5-Day Southern Morocco & Sahara from Marrakech

Overview

Southern Morocco deserves more than a quick drive. This five-day trip leaves time for the places others rush past: the palm grove of Skoura, the Valley of Roses, walks in the Dades gorge, and two full nights near the dunes.

Driving days are short and the nights are in guesthouses we know well, so it's a good choice for families and anyone who prefers to travel slowly.

Highlights

• Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate
• Skoura palm grove and Kasbah Amridil
• The Valley of Roses (in bloom in spring)
• Walks in the Dades and Todra gorges
• Two nights near Erg Chebbi

The route

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• Marrakech: Pick-up around 8:00.
• Aït Benhaddou: Night 1 nearby.
• Skoura: Palm grove and kasbah.
• Valley of Roses: Kelaat M'Gouna.
• Dades gorge: Night 2.
• Todra gorge: Walk.
• Merzouga: Nights 3 and 4.

Day by day

1. Day 1: Marrakech to Aït Benhaddou

   A relaxed crossing of the High Atlas. Visit Aït Benhaddou in the late afternoon light and sleep nearby.

2. Day 2: Skoura and the Valley of Roses

   The Skoura palm grove, Kasbah Amridil, and the Valley of Roses around Kelaat M'Gouna. Night in the Dades gorge.

3. Day 3: Todra gorge to the dunes

   Morning walk in the Dades gorge, then the Todra gorge and on to Merzouga. Sunset camel trek and night at camp.

4. Day 4: Around Erg Chebbi

   Nomads, Khamlia and Rissani, or a quiet day at camp. Second night near the dunes.

5. Day 5: Back to Marrakech

   Long drive back via the Draa valley and Ouarzazate, arriving in Marrakech in the evening.

The slow road to the Sahara

This is the version of the desert tour for people who don't like rushing. Instead of crossing the High Atlas and racing on to the gorges, you stop for the night near Aït Benhaddou and see the old ksar glowing in the evening light, when the day visitors have gone. The next day you meander through the palm groves and rose valleys, and only reach the dunes on day 3, rested and ready.

With two nights near Erg Chebbi, there's time for a sunset camel trek, a night at our camp, a full day exploring the desert or doing nothing at all, and a good night's sleep before the drive home.

Day 1: the High Atlas and Aït Benhaddou

A late, relaxed start from Marrakech, with time for stops in the Berber villages of the High Atlas and at the viewpoints of the Tizi n'Tichka pass. You reach Aït Benhaddou in the afternoon and visit the ksar with a local guide as the light turns warm.

Tonight you sleep in a kasbah guesthouse near Aït Benhaddou. Walk back to the river at sunset, when the village turns orange against the sky; it's one of the best photo spots in Morocco.

Day 2: Skoura, Kasbah Amridil and the Valley of Roses

After breakfast you pass Ouarzazate and enter the palm grove of Skoura, an oasis of palms, olive trees and earthen kasbahs. Kasbah Amridil, one of the best preserved, shows how the great families of the south lived, with its towers, courtyards and old tools.

Further east, the valley around Kelaat M'Gouna is famous for its roses, harvested in late April and May for rose water and oil. In the afternoon you continue into the Dades gorge and spend the night in a hotel looking out on its red cliffs.

Day 3: Todra and the first night in the dunes

A morning walk in the Dades gorge, then the drive to Tinghir and the Todra gorge, where you walk between rock walls about 300 metres high. After lunch the road crosses the desert past Alnif or Erfoud and Rissani to Merzouga.

In the late afternoon you ride a camel into the dunes of Erg Chebbi for the sunset and spend the night at our camp, with dinner, drums and the stars.

Day 4: a day in the desert

After sunrise and breakfast, the day is yours. Explore the desert by 4x4 with a local driver-guide: tea with a nomad family, Gnawa music in Khamlia, the fossil workshops and the market in Rissani. Or stay at the camp, read in the shade, and go sandboarding when the sun gets lower.

The second night is at our camp or in a guesthouse in Merzouga, whichever you prefer.

Day 5: back to Marrakech

The longest day: about nine to ten hours with stops, through the Draa valley or back via the Dades valley and Ouarzazate, then over the High Atlas to Marrakech, arriving in the evening. Your driver plans the stops so you can stretch your legs every couple of hours.

If you'd prefer to finish in Fes, or to add a night on the way back, we'll adapt the route.

Good with children and for photographers

Shorter driving days, more stops and two nights near the dunes make this the tour we recommend most for families. Children have time to play in the sand, meet the camels, and sleep well; parents don't spend the whole holiday in a car.

Photographers love it for the opposite reason: more golden hours in the right places. Aït Benhaddou at sunset, the Skoura palm grove in the morning, the gorges in the soft light of day 3, and two evenings and mornings in the dunes.

• Day 1 evening: Aït Benhaddou from across the river
• Day 2 morning: kasbahs and palms in Skoura
• Day 3 sunset: the camel caravan in Erg Chebbi
• Day 4: sunrise on the dunes and night sky over the camp

Best time of year for this tour

Every season has something special. Spring has almond blossom in the High Atlas, green barley in the oases and roses in the Dades valley. Autumn has the date harvest, golden palm groves and the most comfortable desert nights. Winter has snow on the peaks, crystal-clear air and cold, starry nights. Summer is hot in the desert but long and luminous, and the slow pace of this tour suits it well.

For the Rose Festival in Kelaat M'Gouna, come in May. For the clearest night skies, choose dates near the new moon.

Where you sleep

• Night 1: a kasbah guesthouse near Aït Benhaddou
• Night 2: a hotel in the Dades gorge
• Night 3: our desert camp in Erg Chebbi
• Night 4: our camp again or a guesthouse in Merzouga

All nights include dinner and breakfast. We can upgrade any of them to a boutique kasbah or a luxury tent, and confirm the price before you book.

Our tips for the trip

Pack for every season: a warm layer for the Atlas and the desert nights, light clothes for the afternoons, a scarf and a hat. Bring good shoes for the gorges and the climb up Aït Benhaddou. Keep some cash in dirhams for lunches, entrance fees, the Gnawa musicians and tips.

And take your time. This tour is designed so you can stop when something catches your eye: a village market, a potter at work, a viewpoint over the palm groves. Your driver will happily wait.

Why the slow version is worth it

The difference between the 3-day and the 5-day tour isn't only two more days: it's a different kind of trip. You see the famous places at their best hours instead of in the middle of the day, you sleep in the gorges rather than passing through them, and you have a whole day in the desert with nothing you must do. Guests who choose the five days rarely tell us they wished it was shorter.

Where you'll sleep in the desert

Your night in the dunes is at our own family camp in Erg Chebbi, about an hour by camel from Merzouga. Every group has its own tent.

Best time to go

Spring (March to May) and autumn (October and November) are ideal for the road trip: the passes are clear, the valleys are green or golden and desert nights are mild. In winter, snow can close the Tizi n'Tichka pass or the Middle Atlas for a few hours, and we adapt the route. In summer the vehicle is air-conditioned and we plan stops around the hottest hours.

Photos

Questions about this tour