Merzouga Desert, Dades and Draa Valley 3 Day Tour

Explore the great valleys of the south of Morocco

Discover the magical landscape of the Dadès, Draa Valley, and the High Atlas and Anti Atlas Mountains

Ride a camel through the dunes of Erg Chebbi

Sleep under the stars in a nomadic tent in Merzouga

Visit the site of dozens of film shoots at Ait Ben Haddou

Drive through the dramatic Tizi N’Tichka Pass

• Standard Option

  Live guide: English, French, Arabic

  Duration: 3 days

  from € 552.00
  (Per group up to 2)

Take a 3-day tour of the Moroccan desert on a trip to the middle of nowhere. Escape the hurly-burly of the streets of Marrakech and head into the desert with its iconic sand dunes. You will also tour film locations, spend the night in a Bedouin tent, see palm groves, and tour desert oases.The 3-day circuit allows you to experience the authentic life of southern Morocco, where you can contemplate the infinite spaces by walking the crest of the sand dunes or the rocky plateaus of Erg.

Day 1: Marrakech –Telouat – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – Boumalne Dadès (Dadés Gorges)

Your adventure begins with an unforgettable drive across the High Atlas Mountains. Ascend through the 7,413-foot (2,260-meter) Tizi N’Tichka Pass and see beautiful villages suspended on the flanks of the mountains.Continue to Ait Ben Haddou. Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the site has been the location for many film shoots, including “The Mummy,” “Gladiator,” “7 Days in Tibet,” “Alexander the Great,” and “Babel.”

Proceed to Ouarzazate through the implacable stone desert, to visit the Kasbah of Taourirt, and the well-known film studios. Continue to the Dades Valley along the famous 1,000 Kasbahs Road, driving through the fascinating town of Skoura, and on to Kalaat M’Gouna, famous for its roses. After you arrive at Boumalne Dadès, enjoy dinner and settle in for the night.

Day 2: Boumalne Dadès – Tinghir – Todra Gorge – Arfoud – Merzouga Dunes

Depart in the morning for the ever-shifting landscape of the Merzouga Dunes. After the oasis of Tinghir, travel through palm groves towards the Todgha Gorge. Here, limestone cliffs appear like an opening, carved through the spectacular peaks of the Todra Massif, before diving down to the flat bed of a river.The peaks rise up to 980 feet (300 meters) above the Todra, which meanders from its source in the High Atlas Mountains. Walk through the gorges and palm groves at leisure. After lunch, continue to the palm groves of Tinjedad, Touroug, and Erfoud.

The tour will then continue to Merzouga, where you will enjoy a camel ride through the fascinating dunes of Erg Chebbi. Pause to watch the beautiful sunset and see the sand dunes shift like moving sculptures in the form of draperies. Watch as the colors vary according to the intensity of the light, and see how they act like the living walls of the desert, the highest reaching a magnificent 500 feet (150 meters).

Spend a magical night under the stars in nomadic tents.

Day 3: Merzouga – Rissani – Nqob – Tamnougalte – Ouarzazate – Marrakech

Wake up to a desert sunrise and enjoy breakfast, before your departure towards the Draa Valley. You will drive through Rissani and Nqob, crossing the most mysterious desert landscapes dotted with oases, before continuing to Ouarzazate along the Draa Valley.

Soak up the incredible scenery. Bordered by palm trees, the valley extends over a length of 120 miles (200 kilometers) with typical fortified “Ksour” villages of the High Atlas. You will see the river continuing in a thin stream of water, creating a strange green streak in the middle of the pre-Sahara.

After lunch, return to Marrakech for the end of your tour.