4 Days Desert Tour from Marrakech To Merzouga

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Overview

Customize or join us on a mesmerizing 4-day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga through the diverse landscapes and cultural wonders of southern Morocco, from the bustling streets of Marrakech to the serene Sahara Desert and the historic Draa Valley. Marvel at ancient kasbahs, traverse majestic Gorges, and experience the hospitality of Berber villages. This adventure offers a perfect blend of natural beauty, historical exploration, and authentic cultural encounters, creating unforgettable memories along the way.

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highlights

- Explore the fortified Kasbah of Ait Benhadou, A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Ride a camel as you trek over the Morocco Sahara Desert.
- Play a drum around the campfire after feasting on a traditional Moroccan meal.
- Sleep under the stars and watch the sun rise over the dunes of the Sahara Desert.
- Experience the lifestyle of desert nomads with Berbers.
- Visit the Ouarzazate Studios
- End of your Desert Tour in Marrakech

4 Days Itinerary: Top Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga

Day 1 : Marrakech – Ait Ben Hadou Kasbah – Rose valley – Dades gorges

On the first day, we leave Marrakech venturing through the magnificent Atlas Mountains and the pass of Tichka (2260 m), offering an impressive landscape in the heart of the Atlas Mountain chain to Ouarzazate where many famous movies have been shot such Alexander the Great, The Mummy, The jewel of the Nile, Kingdom of heaven Etc…The scenery is absolutely stunning. We stop in the kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou one of the most spectacular fortresses in the South of Morocco and a UNESCO world heritage site. Lunch in Ouarzazate as “The Hollywood of Africa”. We continue our journey to the valley of Roses known for its annual festival during the roses harvest in May. Spend the night with dinner in Dades valley.

Day 2 : Dades gorges – Todra gorges – Erfoud – Merzouga – Erg Chebbi dunes

After breakfast, we start our day with a drive towards the Todra Gorges where many of rock climbers come to enjoy their preferred sport. Later we continue our Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, following the ancient Bedouin trading routes parallel with the Middle Atlas, passing a series of fortified villages with outstanding pre-Saharian architecture. The route to Erfoud is one of the most pleasing of all the Southern routes. The town is in a dry red built of desert and was built by the French as a central administration town. It is known for its rich black fossils marble. The stone is sculpted to bring the fossils into relief on everything from ashtrays to washbasins and more. We head down to the spectacular Merzouga dunes where sand dunes signify the start of the mighty Sahara Desert. We leave our vehicle and take a camel ride into the desert to a Berber camp. To seal this as an experience of a life time, why not surf the Sahara Desert and try sand Dunes Boarding! After dinner we gather round the fire and enjoy the desert night perhaps with traditional Berber drums.

Day 3 : Merzouga – Rissani – Alnif – Draa Valley – Zagora

Early wake up before dawn to enjoy the sunrise from the Great Dune of Sahara Desert. Return to the hotel in dromedaries. Shower and breakfast. Then departure to Rissani and visit the town considered the cradle of the Alaouite dynasty which mainly emphasizes its market considered the most important in the south, where many nomads come to shop. We will leave the desert and cross the arid fascinating landscapes up to the Draa Valley where we will make several stops to enjoy the valley as the longest in Morocco. Continue our journey towards Zagora, current administrative center of the area and from where once caravans journeyed to Timbuktu on a long trip that lasted 52 days, from here all the Draa Valley and Oasis bearing the same name is mastered, considered the largest in Morocco and the richest in the production of dates. Dinner and overnight at Hotel.

Day 4 : Zagora – Ouarzazate – High Atlas Mountains – Marrakech

After breakfast at the hotel, you leave Zagora direction Marrakech with a scenic drive through the Draa valley and authentic villages to discover the sites of the South region. We continue to Ouarzazate where you will have lunch. In the afternoon, we drive back to Marrakech via the high Atlas Mountains with an optional visit to the former Pacha Telouat Kasbah. End of the Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga.

Desert Tours from Marrakech

Information About the Erg Chebbi Dunes in Merzouga

Erg Chebbi dunes are located in the southeastern part of Morocco, just 360km away from Ouarzazate and 650 km away from the famous city of Marrakech.

Legend says that God himself shaped this place.

Erg Chebbi dunes popular legend orally passed through generations reports that the site that once was a flourishing jungle was transformed into a desert after the local population refused to host a poor and hungry lady during a banquet.

Legend says that wealthy families washed their hands with milk and played with couscous, while the young woman was hungry and helpless.

God punished those mean families, sentencing Merzouga to become a place of extreme heat, lack of water, and endless sand storms.

Years passed until the entire area once filled with greenish vegetation and wild animals became the current sea of sand.

Interestingly enough, millenary rock art in the region depicts animals such as elephants, giraffes, and other mammals usually only existing in jungle-like environments.

Whatever sort of paradise this used to be considering the legend, the fact is that Erg Chebbi Dunes are among the most beautiful places in the world….

Erg Chebbi, usually known as Dunes of Merzouga, is one of the two biggest Sahara “ergs” in Morocco.

The spectacular orange hue dunes of Erg Chebbi are located in a remote region of Morocco and stretch along the Algerian border. The highest dune reaches around 300 meters.

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