6 Days Marrakech to the Sahara, Merzouga and Todra Gorges

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We collect you from your Marrakech riad and head for the Atlas. This is our 6 days Marrakech to Sahara loop, run privately with your own driver and an air-conditioned 4×4 or minivan, so you set the stops. Six days gives the road room to breathe: two nights near the dunes at Merzouga, the Todra and Dades gorges, and a slow way back through the Draa palm groves rather than the same road twice.

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 Ouarzazate

Over the Tizi n’Tichka and down to Ait Ben Haddou, the mud-brick kasbah above the Ounila river; we walk up before lunch. Then Ouarzazate, a look at the Taourirt kasbah and, if you like, the film studios on the edge of town.

Route: Marrakech, Tizi n’Tichka pass, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate. Night in an Ouarzazate hotel.

Day 2: Ouarzazate to Dades

An easier day. We follow the Skoura palm oasis and the Amridil kasbah, then the Valley of Roses around El Kelaa M’Gouna, where they distill rosewater in spring. We finish in the Dades gorge under the red cliffs.

Route: Ouarzazate, Skoura, El Kelaa M’Gouna, Dades gorge. Night in a Dades kasbah hotel.

Day 3: Dades to Merzouga

Morning in the Dades gorge, then across to the Todra gorge and its narrow walls. Through Tinghir and Erfoud, and by late afternoon Merzouga. A camel carries you into Erg Chebbi for sunset and dinner at camp.

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

Day 4: A full desert day

We stay put and let the desert set the pace. Sunrise on the dunes, a 4×4 run to a nomad camp and the black oasis at Khamlia for a round of Gnaoua music, then the fossils near Erfoud. The second night is on the sand or in a kasbah at the dune’s foot.

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

Day 5: Merzouga to Ouarzazate the back way

We take the desert road west through Rissani, Alnif and the oasis village of Nkob, then join the Draa valley and its long line of palms before Agdz and Ouarzazate.

Route: Merzouga, Rissani, Alnif, Nkob, Agdz, Draa valley, Ouarzazate. Night in an Ouarzazate hotel.

Day 6: Ouarzazate to Marrakech

On the last day we can take the old caravan detour to the Telouet kasbah before rejoining the Tichka pass, then down into Marrakech. We drop you where you’re staying.

Route: Ouarzazate, Telouet, Tizi n’Tichka pass, Marrakech.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned 4×4 or minivan with an experienced driver
• Pick-up and drop-off at your Marrakech accommodation
• Camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga
• Five nights: Ouarzazate, Dades, two by the dunes and a second Ouarzazate stop
• 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 with your dates and we’ll come back with a quote, and you can hold your spot online with a deposit.