Trip overview
Five private days from Marrakech with two nights in the Erg Chebbi, a full day around Merzouga and a return by a different road, through Alnif, N'Kob and the Agdz palm grove.
- Duration5 days / 4 nights
- Starts inMarrakech
- GroupPrivate · 1–16 people
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguageEspañol
- DeparturesDaily departures all year round
Highlights
- Two nights in the Erg Chebbi: one at a camp and one at a guesthouse on the edge of the sand
- Aït Ben Haddou on foot, from the river up to the hilltop granary
- The Dades Valley and a stroll on the riverbed of the Todra Gorge
- Sunset camel ride to the camp
- Gnawa music in Khamlia
- Rissani souk and the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif
- Dayet Srji lake when it has water
- Return through Alnif and N'Kob, south of the Jbel Saghro
- A night in a kasbah in the Agdz palm grove
- Duration
- 5 days, 4 nights
- Driving
- ≈ 26 h in total
- In the dunes
- 2 nights in the Erg Chebbi
- Return
- Via N'Kob and Agdz
Stages and overnight stops
The way out goes over the Tichka, through the Dades and the Todra; the way back follows the southern road to the Draa.
Why we come back by a different road
The road from Rissani to Tansikht, through Alnif, Tazzarine and N'Kob, has very little traffic and scenery that looks nothing like the way out: dark hamada, the Jbel Saghro range to the north and small oases every few kilometres. Sleeping in Agdz keeps the last day to about 5 or 6 hours instead of the 9 or 10 of the direct drive back from Merzouga.
If you'd prefer a night in Zagora and a visit to Tamegroute, have a look at the 5-day southern circuit. To get to know the valley better, see the guide to Zagora and the Draa.
When to go
- March – MayGood timeMild temperatures and, if it has rained, water in Dayet Srji.
- October – NovemberGood timeWarm days in the dunes and cool nights in the Dades.
- December – FebruaryMixedNights sometimes below zero and possible snow on the Tichka.
- June – AugustBest avoidedOver 40 °C at midday in Merzouga and on the N'Kob road.
Before you book
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Marrakech – Tichka Pass – Aït Ben Haddou – Skoura – Dades Valley
We collect you at 7:30, and ninety minutes later the road begins to climb into the High Atlas. We stop for coffee in a village and again at the top, on the Tizi n'Tichka (about 2,260 m), where between December and March there may be snow on the verges.
Once on the southern side we reach Aït Ben Haddou before lunch. The ksar is visited on foot: you cross the river and climb between mud-brick houses to the old granary on the hilltop, with the Ounila Valley spread out below. We have lunch nearby and go through Ouarzazate without stopping much, because the Taourirt kasbah is saved for the last day. After the Skoura palm grove and Kalaat M'Gouna we enter the Dades Valley and reach the hotel as the light fades. Dinner and night in the valley. About 8 hours with stops, the longest day of the trip.
Day 2: Dades Valley – Tinghir – Todra Gorge – Jorf – Camel ride in the Erg Chebbi
After breakfast, if you like, we drive a few kilometres above the hotel to look down on the hairpin bends of the Dades road. Then we head for Tinghir, stopping at the viewpoint over its palm grove, and go into the Todra. We leave the car and you walk along the riverbed between rock walls over a hundred metres high, for half an hour or as long as you want.
We have lunch in the area and continue through Tinejdad to Jorf, where you can see the khettaras, underground channels that have carried water to the fields for centuries. Via Erfoud we reach Merzouga at around 17:00. Your suitcase stays at the guesthouse; you take just a backpack, get on the camel and in a little over an hour you're at the camp. Dinner at the camp, drums around the fire and bed in the tent. About 5 hours on the road.
Day 3: A day around Merzouga: Khamlia, Rissani souk, Moulay Ali Cherif and Dayet Srji
You're woken while it's still dark so you can be on top of a dune when the sun comes up and the sand turns orange. You ride back by camel, have breakfast at the guesthouse and take a shower.
Mid-morning we set off with your driver to Khamlia, where a Gnawa family plays for visitors in their home; afterwards it's customary to leave a voluntary contribution. Then on to Rissani. If it's market day, the souk fills with people from the villages selling dates, spices and livestock. Nearby stand the Moulay Ali Cherif mausoleum and the Oulad Abdelhalim ksar, with its tall mud walls. For lunch we recommend madfouna, a kind of bread stuffed with meat that is the local speciality.
If it has rained in the previous weeks, we stop at the Dayet Srji lake on the way back. The afternoon is free. Dinner and night at the guesthouse, at the foot of the dunes.
Day 4: Merzouga – Alnif – Tazzarine – N'Kob – Draa Valley – Agdz
We leave at around 8:30 on the road that runs west from Rissani, which few circuits use. The scenery changes quickly: black hamada, bare mountains and mud-brick villages at every oasis. In Alnif there are workshops where they clean trilobites and other fossils dug from the nearby quarries; if you're interested, we stop at one.
Past Tazzarine comes N'Kob, where dozens of mud kasbahs still stand at the foot of the Jbel Saghro; we have lunch in one of them. In the afternoon the road drops to the Draa river at Tansikht and turns north alongside the palm grove. Before Agdz we stop at the ksar of Tamnougalt, one of the best preserved in the valley. Dinner and night in a kasbah among the palms. About 6 hours on the road with stops, and most of the time we have it to ourselves.
Day 5: Agdz – Tizi n'Tinififft – Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate – Marrakech
If you're up early, take a walk through the palm grove before breakfast: at that hour the villagers are already watering their plots. We leave at around 9:00 and climb the Tizi n'Tinififft pass, with views over the Draa plain you've just left behind.
In Ouarzazate we visit the Taourirt kasbah, once owned by the Glaoui family, the most powerful in the south in the early 20th century. If you'd rather see the film studios on the outskirts, we swap the visit. After lunch in town we climb the Tichka again, this time from south to north. The descent towards Marrakech has plenty of bends and some lorry traffic, so the driver takes it steadily. We reach your accommodation between 17:30 and 18:30. About 5 or 6 hours with stops.
What's included
Included (9)
- We collect you from and return you to your accommodation in Marrakech
- Private air-conditioned car, driven by a Spanish-speaking driver
- Fuel and tolls
- Dinner, night and breakfast at a hotel in the Dades
- Camel ride to and from the camp (one camel per person)
- 1 night at a camp in the Erg Chebbi with dinner and breakfast
- 1 night at a family-run guesthouse beside the dunes, dinner and breakfast included
- 1 night in a kasbah in Agdz with dinner and breakfast
- Day of visits to Khamlia, Rissani and Dayet Srji with your driver
Not included (7)
- Lunches and drinks
- Entry to the Taourirt kasbah, the Tamnougalt ksar and other monuments
- Local guides in Aït Ben Haddou or the Todra (optional)
- Voluntary contribution to the Khamlia musicians
- Optional 4x4, quad or buggy trips
- Tips
- Travel insurance
Important information (6)
- Your large suitcase stays at the guesthouse on the camp night; put what you'll need for that night in a backpack.
- Dayet Srji lake only has water after rain; in summer and in dry autumns we leave it out.
- Rissani market is held on fixed days of the week; if you want to see it busy, tell us your dates and we'll adjust the order.
- From November to February the nights at the camp and in the Dades sometimes drop below zero; bring a proper coat.
- Vegetarian food is no problem; just let us know when you book.
- If you're travelling with small children, the camel ride to the camp can be swapped for a 4x4.
Prices per person
The vehicle and driver are paid per day and shared between the travellers, so the price per person goes down the more of you there are. Accommodation is charged per person per night (4 nights).
| Travellers | Standard | Superior |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | €1,110 | €1,290 |
| 2 people | €635 | €815 |
| 3 people | €477 | €657 |
| 4 people | €398 | €578 |
| 5 people | €350 | €530 |
| 6 people | €318 | €498 |
- Standard: Comfortable hotels and riads, standard desert camp
- Superior: More characterful accommodation and a superior desert camp
- Children aged 3 to 11: 3% less than an adult.
- Groups of more than 7 people travel in two vehicles. The booking calculator takes this into account.
Payment and cancellation
You pay a 15% deposit when you book. The rest is paid on the first day of the trip, in cash or by bank transfer. You can also pay it by PayPal or card, with a 5% surcharge.
Private: free up to 48 hours before the start. If you cancel in time, we refund the full deposit.
Extras you can add
Chosen when you book and added to the total. You can also ask for them later, subject to availability.
Quad bike in the Merzouga dunes
Guided quad ride around Erg Chebbi, helmet included
Dune buggy in Merzouga
Two-seater buggy with a guide through the dunes, helmet included
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Leave a reviewFrequently asked questions
What do I gain by spending two nights in Merzouga?
Time in the dunes without watching the clock. With a single night, you arrive as the sun is going down and leave the next morning. With two, you have a whole day for Khamlia, Rissani and Dayet Srji, a free afternoon on the sand and a night at a guesthouse with a shower and a big bed. There's almost no driving on the third day, and you notice it in how tired you feel.
How is it different from the 5-day southern Morocco tour?
The southern circuit spreads the time over many places and spends just one night in the desert, with another in Zagora and a visit to Tamegroute. This trip puts the weight on the Erg Chebbi: two nights there and a full day exploring the surroundings. The return goes through Alnif and N'Kob, as on the southern circuit, but instead of dropping down to Zagora it heads straight up towards Agdz.
Can I sleep both nights at the camp?
Yes. Some travellers prefer to stay in the tents and spend the next day in the dunes, with a walk or a 4x4 trip. In that case the bathrooms depend on the camp level: in Standard they're shared, and in Superior and Luxury they're inside the tent. We'll send you the price with the change.
When does Dayet Srji lake have water?
It depends on each year's rainfall. Usually it has water between late winter and spring, after the storms, and dries up in summer. Some years it doesn't fill at all. A week before you arrive we ask people in Merzouga and, if it's dry, we use that time for another visit or for a rest.
Is it a tiring trip with children?
The first day is long, about 8 hours with stops, so it's worth bringing something to keep them busy. The rest is manageable because there's hardly any road on the third day and the fourth follows a quiet route with frequent stops. Children usually love the camels, Khamlia and running about on the dunes.
