Route Dossier — Departing Marrakech
3 Days Desert Tour From Marrakech
The essential Sahara — kasbahs, gorges, and a night beneath the dunes.
Duration
3D / 2N
Route
MRK ⟶ MRK
Reviews
★ 295
Vehicle
Luxury 4x4 / Minivan
The classic southern circuit, distilled. Cross the High Atlas at Tizi n'Tichka, sleep in the Dades Valley, walk the Todra canyon, and ride camels into Erg Chebbi for a night of firelight and stars before returning through Ouarzazate.
Day 01
Marrakech to Dades Valley via Ait Ben Haddou
Drive — approx. 320 km / ~6.5h with stops
Climb out of the red city over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m), pausing at panoramic Berber villages before reaching the UNESCO ksar of Ait Ben Haddou. After Ouarzazate and the Valley of Roses, the day ends among the eroded cliffs of the Dades Gorge.
- Tizi n'Tichka (2,260 m)
- Aït Ben Haddou
- Valley of Roses
- Dades Gorge
Day 02
Dades to Merzouga — Todra Gorge & Camel Trek
Drive — approx. 260 km / ~4.5h with stops
Morning light on the Dades 'monkey fingers' formations, then the sheer 300-metre canyon walls of Todra Gorge. Through Tinghir and Rissani to Merzouga, where camels carry you over the dunes of Erg Chebbi to a desert camp — dinner, drums, and a sky full of stars.
- Todra Gorge
- Tinghir palmery
- Camel trek at dusk
- Desert camp
Day 03
Sahara Sunrise — Return to Marrakech
Drive — approx. 560 km / ~9h with stops
Wake before dawn to watch the dunes turn from violet to gold. After breakfast at camp, retrace the Draa-Tafilalet road through Ouarzazate and back across the Atlas, arriving in Marrakech by evening.
- Dune-crest sunrise
- Draa-Tafilalet road
- Ouarzazate
- Tizi n'Tichka
Provisions
- Private car (SUV or Minivan) A/C
- Pick up and return to accommodation
- Luxury stay booked
- Local guides
- Camel trekking (camel per person)
- Sandboarding (if interested)
- Flexible stops
Not Included
- Lunch
- Drinks
- Tickets