Trip Info
-
Marrakech
-
Essaouira
-
Private
-
Everyday
-
4WD vehicle, Minivan
-
3,4,5*
Overview
This private tour is suited to adventurous travelers who in a short space of time wish to focus on and maximise their experience of the Moroccan Sahara. It offers you the opportunity to experience Sahara Desert areas of the South, an off the beaten track road trip into our home region, exploring on route the rural palm oases Draa Valley.
This is a Desert Inclusive Tour and can be customized should you wish to extend this tour or end in Marrakech by choosing a 4 days desert tour from Marrakech. It is ideally suited if you wish to combine your own planned visit to Morocco with an organised desert tour departing from and ending to your accommodation Essaouira.
Highlights
- Explore Berber villages, hidden oases, old caravan routes, and fortified kasbahs
- Ride a camel into the shifting sands of the Sahara
- Take a leisure walk beneath the cliffs of Todra Gorge
- Sleep under the stars in a desert camp among the Sahara's dunes
- Sip a cup of mint tea with Nomadic Berber families in their tent and learn about their culture
- Travel through Ziz valley surrounded by desert plateaus
- Witness the Barbary apes in the cedar forest and walk through National Park of Ifrane
Itinerary
Day 1
Day 1
EXPAND
COLLAPSE
Marrakech - Atlas mountains - Ait ben haddou - Kalaat Mgouna -Boumalne dades
EXPAND
COLLAPSE
Marrakech - Atlas mountains - Ait ben haddou - Kalaat Mgouna -Boumalne dades
EXPAND COLLAPSEOur friendly driver will pick you up from your accommodation in Marrakech around 9:00. Our ride takes us over the High Atlas Mountains and through the Tizi n'Tichka Pass. Within an hour, our first stop will be at a panoramic view overlooking Berber villages. Here, you will learn about the Berber lifestyle and appreciate the natural landscape of the Atlas Mountains. Optionally, you can visit a female cooperative of Argan oil.
After several interesting stops we reach the dramatic Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou. This well-maintained Kasbah was once one of the main trading points for the caravan route between Marrakech, coastal towns, and Timbuktu in Mali. You will have free time to explore the exterior and interior of the Kasbah. Blockbuster movies such as Gladiator, Game of Thrones, Indiana Jones, and many more were filmed here.
Later, we continue to Ouarzazate, often referred to as the Hollywood of Africa and famous for its largest African studios. You will have the option to visit Atlas Studios, where famous movies and shows like Game of Thrones and Kingdom of Heaven were filmed.
After lunch at your leisure in a local restaurant, we continue our spectacular journey along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, passing through skoura Oasis and the Valley of Roses. We stop in Kalaat M'Gouna, where an annual festival of roses is held in May. In the afternoon, we will reach our comfortable accommodation in Dades Valley for an overnight stay. Dinner will be served at your hotel restaurant.
Day 2
Day 2
EXPAND
COLLAPSE
Dades Valley - Todra Valley & Gorge - Merzouga desert & Erg Chebbi
EXPAND
COLLAPSE
Dades Valley - Todra Valley & Gorge - Merzouga desert & Erg Chebbi
EXPAND COLLAPSEAfter breakfast at your hotel, we will leave Dades valley and continue our amazing journey to the Sahara desert of Merzouga. The drive spans roughly 4 hours. Along, we stop in the mesmerizing Todra Valley, known for the lush Todra Palmeraie Gorge. Continue along the valley to reach the dramatic Gorges of Todra while making frequent stops for photos, a haven for rock climbers and nature lovers. Your driver/guide will suggest taking a leisurely walk beneath the 300-meter cliffs. Every corner will leave you in awe.
After a traditional lunch, the drive continues to Merzouga desert via some Berber villages and a Palmeraie oasis of Tafilalt. An optional stop will be made in a Berber family shop, where you will dress traditionally and get a henna tattoo for photography. Free of charge, but possible to get the best scarf for your desert experience to protect you from the sand and sunburn.
Arrive at Merzouga desert in the late afternoon, where you will enjoy a peaceful camel ride over the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi, led by an experienced camel guide to explore and enjoy the sand sea of Erg Chebbi. The camel guide will make sure to stop in a high dune to watch what may be the best sunset of your lifetime. After the twilight, you’ll get to your featured camp, where you’ll spend your dreamy night. Dinner will be served at the camp, followed by live local music around a bonfire under the blanket of stars.
Day 3
Day 3
EXPAND
COLLAPSE
Merzouga Desert - Rissani - Draa Valley - Ouarzazate
EXPAND
COLLAPSE
Merzouga Desert - Rissani - Draa Valley - Ouarzazate
EXPAND COLLAPSERise early to watch the spectacular sunrise over the sand dunes. After breakfast at your camp, you will have enough time to complete your desert experience with optional extra activities, such as quad bikes or buggies.
Meet your driver and head to the town of Rissani. This town is known for its caravan market, held every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Your driver will guide you through this traditional market, where every corner smells of spices and is filled with artisans.
Later, continue to Ouarzazate via Alnif and the Draa Valley. The route is surrounded by acacia trees and black desert plateaus. Here, you’ll have the chance to see herds of nomads. Lunch will be served in a traditional restaurant before we continue to Agdz, where we will admire the beauty of the Draa Valley.
Afterward, we cross the Anti-Atlas Mountains to reach our hotel in Ouarzazate. Recharge and unwind in the garden of your hotel. A delicious meal will be served at the hotel, followed by a restful night.
Day 4
Day 4
EXPAND
COLLAPSE
Ouarzazate - Atlas Mountains - Marrakech - Ounagha - Essaouira
EXPAND
COLLAPSE
Ouarzazate - Atlas Mountains - Marrakech - Ounagha - Essaouira
EXPAND COLLAPSEBreak your fast at your hotel, and enjoy a private transfer from Ouarzazate to the coastal town of Essaouira, crossing the high atlas mountains. We will make multiple stops along the road before we reach Essaouira in the afternoon. Your driver will make sure to drop you off at your preferred location in Essaouira.
Cost
Includes
- Service of Morocco Travel Boutique throughout.
- 100% private trip
- All private transfers in a comfortable air conditioning vehicle.
- Fuel & taxes.
- Well experienced driver/ knowledgeable English speaking local guide during the trip.
- Pick up & drop off service everyday.
- 3 Overnights at a comfortable hotel/riad/kasbah with daily breakfast
- Overnight a luxury camp in the desert with breakfast & dinner
- Vegetarian, vegan options available on request.
- Private room & tent in every accommodation with private bathroom and shower
- Dinner at your accommodation in Ouarzazate - Erg Chebbi and Boumalne dades
- Private local guide fees in Volubilis, Fes, and Marrakech (not necessary in other places)
- Camel ride experience in the desert
- Free time for breaks and visiting monuments along the road.
- Sandboarding in the desert (undertaken your risk)
- 4wd vehicle excursion to explore the desert area with Nomadic Berber Pizza for lunch.
Excludes
- International Airfare
- Travel insurance (not required but recommended)
- Personal Expenses
- Lunches and Beverages
- Non mentioned Dinner
- Entrance fees to monuments
- Tips & gratuites (optional but appreciated)
Need to know
We carefully select our accommodations based on location, quality, style, comfort, and excellent service. Our options include hotels, Riads, Kasbahs, boutique stays, resorts, and desert camps. These are divided into 3, 4, and 5-star categories to meet everyone’s budget and preference. You can also mix and match these categories to suit your needs.
We exclude the entrance fees to monuments and cultural sights from the tour total cost in order to not charge you for things you might not be interested in visiting. Please let us know if you need a list of all the monuments that require a fee for entry or we can include them.
Our private tours are designed to be flexible and accommodating. Our knowledgeable guide will offer various options (both paid and unpaid worth visiting) for objectives and sights not only in each city but also along the way. Additionally, we’re committed to offering the best possible experience for our clients.
We intentionally exclude dinners in urban areas or big cities for two main reasons. Firstly, dining at Riads or hotels in city settings tends to be relatively expensive. Secondly, the presence of a variety of restaurant options in cities allows our clients to choose according to their budget and preferences.
Our private tours include essential activities but we can arrange other activities during the booking process such as cooking classes, Hammam & SPA, hot air balloon, ATV quads, dune buggies, and any additional activity available in any destination upon request.
Faqs
Booking is simple—just send us your inquiry with your preferred travel dates. We’ll respond within 24 hours with availability and pricing. To confirm your reservation, a small deposit is required, and the remaining balance is paid on the first day of the tour.
The tour typically starts around 9:00 AM on Day 1 from Marrakech. On Day 4, the tour ends in Essaouira, where you will be dropped off at your preferred location in the afternoon.
We use comfortable, air-conditioned 4WD vehicles or deluxe minivans for small groups. Larger groups are accommodated in spacious minibuses or coaches to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey.
Driving times vary by day, usually ranging between 4 to 7 hours, with plenty of scenic stops along the way for photos, rest, and exploration.
The camel ride in the Erg Chebbi dunes lasts approximately 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on the location of your desert camp.
Yes, of course. If you prefer not to ride a camel, we can arrange a comfortable transfer to the desert camp by 4×4 vehicle at no extra cost.
Yes, all our tours are private. You will have your own private tent with an en-suite bathroom, ensuring comfort and privacy during your stay in the desert.
We recommend bringing comfortable clothing, a light jacket (especially for cooler desert nights), sunglasses, sunscreen, and a scarf for the desert wind and sand.
Yes, dinners and breakfasts are typically included, especially during your stays in Dades Valley, the desert camp in Merzouga, and Ouarzazate. Lunches are usually not included to give you flexibility in choosing where to eat.
Yes, the tour is suitable for most travelers. However, due to long driving distances, we recommend considering comfort preferences, especially for very young children or elderly travelers.
Reviews
The trip was enjoyable and smooth. Our guide Khalid did a great job.
Everything was simple and stress-free. Our guide Said was very kind.
A very pleasant journey overall. Our guide Hamza was fantastic.
Everything was well managed. Our guide Omar made it easy.
The whole experience was smooth. Our guide Rachid was excellent.
Booking through moroccotravelboutique was very easy. Our guide Karim was professional.
The experience was enjoyable and well paced. Our guide Hassan was great.
Everything went perfectly. Our guide Ahmed made sure of that.
A relaxed and easy trip. Our guide Youssef was very helpful.
Everything felt well organized. Our guide Mohammed was excellent.
I really enjoyed the overall experience. Our guide Khalid made everything smooth.
Everything was simple and well arranged. Our guide Said was very kind.
The trip was enjoyable from start to finish. Our guide Hamza added great value.
The schedule was clear and well managed. Our guide Omar was very helpful.
Everything was easy and comfortable. Our guide Rachid made it stress-free.
Booking with moroccotravelboutique was simple and efficient. Our guide Karim was great.
A very enjoyable and well-balanced experience. Our guide Hassan was fantastic.
Everything went according to plan. Our guide Ahmed was very helpful.
The whole trip felt relaxed and well paced. Our guide Youssef was excellent.
Everything was well organized and smooth. Our guide Mohammed made it very enjoyable.
Everything was simple and stress-free. Our guide Said was very kind.
Everything was well managed. Our guide Omar made it easy.
Booking through moroccotravelboutique was very easy. Our guide Karim was professional.
Everything went perfectly. Our guide Ahmed made sure of that.
Everything felt well organized. Our guide Mohammed was excellent.
Everything was simple and comfortable. Our guide Said was very kind.
The trip was very well coordinated. Our guide Omar was helpful throughout.
Booking with moroccotravelboutique was easy and efficient. Our guide Karim was excellent.
A very enjoyable experience overall. Our guide Ahmed made it even better.
The whole trip was smooth and enjoyable. Our guide Mohammed was very professional.
Everything was simple and well planned. Our guide Said was very kind.
Everything was well coordinated. Our guide Omar was very helpful.
Booking with moroccotravelboutique was easy and the experience was great. Our guide Karim was professional.
Everything went according to plan. Our guide Ahmed made sure we were comfortable.
Everything was clearly organized and easy to follow. Our guide Mohammed made it a great experience.
Everything was simple and stress-free. Our guide Said was very kind.
Everything felt well managed. Our guide Omar made the experience smooth.
The transportation and timing were perfect. Our guide Rachid was always helpful.
Everything was easy from booking to the tour itself. Our guide Karim was very professional.
A very enjoyable trip with a good pace. Our guide Hassan created a welcoming atmosphere.
Planning was clear and everything went on time. Our guide Ahmed made sure we were always comfortable.
The whole experience felt relaxed and comfortable. Our guide Youssef was friendly and helpful throughout.
Everything was well organized and easy to follow. Our guide Mohammed made the trip enjoyable and informative.