Three Days to the Dunes
3-Day Merzouga Desert Tour from Marrakech
Marrakech to Erg Chebbi and back, drive times published
- 3 days · 2 nights
- Marrakech → Marrakech
- About 20 hours over 3 days. driving
Marrakech to the Sahara and back in three days means two long driving days on either side of one night in the dunes. That is geography, not laziness, and no operator can shorten it. What I can do is tell you before you pay, break the drives properly, and route day one through the Ounila valley so the first leg is scenery rather than motorway. You will see the Tichka, Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades and Todra gorges and Erg Chebbi. You will also sit in a van for a long time. If you have four days, take the four-day version and I will say so.
Why I run it this wayThe most-sold and most-complained-about tour in the country, because nobody says out loud that it is twenty hours of driving. I say it first. If you are still in, it is three genuinely beautiful days.
The things worth stopping for
- The Ounila valley detour and the Glaoui ruins at Telouet, instead of the main road
- Ait Ben Haddou walked properly rather than photographed from the car park
- Dades and Todra gorges, both in daylight
- Camel into Erg Chebbi for sunset, night at camp, sunrise on the crests
- Every leg's driving time on the page before you pay a deposit
Where this trip takes you
Straight lines between stops, not the exact roads — the driving is the winding version of this.
How the trip goes
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Day 1: Marrakech to Dades Gorge
Driving: About 7 hoursOver the Tizi n'Tichka, then off the main road into the red canyon of the Ounila valley for the crumbling Glaoui palace at Telouet. Ait Ben Haddou on foot, then Skoura's palm grove and up into the Dades.
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Day 2: Dades to Merzouga
Driving: About 5 hoursThe Tissdrine switchbacks in morning light, then Todra where the walls close to ten metres apart. East through Erfoud, with medfouna, the stuffed Berber bread, for lunch. Into the 4x4 at the dune edge, camel at sunset, camp.
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Day 3: Merzouga to Marrakech
Driving: About 9 hoursSunrise on the dunes, then the long road home through Rissani, Tinghir and the Tichka. This is the hard day and I do not dress it up.
I'll email you this itinerary — every day, what's included, what it costs — so you can think it over and share it.
One email with the itinerary. No account, and I don't pass your address to anyone — see the privacy policy.
What's included
Included
- Private van with me driving
- 4x4 into the dunes with a local desert driver
- 2 nights: gorge guesthouse and desert camp
- Half board at camp
- Camel ride
- Riad pickup and drop-off
Not included
- Lunches
- Entry fees
- Tips
Read more about where you'll be
A closer look
Questions about this route
How much driving is this 3-day desert trip?
About 20 hours over the three days: around 7 on day one, 5 on day two, and about 9 back to Marrakech on the last day. I stop regularly — it's a road trip, not a transfer.
How much does the 3-day Merzouga tour cost?
$390–$530 per person. The lower figure assumes four people sharing, the upper assumes two. Travelling solo costs more per person, since it's still one van and one driver.
Can I finish in Fes instead of going back to Marrakech?
Yes. The 3-day Marrakech to Fes route follows the same road to the dunes, then drops you in Fes — about 8 hours from Merzouga.
Other routes worth a look
2 Days · 1 Nights2-Day Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech
Two Days to Zagora$230–$310 per person · accommodation included
3 Days · 2 Nights3-Day Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour via Merzouga
The High Atlas Crossing$420–$580 per person · accommodation included
4 Days · 3 Nights4-Day Fes to Marrakech Desert Tour via Merzouga
Fes to Marrakech, Four Days$540–$730 per person · accommodation includedTell me when you're coming
Every route bends: more time somewhere, a different start, a night added. Send your dates and I'll plan it around you.