3 days tour from Marrakech to Merzouga desert details:
The 3 days desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga Desert is the most popular tour from Marrakech. During this 3-day desert tour from Marrakech, you will enjoy the beautiful sceneries. The landscape change on the road is captivating. The most interesting thing in these 3 days is that you will discover the genuine beauty of Morocco. You will drive through the High Atlas Mountains and enjoy its beauty and arrive at the famous Kasbah Ait Benhaddou. Famous for its beautiful and old architecture.
Not only that, but many movies were also filmed there such as Gladiator, the game of thrones. After that, you will explore Ouarzazate with its Atlas studio and Kasabah Amridil. In the end, you will drive by the rose valley before we get to our final destination of the day.
Next day, you will explore the Todghra Gorge and Palmary. Also, the water irrigation system that they used in the past to get the water to the oasis and Erfoud. The latter is famous for Marbel products or fossils products. When we arrive in Merzouga, you will be taken on a camel ride over the dunes to see the sunset and play the sandboard. In the evening you will camp in the desert and spend the night there playing the drums under the stars.
The Last day, will be 9 hours’ drive from the Sahara desert to Marrakech. We will take a different way and cross the small Atlas.
We can highlight some activities in our 3-day tour from Marrakech to the Sahara Desert is the camel ride to see the sunset. Also, overnight stay in a desert camp.
▼ Highlights | ▼ Itinerary | ▼ Included/excluded
► Highlights:
Kasbahs to visit with 3 days tour from Marrakech To Merzouga:
Kasbahs in Morocco:
A long time ago, the population of morocco invented a very special art of architecture. It was different from any other architecture in the world. Before the emergence of the big cities, the old Moroccans settled in what is called ksour and Kasbahs which are set of house buildings linked together to make one large village. The buildings were built traditionally.
The mud, stones, and straw were the main ingredients used at that time, and also they were not building any fences around in the Ksours, but in the Kasbahs, they were building high and huge fences that are because kasbahs were like strongly defended forts on strategically placed high points all over the regions.
Another thing that characterizes Kasbahs in the inscriptions from the bottom to the top. We are going to focus only here on the Kasbahs that we will visit during this 3 days tour from Marrakech to Merzouga.
Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou is the first fortress, we will visit during this 3 days tour From Marrakech to Merzouga:
You have probably never heard of it, yet it is one of the most famous places in the world. The Ksar Ait Ben Haddou is located on the southern slopes of the High Atlas Mountains. Also, it is 30km far away from the town of Ouarzazate, more or less. The Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou is a perfect synthesis of the earthen architecture of the pre-Saharan regions of morocco.
Not to mention that it is a vivid example of the southern Moroccan art and design in making buildings. Ait Ben Haddou was once a place of living for many families who succeeded to create a collective grouping of dwelling. It signifies that they were living as a unit.
There are buildings and community areas in the Ksar, and the Kasbah is crowded houses together with high angles towers decorated with motifs in clay bricks and engraved from the inside and outside. The oldest erection seems to be earlier than the 17th or so.
The construction materials used in the regular maintenance are still the same; mud, stones, and straw. Thanks to these maintenance control the village and the Kasbah are still fine. A huge considerable number of tourists come each year to see this historical monument which is also a destination for many cinema makers. The Kasbah itself has been and still a perfect background in movies and many movies were snapped there.
Kasbah Amridil is the second fortified village, we will visit during this 3 days tour From Marrakech to Merzouga:
The Kasbah of Amridil is a real historical monument and a living museum in the village of Skoura. The Kasbah belongs now to the Nassiri Family, their predecessors once built the Kasbah of Amridil in the 17th century. Visiting the Kasbah offers the visitor an experience to take a look at how the life of the Saharan people was a long time ago.
Also, the Kasbah hasn’t changed much, and the walls are well-maintained. Inside of it, you will be able to see stunning things like the old olive oil press, old walls, etc…
The outskirt area of the Kasbah and the village is a rich stunning scenery full of date palms and almond, olive, and fig trees. Of course, there are other kasbahs around the village of Skoura but the kasbah of Amridil is the most known of all. In your visit to the Amridil kasbah do not forget to explore the oasis of Skoura too and meet the friendly people.
During these 3 days from Marrakech to Merzouga, you will explore the Atlas mountains:
High Atlas:
In the far northwest of Africa, extend from the Atlantic Ocean in Morocco to Tunisia, the Atlas Mountains lies. The big part of the Atlas Mountains is in Morocco, where there are the highest mountain summits in Africa. There is nowhere else you that catch the spirit of Africa like Morocco; the thing that has been attracting a lot of attention of numerous tourists around the world and still to be. It’s well known that the Atlas Mountains in morocco expand from the southwest to the northeast crossing over Morocco from the middle.
Also, it consists of three major ranges; the High Atlas range, Middle Atlas range, and Small Atlas range. The High Atlas Mountains is the favorite place for trekkers and hikers due to the elevated mountains, which offers them the supreme adventure. The highest point in the Atlas Mountains stands at 4,167 meters at Toubkal. Usually, tourists start their journey to the high atlas from the village of Imlil. Not to mention that they start exploring the village before heading up to the high Mountains.
Before reaching the summit of Toubkal there are lots of challenging tops ahead of you to climb like Tizi Likermt (3555meters) and Tizi N’Ouoraine (3121 meters). Therefore, you have to descend into the villages where you will camp to spend the night. Getting to the highest summit of Toubkal in about 3 hours climbing in good weather conditions, is rewarding with beautiful natural sceneries of the Atlas range and an amazing view of the entire massif Atlas chain.
The Middle Atlas and small Atlas:
In the center of Morocco lies the middle Atlas Mountains portion, which consists of picturesque views of the natures, rivers, lakes, cedar forests. Also, beautiful cities in the lower foothills like Ifrane nicknamed the Switzerland of Morocco. The highest point in the middle Atlas Mountains reaches 3,335 meters at Nasser Mountain.
Finally, the small Atlas Mountains extend on the southwest side of morocco, named as such because it has the lowers peaks among others. Among things, the small atlas is home to Tafraout with its Blue Rocks colored by J.Viram and the Saharan climate.
Ouarzazate:
Join our 3 days desert from Marrakech to Merzouga and explore Ouarzazate, the Hollywood city. Technically, the name of Ouarzazate has somehow linked to films making and cinema productions either in morocco itself or internationally. Ouarzazate is located in the deep south of Morocco, home of the most known Kasbahs in Morocco. The city isn’t that big, but it is humble-looking, its economic income relies on tourism and its people as well.
Besides, Ouarzazate contains three big studios for movie-making, Atlas Studios is commonly the most known of them all over the world. Also, the outskirts of the center city contain surreal landscapes one might have seen ever, palm trees, further view of high Mountains, villages which considered as a vivid history, flowing water gives birth to the oasis.
Dades Gorges and Todgha Gorges:
On our 3 days tour from Marrakech to Merzouga desert, you will visit Dades and Todgha Gorges. The Dades Gorges is over 100 kilometers extends from Ouarzazate to Tinghir. In the valley is a land of breathtaking scenery in the south of Morocco in addition to the redundancy of roses production. Particularly in Skoura and Kalaat M’Gouna.
The river of Dades Valley separates the Atlas mountains from the Anti-Atlas, the beauty of the area won’t do without the kasbahs, which overlooking the river, the natural picture of kasbahs along the way, the massive Jbel Saghro in the South, fertile oasis, and Sahara give great aesthetic pleasure. Dades Valley ends where Todgha Gorges begins exactly nearby the town in Tinghir.
The river has carved out cliff-sided canyons, the red rocky walls look lofty in the sky. The city of Tinghir which is not so far away from Todgha Gorges is surrounded by a catchy Plam tree oasis in the southeast of Morocco. Recently, hot-air balloons have been experimented with to allow tourists to enjoy the amazing city of Tinghir and the gorges from above, the idea meets with tourists’ approval.
In short, the mixture of natural components of the wild natural landscape of Dades Gorges and Todgha Gorges won’t be found anywhere else, but in the southeast of Morocco, the place is perfectly perfect to see all the Saharan combinations in one single spot.
Merzouga:
Merzouga desert considers the best place you will visit during this 3 days desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga. Once you go deeper in the Daraa Tafilalet Desert, there is somewhere in the middle of nowhere lies Merzouga. The latter is known as the iconic symbol of the desert. It becomes famous all over the world for its huge golden dunes.
Millions of tourists and visitors come to pay a visit every day and every week for the whole year. May and April in particular know a flock of tourists all over the world thanks to the many things Merzouga offers them. Camel Riding, Cart, and Quad riding over the dunes are what bring joy for visitors. Moreover, spending the night in the middle of the desert among the dunes and the sparkling stars is morally supporting, and also it has a distinguished savor.
Certainly, to find out the secrets of Merzouga beauty, words will never be able to describe it. However, showing round Merzouga, and being in contact with the massive round dunes will blow your mind, and if you think that desert is just a hardscrabble desert, Merzouga will modify the idea on your mind.
► Included:
- Travel by 4×4 vehicle/minibus with A / C
- Driver / Guide.
- Petrol.
- Camel ride.
- 1 night in desert camp (breakfast and dinner).
- Pick up and drop off at your accommodation.
- Sandboard and music at the camp.
► Not included:
- Flight.
- lunches.
- Drinks.
► 3 days tour from Marrakech to Merzouga desert itinerary:
1st day: Marrakech – Tizi N tichka Pass – Ait Benhaddou – Ouarzazate – Rose valley:
First of all, we will pick you up at your (Hotel or Riad… ) then we will start our 3 days tour from Marrakech to Merzouga Sahara Desert, passing by Dades Gorges and Tizi-n-Tichka pass on High Atlas, with picturesque views of mountains and traditional Berber villages. After enjoying the beauty of the Atlas mountains and the old Berber villages, we will visit one of UNESCO’s World Heritage, the kasbah of Ait Benhaddou.
You will have lunch at Ait Benhaddou Kasbah. Also, you will have the chance to explore the Hollywood city, Ouarzazate by visiting its famous studio known as Atlas studios. Also, you will learn more about Moroccan history and culture, when we will visit the kasbah Amridil. Afterward, we continue to Dades gorges through roses and Dades valley. We will spend our first night in a Riad or hotel in Dades gorges.
2nd day: Dades valley– Tenghir – Todgha Palmeraie And Canyon – Tinjda – Erfoud– Merzouga:
On our second days of the 3 days desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, after breakfast, our destination will be Tinghir to take a walk in the Todgha gorge. Then, to the dunes of Erg Chebbi. The dunes are located near Merzouga in the Sahara Desert.
After that, we will continue to the Sahara Desert to do a camel ride for one hour to watch the sunset from Erg Chebbi dunes. Not to mention, that you can play the sandboard by then. The Camel trek continues until we get to the camp. By the end of the day, we will spend the night huddling close to the fire with locals.
3rd Day: Camel trekking – Draa Palmerie – Atlas Mountanais – Back to Marrakech:
Firstly, we will make sure you wake up early in the morning so that you do not miss the sunrise and miss the beauty of the sun among the sand dunes. Secondly, you will have breakfast, then you will ride the camel’s back to the hotel. From the hotel, you will start your day tour backing to Marrakech through different areas.
Also, through different Berber villages until Ouarzazate. It is where we will use the same road back to Marrakech. Furthermore, we will arrive in the evening or at night. It depends on the traffic, and this will be the end of our 3 Days tour from Marrakech to Merzouga desert.