3 day tour Merzouga and Sahara Desert

If you are looking for a unique and relatively easy guided tour to the Sahara Desert and the Merzouga Valley, I detail and share my experiences to taking this 3-day tour to the many attractions in the Atlas Mountains area. You have options for doing this as a basic or more luxurious tour with private hotel room the first day and your own tent in the desert the 2nd night. I would definitely opt for the luxury option which is actually quite affordable for a three-day tour of the area with highlights visiting key sites like the Dades Valley, Unesco site at Ait Ben Haddou and camel or 4whl drives to the desert.

If you are on a budget you can get by on the budget tour but the tent sites and hotel accommodation is more hostel oriented and doable and you also have to pay for two lunches on your own and other tours.

In any case, it’s still a fun experience to visit the outback areas and desert along with other historic sites to explore in the area and worth the three day tour in place of trying to do this trip on your own. The itinerary below is an example and may typically change with conditions on the desert and various sites in the area, but this was the typical set up for a three day tour.

Explore Mercouza and the Sahara Desert: camel rides, Atlas Mountains, Unesco sites and unworldly landscapes in Morocco

One this journey, we take you on a three-day discovery trip to explore the outback areas of Morocco from Marrakesh and explore all the highlights visiting this fascinating and historic area of the country filled with exotic adventures and landscapes.

 

Tizi n’ Tikka and the Atlas Mountains

The uphill trek through the Atlas Mountains takes you to Tizi n’ Tikka which is a windy mountain pass that runs up the Atlas and connects Marrakesh to the historic site at Quarzazat.

The viewpoint at the top is impressive with souvenir stands set up from local vendors and the driver of our tour gives us ample time to take selfies, enjoy the vista points and do some easy bargaining with the local vendors.

Souvenir stand at Tizi n’ Tickka

Unesco site at Aït Ben Haddou

After crossing the High Atlas Mountains from Tizi n’ Tichka, we entered into two amazing sites with a quick photo stop at Quarzazat and then the Unesco site at Ait Ben Haddou.

This authentic Berber village on the foothills of the High Atlas used to be a caravan stop from the Sahara desert to Marrakesh. Still intact and made with with earthen buildings form the impressive Kasbah, a fortified wall system called a Ksar and narrow streets around the village and then to the top of the ruined granary on top.

While you can wander on your own, a guide is provided with an extra fee to tour and give highlights of the historic site, viewpoints and casual notes to popular western movies filmed here like Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and even the Game of Thrones.

Check out this post to visiting Ait Ben Haddou for more information and images

 

After the tour, a popular local restaurant was chosen for a late lunch (price for lunch not included) and we had a leisurely lunch but it was a little chaotic and busy

Tip – make sure you stay with the local guide to show you where the restaurant is (Or the name) because the van will pick up directly from this site. It’s easy to get lost with the many tours that are happening at Ait Ben Haddou, so stay close to the actual guide and know the name of the restaurant you will go to for lunch.

 

Boumalne Dades

The afternoon was a busy whirlwind drive to the Boumain Dades which is a small city in the Dades Valley with scenic views and a nice pit stop at one of the more scenic outlook spots.

We drive through the route of a Thousand Kasbahs which runs through the Dades Valley enroute to the small town of Merzouga on the outskirts of the Sahara Desert and stay for the night at a local inn with dinner being served.

Erg Chebbi – Sahara

Following the camel ride, I arrived at a smaller tent camp in between some sand dune areas of Erg Chebbi.

Upon arrival at the camp we get off the camels and the sun has set and we are immediately assigned tents for the night and then later served a delicious traditional dinner in a dining tent and later enjoy some very loud music and singing by campfire fronting the tent areas and it is quite lively even though I’m already exhausted from the days activities.

Sleeping in a plush bed and taking a luxurious shower in the desert was a real treat and wonderful experience to enjoy for the night in a very comfortable tent with on suite bathroom.

On the way back to the tent after some lively drumming music and singing, I enjoyed all the dark skies and brilliant stars overhead and enjoy a wonderful sleep under covers with a very cold evening that was a real surprise and I’m comfortable in this king sized bed to enjoy by myself.

Tip – Definitely opt for the luxury tent and hotel with better meals served for dinner and breakfast, it’s actually a small splurge to enjoy a good nights sleep on this tour.

Tent accommodations in the Sahara Desert

 

 

After an excellent breakfast in the tent city and some quick dune hikes for photo ops, it was time to continue in the direction back to the vans and then our first stop of the day to a small village tours and then the highlight at Todra Gorge.

Tip – The next morning you have an option to return by camel or 4 x 4 and Opted for the 4 wheel drive so it would be a later start and quicker ride back to the parked van area and it was a fun ride to also enjoy on the way back.

 

The next morning you have an option to return by camel or 4 x 4 and Opted for the 4 wheel drive so it would be a later start and quicker ride back to the parked van area and it was a fun ride to also enjoy on the way back.

 

Morning visit to a typical local Berber village

Our first stop is to an actual village in the fertile Todra Gorge area with this lush oasis where fruits and vegetables, productive trees like olives, pomegranates and stone fruit grow along with community farms and a visit to a village kasbah to view the local carpets made in the village.

But before we reached Todra Gorge, we passed loads of verdant palmeraies, and exploring a traditional Berber villages we tour around this lively village surrounded by dramatic rock formations. It was a real slice visit to exploring an authentic village and how the villages make a living growing their own foods and making carpets for a living. Afterwards we walk through the local Berber farming community with a guide and see most of the fruits and vegetables that grow here and is consumed by locals or sold in local markets.

 

 

Touring the small community village, touring the carpet making process and local hospitality

 

No tour is complete without visiting a carpet making process and displays of carpets made in this village

Carpet displays for sale

 

Explore the Todra Gorge

After the Berber village tour, we follow the river areas with the Todra Gorge unfolding before us and making a narrow opening to the gorge area and the Todra River that runs through the valley floor.

Once entering Todra Gorge, you are awed by 400-metre high rock walls flanking along a very narrow road and the guide allows us to wonder around and take photos around the gorge – it was an and inspiring experience, and definitely a highlight to taking a group tour around the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

Unfortunately, our time here was limited, with only a half hour visit and no time to explore any of the many hiking trails like the Todra Loop hike, which is a moderate 3-hour hike up into the mountain areas above the gorge.

Icy cold water from the Todra River

Guided Tour the Merzouga Valley and Sahara Desert

If you decide on the basic tour or luxury option per person, I personally would opt for the upgrade for a comfortable night stay in a hotel and Sahara tent and actually better meals on your stays.

Conclusion to visiting Merzouga and the Sahara Desert

I wasn’t originally sold on doing a camping and camel trek tour but when it included stops to Ait Ben Haddou, the Erb Desert, and Todra Gorge, I was sold on doing this three day tour experience. I definitely would recommend doing this with luxury stay to make the whole experience more pleasant and comfortable on the whole. You pretty much have no choice on the lunch venues so choose wisely on the menu options and drinks at your own costs.