6 Days Desert Tour From Marrakech & Essaouira

Your 6 days desert trip from Marrakech to Merzouga Sahara Desert and Essaouira will start early in the morning with a drive east of Marrakech past small suburban towns to the High Atlas Mountains. A few stops will be made to take photos, enjoy the scenery, stretch your legs and drink a cup of coffee.

Drive uphill on curvy roads to the famous Tizi Ntichka pass before you reach Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, the first major stop today for sighseeing. The Berber fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou is a UNESCO listed landmark and is also known a set for major Hollywood epics, just to name a few movies that used the village for shooting: Kingdom of Heaven, Lawrence of Arabia, and Gladiator. Cross the river separating the Kasbah from the main road and explore the village at leisure. Should you wish to hire a local guide, they are available onsite.

After lunch at leisure at one of the local cafes, continue to to Dades valley driving past Ouarzazate, Skoura Oasis, Klaa Mgouna, the capital of the valley of the roses, and famous for its rose water artisanal distillation factories.

Upon arrival at Boumalne Dades, Follow Dades River on a tiny road passing by different fortified Kasbahs located on the side of the road to Dades Valley . You will arrive to your hotel late in the afternoon.

Dinner and overnight at your Dades hotel.

After breakfast at your hotel in Dades Valley, our journey today will start today with a drive along the road of 1001 Kasbahs to the oasis of Tighir, where we will deviate to a minor road driving along the river to Todgha where you will stop for a walk in the oasis under the shade of palm trees and continue to Todgha Gorges.

After some time at leisure to enjoy the immensity of the huge cliffs, and lunch at a local café ( At leisure ), we continue early in the afternoon to to Rissani, famous for its dates market, and being a starting point of the ancient trading caravans crossing the Sahara desert to Tomboctou.

After a quick stop, we will continue to Merzouga driving through some rocky desert landscape.

Meet our camel caravan, and ride your camels through the amazing color-changing sand dunes with the sunset in the horizon as a backdrop. We reach our Sahara desert camp before darkness.

After some time to admire the sand dunes and the surrounding landscapes, get ready for a Moroccan dinner served under the stars next to the campfire. Late at night, you local nomad hosts will be entertaining you with their drums.

We'll begin the third day of our tour in the most magical day: watching the sunrise over the desert. After an early start, we'll climb back onto our camels and head to a hotel where we'll shower and have breakfast (depending on the type of camp, it may be possible to shower and have breakfast before the camel ride).

On the way back to Ouarzazate, we'll take a different route. Passing the Tafilalet Palm Grove and the village of Rissani, ancient capital and home to the founder of the Alaouite Dynasty, we'll reach the town of Alnif. Here, we'll join the road that cuts across the stunning Anti-Atlas mountain range.

After taking in the spectacular colours and shapes of the mountains, we'll arrive at Tizi N'tfarkhin, Tinghir and an amazing palm grove in the Dadès Valley. At lunchtime, we'll stop at Klaat M'Gouna to eat and rest before continuing the route.

In the afternoon, we'll pass over the High Atlas mountains on our way to Ouarzazate, where we'll spend the night in a riad or kasbah.

After a delicious breakfast, you'll have time to explore Ouarzazate at your own pace. We recommend visiting the Taourirt Kasbah and Atlas Film Studios, known as the Hollywood of the desert.

We'll drop you back off in Marrakech in the early afternoon.Free Time

From the city heat of Marrakech, we cool things down today with a leisurely drive to the coastal city of Essaouira. This colourful port is protected by a network of 15th century fortifications, which Game of Thrones fans should recognise from the fictional city of Astapor. Enjoy a relaxed day of free time to spend as you choose. Explore the numerous beaches, have a refreshing mint tea in the local cafes, do some souvenir shopping or just be swept away by the lazy coastal atmosphere. Tonight, enjoy a wonderful evening on the town, soaking up the salt-sprinkled sea breeze. - Breakfast included

It may have been short but it sure was spicy. Today marks the end of our express adventure. Enjoy breakfast with a view of the Atlantic before we make our way back to Marrakech.