3-Day Trip To Merzouga Desert From Marrakech

Marrakech – Ait Ben Haddou- Ouarzazate - Dades.

You will take the road from Marrakech towards the Southeast of Morocco and drive on one of the most twisted paths in the country, the Tichka pass in the High Atlas Mountains. The pass stands at an elevation of 2,260m.a.s.l and has wonderful views and mountain streams. Furthermore, the Berber villages and fields are terraced to slopes all along the way. In winter, the pass is likely to be covered with snow. afterwards, you will proceed down to the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a distinctive location for moviemakers.

Several foreign and local movies have been shot in the Kasbah, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, The Mummy etc. Once you get to Ait Ben Haddou, you will tour the Kasbah and have lunch before you continue driving to Ourzazate, the Hollywood of Africa, and then on to Boumalne Dades where the first day of the trip terminates. The road to the town is called the route of a thousand Kasbahs due to the tremendous number of fortresses and citadels spread in the region. Indeed, Dades (the main gateway to the Dades valley) is a marvelous, cool town.

Dades – Toudra Gorges – Merzouga.

You will leave immediately after breakfast towards Toudra Gorges, about 14 kilometers inside the mountains from the town of Tenghir, where you will have enough time to walk in its 300-metre canyon walls. Next, you will follow the path further through the great southern oases into the Sahara desert (a place of tranquility and serenity). As you arrive to Merzouga, you will mount the camels across the great sand dunes into a desert camp. Indeed, this will be one of the most thrilling and inspiring experiences during your stay in Morocco. On your way there, you will stop (occasionally halfway) for the mesmerizing view of sunset. By or before dusk, you are going to be at the camp. After dinner, you will enjoy a drum show performed by the staff at the camp. Furthermore, you will be conveniently placed to observe the stars, shooting stars and the milky-way.

Merzouga – Rissani – Marrakech.

Wake up early morning for a memorable sunrise the following day, then have breakfast and ride back the camels. On your return to Marrakech, you will go past Rissani (ancient name “Sijilmasa”), the largest oasis in the country, with its adobe Kasbahs and palm groves, it is worth a stop. Beyond Rissani, you will take a different road of mountains and "Acacia Trees" to the town of Tinghir and then the same road through Dades, Ouarzazate and the Hight Atlas Mountains. Ordinarily, you will arrive to Marrakech by sunset or early evening.