# 4-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour The Sahara at an easier pace: Aït Benhaddou, the Dadès and Todra gorges, a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes and a slower return through the palm groves of the Draa valley. - Duration: 4 days - Level: Easy - Highest point: 2,260 m - Starts: Marrakesh (riad or hotel) - Price per person: Price on request ## The tour The 4-day tour is the same journey to the Sahara as the 3-day trip, with one big difference: the drive back to Marrakesh is split in two. Instead of 9 to 10 hours on the road after a night at camp, you spend a relaxed day crossing the oases of the pre-Sahara and sleep in the Draa valley among palm groves and earth-built villages. Most travellers find it the most comfortable way to see the desert from Marrakesh. The way out crosses the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m, stops at the ksar of Aït Benhaddou and follows the Valley of Roses to the Dadès valley. On the second day you walk into the Todra gorge and ride a camel into the dunes of Erg Chebbi, the largest sand sea in Morocco, for sunset and a night at camp. You travel privately with your own driver, so the pace, the stops and the photo breaks are up to you. ### Is this tour for you? This tour suits travellers who want the desert without the longest road days: couples, families, older travellers and photographers who like to stop often. There is no hiking, only short walks and the camel ride. If you are short of time, the 3-day tour covers the same highlights with one long drive back. If you want to finish in Fes, choose the 3-day Marrakech to Fes tour. ### Highlights - Camel ride and desert camp - Aït Benhaddou ksar - Dadès and Todra gorges - Draa valley palm groves - Shorter road days ### On this page ## Day by day A sample itinerary for the 4-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour. Your driver adapts it to the weather, the season and the group. ### Day 1 Marrakesh, Aït Benhaddou and the Dadès valley About 8 hours on the road, with stops. Night: Hotel in the Dadès valley Pickup in Marrakesh in the morning and the drive over the High Atlas to the Tizi n'Tichka pass. On the southern side you visit Aït Benhaddou, the fortified village of earth houses above the Ounila river, then continue through Ouarzazate, the oasis of Skoura and the Valley of Roses around Kalaat M'Gouna to the Dadès valley for the night. ### Day 2 Todra gorge and the Sahara About 5 hours on the road, then 1 to 1.5 hours by camel. Night: Desert camp in Erg Chebbi A morning drive to Tinghir and a walk along the floor of the Todra gorge, between rock walls up to about 300 metres high. In the afternoon you reach Merzouga at the edge of Erg Chebbi. A camel guide leads you into the dunes for about an hour, in time to climb a dune for sunset, and dinner is served at the camp. ### Day 3 Sunrise and the Draa valley About 6 to 7 hours on the road, with stops. Night: Guesthouse or hotel in the Draa valley Watch the sunrise from the dunes, have breakfast and ride back to Merzouga. The drive west follows the edge of the Sahara through oasis villages towards the Draa valley, where the longest river in Morocco feeds a long ribbon of date palms and kasbahs. The night is in a guesthouse or hotel in the valley. ### Day 4 Ouarzazate and back to Marrakesh About 5 hours on the road. Night: End of the tour in Marrakesh An easy final morning: drive to Ouarzazate, known for its film studios and the Taourirt kasbah, then cross the High Atlas again to Marrakesh, arriving in the afternoon. ## When to go October to April is the best time for the desert, with warm days and cool nights. December to February brings cold nights at camp, so bring a warm layer. The Tizi n'Tichka pass can close for a few hours after heavy snow; we plan around the forecast. June to August is very hot in the middle of the day. The tour still runs, with early starts, long lunch breaks in the shade and the camel ride in the evening. 1. Jan 2. Feb 3. Mar 4. Apr 5. May 6. Jun 7. Jul 8. Aug 9. Sep 10. Oct 11. Nov 12. Dec ## Where you sleep and what you eat You spend two nights in hotels or guesthouses (Dadès valley and Draa valley), with private rooms, dinner and breakfast, and one night at a desert camp in Erg Chebbi, in a tent with beds and blankets. Tell us if you would like a camp with private bathrooms and we will include it in your quote. Dinners are Moroccan home cooking, with mint tea. Lunches are not included, so you can stop where you like; your driver knows good local places. ### Pickup and getting there The tour starts and ends at your riad or hotel in Marrakesh. If your riad is inside the medina, we meet you at the nearest point a car can reach. Travel with a small bag for three nights and leave your main luggage in Marrakesh if you can. ## Travel tips and safety Protect yourself from the sun with a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a scarf, and drink more water than you think you need. Bring a warm layer for the night in the desert in every season. Your driver plans regular breaks on the mountain roads. Carry cash in dirhams for lunches, drinks, entrance fees and tips. ### Tips and money Tipping is customary in Morocco. Drivers, camp teams and local guides appreciate a tip at the end of the trip if you were happy with the service; give what feels right. Bring dirhams in small notes, as card payments are rare outside the cities. ### What to pack for this tour Tick items as you pack. Your list stays saved in this browser. ## What's included - Pickup and drop-off at your riad or hotel in Marrakesh - Private driver and air-conditioned vehicle - 2 hotel or guesthouse nights, with dinner and breakfast - 1 night at a desert camp in Erg Chebbi, with dinner and breakfast - Camel ride to the camp and back ## Not included - Lunches and drinks - Local guides and entrance fees at the sites - Travel insurance - Tips for your driver and the camp team ## Before you go Read the [answers to common questions](https://toubkaltrekkingexperts.com/faq/) and the [booking terms](https://toubkaltrekkingexperts.com/terms/). Your quote lists exactly what your price includes. ## What travellers say about our team - [Google**5.0**97 reviews](https://share.google/3jRnYLoZh7Cp5ZE8l) - [Tripadvisor**Reviews**Read them on Tripadvisor →](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g488109-d33265993-Reviews-Toubkal_Hiking_Experts-Imlil_Marrakech_Safi.html) This tour has no reviews of its own yet. These are from guests on our Toubkal treks. **Anais Pontoizeau**1 review · 2 photos October 2026 > A very good experience. A superb, very well organised outing with our guide Youssef! Very good communication with Mohamed! Toubkal in one day! Mission accomplished! I recommend it Translated from French **Roger Bilhou**16 reviews October 2026 > We climbed Toubkal after completing the 10-day grand tour of Toubkal. Nothing to fault in the organisation, from the pickup in Marrakesh to the return. Everything was perfect and just as we hoped. A special mention for the excellent cooking Translated from French **Thibaut Drogue**4 reviews September 2026 > A superb experience for a first 4,000 m peak, full of traditions and landscapes. Our guide Yassine was great and looked after us all the way up! I recommend it! Translated from French **Del Knight**3 reviews · 6 photos August 2026 > My father and I have just come back from an extraordinary trekking experience in the Atlas Mountains, including the ascent of Mount Toubkal. I can’t recommend Saeed Rashid and the whole Toubkal Hiking Experts team highly enough… [Read the full review on Google](https://share.google/3jRnYLoZh7Cp5ZE8l) Translated from French **Iñaki U.**Local Guide · 31 reviews April 2026 > Climbing Toubkal with Hassan as my guide was a wonderful experience. He is incredibly strong and experienced, and always made me feel confident, even on the most demanding sections… [Read the full review on Google](https://share.google/3jRnYLoZh7Cp5ZE8l) Translated from French **Benjamin Michaux**1 review · 10 photos April 2026 > My four-day trek in the Atlas Mountains was unforgettable thanks to Yassin! Very friendly, he introduced me to Berber culture, its villages and its people, and showed me breathtaking landscapes, all while looking after my wellbeing and my meals. I couldn’t have done it without him! A big thank you! Translated from French [Read all 18 reviews](https://toubkaltrekkingexperts.com/reviews/) ## Questions about the 4-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour More answers on our [FAQ page](https://toubkaltrekkingexperts.com/faq/), or ask us on WhatsApp. We usually reply within a few hours. ### What is the difference between the 3-day and 4-day tours? The route to the desert is the same. The 4-day tour adds a night in the Draa valley on the way back, so you never drive more than about 7 hours in a day. ### How long is the camel ride? About an hour each way, at a walking pace, timed for sunset on the way out and after sunrise on the way back. ### Can we sleep in a camp with a private bathroom? Yes. Tell us when you ask for a quote and we will include a camp with private bathrooms. ### Is the tour suitable for children? Yes, if they are happy with long drives. Children can ride camels with an adult. ### Can we add a night in the desert? Yes, a second night at camp gives you a full day in the dunes, for example to visit Khamlia or a nomad family. Ask us for a custom itinerary. ## Book the 4-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour Tell us when you'd like to go and who's coming. We reply with availability and a clear quote, usually within a day. Price on request - [WhatsApp +212 660 816 933](https://wa.me/212660816933) - [contact@toubkaltrekkingexperts.com](mailto:contact@toubkaltrekkingexperts.com) ## Other tours - [ 3-Day Merzouga Desert Tour from Marrakech 3 days, price on request ](https://toubkaltrekkingexperts.com/tours/3-day-merzouga-desert-tour/) - [ 3-Day Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour via Merzouga 3 days, price on request ](https://toubkaltrekkingexperts.com/tours/3-day-marrakech-to-fes-desert-tour/) - [ 2-Day Zagora Desert Trip from Marrakech 2 days, price on request ](https://toubkaltrekkingexperts.com/tours/2-day-zagora-desert-trip/) --- A 4-day private desert tour from Marrakech: Aït Benhaddou, Dadès and Todra gorges, a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes and the Draa valley. Source: https://toubkaltrekkingexperts.com/tours/4-day-merzouga-desert-tour/ Contact Toubkal Trekking Experts: WhatsApp +212 660 816 933, email contact@toubkaltrekkingexperts.com.