Desert Tour from Casablanca to Merzouga, 5 Days
Our desert tour from Casablanca reaches the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga and comes back in five days. You cross the High Atlas to a kasbah night by Aït Benhaddou, go through the gorges to two nights at a desert camp and return by the Draa Valley, with a standard or a luxury camp.
- DURATION
- ROUTE
- TOUR TYPE
- PICKUP
- PRICE
Desert tour from Casablanca at a glance
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Casablanca · Marrakech · Telouet · Aït Benhaddou · Dades · Todra · Merzouga · Alnif · Agdz · Marrakech · Casablanca
- Private tour
- Riad or hotel pickup
- Best time: October to April
Casablanca to the Sahara and back
If you land in Casablanca and want to see the desert, this is the most direct round trip to Erg Chebbi. The first day takes you past Marrakech and over the High Atlas to Aït Benhaddou, which lets you reach Merzouga on day two through the Dades and Todra gorges.
Two nights at the camp give you a full day in the dunes. The camp can be standard, or luxury with private bathrooms, and you can add nights. Expect long drives on the first and last days.
Highlights
- The Tizi n'Tichka pass and the kasbah of Telouet
- The ksar of Aït Benhaddou
- The Dades and Todra gorges
- Two nights in the Erg Chebbi dunes
- The southern road back through Alnif and the Draa Valley
Read more: Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou on the UNESCO World Heritage List and Erg Chebbi.
Day-by-day itinerary
How the five days go, from your pickup in Casablanca to the drop-off.
Day 1 · Casablanca to Aït Benhaddou
An early start from Casablanca, past Marrakech and over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, with a stop at Telouet, to Aït Benhaddou.
- Overnight: Kasbah hotel near Aït Benhaddou
Day 2 · Aït Benhaddou to Merzouga
Through Ouarzazate, Skoura and the Dades Valley to the Todra Gorge, then on to Merzouga and a camel ride to camp.
- Overnight: Desert camp in Erg Chebbi
Day 3 · A day in the dunes
A free day for walking, camel riding or a visit to Khamlia village.
- Overnight: Desert camp in Erg Chebbi
Day 4 · Merzouga to Agdz
West through Rissani, Alnif and N’Kob to Agdz in the Draa Valley.
- Overnight: Guesthouse or kasbah hotel in Agdz
Day 5 · Agdz to Casablanca
Through Ouarzazate and over the High Atlas to Marrakech, then on to Casablanca in the evening.
What is included and not included
Included
- Private vehicle and driver for the five days
- Pickup and drop-off at your riad or hotel in Casablanca
- One night: kasbah hotel near Aït Benhaddou, dinner and breakfast
- Two nights: desert camp in Erg Chebbi, dinner and breakfast
- One night: guesthouse or kasbah hotel in Agdz, 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
Pickup at your hotel in Casablanca or at Mohammed V airport; tell us your flight time.
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 desert tour from Casablanca
How far is Merzouga from Casablanca?
Far: more than twelve hours of driving by way of Marrakech. The tour splits the way out in two, with a night by Aït Benhaddou.
Can we start at Casablanca airport?
Yes. We can pick you up at Mohammed V airport or at your hotel in Casablanca; tell us your arrival time.
Standard or luxury camp?
Standard camps have simple tents and shared washrooms; luxury camps have larger tents with a private bathroom. Both include dinner and breakfast. Tell us which you prefer.
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.
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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