3-day desert tour to Merzouga

Day 1 — Marrakech to the Dades valley

Pickup at 07:00. Over the High Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka pass at 2 260 m, with stops for the view. Aït Benhaddou, the fortified ksar you have seen in a dozen films, then Ouarzazate and the Dades valley for the night. Around eight hours of road, broken up by stops.

Day 2 — Dades to Merzouga and the dunes

The Todra gorges in the morning, then east through Tinghir and Erfoud. You reach the edge of the Erg Chebbi in the afternoon, swap the minibus for a camel, and ride out to the camp for the sunset. Dinner, drums around the fire, and a night in a private tent. Roughly four hours of driving.

Day 3 — Sunrise, then back to Marrakech

Up for the sunrise over the dunes, camel back to the vehicle, breakfast, and the long drive to Marrakech via Ouarzazate. This is the long day — about nine hours. You are back late afternoon or early evening.

Included

• Hotel or riad pickup and drop-off in Marrakech
• Air-conditioned minibus, English- and French-speaking driver-guide
• Private room with ensuite bathroom in the Dades valley
• Private tent at the desert camp
• Two dinners and two breakfasts
• Camel trek at sunset and sunrise

Not included

• Lunches
• Drinks
• Monument entrance fees
• Local guide at Aït Benhaddou
• Tips