Itinerary: 3 day Sahara Adventure from Marrakech - Private Tour
Morocco is one of my favourite places in the world. The colours, the spices, the people (minus some of the men in the markets), the riads, the camels, the desert...I could go on and on. I spent about 6 months planning my first trip to Marrakech and here is my exact itinerary and experience of our 3-day adventure from Marrakech to the Sahara and back.
Firstly before we go any further. I have a question for you. Do you get car sick? How bad is it? Does it hit you after a few corners or after a few hours? There are about 20+ hours of overall driving. If this does not work for you we recommend traveling to the Sahara from a different location in Morocco or going to the Stone Desert, which is much closer to Marrakech.
So I spent a lot of time researching the best tours and guides for our trip to the Sahara desert. My budget was decent but not huge. Since we’re all about value – this particular tour company and itinerary were perfect for us.
You can read all the reviews
It’s important to point out they’re #1 on Tripadvisor for Tours in Ouarzazate. Read the reviews. They are quick in their response and they will answer every question no matter how ridiculous you might think it is. I found them to be reliable and honest. They have many different tour options depending on wherever you’re traveling from or to in Morocco. If you’re looking for a group tour or have a smaller budget there are many different tour operators in Morocco. We will do our best to cover these as soon as possible.
When we booked we paid 289Euro per person for a private tour which includes all accommodation, travel, and dinner. We upgraded both our accommodations 2 weeks out which was extra.
Read our Marrakech City Guide here
Where to stay in Marrakech? Read our Le Riad Yasmine review here
A night in the stone desert? Check out our review of Inara Camp
Day one
The journey begins! Your guide will pick you up from your hotel.
We departed from Marrakech at 8 am and began our journey towards Ouarzazate. Just to prepare you early on, toilet stops are always possible but not always possible...if you get what I mean. Be sure to take tissues/toilet paper with you. You will travel via the Tichka Pass which is the highest road pass in Morocco. You will take in panoramic views of the High Atlas mountains, magnificent landscapes and the scenery of Berber villages. The drive is 4hrs but you’ll make a couple of short stops along the way with opportunities to purchase Moroccan products before arriving at the amazing UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait ben Haddou.
As soon as you arrive you will have lunch. Now I don’t want to ruin the surprise…but lunch will be tagine. After lunch, you will walk towards Ait ben Haddou and make your way through the village. It is just incredible. Take in the whole atmosphere as you dodge the roaming donkeys, carts and giant cows. Once you arrive at the top of the town you will be able to take in the panoramic views of the Moroccan landscape. It is otherworldly and truly something to remember forever.
After Ait ben Haddou, you will jump back in the car and begin your 2hr journey along the Road of One Thousand Kasbahs passing through the Skoura Oasis and continuing to the Valley of the Roses - the centre of Moroccan roses and rose products. I didn’t see any roses...but the valley is beautiful. You don’t have to stop to buy any rose products if you don’t want but you may ask your guide to stop whenever you need to. Your guide by this point has become your best friend, and you should be thrilled that you went with this company! You will arrive at your final destination of the day - your hotel in Dades Gorge.
Now please listen to me, if you haven’t already. Please upgrade your accommodation option from basic to Chez Pierre for 25Euro per person extra. For the extra price, you receive a free three-course dinner and a massive breakfast in the morning. The dinner was unbelievable, and we would’ve paid much more than the upgrade cost just for a dinner like that in London. Enjoy the stunning views of the red rocks and Dades Gorge scenery as the sun goes down. The hotel has a pool and beautiful rooms with views. Check out Chez Pierre here.
Ait ben Haddou
Skoura Oasis
Chez Pierre, Dades Gorge
Day TWO
You will depart from your hotel after breakfast. There is no rush to leave. Your journey begins to Merzouga – The Gateway to the Sahara. Did you just get chills? Me too. It’s about 1hr 20 minutes in the car to your first stop - Todra Gorge. Our guide couldn’t drive into the gorge so he waited for us as we walked in to explore. The gorge was filled with local people swimming in the river, enjoying time with their family and there were goats everywhere. Local people are selling products relatively aggressively to the tourists (that’s you) but you don’t have to buy. A polite no with a big smile is your way out of that one. We’ll cover more of how to deal with the markets in another post soon. Todra Gorge is the highest oasis in Morocco. The gorge is cut into the ochre-colored cliffs of the High Atlas. Its walls are 300 metres high and at their most narrow are 20 meters apart. When you’re done you will head back to the car and continue towards the whole reason why you’ve done this tour in the first place – the Sahara! Chills again. Just before we arrived our guide took us to an underground water system that use to provide the towns with water from the Oasis. Interesting, but also conveniently had a tent set up selling antique jewelry for ‘the ladies’ at hundreds of euros. Our guide was amazing, so it’s all good to just say no but they will try their hardest. Warning. They have kittens. Don’t let them see how excited you are about this.
Todra Gorge
You’ll stop for lunch in an Oasis – sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? This place was a little odd. They will suggest that you visit the museum...if you want to support the locals and kill some time then definitely go but I would ask your guide to hit the road a little earlier than planned.
You eventually reach the little town of Merzouga. We stopped to get some cash-out and I was most certainly the only woman in sight. If you end up spending any time here, it probably won’t be for long. You will then be driven by your guide to the dunes of the Sahara Desert. You made it. It was worth the driving and the drip drying toilet stops (not for you though because you will have brought your own toilet paper/tissues for the journey)
When you first see the dunes, it’s quite unbelievable. Against the skyline, they just don’t look real. You’ll drive towards the location where your camels will be waiting for you to take you to your camp. Now listen carefully. The regular camp they will book for you will be average but that is all that you will need. If you go with the regular camp, they will hold onto your luggage and keep it safe overnight whilst you make the journey into the Sahara with a backpack. The next morning when you return you will be taken to a hotel in Merzouga to use a shower. Alternatively, you can upgrade to a luxury camp. We did. Because it was my 30th and well, I just wanted to OK. This was 60 Euros per person extra. It was fabulous but in my opinion, it is not necessary for an amazing experience.
Now be careful on the camels, they stand up most amazingly – back legs first. So hold on from the minute you sit on that camel. They will get them to stand up when you’re least prepared! You, your camel and designated guide for the ride will trek across the Sahara as the sun sets over the dunes and you will stop halfway for photos. Breathe it in. Try to remember this moment, although I have to say it is hard to forget. When you arrive at your camp your guide will potentially try to sell you some homemade goods. It’s important to tip him. Most people say 1-2Euro. Since it was our first time in Morocco we were a little weak with our negotiating skills and we ended up giving him 10Euro for a homemade miniature camel...anyway – you can be better. As always in Morocco when you arrive anywhere you will be served refreshing mint tea and you’ll watch the remainder of the sun setting across the dunes. Then it’s time for dinner. Can you guess? I won’t ruin it for you. You will also experience Berber music and the night lying under the stars (until the potential sandstorm hits)
Due to such an unforeseen sandstorm, we had to keep all our tent windows and zips closed throughout the night so our tent became unbearably hot. It was all part of the experience! After many attempts to cool down, it resulted in me soaking a whole towel and sleeping on it.
The Sahara Desert, Erg Chebbi
Saharian Luxury Camp
Day THREE
Wake up early for the sunrise. You can see the sun rising over the dunes with nothing in its way. It is magic. You will then return to Merzouga to shower (if you didn’t go luxury). This is a big day. You are ultimately driving from the Sahara back to Marrakech which is around 9 hours. You will be taken via Rissani which is the place where Arab dynasties first came to Morocco and you will stop for lunch. I think you know what’s for lunch. You will pass through gorges with stunning views of valleys and palm groves eventually driving back through the Atlas mountains before arriving at your Riad in Marrakech. Due to some rain in the mountains on our return, part of the road collapsed in the Atlas Mountains. Our guide switched off the car and said we would be here between 1 to 6 hours depending on how fast they could fix the road. Apparently, it happens all the time! Everyone was standing around outside of their cars talking as if they all knew each other. Lucky for us (and my bladder) we were only there for 1hr 30 before being able to continue driving.
You should arrive around 6-7 pm at your Riad – which should be Le Riad Yasmine. If Riad Yasmine is booked then please stay tuned for our full list of wonderful riads in Marrakech coming soon.
Tour
Morocco Desert Tour
Morocco Desert Tour - Tripadvisor
moroccodeserttour@gmail.com
Accommodation
Chez Pierre Dades Gorge
Saharian Luxury Camp
If you’re looking for a great and reliable transfer in Marrakech - we recommend booking through our favourite partner HERE.
If you need an E-Sim whilst travelling (we recommend you get one!) then you can book through our partner HERE.
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