Tour Overview
For travellers short on time but not on appetite for adventure, this two-day escape from Marrakech packs in the essentials: the High Atlas crossing, the UNESCO kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, and a night in the Sahara's northern dunes with a sunset camel ride and Berber dinner under the stars. Wake for the desert sunrise, pass by the earthen Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate, then recross the Tizi-n-Tichka pass back to Marrakech by afternoon.Tour Highlights
- Visit the UNESCO World Heritage kasbah of Aït Benhaddou
- Cross the High Atlas via the spectacular Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2,260m)
- Stop at the legendary film studios of Ouarzazate, "Hollywood of Africa"
- Sunset camel trek into the dunes
- Ride the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi in the Sahara
- Overnight in a traditional Berber camp under the stars
✓ Included
- 1 night desert camp accommodation
- Dinner & breakfast
- Camel ride at sunset
- Guided tour of Ait Benhaddou
- English-speaking driver/guide
- Private 4×4 transport
- Hotel/riad pickup and drop-off
- Bottled water during the trip
- All local taxes
✗ Not Included
- Lunches
- Drinks
- Personal expenses
- Tips
Day by Day Itinerary
Early departure from Marrakech (7:30 AM). Begin the ascent of the spectacular Tizi-n-Tichka pass — at 2,260m the highest paved road in North Africa — cutting through the High Atlas. Stop at Berber silver jewellery stalls, panoramic viewpoints, and terraced villages. Descend into the Ounila Valley to visit Ait Benhaddou — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987: a fortified earthen ksar with six kasbahs inside its ancient walls. Climb to the summit for sweeping desert views. Ait Benhaddou has appeared in Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy, Babel, and Game of Thrones. Continue to Ouarzazate — nicknamed "Hollywood of Africa" — for lunch. Optional stop at the famous Atlas Corporation Studios, where sets for Gladiator and Game of Thrones were built. Late afternoon drive to the Sahara. Mount your camel at sunset for a 45-minute ride into the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi. Berber dinner around the fire, live Gnawa drumming, mint tea under a star-blazing sky. Overnight in a luxury Berber desert camp.
Rise before dawn for the Sahara sunrise — as the first light turns the dunes from deep violet to burning orange, it's one of Morocco's most unforgettable moments. Traditional Moroccan breakfast in the camp: mint tea, msemen flatbread, amlou almond spread, fresh dates. Drive north through Ouarzazate for a brief stop at the 19th-century Taourirt Kasbah — a monumental earthen palace with over 300 rooms. Begin the High Atlas crossing via Tizi-n-Tichka, stopping at the summit for panoramic photos and a Berber village visit along the ridge. Descend into the warm terracotta plains of the Haouz basin. Arrive in Marrakech by mid-afternoon. Drop-off at your hotel or the legendary Jemaa el-Fna square.
