6-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga

5/5 · 187 votes

Duration: 6 days / 5 nights
Departure: Morocco tours
Type: Private, tailor-made

6-day desert tour from Marrakech on the Dakar Rally tracks

6-day desert tour from Marrakech on the Dakar Rally tracks: a private, tailor-made trip with your own driver and a flexible itinerary.

This tour is for those who love adventure. Besides the kasbahs and the desert, it follows tracks of the old Dakar Rally and remote villages of the south. That makes it a different route, far from the busiest roads.

Day 1: Marrakech – Telouet – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate

We pick you up at 8:00 wherever you are staying. First, we cross the Atlas over the Tizi n’Tichka, at 2,260 metres. Then we take a detour to visit the Glaoui kasbah in Telouet. Next, we pass several Berber villages. After that, we reach Ait Ben Haddou, a ksar with over 800 years of history. Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven were filmed here. In the afternoon we arrive in Ouarzazate, where you can visit the film studios. Night in Ouarzazate.

Day 2: Ouarzazate – Agdz – Draa Valley – Tazarine – Mharech Gorges

After breakfast we visit the Taourirt kasbah. Then we cross the Anti-Atlas over the Tizi n’Tinifift pass, at 1,600 metres. Next, we enter the Draa Valley, with its villages and kasbahs. Then we pass through Nkob, Tazarine and Alnif. Finally, we follow a track past abandoned villages to the Mharech Gorges. Many of these sections were part of the Dakar Rally. Night in a riad.

Day 3: Mharech – Ramlia oasis – Ouzina dunes – Merzouga

We continue on the Dakar tracks. Along the way we cross remote villages, dry riverbeds, oases and the Ouzina dunes. Then we visit Khamlia, the Gnawa village of sub-Saharan origin, and listen to its music. From there we continue to Erg Chebbi, the highest dunes in Morocco. Night at a hotel by the dunes.

Day 4: Merzouga – Erg Chebbi loop – night in the desert

After breakfast we drive another Paris-Dakar track. First, we visit nomad families and share tea with them. After lunch we leave the 4×4 and get on the dromedaries. With them we cross the dunes to watch the sunset. Tonight we sleep in tents, with a Berber dinner, music and a sky full of stars.

Day 5: Merzouga – Rissani – Erfoud – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley

After sunrise we ride back by dromedary. At the hotel you can shower and rest. Then we go to Rissani, the cradle of the Alaouite dynasty. Next, we pass Erfoud, famous for its fossils, and the Tafilalt palm grove. Later we visit the Todra Gorges. In the afternoon we reach the Dades Valley. Night in the valley.

Day 6: Dades – Valley of Roses – Skoura – Marrakech

We leave the Dades along the road of a thousand kasbahs. First, we cross the Valley of Roses. Then we reach the Skoura palm grove and its best-known kasbah. From there we return to Marrakech, stopping for lunch. This is where the tour ends.

Who this tour is for

It is ideal if you love tracks, wild landscapes and little-visited villages. It also includes two nights near Erg Chebbi, one of them in a tent. The tour is private, so we can adapt the stages to your pace.