Into the Great South & the Sahara
Cross the Atlas to the edge of the Sahara — kasbahs, canyons and the golden dunes of Merzouga.
South of Marrakech, the road climbs over the dramatic Tizi n’Tichka pass and drops into another Morocco — a land of fortified kasbahs, palm-filled oases and vast desert horizons. This four-day journey takes you to Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed earthen city that has starred in countless films, through the rose-tinted Dades and Todra gorges, and on to the towering dunes of Erg Chebbi at Merzouga.
There you’ll ride camels into the sand to watch the sun set, spend the night under the stars in a desert camp, and wake to a sunrise that few travellers ever forget. The route returns via Ouarzazate, the “door of the desert” and heart of Morocco’s film studios.
Itinerary — 4 days / 3 nights
- Day 1 — Marrakech → Tizi n'Tichka → Aït Benhaddou → Dades Valley & Gorges.
- Day 2 — Dades Gorges → Tinghir → Todra Gorges → Tinjdad → Erfoud → Rissani → Merzouga.
- Day 3 — Merzouga (desert & dunes) → Ouarzazate.
- Day 4 — Ouarzazate → Marrakech.
Highlights
- UNESCO kasbah of Aït Benhaddou
- Dades & Todra gorges
- Camel ride & night in a desert camp
- Sahara sunrise over Erg Chebbi
Good to know
- Long but scenic driving days
- Desert nights can be cool — bring a layer
- Upgradable to a luxury desert camp
- Extendable to the Draa Valley or Zagora