7-Day Morocco Journey from Marrakech to Merzouga

Your Moroccan tour begins the moment you land at Marrakech Menara Airport. You will be greeted and transferred to your traditional riad, a hidden oasis within the city’s ancient walls. Depending on your arrival time, you might have a chance for a first taste of the city’s magic. Otherwise, settle in and let the gentle sounds of the medina welcome you. Tonight, enjoy dinner and rest, for tomorrow your grand adventure into the heart of Morocco begins.

We depart Marrakech, leaving the city’s hum behind for the breathtaking grandeur of the High Atlas Mountains. Our route ascends the legendary Tizi n’Tichka pass, a winding road that offers stunning panoramic views at every turn. We then descend to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou, a magnificent mud-brick fortress that seems frozen in time.

A living film set, its ancient walls have starred in Gladiator and Game of Thrones. After exploring this historic ksar, our journey continues towards the Dades Valley, a dramatic landscape carved by water and time, often called the “Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs.”

After breakfast overlooking the beautiful Dades Valley, our path leads to another natural wonder: the Todra Gorge. Here, towering limestone cliffs rise 300 meters from the cool riverbed below, creating a spectacular corridor to walk through. From there, the landscape begins its dramatic transformation.

We travel through arid pre-Saharan plains and lush oases, a clear sign that we are approaching the great desert. Tonight, we arrive in Merzouga, settling into our hotel at the very edge of the vast Erg Chebbi dunes, in anticipation of tomorrow’s immersion into the Sahara.

Today is dedicated to exploring the soul of the desert. We embark on a 4×4 expedition around the Erg Chebbi dunes, venturing into the raw wilderness. We’ll stop to share mint tea with a nomadic family, learning about their resilient way of life. Our journey leads us to Khamlia, a village where the powerful, spiritual rhythms of Gnawa music offer a glimpse into the region’s deep ancestral connections to Mali.

In the late afternoon, your camel caravan awaits. You’ll trek gracefully across the shifting sands as the sun begins its fiery descent, painting the dunes in hues of orange and gold. Your destination is a secluded Berber camp, where a delicious traditional dinner, the beat of campfire drums, and a breathtaking canopy of stars create a night of pure desert magic.

After witnessing a spectacular Saharan sunrise, we leave the well-trodden path entirely. Today’s adventure takes us along a remote section of the original Paris-Dakar Rally route, a trail for true explorers. We traverse starkly beautiful landscapes, passing through the remote villages of Taouz, the sand-swept settlement of Ramlia, and the Erg of Ouzina. This is the deep desert, a place of profound silence and immense horizons. Our day concludes in Tafraoute Sidi Ali, a remote oasis where we’ll spend the night in an authentic Berber guesthouse, far from the modern world.

Our expedition continues as we journey towards the legendary Draa Valley, the largest and most famous oasis in Morocco. This lush, green ribbon of life, filled with millions of date palms, stretches for miles, dotted with historic, crumbling kasbahs that tell tales of ancient caravan routes. We will explore the magnificent Kasbah Tamnougalt, one of the valley’s most impressive and well-preserved fortresses. As the day ends, we arrive in Ouarzazate, the “Gateway to the Desert,” where we will spend the night.