This is our most popular route, and for good reason: it is the perfect first taste of the Sahara. Three days across the High Atlas, through gorges and palm valleys, to a sunset camel trek into the dunes and a night in a traditional Berber camp.
The whole trip is private — your 4x4, your driver-guide and your pace. The days below are the shape we travel most often, and every stop can move, shorten or lengthen to suit you.
- Duration
- 3 days / 2 nights
- Pickup
- Marrakech — 7:00, hotel or riad
- Accommodation
- Hotel in Dades + Berber desert camp
- Group
- Private, 2–6 travellers
Itinerary outline
Marrakech → Aït Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate → Dades Valley
Depart at 7:00 over the High Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka pass, with photo stops at the viewpoints along the way. By mid-morning you walk the earthen streets of Aït Ben Haddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar you may recognise from Gladiator or Game of Thrones, and you can visit the Atlas Film Studios or the Taourirt Kasbah on the way through Ouarzazate. In the afternoon the road climbs through the Valley of Roses into the Dades Valley, with its red rock formations and palm groves. Night in a hotel in the Dades Valley, dinner included.
Dades Valley → Todra Gorge → Merzouga (Sahara)
After breakfast, the spectacular Todra Gorge: sheer cliffs rising to 300 metres, a canyon made for walking and photos. Then the road runs south through Berber villages and palm oases to Merzouga, arriving in the late afternoon. A 1.5-hour camel trek takes you into the Erg Chebbi dunes as the sun drops — try sandboarding, then dinner under the stars with Berber drum music around the campfire. Night in the desert camp, dinner and breakfast included.
Merzouga → Marrakech
Wake for sunrise over the dunes — worth it, we promise. After breakfast at the camp you ride the camels back to Merzouga, shower and set off west. The return runs through the Dades Valley, Ouarzazate and back over the Atlas with lunch and photo stops, meeting Marrakech around 7:00 pm.
What’s included
- Private 4x4 & English-speaking driver-guide
- Hotel pick-up & drop-off in Marrakech
- Dades Valley hotel — dinner & breakfast
- Berber desert camp — dinner & breakfast
- Camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes
- Sandboarding on the dunes
- Berber music around the campfire
- Bottled water, fuel & road taxes
- Lunches & drinks
- Monument entrance fees
- Optional local guide at Aït Ben Haddou
- Personal expenses
- Traveller tips
Accommodation
Two nights, two worlds: a family-run hotel in the Dades Valley, then a traditional Berber camp among the Erg Chebbi dunes. Tents have proper beds and bedding, with shared washroom facilities at the camp — and a luxury upgrade with private en-suite bathroom and hot shower is available on request.
Good to know
Are the dates flexible?
Yes. Every departure is private, so the route runs on your calendar — tell us when you arrive and we build the days around it.
What happens if the weather turns?
Safety comes first. In rain or a heavy sandstorm we swap the exposed sections for an adapted route or a 4x4, and keep the rest of the experience intact.
Is this tour suitable for children?
Absolutely — we welcome families and adjust the pace to suit. Camel rides and sandboarding are particularly popular with kids.
What are the desert camp facilities like?
Our standard camp has comfortable tents with proper beds, blankets and shared bathroom facilities. A luxury option with private en-suite bathrooms and hot showers is available on request.
Can we customise the itinerary?
Yes — this is a private tour. We can adjust stops, add activities or extend the route; just tell us what you would like.
What happens if it rains?
Rain is rare in the desert, but the tour runs in all weather. If conditions change, we adapt the exposed sections and keep the experience intact.