoud — fossil workshops, date palms, and the first flat, red hammada of the true desert. You reach the edge of Erg Chebbi in the late afternoon, leave the vehicle, and ride camels over the dunes to camp as the sun goes down. Dinner, drums, and stars.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Night: Desert camp at Erg Chebbi
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Day 3
Sunrise at Erg Chebbi → Rissani → Draa Valley → Ouarzazate
Sunrise from the dunes, camels back to the auberge, breakfast and a shower. Rather than driving straight for Marrakech, the day heads west at a human pace: the market town of Rissani, the Ziz or Draa palm groves depending on the season, and a long run of oasis and kasbah country to Ouarzazate. Overnight there or in Skoura, in the middle of the palmeraie.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Night: Hotel in Ouarzazate or Skoura
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Day 4
Ouarzazate → Tizi n'Tichka → Marrakech
A short, scenic morning: back over the Atlas by the Tichka pass with time for the viewpoints and an argan cooperative, arriving in Marrakech around lunchtime. That leaves the rest of the day free — a useful thing if you have an evening flight or want an afternoon in the medina.
Meals: Breakfast
What is and is not included
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle, fuel and tolls
- English- or French-speaking driver-guide
- 2 nights in traditional hotels, half board
- 1 night in a desert camp at Erg Chebbi, half board
- Camel trek at sunset and sunrise
- Pick-up and drop-off at your Marrakech accommodation
Not included
- Lunches (except day 1) and drinks
- Entrance fees to monuments and the film studios
- Tips and personal expenses
- Local guide at Aït Ben Haddou (optional, around 150 MAD)
Good to know
How is this different from the 3-day tour?
Same route into the desert, but the return is split over two days instead of one. On the 3-day tour, day three is a nine-hour drive; here it is six hours to Ouarzazate and four the next morning. You also get unhurried time at the Dades and Todra gorges rather than a quick look.
Is one night in the desert enough?
For most people, yes — you get sunset, dinner, the night sky and sunrise, which is the whole experience. If you want two nights in the dunes, we can build that; it usually means adding a day or dropping the Ouarzazate stop.
Where exactly do we sleep in the desert?
A camp inside the Erg Chebbi dunes, reached by camel from the edge of the sand. Private tents with beds and blankets, shared hot showers, dinner and breakfast included. Luxury en-suite camps are available at a supplement.
Can this tour end in Fes instead of Marrakech?
Yes — that is effectively our Marrakech to Fes crossing. Tell us when you enquire and we will price the one-way version, which drops the Ouarzazate night and heads north from Merzouga instead.
What is the best time of year for this trip?
March to May and September to November are ideal. Summer is very hot in the south — still doable, but we start earlier and rest through the middle of the day. Winter nights in the camp are cold, so bring a proper jacket.
Worth reading before you go
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The Best Time to Visit the Moroccan Sahara
The short answer is October and April. The longer answer depends on whether you mind heat more than you mind cold, and…
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What a Night in a Sahara Desert Camp Is Really Like
Somewhere between the marketing photographs and the one-star reviews is what actually happens. Here it is, from the…
Ready to see the Sahara?
Send us your dates and we will tailor this 4 days / 3 nights tour to you — no obligation, and a real reply from a local team.
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