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Southern Morocco Tour from Marrakech, Coast, Anti-Atlas and Sahara in 7 Days
This southern Morocco tour is a seven-day loop from Marrakech through the coast, the mountains and the desert. You start in Essaouira and Sidi Ifni on the Atlantic, turn inland to the Anti-Atlas around Tafraoute and Taroudant, spend a night in the Erg Chigaga dunes and come home over the High Atlas.
- DURATION
- ROUTE
- TOUR TYPE
- PICKUP
- PRICE
Southern Morocco tour at a glance
- 7 days / 6 nights
- Marrakech · Essaouira · Sidi Ifni · Tafraoute · Taroudant · Erg Chigaga · Ouarzazate · Marrakech
- Private tour
- Riad or hotel pickup
- Best time: October to April
Sidi Ifni, Tafraoute and the Anti-Atlas
Few tours from Marrakech head south-west first. You go to Essaouira, follow the Atlantic down to Sidi Ifni, a quiet seaside town with Spanish-era buildings, and then turn into the Anti-Atlas, where Tafraoute sits among pink granite boulders and almond trees.
From Taroudant you cross to the desert for a night in the Erg Chigaga dunes, and return to Marrakech through Ouarzazate.
Highlights
- Essaouira's harbour and ramparts
- Sidi Ifni and the cliffs of the southern coast
- The Ameln valley and the granite rocks around Tafraoute
- The walls of Taroudant
- A night at a camp in Erg Chigaga
Day-by-day itinerary
How the seven days go, from your pickup in Marrakech to the drop-off.
Day 1 · Marrakech to Essaouira
A three-hour drive west through the argan country to Essaouira, with the afternoon free in the medina and by the harbour.
- Overnight: Riad in Essaouira
Day 2 · Essaouira to Sidi Ifni
South along the coast past Agadir to Sidi Ifni, with stops at the beaches and cliffs on the way.
- Overnight: Hotel in Sidi Ifni
Day 3 · Sidi Ifni to Tafraoute
Inland into the Anti-Atlas by mountain roads to Tafraoute, with time in the Ameln valley and among the painted rocks.
- Overnight: Hotel in Tafraoute
Day 4 · Tafraoute to Taroudant
Over the passes of the Anti-Atlas to the Souss valley and the walled town of Taroudant.
- Overnight: Riad in Taroudant
Day 5 · Taroudant to Erg Chigaga
Through Taliouine and Tazenakht to Foum Zguid, then by 4×4 across Lake Iriki to the dunes for sunset.
- Overnight: Desert camp in Erg Chigaga
Day 6 · Erg Chigaga to Ouarzazate
Out of the dunes by M’hamid and up the Draa Valley through Zagora and Agdz to Ouarzazate.
- Overnight: Hotel in Ouarzazate
Day 7 · Ouarzazate to Marrakech
Past Aït Benhaddou and over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, arriving in Marrakech in the afternoon.
What is included and not included
Included
- Private vehicle and driver for the seven days, with a 4x4 for the desert tracks
- Pickup and drop-off at your riad or hotel in Marrakech
- One night: riad in Essaouira, dinner and breakfast
- One night: hotel in Sidi Ifni, dinner and breakfast
- One night: hotel in Tafraoute, dinner and breakfast
- One night: riad in Taroudant, dinner and breakfast
- One night: desert camp in Erg Chigaga, dinner and breakfast
- One night: hotel in Ouarzazate, 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 southern Morocco tour
What are the painted rocks of Tafraoute?
A group of granite boulders near Tafraoute that the Belgian artist Jean Vérame painted blue, red and pink in 1984, and that have been repainted since. They are a short drive from the town, and we can stop there.
Where is the Anti-Atlas?
It is the range south of the High Atlas, between the Souss Valley and the Sahara, with stone villages, almond trees and granite hills around Tafraoute.
Is there a lot of driving?
Most days have four to six hours on the road, with stops. The day from Taroudant into the desert is the longest.
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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