5 days desert tour from Marrakech

5 days Marrakech to Merzouga desert tour itinerary:

Day 1 : Marrakech – Tizi n’Tichka – Taourirt Kasbah – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley

After breakfast, a local driver will pick you up at 8:30 a.m. from your Marrakech hotel/riad. Then, your 5-day tour from Marrakech to the Merzouga desert will begin. It starts by heading to the Dades valley. We’ll pass via the Tizi-N-Tichka pass. It is 2260 m above sea level in the High Atlas highlands. We will enjoy the mountain road. The scenery has varied colors. We will pass through real Berber towns. Our journey is to Ouarzazate to visit Taourirt Kasbah. It is one of Morocco’s most spectacular ksars. We will also visit the Oscar film studios and have lunch there.

The second stop is Rose Valley. It runs through Skoura palm grove. You can enjoy nature and the surrounding kasbahs. Roses grow in these Valley damascenes. They are grown for cosmetics, including the valued rosewater. Every May, the Rose Festival takes place here. It is an important museum for Moroccan culture. We next travel to Dades Valley, where we will spend the night at a hotel overlooking the valley.

Day 2 : Dades Gorges – Boumlane – Tinghir – Merzouga

After breakfast at the hotel, our 5-day Marrakech desert tours go for Todra Gorge. We pass through Tinghir and stop to admire the beautiful Todra valley, full of palm trees. Then, we arrive at Todra Gorges. They are now one of Morocco’s most popular rock climbing spots.

We’ll walk through its grey and pink high canyons. They can reach 300 meters. Then, we’ll go to Tinjdad and Touroug for lunch. After that, we’ll go to Erfoud. There, we’ll see the start of the Saharan oasis of Tafilalet. Then, we’ll go to Merzouga and the majestic Erg Chebbi dunes.

Take a one-and-a-half-hour camel ride to your Nomadic berber tents. During the walk, take a break in the dunes to watch the sunset, try sandboarding, snap photos, and enjoy the beauty.

After sunset, you will go to the camp. There, you will get mint tea, dinner, a campfire, music, and a night at Berber Camp Merzouga.

Day 3 : 4×4 tour around Erg Chebbi – Merzouga

After breakfast at your hotel, we’ll start our Merzouga trip. We’ll explore many interesting places near the Erg Chebbi dunes. We’ll visit the Hassi Labied oasis. There, we’ll see the irrigation canal and land farming.

We will travel south to the seasonal Sriji lake. If there’s water, we’ll continue to Khamlia village. There, we’ll listen to Gnawa music played by dark complexion people. Over a century ago, someone took them to Morocco as slaves.

During our Merzouga 4×4 desert tour, we will visit a nomad Berber family. They still live in their tent in the middle of the Sahara. We will have a glass of mint tea with them and learn about their life in the desert. Additionally, people know the Merzouga desert for its minerals and fossils.

We’ll stop at many panoramic views to enjoy the scenery and take photos. Then, after lunch at a local restaurant, we will return to the village. Free afternoon, dinner, and overnight stay in a Merzouga hotel or riad.

Day 4 : Merzouga – Nkoub – Draa Valley – Agdez – Ouarzazate

The next day, after a healthy breakfast at the hotel, you’ll meet your driver. You’ll then go to Ouarzazate via Rissani. There, we’ll visit its weekly market if we’re lucky to be here on a market day (Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday).

After that, we’ll drive through an arid pre-desert area. There, we’ll see acacia trees, which are typical of this landscape. On our way to the Draa valley, we’ll pause to admire the stunning views of the river that gives the valley its name. It is the longest river in Morocco. Our 5-day Marrakech desert adventure continues to Ouarzazate, traversing the Anti Atlas.

We’ll have free time in the city for lunch. Then, we’ll go on to Ouarzazate. We’ll arrive there late afternoon or evening, have supper, and spend the night at the hotel.

Day 5 : Ouarzazate – Ait benHaddou kasbah – Marrakech

After breakfast in your hotel in Ouarzazate, we will drive to the famous Kasbah of Ait benHaddou. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1986. Filmmakers have shot many films in this spectacular location. They include Gladiator, Obelix, The Mummy, The Jewel of the Nile, and Sahara with Penélope Cruz.

Before heading through Tizi n’Tichka, stop at a restaurant in the Atlas highlands. You can see the highlands and real Berber settlements there. Then we will go to Marrakech. We will arrive in the afternoon and end our 5-day tour.