Private journey · Any date
One Week in Morocco: Marrakech, the Erg Chebbi Dunes and the Red City
Marrakech · Boumalne Dades · Merzouga · Marrakech
A 7-day private Morocco tour based in Marrakech: a guided day in the medina, then east over the Tizi n Tichka to Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades and Todgha gorges, and a night in a camp on the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga, before returning for a hammam, a day in modern Marrakech, and a free morning. 1,271 km, six nights.
team
Every route on this page was designed in Marrakech by our own team, and is run on the ground by our own Moroccan guides and drivers. Booked and guaranteed by Moratra LLC.
The route
- MarrakechDay 1 · 0 km · 0 h
- Boumalne DadèsDay 2 · 321 km · 6.7 h
- MerzougaDay 3 · 364 km · 7.9 h
- MarrakechDay 4 · 586 km · 8 h
- MarrakechDay 5 · 0 km · 0 h
- MarrakechDay 6 · 0 km · 0 h
Day by day
01A guided day through the Marrakech medinaMarrakech · 0 km · 0 h · Breakfast
A licensed local guide takes you through the medina on foot, which is the only sensible way into it. The Koutoubia minaret first, then the carved cedar and painted ceilings of the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs that were sealed for two centuries and only reopened in 1917, and the blue and yellow paths of the Jardin Majorelle. Then the souks - spice pyramids, leather stalls, and streets that only make sense with someone who knows where they come out. Dinner is in the medina.
02Over the Tizi n Tichka to Ait Ben Haddou and the DadesBoumalne Dades · 321 km · 6.7 h · Breakfast and dinner
East out of the city and straight up into the High Atlas. The Tizi n Tichka crosses at 2,260 metres, switchback after switchback, with Berber villages holding on to the slopes. On the far side a local guide walks you through Ait Ben Haddou, the earthen ksar above the Ounila river whose towers have stood in for a dozen other countries on film. Then Ouarzazate and the pise walls of Kasbah Taourirt, and east along the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs to Boumalne Dades, arriving as the light softens over the gorge country.
03The Dades and Todgha gorges, then the dunes of Erg ChebbiMerzouga · 364 km · 7.9 h · Breakfast and dinner
The best driving day of the trip. First up into the Dades Gorge for the switchback viewpoints and the cliffs carved into the shapes locals call monkey fingers. Then east to the Todgha Gorge, where limestone walls rise three hundred metres on either side and the canyon narrows to a cool corridor with a sliver of sky overhead. Through Tinghir and its palmery, then the long run east past Erfoud as the ground turns to sand. At Merzouga camels carry you into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset, and the night is spent at a camp with dinner and music around a fire.
04Sunrise on the dunes, and the long road back to MarrakechMarrakech · 586 km · 8 h · Breakfast
Rise before dawn for the sunrise over the erg - the light crosses the sand in about ten minutes and there is no sound at all. Then the long crossing home. It is 586 km and about eight hours of driving, closer to ten door to door once you add lunch and the photo stops, retracing the gorges and the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs before the final climb back over the Tichka in the late afternoon light. It is a real day in the car, and we say so on this page rather than in the small print. You reach the riad in the early evening, and the next three days ask nothing of you at all.
05Hammam, massage, and a day that belongs to youMarrakech · 0 km · 0 h · Breakfast
The day the itinerary is designed around. A traditional hammam - steam, black soap, a scrub that is more thorough than you expect - and an argan-oil massage afterwards. Then nothing on the schedule. Some people spend the afternoon by the pool, some go back to the one thing in the souks they kept thinking about. The car and driver are still yours if you want them.
06Modern Marrakech: Gueliz, galleries and terracesMarrakech · 0 km · 0 h · Breakfast
Marrakech beyond the medina walls, which most visitors never see. Gueliz and Hivernage are the modern city: wide streets, contemporary art galleries, design boutiques and cafes that look nothing like the old town twenty minutes away. Lunch on a terrace, an afternoon at your own pace, and dinner at one of the restaurants the city is now genuinely known for.
07Départ0 km · 0 h · Breakfast
A free morning at your own pace, then a private transfer to Marrakech airport for your flight. If you are flying out of Casablanca, Fes, Tangier or Agadir instead, we drive you there and the transfer is included.
Ce qui est inclus
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide and fuel throughout
- Six nights of accommodation: a riad in Marrakech, a kasbah hotel at Boumalne Dades and a desert camp at Merzouga
- One night in a luxury desert camp with private ensuite tents on the Erg Chebbi dunes
- Daily breakfasts and two half-board dinners at the overnight stops
- Sunset camel trek into the dunes of Erg Chebbi
- A licensed local guide for the full day in Marrakech and at Ait Ben Haddou
- Traditional hammam and argan-oil massage in Marrakech
- Airport transfer on departure, all road tolls and parking
- Drop-off at any airport in Morocco at the end of the tour - Marrakech, Casablanca, Fes, Tangier or Agadir - included in the price
- International flights to and from Morocco
- assurance voyage et médicale
- Lunches unless explicitly listed in the programme
- Drinks during meals
- Entrance fees to monuments, museums and the Atlas Studios
- Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff
- Personal expenses such as laundry, phone and souvenirs
- Visa fees if applicable
See it for yourself
Where you sleep
A four to five-star riad inside the medina for four nights - a courtyard, a roof terrace, and the souks at the end of the lane. The same room from day one to day seven, apart from the two nights on the road.
A kasbah-style hotel at the mouth of the Dades Gorge, chosen for its terrace and the view up the valley at dusk.
A luxury camp on the Erg Chebbi dunes with private ensuite tents, proper beds, dinner under the stars and a fire circle.
Why this journey
- Four nights in one Marrakech riad - you unpack once and the city is your base, not a stopover
- A full guided day in the medina: the Koutoubia, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the Jardin Majorelle
- The Tizi n Tichka pass at 2,260 metres and a guided visit to the UNESCO ksar of Ait Ben Haddou
- The Dades Gorge viewpoints, the monkey-finger rock formations, and the 300-metre walls of the Todgha Gorge
- A camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset and a night in a camp with private ensuite tents
- A traditional hammam and argan-oil massage, and a day in modern Marrakech beyond the medina walls
Is this journey for you?
Yes if
- You have exactly one week and want both the Sahara and a proper stay in Marrakech
- You would rather have a base than a different hotel every night
- You want the last days of the holiday to be restful instead of a scramble to the airport
No if
- You dislike long car days - day four is an eight-hour crossing back from the desert
- You want to keep moving and see new ground every day - our 8-day route ends in Fes instead of returning
- You want two nights in the desert rather than one
Questions
How long is day four, honestly?
It is the longest day on this route: 586 km from Merzouga back to Marrakech, about eight hours of driving and closer to ten door to door once you add lunch and the photo stops. There is no shortcut - the desert is on one side of the High Atlas and Marrakech is on the other, and the only road back is the one you came on. We put the number on the page rather than in the small print because it is the one thing about this itinerary that surprises people, and it should not.
Can I break that long day up?
Yes, and it is the change guests ask for most. Adding a night in Ouarzazate or at Ait Ben Haddou on the way back turns day four into two easy half days of four hours each, and gives you the ksar at sunrise with nobody else in it. It adds one night to the trip and about $290 per person. If your dates allow it, we recommend it.
Why four nights in Marrakech rather than more of the country?
Because a week is short, and the alternative is a different hotel every night with three or four hours in the car each day. This route trades breadth for rest: you still reach the true Sahara, but you sleep in the same bed for four of the six nights and spend the last days on a hammam, the galleries of Gueliz and a slow morning. If you would rather keep moving, take the 8-day route, which ends in Fes and never doubles back.
What are the driving days like other than day four?
Day one and days five, six and seven have no intercity driving at all. Day two is 321 km and about six hours forty with the Tichka pass and the Ait Ben Haddou visit. Day three is 364 km and just under eight hours, but it is the best driving of the trip - the Dades and Todgha gorges - and it ends on the dunes.
Are the dunes at Merzouga the real Sahara?
Yes. Erg Chebbi is a genuine sand sea with dunes rising to about 150 metres, four hours east of the nearest town of any size. It is not the Agafay plateau outside Marrakech that some operators call a desert. You ride camels in at sunset and sleep in a camp among the dunes.
Are all the hotels four or five star?
Marrakech is a four to five-star riad for all four nights. Boumalne Dades is a four-star kasbah-style hotel at the mouth of the gorge. Merzouga is a luxury camp with private ensuite tents - comfortable, but a camp in a desert: no wifi, limited power, cold nights in winter.
Is this tour private or shared?
Private throughout. The vehicle and driver are yours alone for seven days. Moroccan tourism licensing caps a 4x4 at four passengers, so parties of five or more travel in a premium minivan.
What is not included that I should budget for?
Lunches, drinks, tips, and entrance fees to the monuments. The Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the Jardin Majorelle each charge a modest entry fee paid on the day. We would rather list them than surprise you with them.
How much do I pay to confirm?
A 50 percent deposit confirms the booking and the balance is due on arrival in Morocco. We confirm your dates and the desert camp first, then send you a secure Stripe payment link.
Can the tour end at a different city or airport?
Yes. The route finishes in Marrakech, but we will drive you on to any airport in Morocco and that transfer is included in the price - Casablanca, Fes, Tangier or Agadir, or anywhere else you are flying from. Tell us your flight when you book so we can set the departure time: some airports are an hour or two from Marrakech and others are most of a day on the road, so the earlier we know, the better the last day works.
Other journeys
À partir de
$2,200 par personne
Based on two travellers sharing
50% deposit to confirm · balance on arrival