8-Day Trip Marrakech to Merzouga

We collect you at your hotel or the airport early in the morning, and your 8-day journey begins with the drive to the Dades Valley, crossing the High Atlas over the famous Tizi n’Tichka pass at 2,260 m.

We stop at the Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and the setting of numerous films, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Kingdom of Heaven.

Take in stunning views in ever-changing colours and small Berber villages — we stop at several spots for photos. Then we continue to Ouarzazate, “the gate of the Sahara desert”.

The day also brings unique cultural experiences: explore the Kasbah Taourirt and the film studios and get a feel for local history and culture. After the lovely Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, we arrive at Boumalne Dades, where you enjoy a traditional dinner and spend the night in a typical riad hotel.

After a traditional Moroccan breakfast, we leave Dades for the Todra Gorges, following the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs towards the town of Tinghir. We walk through the narrow canyons and photograph walls rising about 300 m — a favourite destination for mountaineers.

The journey then continues towards the Merzouga Sahara. You can eat lunch at a local restaurant on the way before reaching the Erg Chebbi dunes later in the afternoon.

A camel safari of about an hour and a half carries you to the centre of the desert, where you enjoy a stunning sunset from the tallest dunes.

Then savour a delicious dinner to the beat of Berber dance and drum music, and stay overnight at a standard or luxury desert camp under a crystal-clear sky full of stunning stars.

As the sun begins to rise, your camel guide gently wakes you to witness the most breathtaking sunrise of your life. After a hearty breakfast, your camel carries you back to your riad or hotel in Merzouga, where your driver waits to take you on an exhilarating off-road adventure around the majestic dunes.

Explore the Merzouga region and its Berber villages, beginning with Khamlia, famous for its Gnawa musicians. Tea and coffee welcome you as you listen to their mystical music.

Take in the stunning views of the dunes and glimpse the lives of nomads tending their camels and goats from their tents.

Explore the abandoned mines and a lush paradise of trees, then head back to Merzouga, with time to wander its streets.

Today we leave the Sahara behind after a tremendous off-road experience and unforgettable nomad encounters.

After breakfast, we head towards Midelt, passing through the charming towns of Rissani and Erfoud, where you can immerse yourself in local culture at the traditional souk and shop like a local. On the way to Midelt, we stop to admire the stunning views of palm trees filling the Ziz Valley.

After Errachidia, the route follows the rich Ziz Gorges, carved into volcanic rock. Crossing the Tizi n’Talghamt pass, we arrive in Midelt and stay the night at our hotel — bed, breakfast, and dinner included.

Today, after breakfast at the hotel, we drive from Midelt to Fes, passing small mud-brick Berber villages in the Middle Atlas Mountains.

We stop to look around and snap pictures with the Barbary apes in the famous cedar forest just before the small city of Azrou. We continue through Ifrane — the Switzerland of Morocco — before arriving in Fes, where we drop you at your hotel or riad.

Visiting the oldest and most impressive landmarks of Fes is an absolute must — an experience not to miss in Morocco. Enjoy a half-day medina tour led by an expert local guide, with time after lunch to discover more of the city on your own. The Fes medina is the world’s biggest living medina and has been a UNESCO site since 1981.

In the old medina (Fes el-Bali), explore historic sites like the Nejjarine Museum, Al Karaouine — the most ancient university in Morocco — and the Jewish quarter, and look down on the famed leather tanneries from above. After a day of exploration, relax for the night at your hotel or riad, where a warm welcome awaits.

After breakfast, we travel from Fes towards Rabat via Meknes. On the way, we visit the archaeological site of Volubilis for an insight into Moroccan life under the Roman Empire; this ancient Roman city became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

In Meknes, we see Bab El Mansour — one of the most renowned gates in Africa — Lahdim square and its spice souk, and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, once the only mosque in Morocco that non-Muslims could enter.

The journey continues to Rabat, Morocco’s capital. This coastal city is a sight to behold, with stunning ochre-red walls shaped over the centuries. We also visit the Kasbah of the Udayas, the famed Hassan Tower, and the Mohammed V Mausoleum. The day ends with a night in a hotel or riad in the medina — the perfect way to soak up the local culture.

On the final day, we leave Rabat early and head for Marrakech via Casablanca. After breakfast, we tour the fantastic Hassan II Mosque — the second-largest mosque in Africa and the seventh-biggest in the world, with the second-tallest minaret at 210 metres. Then we return to Marrakech, your point of departure.

Once you arrive at your hotel, the rest of the day is yours. Explore the famed Jemaa el Fna square, or catch up on anything you had planned for Marrakech.

As the day draws to a close, we transfer you to your accommodation or the airport, depending on your departure time. That marks the end of your eight-day journey through Merzouga and the imperial cities — we hope we’ve given you lasting memories and unforgettable experiences to cherish.