4 Days Desert Tour From Marrakech to Merzouga and Erg Chebbi

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We pick you up from your riad in Marrakech and point the 4×4 south for the big dunes. This 4 days desert tour from Marrakech gives you your own driver and an air-conditioned vehicle, so the pace is yours: stop for photos, mint tea, or a walk whenever you feel like it. Four days is enough to cross the High Atlas, sleep out at Erg Chebbi, ride a camel at sunset, and still have a full day in the desert before the drive home.

Trip highlights

• Private trip with your own driver and an air-conditioned 4×4 or minivan
• Explore the UNESCO kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, the mud-brick ksar from the films
• Walk into the Todra gorge, where the cliffs rise close to 300 metres
• Drive the twisting Dades valley past its old kasbahs
• Ride a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset and sleep in a desert camp
• Sunrise over the big dunes at Merzouga

Day 1: Marrakech to the Dades valley

After pick-up we climb the Tizi n’Tichka, the pass that carries the old road over the Atlas. We stop at Ait Ben Haddou, the earthen kasbah above the river that keeps turning up in films, and there’s time to walk up to the top before lunch. From Ouarzazate we follow the road of a thousand kasbahs past Skoura and finish the day in the Dades valley.

Route: Marrakech, Tizi n’Tichka pass, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Skoura, Dades. Night in a Dades kasbah hotel.

Day 2: Dades to Merzouga

We start with the Dades gorge and the odd rock folds locals call the monkey fingers, then cut across to the Todra gorge, where the walls close in to a narrow slot. In the afternoon we roll on through Tinghir and Erfoud to Merzouga. A camel takes you over the first ridge of Erg Chebbi to camp, and it’s worth climbing a dune on foot for the last of the light.

Route: Dades, Todra gorge, Tinghir, Erfoud, Merzouga. Sunset camel ride, night in a desert camp.

Day 3: A day in the desert

No long drive today. We watch the sunrise over the dunes, then spend the day the way the desert asks: a 4×4 loop out to a nomad family still living here, the Gnaoua drummers at Khamlia, the dark oasis at Hassi Labied, and the fossil workshops around Erfoud. The second night is back on the sand or in a small kasbah at the edge of the dunes, your choice.

Route: Merzouga, Khamlia, Hassi Labied, Erfoud. Night in a desert camp or dune-edge kasbah.

Day 4: Back to Marrakech

One more sunrise and breakfast, then the long road home. We take the southern route through Rissani and the palm groves of the Draa valley, over the Ait Saoun hills, and back into Marrakech by evening. We drop you wherever you’re staying.

Route: Merzouga, Rissani, Draa valley, Agdz, Ait Saoun, Marrakech.

What’s included

• Private 4×4 or minivan with air-conditioning and an experienced driver
• Pick-up and drop-off at your Marrakech accommodation
• Camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga, evening and morning
• Three nights: a Dades kasbah and two nights at or beside the dunes
• Breakfasts and dinners as per the itinerary

The hotels, the standing and the route are the same ones we run on our operated tour. We’ll confirm the exact places and the full list of what’s included when you book.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a private tour?

Yes. You travel with just your own group, your own driver and vehicle. Nobody else joins, so the stops and the pace are yours to set.

Where do we sleep along the way?

You spend a night in a desert camp in the dunes, reached by camel, plus nights in kasbah hotels or guesthouses on the road. The standing is the same as our operated tour, and we confirm the exact places when you book.

When is the best time to go?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable. Summer days get very hot and winter nights in the desert are cold, so bring layers whatever the season.

Can we change the itinerary or the pick-up point?

Yes. Because it is private, we can add nights, swap stops, or start from a different city or airport. Tell us what you have in mind and we will adjust the plan.

Book the trip

Price on request. Send us a message on WhatsApp for dates and a quote, or hold your spot online with a deposit.