3-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga – Review

With a vibrant and traditional culture mixed with appealing prices, Marrakech has become within a few years an attractive destination for travellers from around the globe. While many like to spend just a few days discovering the city, those planning a longer trip often decide to join a tour to discover the Southern half of Morocco, and in particular, the Sahara desert.

One of the best ways to experience the diversity and beauty of the southern region is to take a 3-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, which will take you through the stunning Atlas Mountains, the lush oases and valleys, and the majestic Sahara Desert.

I took this private tour, I can highly recommend it to anyone looking for an unforgettable adventure in Morocco. However, I also know how overwhelming it can be to choose the right tour operator among the many options available online. How can you be sure that you are getting the best value for your money, the most reliable service, and the most authentic experience? How do you avoid scams, hidden fees, and disappointments?

In this article, I will lay out the things that should be covered and visited on a shared or private 3-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, as well as what to expect. I will also share my own experience of a private tour I took, so by the end of this article, you will have a clear idea of what makes a great 3-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, and how to book it with confidence.

How to Choose your Marrakech to Merzouga tour?

One of the most important decisions you will have to make when planning your 3-day trip from Marrakech to Merzouga is choosing the right tour. There are hundreds of tour operators in Morocco, offering different types of tours, prices, and services. How can you find the best one for your needs and expectations? Here are some tips and factors to consider when choosing your tour.

Choose your tour type: Shared vs Private

There are two main types of tours you can choose from: shared or private. A shared tour means that you will join a group of other travellers, usually up to 17 people, and share the transportation, accommodation, and activities with them. A private tour means that you will have a vehicle, a driver, and a guide exclusively for you and your travel companions.

The advantages of a shared tour are that it is cheaper, more sociable, and more environmentally friendly. You will pay less per person, meet new people from different backgrounds and countries, and reduce your carbon footprint by sharing resources. It is a great option for solo travellers or a small group of friends. However, the disadvantages of a shared tour are that it is less flexible, less comfortable, and less personalized. You will have to follow a fixed itinerary, adjust to the pace and preferences of the group, and compromise on some aspects of the service.

The advantages of a private tour are that it is more flexible, more comfortable, and more personalized. You will have more freedom to choose your itinerary, stops, activities, and accommodation. You will also enjoy more privacy, comfort, and attention from your driver/guide. A private tour is of course more expensive but if you are a couple or a family, this type of tour will definitely fit your needs and privacy.

What’s included in a 3-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga

Another factor to consider when choosing your tour agency is what’s included in the price of the tour. Different agencies may offer different services and amenities for their tours. Here is what’s included in the 3-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga that we joined and recommend:

1. A/C Vehicle: 4WD SUV for private tour or Minibus for Shared tour. Tolls, fuel;
2. Wifi is generally included in a private car
3. Experienced driver/guide speaking your language or at least English;
4. Pick up/drop off at airport & accommodation in Marrakech;
5. 1 night in a hotel in the Dadès Valley;
6. All breakfasts & dinners; (excluding breakfast on day 1 and dinner on day 3)
7. The Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou visit
8. A stop in a Berber village to try regional clothes
9. 40-minute Camel Trek in & out of the desert
10. Overnight in a nomad desert bivouac (Private or shared tents depending on your tour choice)
11. Scarf/turban per person + water bottle for the camel trip
12. Support from local guides should anything happen in the desert

Things that are not included in the price of the tour:

• Beverages & Lunches
• Tips for guides & driver
• Entrance fees to monuments and attractions
• Tips and gratuities
• Personal expenses
• Travel Insurance

The choice between a shared or a private tour depends on your budget, preferences, and expectations. If you are looking for a low-cost option, enjoy meeting new people, and don’t mind following a set schedule, then a shared tour might be suitable for you. If you are looking for a high-quality option, prefer having your own space, and want to customize your trip according to your wishes, then a private tour might be better for you. Here is a comparison table to help you choose what’s best for you:

What is the best itinerary?

To visit the Sahara desert from Marrakech, you must allow a minimum of 3 to 4 days. Distances may seem small on the map but in Morocco, travelling from one point to another takes time. Some roads are good but others are in really bad shape and it is important to know in advance that whatever tour you choose, you will be spending a lot of time in the car.

Thankfully, the scenery of the southern part of Morocco is truly breathtaking and tours are organised in a way that you get to stop and visited amazing places along the way. Here are the main stops a 3 days tour from Marrakech to Merzouga will include. If you read more, you will find more details about each of these places in our full review of the tour.

• Atlas Mountains
• Aït Ben Haddou
• Ouarzazate
• Dadès Valley
• Todra Gorges
• Erg Chebbi

When is the best time to go?

The best time to go on a Marrakech to Merzouga tour depends on your preferences and expectations. Generally, the most popular and pleasant times to go are spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). These seasons offer moderate temperatures, clear skies, and blooming flowers in most parts of the country. However, they also attract more tourists. During peak season, you may need to book your tour well in advance.

If your want to avoid crowds, you can consider winter (December to February) or summer (June to August). However, these seasons come with their own set of challenges. Winter days have limited daylight hours, and nights can be chilly, especially in high altitudes or in the desert. The necessity of traversing the Atlas mountains en route to Merzouga might lead to road closures due to snow during winter. Additionally, camping in the desert during the heart of winter can be uncomfortably cold and less enjoyable. Also, summer months in Morocco, particularly in the desert, bring scorching heat that could affect the overall enjoyment of your experience.

Another factor to consider is the Islamic calendar, which determines the dates of religious festivals and events. Some of these events, such as Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha, can affect the availability and operation of services and attractions. You may need to check the dates and plan your tour accordingly.

Here is a table that summarizes the pros and cons of each season for a 3-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga:

Season	Pros	Cons
Spring	Moderate temperatures, clear skies, blooming flowers	More tourists, higher prices
Summer	Fewer tourists, lower prices	Hotter temperatures, drier landscape, less comfortable desert
Autumn	Moderate temperatures, clear skies	More tourists, higher prices
Winter	Fewer tourists, lower prices	Colder temperatures, wetter weather, snow in mountains

Marrakech to Merzouga Private Tour Review

Day 1: Marrakech – Aït Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – Dadès Valley

Total driving time: 6 hours

Our driver came to pick us up in front of the “Café de France” in Marrakech’s main square, Jemaa El Fna, at 8 am. After a quick stop at the petrol station, our Private 4WD which could have easily accommodated 2 more people, pointed towards the Atlas Mountains. The paved and straight roads quickly gave way to windy ones, offering a fabulous point of view over the highest mountain chain in Morocco and its rocky escarpments.

Around 9 am, we stopped at a sideroad restaurant in order for the driver to eat his breakfast – we already had ours at our Ryad. From the rooftop of the small building, we took our first glances at the Moroccan countryside. At this point, we are already quite high and from here we can see the vast plains and the tiny spot that is Marrakech and the Atlantic Ocean in the background.

As we hopped back into the car and drove through the mountain pass, the dry landscape dotted with olive and prickly pear trees gave way to lavish pine forests and a fresh breeze. At this altitude, rain is frequent during autumn and it isn’t surprising to even see snow during the coldest months of the year, making the drive through the Atlas mountains complicated.

Before reaching the highest peak of the trip, at 2,216 masl, we stopped for a few minutes at a viewpoint to review the windy roads we had just taken.

Aït Ben Haddou

Finally, on the other side of the Atlas mountains and after a 4-hour drive since leaving Marrakech, we turned from the main road and joined a gravel path leading to the Ksar Aït Ben Haddou.

This old Berbere village was once an important stop along the merchant route from the Sahara. It is organised around a group of dwellings made of adobe and protected by defensive walls. Most of the population have long left the Ksar for a newly made town on the other side of the river, but the village isn’t totally abandoned. A few families still live in their “Kasbahs”, and the narrow streets have mainly been turned into souvenir shops during the day.

The village is gorgeous and it is easy to understand why so many movies such as Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and more recently Game of Thrones have been filmed in the village.

We visited the village with a young local guide that our driver hired for us. Contrary to what we had read on other blogs, we were never asked to pay an entrance fee to enter Aït Ben Haddou at the end of the tour. We gave a tip to our guide who took the time to show us around and explain the history of the village. After the 45-minute visit, we came back to the new village.

We were escorted to a place to eat without having a chance to choose, but in fairness, the streets of this part of the village are just a kyrielle of tourist restaurants and hotels which are probably all serving the same dishes at similar prices. We ate a Moroccan salad and a chicken tajine which were both good but not amazing.

Of course, the prices here are a bit higher than what we were used to in Marrakech (about 100 Dh for a 3-course dinner), but in such a tourist town we wouldn’t expect anything different.

Ouarzazate

After lunch, around 2 pm, we drove half an hour to Ouarzazate where we stopped outside the Kasbah Taourirt. It is a very impressive monument made of adobe that looks like a sandcastle. From a parking lot overlooking the house, we noticed the typical Moroccan geometrical ornaments on the walls of the main building, which for us was the best feature.

If you want to visit this 17th-century house, be aware the rooms are all more or less empty and there isn’t much to expect from a visit. You can, however, go for a stroll in the Berbere village close by, but remember it is a real maze.

After this quick stop, we drove by the many Film studios around Ouarzazate. For the cinema lover, we can only recommend paying them a visit and figuring out from which movies the props come. We heard you can see those from Prince of Persia, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, the Mummy and a citadel from Game of Thrones.

The Road of Thousand Kasbahs

Around 4:30 pm, we completely changed scenery and entered a valley with a lush oasis. Once in Boulmane Dadès the dry and arid land is swapped with a very photogenic city whose houses are built on top of each other (see the above photo in the itinerary part). Our driver took us onto the Route of a Thousand Kasbahs which follows the valley and offers astonishing viewpoints. Make sure to stop at least once to see all the old Berbere hillside towns and the contrast between the dryness of the rocks against the greens of the palm trees and oleanders.

Then, a few minutes before entering deeper into the Dadès Gorge and reaching our hotel, we made a stop at the unusual rock formation called the Monkey Fingers. The rock here has been eroded by the elements, leaving strangely shaped boulders and conic stones attached to the cliffs.

To conclude the day, we settled down at the Hotel Babylon Dadès and planned a walk to a famous mountain road viewpoint. Most people drive there, but we enjoyed the walk up the hill after spending most of the day sitting in the car. I guess we could have asked our guide to drive us to the viewpoint, but we didn’t mind enjoying this part of the world from different angles and sharing this moment without anyone else around.

We stayed at the hotel Babylon Dadès, in a private room. It was very cosy and clean. The well-served 3-course dinner was followed by a Berber drum session under the stars, that thankfully we could barely hear from the bedroom. Staying at this hotel, was a great Morrocan experience and a comfortable night in the middle of the Dadès Valley.

NEXT READ: The Highlights of Marrakech

DAY 2: Todra Gorges – Merzouga – Camel Riding

Driving time: 4 hours

On day two, after an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast served at our hotel, we were off again. From 9 am, we drove back to where we came from the previous day, then onto the main road along a vast and dry plain towards Tinghir. As we turned left into the Todra Gorge, we followed along another oasis and passed old villages eroded by time. We asked the driver to stop a couple of times as we truly loved the surroundings. Dry hills, green oasis and adobe villages in between – the views of Tinghir, in particular, left us speechless.

Todra Gorges

As we entered the Todra Gorges, the temperature dropped which allowed us to take a pleasant walk along a slow running river wedged in between tall cliffs. We were dropped off at the beginning of the gorge and told to meet back at the car 5 to 10 minutes later, 200 m up the road.

We didn’t drive any deep into the gorge. We asked the chauffeur if we could continue further and were told there was nothing more to see. For us, Todra gorges was a bit of a letdown with nothing special to it. We preferred the landscapes seen from the car en route to the gorge to the place itself.

From the Todra Gorge we, so to speak, didn’t stop to visit anything else until Merzouga. We had the option to visit a fossil factory – the area is very rich in ammonite fossils which in Morocco are used for household items such as sinks and bathtubs. Another option was to get dressed up in traditional Berber clothing, but we declined both activities. Instead, we drove straight to Rissani for lunch and then to Merzouga to start out the Camel tour onto the Erg Chebbi Dunes.

Rissani

Now, even if it wasn’t a planned stop, we really enjoyed the town of Rissani. With a bit of extra time on our hands, we went for a walk in the Souk and at its famous livestock market. In the streets, there was nothing for tourists, but each shop was rich in colours, smells and traditions.

The Rissani market is held every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and it is one of the only places in the valley where locals gather to buy donkeys, cows, goats and other animals for their farms. An interesting stop to witness another facet of southern Morocco and its people.

What to eat in Rissani? You must try the Berbere Pizza! It is a sort of calzone pie filled with minced meat, tomatoes and a lot of Moroccan spicies. Delicious.

Merzouga

Around 4:30 pm we made our way to Merzouga. We stopped at a hotel where we were welcomed with a very sweet mint tea and asked to wait until everything was ready for the camel tour. We dropped off our bags in a 4WD which then drove them to the campsite while we entered the dunes on the back of a camel.

It took about 40 minutes from the moment we hopped on our new means of travel until we saw our first sight of the luxury camp where we were going to spend the night. The camel ride was bumpy but quite entertaining and of course unforgettable. It is not every day you get to ride a camel in the Sahara!

Erg Chebbi – The Berber overnight camp

Our camp for the night was really beautiful. In a dip between two dunes, 17 white tents stood upright in front of us, offering luxury services. Our private room even had a shower and a complete toilet with running water… During our 16-month trip to Latin America, we never had the chance to stay somewhere like this with so much comfort. We wouldn’t have expected this from accommodation in the desert!

At the centre of the camp, the staff had set up a nice common area where after dinner, we all joined in around a fire pit, for a drum session under the stars. A great way for Steven to celebrate his 29th birthday – they even offered a birthday cake.

Before dinner, our evening was spent waiting for the sun to set over the dunes. In fact, once settled in our gorgeous room, we immediately climbed the surrounding dunes from where rows of dunes stretched out as far as you can see. The light show was incredible and as the sun dropped behind the dunes, the sand changed colours from bright orange to faded pink. We stayed up there for a couple of hours until the sun completely disappeared and the deep blue sky let the stars shine through the night.

DAY 3: The drive back to Marrakech

Driving time: 8 hours

On the last day, we watched the sunrise, ate breakfast and made our way back to Merzouga by camel. the last day is an early start and a lot of driving: 8 hours straight back to Marrakech.

If you don’t want to head back to Marrakech, there are a few tours offering return to Fes. This is a great option if you are traveling around Morocco. Here are a couple of tours we have selected if this is something you are looking for:

• 3 Days Merzouga Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes
• Or vice versa: 3 Days Desert Tour Fes to Marrakech

Final thoughts: Whatever you choose, I can assure you that you will have an unforgettable experience in Morocco. You will see some of the most beautiful and diverse places in the country, from the stunning Atlas Mountains, to the impressive Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, to the majestic Merzouga Desert. You will also enjoy some of the most exciting and authentic activities, such as camel riding and desert camping. You will also learn about the rich and fascinating culture and history of Morocco, and meet some of the friendliest and hospitable people in the world!

Are you ready to choose your tour?

You have reached the end of this article about the 3-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga! I hope you have found it useful and informative. I have tried to cover everything you need to know about this amazing trip, from how to choose your tour agency, what to expect from the tour, and how to prepare for it.

Now, you have a decision to make: do you want to book a shared or a private tour? Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on your budget, preferences, and expectations. You can review the comparative table below to help you decide.

I hope you have a wonderful time in Morocco and that you will come back soon for more adventures. See you on the road!

Are you planning a trip to Morocco?

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We have a lot of articles about travelling in Morocco and add new ones every so often. Check out our latest guides below to prepare for your trip…

• Highlights Of Marrakech: What To Do In Two Days
• The Best Riads in Marrakech – From Budget To Luxury Stays
• Marrakech To Merzouga – Sahara Desert Tour: What to Expect
• The Perfect Weekend in Essaouira: What to Do and See
• 20 Best Places To Visit In South Morocco
• Beautiful Places to Stay in Morocco
• 2-week itinerary in Morocco

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