Tour Overview
Nine days from Ouarzazate covering the essential south and Marrakech. Beyond Ait Benhaddou, the Dades and Todra Gorges, and two nights in the Merzouga dunes, this route adds a High Atlas excursion to the Ourika Valley and a coastal day trip to Essaouira.Tour Highlights
- Visit the UNESCO kasbah of Aït Benhaddou
- Two nights in a traditional Berber desert camp
- Full guided tour of Marrakech medina
- Ourika Valley & High Atlas day trip
- Day trip to the Atlantic city of Essaouira
✓ Included
- 8 nights accommodation (hotels + desert camp)
- Breakfast & dinner daily
- 2 nights desert camp with camel trek
- Guided tour of Marrakech
- English & Spanish speaking guide/driver
- All private transport
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Bottled water during the trip
- All local taxes
✗ Not Included
- Lunches
- Drinks
- Personal expenses
- Flights
Day by Day Itinerary
Visit the UNESCO-listed kasbah of Ait Benhaddou. Drive through the Skoura palm grove and the fragrant Rose Valley to the dramatic Dades Gorges, lined with kasbahs. Overnight in Dades.
Morning drive through the towering Todra Gorges. Continue via the fossil town of Erfoud to Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes. Sunset camel trek into the desert, traditional Berber dinner and music, overnight in a desert camp under the stars.
Dawn Sahara sunrise over the dunes. Full day exploring Erg Chebbi: a 4×4 excursion to the flamingo lake and nomadic Berber families, sandboarding down the dunes, and a stop in Khamlia village for live Gnawa music. Second night in the desert camp under the stars.
Dawn Sahara sunrise over the dunes. Drive through Rissani souk, then south to Zagora, once the starting point of the trans-Saharan caravan routes. Continue along the palm-lined Draa Valley to Agdz. Overnight in Agdz.
Morning drive to Ouarzazate, then cross the High Atlas via the spectacular Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2,260m), with panoramic stops over Berber villages. Arrive in Marrakech by evening. Overnight in Marrakech.
Full guided tour of Marrakech: the Koutoubia Mosque gardens, the ornate 19th-century Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the cobalt-blue Jardin Majorelle, and the labyrinthine souks. Evening again at Jemaa el-Fna. Overnight in Marrakech.
Day trip into the High Atlas foothills along the Ourika Valley. Visit Berber villages, walk to a seasonal waterfall, and enjoy mint tea with a local family. Return to Marrakech by evening. Overnight in Marrakech.
Day trip to the coastal city of Essaouira. Explore the 18th-century sea ramparts and cannon batteries, the blue fishing port, and the medina souks known for their thuya-wood crafts. Fresh seafood lunch by the harbor. Return to Marrakech for the evening. Overnight in Marrakech.
Morning drive from Marrakech, crossing the High Atlas via the Tizi-n-Tichka pass. Arrive in Ouarzazate by afternoon. Drop-off at your hotel or Ouarzazate Airport. Tour ends.