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Earthen kasbah walls under a blue sky in Ouarzazate, Morocco

Photo: mathieu gauzy / Unsplash

5 Days from Marrakech to Merzouga and the South

A calm loop from Marrakech: Ouarzazate, Skoura oasis, two gorges, a Merzouga camp and the kasbahs of the Draa valley.

  • Duration5 days · 4 nights
  • StartMarrakech
  • EndMarrakech
  • Trip typePrivate tour

Overview

This 5 day desert tour from Marrakech is a relaxed loop through the south. Instead of long driving days, you stop each night in a new place: Ouarzazate, the Dades Valley, a camp in Merzouga and a kasbah in Agdz. You see the film studios, the oasis of Skoura, the Rose Valley, two gorges, the high dunes of Erg Chebbi and the palm groves of the Draa.

Because you return by a different road, you see more of the country. If you want two nights in the desert, look at our 7 days from Marrakech to the desert and the south. Read our Sahara guide to prepare.

Highlights

  • Telouet kasbah (option) and Aït Ben Haddou
  • Film studios of Ouarzazate
  • Skoura oasis and the Rose Valley
  • Dades and Todra gorges
  • Camel ride and camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes
  • Kasbah night in Agdz in the Draa valley

Day-by-day itinerary

  1. 1

    Day 1

    Day 1: Marrakech – Tichka – Aït Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate

    Your driver picks you up in Marrakech after breakfast. You cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass. If you wish, you can take the side road to the old Telouet kasbah, once the home of a powerful family, with beautiful painted rooms. Then you visit Aït Ben Haddou. In Ouarzazate, you can visit one of the film studios (optional). Night in a kasbah hotel in Ouarzazate.

    Overnight: Ouarzazate

  2. 2

    Day 2

    Day 2: Skoura oasis – Rose Valley – Dades Gorges

    Today you drive slowly through the Skoura oasis, a large palm grove with old earth kasbahs. You continue to Kelaat M'Gouna, the centre of the Rose Valley, where people make rose water and creams. You can visit a small rose cooperative. In the afternoon you enter the Dades Gorges, with red rocks and a famous winding road. Dinner and night in a hotel in the Dades Valley.

    Overnight: Dades Valley

  3. 3

    Day 3

    Day 3: Todra Gorges – Merzouga camel ride and camp

    After breakfast you drive to Tinghir and walk in the Todra Gorges, with their high limestone walls. Then you cross the stony desert to Merzouga. In the late afternoon you ride camels into the Erg Chebbi dunes and arrive at your camp as the sun sets. Dinner is served in the camp, and later you can sit by the fire under a sky full of stars.

    Overnight: Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)

  4. 4

    Day 4

    Day 4: Sunrise – Rissani – Alnif – N'Kob – Agdz

    Wake up to see the sunrise over the dunes. After breakfast you drive to Rissani, an old market town, and then west through Alnif, known for fossils, and N'Kob, a village with many earth kasbahs. In the afternoon you reach the Draa valley, with its long green palm groves. Before sunset you can walk in the palm grove with a local guide. Night in a restored kasbah in Agdz, with dinner.

    Overnight: Agdz

  5. 5

    Day 5

    Day 5: Agdz – Ouarzazate – Tichka – Marrakech

    After a calm breakfast you drive north to Ouarzazate. Then you cross the High Atlas again by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, with time for photos and lunch on the way. You can stop at an argan oil cooperative run by women. You arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon, and your driver takes you to your hotel or riad. End of the tour.

Route map

Marrakech → Tizi n'Tichka pass → Aït Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate → Skoura → Dades Valley → Todra Gorges (Tinghir) → Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) → Alnif → N'Kob → Agdz → Marrakech

What's included

  • Private air-conditioned vehicle (4x4 or minivan) with fuel
  • Private English-speaking driver
  • 4 nights in kasbah hotels and a desert camp in your chosen category
  • Dinner and breakfast every night
  • Camel ride and desert camp night in Erg Chebbi
  • Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel or riad in Marrakech
  • Bottled water in the vehicle

Not included

  • Lunches and drinks
  • Entrance tickets (Telouet, film studios, kasbahs) and local guides
  • Optional activities
  • Travel insurance (mandatory)
  • Tips and personal expenses

Accommodation by category

Choose your hotel category. The final hotel names are confirmed when you book, depending on availability.

NightLocationStandardSuperiorLuxury
1OuarzazateFamily-run kasbah hotelBoutique kasbah with poolLuxury kasbah lodge
2Dades ValleyFamily-run kasbah hotelBoutique kasbah with poolLuxury kasbah lodge
3Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)Desert camp, tent with private bathroomComfort camp, tent with private bathroomLuxury camp, large tent with private bathroom
4AgdzFamily-run kasbah hotelBoutique kasbah with poolLuxury kasbah lodge

Photo gallery

Frequently asked questions

Why choose 5 days instead of 3 days?

The drives are shorter each day, you sleep in different places and you return by the Draa valley, so you see more of south Morocco.

What is the best season for this tour?

Spring and autumn are best. In April and May, the Rose Valley is in flower. Read best time to visit.

Can I add a second night in the desert?

Yes. We can add a night in Merzouga, or you can choose our 7-day tour.

Want to change this itinerary?

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