Merzouga Desert Tour from Marrakech – 3 days

Marrakech to Erg Chegaga dunes tour – 3 days:

Embark on this 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to the immense dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga. It is an incredible desert exploration to discover the hidden treasures of the grand south of Morocco and the mighty Sahara Desert. You will explore the high Atlas Mountains with their varying landscapes and tour authentic Kasbahs: Kasbah Telouet and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou.

Then, you get to visit beautiful Berber villages and hike the fertile Dades Valleys and the massive Todra Gorges to reach the magical desert of Merzouga. Here, you hop on a camelback to trek the windswept dunes and experience the gentle sounds of Moroccan drums whilst stargazing. Of course, you will spend a magical night in a luxury desert camp nested among the dunes.

Desert trip from Marrakech to Erg Chebbi 3 days – highlights:

• Drive through the scenic landscapes of the Atlas Mountains and the beautiful Berber villages.
• Explore old Kasbahs: Kasbah Teleout and, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou.
• Taste delicious traditional local food, stay in an authentic guest house and learn about life in the south and the oases.
• Refresh yourself as you wander the fertile Dades Valley and hike through the massive Todra gorges and into the mountains.
• Ride camels at sunset, try sandboarding, take epic photos and dance to nomad music and drumming around a fire camp.
• Enjoy dinner under a sky full of stars and spend the night in a private tent in a luxury desert camp in the big dunes.

What is included:

• Transport in a private air-conditioned & comfortable van or 4WD vehicle
• Experienced English-speaking nomad driver-guide
• Pick-up from Marrakech and drop-off at your hotel in Fes
• Meals: breakfast & dinner – with vegetarian and vegan options available
• Accommodation in comfortable hotels with air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms
• One night in a luxury desert camp in Erg Chebbi under private & comfortable tents equipped with private bathrooms and shower
• A camel ride for about two hours with a guide in Erg Chebbi and free sand-boarding, if desired
• Berber drumming & music in the desert camp
• Hiking in beautiful scenery and free time to explore the sites of interest
• Tea/ coffee in the desert camp

What is not included:

• Lunches
• Local guides
• Entrance fees
• Tipping

Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga 3 days – itinerary:

1st day: Marrakech – Dades Gorges

Morning departure from your hotel in Marrakesh at 08:30, heading south on your 3-day desert tour to Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga. You travel across the magnificent Atlas Mountains and via impressive landscapes. From these mountains, the views over the valleys and the Berber villages perched on the mountainsides, sometimes barely distinguishable from the mountains themselves, are spectacular.

After crossing the Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2260 m), the highest peak in North Africa, you take a side road to Kasbah Telouet. The Kasbah was the seat of the El Glaoui family, thus sometimes also called the Palace of Glaoui.

From here, you continue to descend until you finally reach Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, which you will visit after lunch. This is the most famous kasbah in all of Morocco and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Kasbah is also renowned for its use as a filming location for many Hollywood blockbusters including “Alexander the Great”, “The Mummy,” “The Jewel of the Nile,” and “Kingdom of Heaven”.

In the afternoon, the road continues to the oasis of Skoura where you stop to visit the kasbah Amridhil. Having been beautifully restored, the Kasbah is an excellent example of an adobe building and one of Morocco’s most iconic living museums.

From here, you travel through the Road of One Thousand Kasbahs and the refreshing Valley of the Roses as far as Kela’a M’gouna. You can visit one of the local co-operatives producing cosmetic articles from the abundant roses of the valley.

You stop in the Dades Gorges in a hotel by the end of the day to spend the night.

2nd day: Dades Gorges – Merzouga

After breakfast, there is time to walk by the Boumalne Dades Valley to explore the region and learn about the life of the Berber people in the oases. Then, continue to the Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga.

From here, you drive to the Todra Gorges where we go on a short walk along the canyons of about 300m high and have lunch in one of the restaurants overlooking the gorges. After lunch, you continue your 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga to the desert town of Erfoud, which is known for its figs and fossils. Here, you can visit a local workshop and discover how the fossil-rich rocks are skilfully transformed into practical and decorative artefacts.

In the afternoon, our trip continues to Erg Chebbi dunes along the Ziz Valley and the Tafilalte Valley, both home to hundreds of fortified kasbahs and innumerable palm trees producing a variety of dates.

You then arrive at the dunes of Merzouga for a sunset camel ride to reach the desert camp near the dunes of Erg Chebbi (250m). From the top of the dunes, the sunset is spectacular. Here, at Erg Chebbi dunes, you will have dinner and spend the night in a desert camp among the big dunes.

3rd day: Merzouga – Marrakech

If you wake up early enough, you can witness the serene spectacle of the sunrise, as it gracefully bathes the dunes in an enchanting array of colours. The return to the hotel for having a shower is on camel back and, after having breakfast, you drive back east to Marrakech.

Today, the itinerary takes you along the length of the Saghro Mountains via the villages of Rissani, Alnif, Tazzarine (featured in the film ‘Babel’) and finally N’Qob for a break.

After visiting Kasbah Tamnougalt, the route continues through the Draa Valley with its huge palm groves and fortified Ksabshs and along the ancient Caravans Road. Back on the paved road in Agdz, you cross the Anti-Atlas Mountains and Tizi-n-Tinfifite pass (1660m) to arrive in Ouarzazate just in time for lunch.

Just outside of Ouarzazate, you stop to visit the Atlas Studios, a movie wonderland known for keeping its sets and reorganising them to offer a wide range of choices to production studios, but also for letting tourists experience the unique thrill of the movies sets.

In the afternoon, we cross the High Atlas Mountains to reach Marrakech by the end of the afternoon. Your driver will transfer you to your hotel in Marrakech.

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