Trip Info
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Marrakech
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Marrakech
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Private
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Everyday
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4WD vehicle, Minivan
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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 on a relaxed journey, without being much on the car. This trip is 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 your tour by choosing a 5 days desert tour or end in the imperial city of Fes by choosing a 4 days Marrakech to Fes desert tour. It is ideally suited if you wish to combine your own planned visit to Morocco with an organised desert tour departing from and returning to your accommodation Marrakech.
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
- Visit the traditional Market of Rissani and optionally trek in Draa Valley
Itinerary
Day 1
Day 1
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COLLAPSE
Marrakech - Atlas Mountains - Skoura - Rose Valley - Dades Valley
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COLLAPSE
Marrakech - Atlas Mountains - Skoura - Rose Valley - Dades Valley
EXPAND COLLAPSEOur team will greet you and pick you up from your accommodation in Marrakech after breaking your fast around 9:00. Our journey 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 will arrive in 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. In Skoura, you will visit a pottery clay workshop and the 17th-century Kasbah Amridil. Next, we stop in Kalaat M'Gouna, where an annual festival of roses is held in May. You can purchase rose products here to enjoy during your entire trip.
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
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COLLAPSE
Dades Valley - Todra Valley & Gorge - Merzouga desert & Erg Chebbi
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Dades Valley - Todra Valley & Gorge - Merzouga desert & Erg Chebbi
EXPAND COLLAPSEAfter a delicious breakfast at your hotel, we will leave Dades valley and set off on an amazing journey that spans roughly 4 hours. 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. If time permits and based on your interests, you will visit a women weaving Berber carpets association.
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
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COLLAPSE
Merzouga Desert - Rissani - Draa Valley - Ouarzazate
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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
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COLLAPSE
Ouarzazate - Ait Ben Haddou - Marrakech
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COLLAPSE
Ouarzazate - Ait Ben Haddou - Marrakech
EXPAND COLLAPSELeave the hotel and head to 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.
Next, we continue our journey traversing the Ounila Valley in the Atlas Mountains. After multiple stops overlooking the valley, we reach Telouet village. Here, you will visit the Kasbah of Telouet and a nearby salt mine, which was a major trading commodity during the era of the caravanserai.
Afterward, we drive over the High Atlas Mountains again to reach the bustling city of Marrakech. Our driver will drop you off at your accommodation or the nearest accessible point for the vehicle. Thus, our service ends with an experience of a lifetime.
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 Dades Valley - Ouarzazate and Erg Chebbi
- 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
The tour usually starts around 8:30–9:00 AM, with pickup from your accommodation in Marrakech.
The journey takes approximately 6–7 hours, including scenic stops in the Atlas Mountains, Berber villages, and Ouarzazate.
Yes, visiting Ait Ben Haddou is included on the last day, where you’ll have free time to explore this famous UNESCO site.
Your stay includes a private tent with an en-suite bathroom, dinner, breakfast, and live Berber music under the stars.
The camel trek typically lasts about 1 hour to 1.5 hours, depending on the camp location.
Yes, you can reach the desert camp by 4WD vehicle at no extra cost if you prefer not to ride camels.
You will stay in comfortable hotels in Dades Valley and Ouarzazate, plus a desert camp in Merzouga.
Yes, the tour is private and flexible, making it suitable for families, couples, and older travelers.
Breakfasts and dinners are included, while lunches are usually taken at local restaurants during the journey.
Bring comfortable clothing, sunglasses, sunscreen, a scarf for sand protection, and a light jacket for cooler desert nights.
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.