The 3-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Sahara Desert Tour is a round trip for travellers who want to sleep among the Erg Chebbi dunes, with a camel trek, a desert camp night, one night in the Dades Valley and hotel pickup in Marrakech. It runs as a small-group or private tour from €140 per person, with dinners and breakfasts included.
Merzouga sits at the edge of Erg Chebbi, a sea of orange sand dunes around 22 km long whose highest crests rise about 150 metres above the plain. It is the most spectacular dune field that can be reached by road from Marrakech, but it is also around 560 km away. Three days is the minimum that makes sense: you cover the distance in two long but scenic driving days on the way out and return in one, stopping at the highlights of southern Morocco.
You reach Merzouga in the late afternoon of day two, leave your main luggage in the vehicle and ride a camel for about 1 to 1.5 hours into the dunes as the sand turns red. The camp is a group of Berber-style tents with proper beds, blankets and shared or en-suite washrooms depending on the category you choose. Dinner is a tagine by lantern light, often followed by drumming around the fire, and the night sky is exceptionally clear. You wake before dawn to climb a dune for sunrise, then ride back to Merzouga for breakfast.
Standard and luxury camps differ mostly in private bathrooms, bed quality and space; our guide to luxury vs standard Merzouga desert camps shows exactly what you get. For a longer description of every stop, read our Marrakech to Merzouga 3-day itinerary.
This is a road trip: expect around 8 to 10 hours on the road on days one and three, broken up by regular stops. Vehicles are air-conditioned minibuses or 4x4s with a licensed driver who speaks English. The best seasons are October to April; in summer the desert passes 40°C by day, though evenings in the camp remain pleasant. Winter nights can drop close to freezing, so pack a warm layer.
Private tours let you choose your own departure time, stop wherever you like and upgrade to a luxury camp with en-suite tents.
07:00 pickup at your hotel or riad. Drive over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m), with photo stops. 11:00 guided visit of Aït Benhaddou, then lunch (own expense). Afternoon drive through Ouarzazate, the Skoura oasis and the Valley of Roses. 18:30 arrival at your hotel in the Dades Valley for dinner and overnight.
08:30 departure after breakfast. Walk in the Todra Gorge between 300 m limestone walls, then lunch in Tinghir (own expense). Continue via Tinejdad, Erfoud and Rissani. 17:00 camel trek of 1 to 1.5 hours into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset. Dinner and overnight in the desert camp.
06:00 sunrise over the dunes, then camel ride back to Merzouga and breakfast. 08:30 long drive back via the Draa and Ouarzazate region, with lunch on the way (own expense). 19:30–20:30 drop-off at your hotel or riad in Marrakech.
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Sahara Desert Tours
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