Duration
Tour Type
Location
Daily Departures
4.9 Excellent
A private desert tour from Marrakech to the great Erg Chebbi dunes of Merzouga,
crossing the High Atlas, the kasbahs of Ouarzazate, the Dades and Todgha gorges, and
returning through the Draa Valley.
High Atlas Mountains & Tizi-n-Tichka pass
Telouet Kasbah & Ait Ben Haddou (UNESCO)
Ouarzazate, Taourirt & Tifoultoute kasbahs, Oasis of Fint
Skoura oasis, Kasbah Amridil & the Valley of the Roses
Dades Gorge & Todgha Gorges
Erfoud fossils & Rissani
Camel ride and luxury camp at Erg Chebbi (Merzouga)
Return through the Draa Valley
Your private desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga starts early in the morning (7:30 AM) with a pick up from your hotel/riad by our English-speaking driver/guide. Drive east of Marrakech across the windy High Atlas Mountains and the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, with numerous stops to enjoy the views and take photos. Leave the main road for a side road to the Telouet Kasbah, which belonged to the Glaoui family and was abandoned and plundered after the last Pasha fled the country following the French departure in 1956. Next drive through Ait Ben Haddou village (where *Star Wars* was filmed), a UNESCO cultural treasure studded with crenelated towers and decorated with geometrical motifs, now inhabited by just five families. After lunch in Ait Ben Haddou, continue to Ouarzazate, the beginning of the Sahara desert, and visit Taourirt Kasbah — a former Glaoui residence considered one of Morocco's most beautiful kasbahs. The next highlight is the ancient Kasbah Tifoultoute, 8 km outside the city, which belonged to the family of Thami El Glaoui, Pasha of Marrakech from 1912 to 1956. Continue to the Oasis of Fint to enjoy mint tea at a local family's home and explore the peaceful oasis by the river with a local guide. Return to Ouarzazate for the night.
After breakfast in Ouarzazate, your driver picks you up at 8:00 AM, driving through Skoura Oasis to visit the famous Amridil Kasbah, founded in the 17th century at the entrance to the Skoura palmeraie. The route continues through Kelaat Magouna, the Valley of the Roses, with a stop to see locally-made rose cosmetics, then up to the Dades Valley along the "Road of a Thousand Kasbahs" to the famous Dades Gorge. Continue to the very different Todgha Gorges and lunch at a restaurant with a panoramic view, then drive through Erfoud (famous for its fossils) and Rissani (origin of the king's family). Before crossing the Erg Chebbi dunes, visit Dar Gnaoua Bambara in Khemliya for a cup of tea and gnaoua music. Cross the huge dunes of Erg Chebbi to your luxury desert camp, where you are welcomed with a glass of tea and a half-hour camel ride to catch the sunset from the top of the dunes.
Wake up early to watch the sunrise, then after breakfast drive back west to the Draa Valley along the Saghro mountains — one of the driest areas in the country. Pass the village of Tazzarine (featured in the film *Babel*) and Nqob, where you have lunch overlooking the mountains. In the afternoon, drive west to Tansikht on the banks of the Daraa Valley, full of large palm trees and ancient kasbahs, then follow the ancient caravan route north to Agdez and the oldest kasbah in the valley, Kasbah Tamnougalte. Back on the main road, reach Ouarzazate and continue over the High Atlas to end your unforgettable 3-day Sahara desert tour as your driver escorts you to your hotel/riad. ## Highlights - High Atlas Mountains & Tizi-n-Tichka pass - Telouet Kasbah & Ait Ben Haddou (UNESCO) - Ouarzazate, Taourirt & Tifoultoute kasbahs, Oasis of Fint - Skoura oasis, Kasbah Amridil & the Valley of the Roses - Dades Gorge & Todgha Gorges - Erfoud fossils & Rissani - Camel ride and luxury camp at Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) - Return through the Draa Valley ## Gallery          