Marrakech to Merzouga: 3-Day Desert Tour 2025 Review

You know, lots of people who come to Morocco have this big dream of seeing the Sahara Desert with their own eyes. Honestly, it’s a picture that’s been painted in our minds from movies and stories, a place of massive, flowing sand mountains and unbelievably clear skies at night. So, the most common way to make that happen from Marrakech is this three-day group excursion that goes all the way out to the Merzouga dunes. I mean, I recently had the chance to experience this myself, and frankly, I wanted to give you a really honest look at what those three days actually feel like for 2025. Basically, it’s a huge amount of time spent looking out of a window, but the views you get in return are just about worth every minute on the road. At the end of the day, it’s a pretty wild ride.

Day 1: Winding Roads of the High Atlas and Aït Benhaddou

Okay, the first day definitely starts early, so you’re picked up when the city is still sort of waking up. The minibus or 4×4 then gets going, and almost right away, you find yourself climbing into the High Atlas Mountains, which is really something. You know, the road, called the Tizi n’Tichka pass, is this incredible thing that twists and turns, and frankly, you’re better off not looking down if you’re a bit scared of heights. At the end of the day, the views of the Berber hamlets clinging to the mountainsides are just incredible. Our group leader, who was actually a pretty funny guy, made a few stops at spots with amazing viewpoints for pictures. You pretty much spend the whole morning going up and then back down these mountains. So, it’s a long stretch in the vehicle, but it honestly never gets boring.

In the afternoon, obviously, you get to the main event of the day: the Ksar of Aït Benhaddou. Basically, this is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you’ve almost certainly seen it before, you know, as it’s a stand-in for old cities in a lot of big movies and TV shows. Instead of just looking from afar, we actually got to cross the riverbed and walk through its narrow, reddish-mud alleyways. I mean, climbing to the top gives you this sweeping picture of the whole old fortified village and the dry country that goes on for miles around it. After that stop, it’s back on the road for a couple more hours. The scenery outside your window shifts, getting a bit rockier and more severe as you approach the Dades Valley. Finally, you pull up to the place you’ll sleep for the night, a sort of charming guesthouse tucked right into the valley. Frankly, you’re quite tired by this point, but a good, warm meal does wonders.

Day 2: From Gorges to the Golden Dunes of Erg Chebbi

Right, so you wake up on the second day surrounded by these really interesting rock formations in the Dades Valley. Some people actually say they look like monkey fingers, which is kind of a funny description. After some breakfast, you’re back on your way, and the first major stop is just a short drive to the Todra Gorge. This place is, to be honest, a lot more dramatic than pictures suggest. You can literally walk along a small stream with these huge canyon walls towering hundreds of feet above you on both sides; I mean, it makes you feel very small. You get some free time here to just look around and take it all in, which is obviously very nice.

Next, the rest of the day is basically a long drive, but it’s a very different kind of drive. You pass through a bunch of small towns and green oases that seem to pop up out of nowhere in the middle of the dry landscape. Frankly, it’s these little glimpses of everyday life that are really fascinating to see. The anticipation sort of builds throughout the afternoon, you know, as your group leader tells you that you’re getting closer and closer to the desert. Then, it happens. You arrive in Merzouga, a small town that’s literally on the edge of the Sahara, and you see the Erg Chebbi dunes for the first time. I mean, they are these incredible, soft-looking mountains of orange sand that just go on and on. It’s a pretty amazing moment, at the end of the day.

The Main Event: A Camel Ride and a Night Under the Stars

Okay, so this is what everyone is really here for, right? After a quick cup of mint tea, you say goodbye to the van and meet your new form of transportation: a camel. You know, getting on one of these animals is sort of a funny and slightly clumsy experience, but once you’re up there and your camel starts its slow walk into the dunes, it’s just magical. Our camel handler, who obviously knew what he was doing, led our little line of camels deeper and deeper into the sand sea. You hear almost nothing but the soft padding of the camels’ feet on the sand. Honestly, we rode for about an hour or so, just in time to see the sun start to go down. The way the colors change on the sand from orange to pink to purple is something you really have to see for yourself.

Finally, just as it’s getting dark, you see the lights of your desert camp ahead. These camps are basically made up of a bunch of sturdy canvas tents set up in a circle around a central open area with carpets and tables. After you settle into your tent, which is actually more comfortable than you might think, dinner is served. It’s usually a nice, warm tagine that tastes incredibly good after the day’s travels. Later, the camp staff, who are all local Berber men, bring out some drums and play traditional music around a campfire. But really, the absolute best part is just walking away from the fire, lying back on a dune, and looking up. The sky, with no city lights around, is filled with what looks like millions of stars. At the end of the day, it is completely silent and incredibly peaceful.

Day 3: A Desert Sunrise and the Long Road Home

Basically, someone will come and wake you up when it’s still completely dark and quite chilly. You get dressed and then, you know, you either climb a nearby dune or hop back on your camel to ride out to a good viewing spot. Frankly, watching the sun come up over the massive dunes of the Sahara is an experience that’s just on another level. First, you just see this soft glow on the horizon, and then the sun peeks over the sand, slowly lighting up the whole landscape in this amazing golden light. Seriously, you’ll want your camera ready for this. It’s one of those memories that just kind of sticks with you for a long time.

After the spectacle of dawn, you ride your camel back to the main building in Merzouga where the trip began. There, you can have a shower, which is obviously very welcome, and eat some breakfast. Then, you know, you have to prepare yourself for the long haul back to Marrakech. To be honest, this is a very long day of driving; we’re talking about nine to ten hours on the road. The route back is a bit different, but it’s still a full day in the van. My advice is to just settle in, maybe listen to some music or a podcast, and look out the window. It’s a good time to just think about everything you’ve seen over the last couple of days. You’ll finally get back to Marrakech in the evening, feeling pretty tired but also, you know, incredibly full of new experiences.

A Few Honest Tips and Things to Keep in Mind

So, if you’re thinking about doing this kind of thing, there are just a few little pieces of advice that might help make your time a bit better. This isn’t a five-star hotel experience, and that’s kind of the whole point of it all.

Honestly, the best approach is to just embrace the long drives as part of the whole adventure. You see so much of the country that way, and really, that’s just as much a part of the memory as the desert itself.

• Packing a Small Bag: Seriously, you’ll want to pack a small overnight bag or backpack for the desert camp. Just put your camera, a change of clothes, toiletries, and some warmer layers for the night in it, you know, so you don’t have to lug your main suitcase onto a camel.
• Layers Are Your Friend: The desert is obviously hot during the day, but it gets surprisingly cold as soon as the sun goes down. A warm jacket or fleece is pretty much a must-have for the evening and the early morning sunrise.
• Bring Some Cash: While you can pay for the main tour with a card, many of the small cafes and shops you’ll stop at for lunch or for souvenirs on the way will only accept Moroccan Dirhams. So, it’s a really good idea to have some cash on hand.
• Managing Your Outlook: Just remember that this tour involves a massive amount of driving. At the end of the day, it’s more or less a road trip with some really incredible stops. If you know that going in, you’ll have a much better time.
• Choosing a Tour Type: You know, there are different levels of tours available. Some offer more private transportation and luxury desert camps with private bathrooms. Others are more basic group tours. So, just think about what kind of experience you are looking for before you book.

Read our full review: [3 days tour from Marrakech To Merzouga Desert Full Review and Details]
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