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4-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga and Zagora
Our 4-day desert tour from Marrakech goes out to Merzouga through the Dades and Todra gorges and comes back by another road, over the Saghro foothills to Zagora and the Draa Valley. You spend a night at a camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes, with the other nights in the Dades Valley and in Zagora.
- DURATION
- ROUTE
- TOUR TYPE
- PICKUP
- PRICE
4-day desert tour from Marrakech at a glance
- 4 days / 3 nights
- Marrakech · Aït Benhaddou · Dades · Todra · Merzouga · Alnif · Tazarine · Zagora · Agdz · Marrakech
- Private tour
- Riad or hotel pickup
- Best time: October to April
Marrakech to Merzouga in 4 days
From Merzouga you drive back by the southern road through Alnif and Tazarine to Zagora, then up the Draa Valley, so in four days you see the gorges, the big dunes of Erg Chebbi and the Draa palm groves.
The days are full, but none is much over seven hours on the road.
Highlights
- Aït Benhaddou and the Tizi n'Tichka pass
- The Dades and Todra gorges
- A night in the Erg Chebbi dunes
- The quiet road through Alnif and Tazarine
- The palm groves of the Draa Valley
Read more: Erg Chebbi and Todra Gorge.
Day-by-day itinerary
How the four days go, from your pickup in Marrakech to the drop-off.
Day 1 · Marrakech to the Dades Valley
Over the High Atlas to Aït Benhaddou, then through Ouarzazate and Skoura to the Dades Valley.
- Overnight: Hotel in the Dades Valley
Day 2 · Todra Gorge to Merzouga
A walk in the Todra Gorge, then on to Merzouga and a camel ride into the dunes.
- Overnight: Desert camp in Erg Chebbi
Day 3 · Merzouga to Zagora
Sunrise in the dunes, then west through Rissani, Alnif, Tazarine and N’Kob to Zagora.
- Overnight: Hotel in Zagora
Day 4 · Zagora to Marrakech
Up the Draa Valley through Agdz and over the Tizi n’Tinififft and Tizi n’Tichka passes to Marrakech.
What is included and not included
Included
- Private vehicle and driver for the four days
- Pickup and drop-off at your riad or hotel in Marrakech
- One night: hotel in the Dades Valley, dinner and breakfast
- One night: desert camp in Erg Chebbi, dinner and breakfast
- One night: hotel in Zagora, dinner and breakfast
- Camel ride in the dunes
- Fuel and road costs
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Entrance fees and local guides at the sites
- Tips
- Travel insurance
Pickup, best time to go and what to bring
Pickup points
We pick you up at your riad or hotel in Marrakech at the time you choose. If your riad is in a lane cars cannot enter, the driver waits at the nearest square or gate and someone from the riad walks you there.
Best time to go
October to April is the most comfortable time. Days are warm and nights cool, and in December and January the desert can drop close to freezing at night. From June to August the afternoons are very hot, so we start early and rest in the middle of the day.
What to bring
Layers, with a warm jacket for the desert night from November to March; a hat, sunglasses and sun cream; a scarf against wind and sand; shoes you can walk in on sand; a head torch; a small bag for the camp night, since your main luggage stays in the vehicle; cash in dirhams for drinks and tips; a power bank.
Good to know
Carry cash in dirhams: camps and small villages rarely take cards, and the last cash machines are in towns such as Ouarzazate, Zagora and Erfoud. Phone signal is often weak in the dunes. Camps have toilets and showers, shared at standard camps and private at luxury ones. Keep cameras and phones in a bag when the wind lifts the sand, and ask before you photograph people in the villages. Your main luggage stays locked in the vehicle overnight.
Price, deposit and cancellation
Prices are per person and depend on the size of your group. You book with a 20% deposit by card or PayPal and pay the balance on the first day of the tour.
If you cancel 30 days or more before the start, we refund the deposit in full; after that the deposit is kept. You can change the date once for free if you ask 14 days or more before. The details are in our Cancellation Policy.
Questions about the 4-day desert tour from Marrakech
Is a 4-day desert tour better than 3 days?
The extra day splits the drive back to Marrakech in two and adds the Draa Valley, so no day is as long as the return on the 3-day tour. You still get one night in the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Can we spend more nights in the desert?
Yes. We can add a night at the camp to this route, and our 5-day desert tour from Marrakech has three nights at one camp in Erg Chebbi.
What is the desert camp like?
You sleep in a tent at a camp in the dunes, with dinner and breakfast. Camps range from simple to comfortable tents with a private bathroom; tell us the level you want and we suggest camps that fit.
Can we change the route or the hotels?
Yes. We can add nights, change hotels or swap the order of the stops, since only your group is on the tour. Tell us what you have in mind when you enquire.
Can we bring children?
Yes. Tell us how old they are and we plan the driving, the stops and the pace around them.
How do I book?
Send an enquiry with your dates and group size and we reply with availability and a quote. When online booking is open for this tour, you can also reserve with a deposit by card or PayPal.
Book this tour
Send your dates and group size and we reply with a quote.
- Private tour, only your group
- Free enquiry, no obligation
- Private tour, only your group
- Free enquiry, no obligation
- Route and stays adjusted to you
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