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Morocco Family Tour to the Erg Chebbi Dunes, 6 Days from Marrakech
This Morocco family tour takes six days to reach the Erg Chebbi dunes and come back, so no day in the car is too long for children. You stop for a night by Aït Benhaddou and in the Dades Valley, spend two nights in a family tent in the dunes near Merzouga and break the drive home in Agdz.
- DURATION
- ROUTE
- TOUR TYPE
- PICKUP
- PRICE
Morocco family tour at a glance
- 6 days / 5 nights
- Marrakech · Aït Benhaddou · Dades Valley · Todra · Merzouga · Agdz · Marrakech
- Private tour
- Riad or hotel pickup
- Best time: October to April
A Morocco family holiday at a slower pace
The usual three-day Merzouga tour has two very long driving days, which is hard on young children. Here the road is split into six shorter days, with stops every hour or two and time to play in the dunes in between.
At Erg Chebbi there is a full day with no driving. Children can take a short camel ride and slide down the dunes, and you can visit Khamlia, a village where Gnawa musicians play. We can ask the camp for a family tent.
Highlights
- A night by the ksar of Aït Benhaddou
- The Todra Gorge on foot
- Two nights in the Erg Chebbi dunes
- Gnawa music in Khamlia
- Short driving days with plenty of stops
Read more: Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou on the UNESCO World Heritage List and Erg Chebbi.
Day-by-day itinerary
How the six days go, from your pickup in Marrakech to the drop-off.
Day 1 · Marrakech to Aït Benhaddou
A relaxed start and the drive over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, arriving at Aït Benhaddou in the afternoon.
- Overnight: Kasbah hotel near Aït Benhaddou
Day 2 · Aït Benhaddou to the Dades Valley
Through Ouarzazate and the Skoura oasis to the Dades Valley.
- Overnight: Hotel in the Dades Valley
Day 3 · Todra Gorge to Merzouga
A short walk in the Todra Gorge, then to Merzouga and a camel ride to camp.
- Overnight: Family tent at a desert camp in Erg Chebbi
Day 4 · A day in the dunes
A day without driving. Children can play in the sand and try a sandboard, and you can visit Khamlia and its musicians.
- Overnight: Family tent at a desert camp in Erg Chebbi
Day 5 · Merzouga to Agdz
By the southern road through Alnif and N’Kob to Agdz in the Draa Valley.
- Overnight: Guesthouse or kasbah hotel in Agdz
Day 6 · Agdz to Marrakech
Over the passes back to Marrakech, arriving in the afternoon.
What is included and not included
Included
- Private vehicle and driver for the six days
- Pickup and drop-off at your riad or hotel in Marrakech
- One night: kasbah hotel near Aït Benhaddou, dinner and breakfast
- One night: hotel in the Dades Valley, dinner and breakfast
- Two nights: family tent at a desert camp in Erg Chebbi, dinner and breakfast
- One night: guesthouse or kasbah hotel in Agdz, dinner and breakfast
- Camel rides in the dunes
- Child seats in the vehicle on request
- 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
Premium option The hotels, riads and desert camp in the day plan.
| 1 or 2 travellers | €1,140 per person |
| 3 or 4 travellers | €1,020 per person |
| 5 or more travellers | €900 per person |
Luxury option A luxury desert camp tent with a private bathroom, and higher-category riads and kasbah hotels.
| 1 or 2 travellers | €1,620 per person |
| 3 or 4 travellers | €1,500 per person |
| 5 or more travellers | €1,380 per person |
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 Morocco family tour
What age is good for a desert trip in Morocco?
Children of any age can come. Many families find it easiest from about five or six, when long drives and camel rides are more fun. Tell us their ages and we plan the days around them.
Is there a family tent at the camp?
Yes. The family tent has beds for parents and children together; tell us how many beds you need.
What age is this trip suitable for?
Any age. Small children usually ride a camel with a parent or for a shorter time. Tell us the ages and we plan the stops around them.
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
The price per person is lower for bigger groups.
- Private tour, only your group
- Free enquiry, no obligation
- Reserve with 20% now, pay the rest on day one
- Private tour, only your group
- Free enquiry, no obligation
- Route and stays adjusted to you
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