Our 3-day Sahara Desert Road Trip from Marrakech led us through the southern Moroccan countryside, Saharan dunes, Berber villages, and stunning mountain landscapes – if you’re visiting Morocco, this is an experience you do not want to miss!
Day 1: Marrakech – Ait Benhaddou – Ouarzazate – The Dades Valley
On day one of our trip towards the Sahara, we traveled across the imposing Atlas Mountains, with several stops along the way.
On the way to Ouarzazate, we have to cross the Atlas Mountains that extend approximately 2,500 kilometers across northwestern Africa, spanning Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, separating the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline from the Sahara Desert.
At the midpoint of our journey we arrived at Ait-Ben-Haddou Kasbah, a fortified historic village, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. Here, our brilliant tour guide taught us about Ait-Ben-Haddou and Berber culture which dates back to prehistoric times, over 4000 years ago. The Berbers are a people ethnically indigenous to North Africa west of the Nile Valley. We also learned all about the Ksar, a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls and a traditional pre-Saharan habitat. The houses crowd together within the defensive walls, which are reinforced by corner towers.
The route then continues to Ouarzazate taking “The road of a Thousand Kasbahs” towards Skoura where we crossed the Valley of Roses to arrive at the Dades Valley, where we stopped to spend the night.
Day 2: Dades Valley – Todgha Gorges – Merzouga
After a delicious Moroccan breakfast, it was time to get back in the car to start the drive toward The Sahara Desert. On the way, we passed through the Jorf Palm Grove, known for producing the best dates, and the incredible Todgha Gorges, a series of limestone river canyons in the eastern part of the High Atlas Mountains near the town of Tinerhir. Both the Todgha and neighboring Dades Rivers are responsible for carving deep cliff-side canyons, on their final 40 kilometers through the mountains.
After nearly 4 hours of driving, we finally reached Merzouga, a small town in the Sahara Desert, near the Algerian border, known as a gateway to Erg Chebbi – a huge expanse of sand dunes! From here we swapped our car for a camel and began the one-hour camel ride to the Bedouin camp to watch the sunset over the Saharan dunes. After dinner, the desert came alive as everyone in the camp sat around the fire listened, laughed, and danced to traditional local songs.
We stayed in the luxury camp, but you can also opt for the more affordable standard option. The main difference between the two is in the standard, the bathrooms and showers are in communal tents, and in the superior camp, each tent has a private bathroom with a shower.
After an incredible day, we slept peacefully under the stars.
Day 3: Merzouga – Marrakech.
Before heading back to Marrakech on the last day of our road trip, we woke up early to watch the sun rise over the vast, open expanse of the desert. The sun slowly began to cast a beautiful light over the landscape that painted the sky in a brilliant blend of pink, orange, and red. The tallest dunes sparkled as the morning’s early light reached the peaks; a memory that will stay with us forever.
To book your 3-day Sahara Desert Adventure from Marrakech click HERE.
