4-Day Tour from Essaouira to Marrakech via the Sahara
4 days · 3 nightsEssaouira → Merzouga → MarrakechEasyPrivate
From the ocean to the dunes: the argan forest, the High Atlas, Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades valley, a night in our camp and the return to Marrakech through the Draa.
The short way to go from Essaouira to the Sahara and finish in Marrakech. You leave the ocean in the morning, cross the argan forest and the High Atlas and sleep in front of Ait Ben Haddou.
The second day follows the kasbahs to the Dades gorge, the third the Todra gorge to the dunes of Merzouga and our camp, and the last brings you to Marrakech through the Draa valley.
Highlights
Argan forest and cooperative
Ait Ben Haddou at sunset
Dades and Todra gorges
Night in our desert camp
Draa valley and Marrakech
Day by day
Day 1
Essaouira – argan forest – Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Ait Ben Haddou
We pick you up at your riad in Essaouira early in the morning and drive inland through the argan forest, where you may see goats perched in the branches of the trees, and stop at a women's cooperative to taste argan oil and amlou, the local spread of almonds and honey. We go around Marrakech and climb into the High Atlas, through Berber villages and valleys of walnut trees, to the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 metres. On the other side the mountains turn red and dry, and in the afternoon we reach Ait Ben Haddou, the fortified village of earth classified by UNESCO. You climb through its alleys to the old granary at the top as the walls glow in the late light. Dinner and night in a kasbah hotel facing the ksar.
Day 2
Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – Skoura – Valley of Roses – Dades
A day among the kasbahs of the south. We pass Ouarzazate, where you can visit the kasbah of Taourirt or the film studios, and stop in the palm grove of Skoura, a green oasis full of earth castles, to visit the kasbah of Amridil. We follow the valley of the Dades river to Kalaat M'Gouna, famous for its roses, which bloom in late April and May and are used to make rose water and perfumes. In the afternoon we enter the Dades gorge, where the river has carved red cliffs and rocks with rounded shapes, and drive up the zigzag road to the viewpoint. You can walk along the river among the fields of wheat, almond trees and fig trees before dinner. Night in a guesthouse in the gorge.
Day 3
Dades – Todra gorge – Erfoud – Merzouga, camel ride and night in our camp
After breakfast we drive to Tinghir and walk into the Todra gorge, a canyon of orange rock so narrow that in some places the sun only reaches the bottom for a few hours a day. We cross the desert plateaus to Erfoud and arrive in Merzouga in the afternoon, where the dunes of Erg Chebbi rise suddenly from the flat black desert. Your cameleer is waiting with the caravan. You ride into the dunes as the sun goes down, stop on a crest to watch the sand turn red and violet, and arrive at our camp at nightfall. Dinner is served in the dining tent, followed by Berber music and drums around the fire. Night in your private tent with a real bed and bathroom, in the deep silence of the Sahara.
Day 4
Sunrise in the dunes – Draa valley – Ouarzazate – Marrakech
Wake up early and climb the dune behind the camp to watch the sunrise: the sky turns pink, then gold, and the shadows of the dunes slowly shorten. After breakfast at the camp you ride back to Merzouga by camel, take a shower if you wish and start the journey back to Marrakech. It is the longest day of the tour, so we take it easy, with stops whenever you need them. The road crosses the oasis of Alnif and the Saghro mountains towards the Draa valley, where an endless line of palm trees follows the river, and continues to Ouarzazate for lunch. In the afternoon we cross the High Atlas again by the Tichka pass, enjoying the views we missed on the first day, and arrive in Marrakech in the evening, where your driver leaves you at your riad or hotel.
Included
Private air-conditioned vehicle
Local driver-guide
Pick-up and drop-off at your riad, hotel or airport
Nights in riads, kasbahs and guesthouses
Dinners and breakfasts
Camel ride with cameleer
Night in our desert camp in Erg Chebbi
Not included
Lunches
Local guides in the cities (on request)
Entrance fees to monuments
Tips
Good to know
Pick-up between 7:00 and 8:00 at your riad, hotel, airport or port. Bring a small bag for the desert night: big luggage stays in the vehicle. Hotels can be upgraded on request.
No payment is needed to book: you pay on arrival in cash (dirhams or euros). Free changes if the weather is not good.
Questions
Are the tours private?
Yes. Only your group travels in the vehicle, with your own driver, and the program can be adapted.
Where do the tours start?
Wherever you are: your riad or hotel in Marrakech, Fez, Tangier, Casablanca, Agadir, Ouarzazate, Errachidia or Essaouira, or the airport or port when you land.
Which camp do we sleep in?
In our own camp in Erg Chebbi, with private tents, bathrooms with hot shower, dinner and breakfast, and Berber music by the fire.
Can I change the itinerary?
Yes, every tour is private and flexible: add nights in the desert, a quad or buggy ride, a different finishing city or better hotels. Just tell us when you write.
