# Marrakech, Dades Valley and Merzouga in 8 days Eight days by car with driver from Marrakech to the Merzouga dunes, over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, via the Ait Ben Haddou ksar, the Skoura palm grove and the Dades and Todgha gorges, with two nights at Dar Ahlam and two nights in a camp in Erg Chebbi. Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/ideas/morocco-marrakech-dades-merzouga-8-days/ ## One road, cut into three Merzouga is about ten hours' drive from Marrakech, a little over 550 km. This trip never drives it in one go. It splits the road into three legs, each with its own scenery and a night at the end: the High Atlas and its earthen villages as far as Skoura, the road of the kasbahs to the Dades gorges, then the palm groves of the Todgha and the Tafilalet to the dunes. The trip is by car with driver. Driving in Morocco is not advisable for inexperienced drivers, and night driving is best avoided. A driver who knows the pass and the approaches to the erg also leaves you free to watch the landscape. ## The journey ### Days 1 and 2: Marrakech, from a riad in the medina Marrakech-Menara airport is 15 minutes from El Fenn. Cars stop at Bab el Ksour, and the riad's entrance is a few metres away. These two nights give you time for one medina: on the first evening, Jemaa el-Fna seen from El Fenn's roof terrace, facing the Koutoubia, then a five-minute walk down to the food stalls; the next day, the souks north of the square, the Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef Madrasa and the Majorelle Garden, whose tickets are sold online only. The driver collects you on the morning of day 3. With only two nights in Marrakech, Sabaro advises booking visits ahead and keeping the late afternoon for the rooftop pool. ### Day 3: the Tizi n'Tichka pass and Ait Ben Haddou The national road crosses the High Atlas at the Tizi n'Tichka pass, 2,260 m, Morocco's highest road pass. Marrakech to Ouarzazate is 194 km, about 3 h 45 without stops; with photo stops and lunch, it takes the whole day. Ait Ben Haddou, some thirty kilometres before Ouarzazate, is the visit of the day. This ksar (fortified mud-brick village) has been on the World Heritage List of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) since 1987. You cross the riverbed below the village, then climb the lanes to the fortified granary at the top, with the valley opening out below. Two hours are enough; late-afternoon light is the best. For those who don't mind a long day, a variant leaves the main road at the pass and drops down through Telouet, where the Glaoui family kasbah keeps rooms of zellige (ceramic mosaic) and carved cedar ceilings, then down the Ounila valley to Ait Ben Haddou. It fills the day and makes for a later arrival. In the evening you pass through Ouarzazate and drive on to Skoura, about forty kilometres east, some 45 minutes more. ### Day 4: a day in Skoura Dar Ahlam is a house of 14 rooms and suites in a kasbah in the palm grove, with no reception desk and no set menu: each meal is served in a different place. The two nights of this trip match the house's shortest stay, La Kasbah, built around the house, its gardens, the hammam and the workshops. The Skoura palm grove covers nearly 25 km² and is part of the Southern Moroccan Oases Biosphere Reserve recognised by UNESCO. The 17th-century Amridil kasbah, once pictured on the old 50-dirham note, is partly open as a museum. The oasis is explored on foot or by bike, with a guide so as not to get lost. Ouarzazate, the film town, with its Cinema Museum and the Taourirt kasbah, is 45 minutes away for those who prefer half a day in town. ### Day 5: the road of the kasbahs to the Dades gorges This is the short leg. From Skoura to Boumalne Dades the road runs about 86 km, a little over 1 h 30. It passes Kelaat M'Gouna, the town of roses: the Damask rose blooms there in April and May, and the International Perfume Rose Fair celebrates the harvest every spring. At Boumalne, the R704 climbs north into the gorges, between cliffs up to about 500 m high. Its series of hairpin bends, seen from above, is the valley's best-known image. The afternoon is free for a walk with a local guide to the "monkey fingers" of Tamlalt, rounded rock formations in a nearby canyon. This itinerary sets no hotel for the Dades night: the page on the Dades and Todgha valleys lists the small houses in Sabaro's selection in the gorges. It is a stopover night, in a simpler place than Dar Ahlam. ### Day 6: the Todgha, then the dunes This is the longest leg: about 235 km and 4 h 20 at the wheel from the Dades gorges to Merzouga, not counting stops. Sabaro advises an early start. At Tinghir, halfway, a detour of about fifteen kilometres leads to the Todgha gorges. These are explored on foot: the valley narrows into a slot canyon between cliffs of nearly 300 m, and you can walk for an hour without a guide on the developed section. The road then continues east into the Tafilalet. The camp is reached from a meeting point in Merzouga, outside the national 4x4 (four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle) museum: from there, 15 to 20 minutes by 4x4, or about 40 minutes by dromedary. The camp asks guests to arrive before sunset. Check-in starts at 3 pm from September to May, and the latest arrival time runs from 4.30 pm in September and October to 7 pm in July and August, local time. That deadline sets the morning's departure time. Merzouga Luxury Desert Camps pitches its khaima tents (large Berber tents) in the Erg Chebbi dunes: 35 m² each, for up to three people, with a terrace facing the dunes and a private bathroom. Dinner and breakfast are included. ### Day 7: a day in Erg Chebbi Erg Chebbi stretches about 22 km long and 5 km wide, and its dunes rise to 150 m. A desert day is lived at both ends: - **at dawn**, climb a dune near the camp for sunrise; - **in the middle of the day**, leave the erg: Rissani, about 40 km away, cradle of the Alaouite dynasty, holds its souk on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday; Khamlia, a few kilometres off, is a Gnawa village, where the music of this brotherhood is played; - **in the late afternoon**, the outing listed in this itinerary: 4 hours by 4x4 with an English-speaking driver, including an hour's camel ride, for sunset over the dunes. It also runs at sunrise, with pick-up from your accommodation. The camp's other activities cost extra: sandboarding, quad and buggy rides, or a private dinner under the stars. ### Day 8: the way back Tents are vacated at 11 am, local time. Three ways home: - **by road to Marrakech**, about ten hours at the wheel: a whole day, starting early; - **by air from Errachidia**, about 2 h by road, an airport served by Royal Air Maroc: flight days are chosen when booking the trip, and they set the time you leave the camp; - **via Fez**, about nine hours' drive from the camp, to continue with a trip in the north. To avoid ending on a day of driving, add a night in a kasbah at the foot of the erg. This is the combination Sabaro recommends on its Merzouga page: one night in camp, one in a kasbah, and a rested journey home. ## Who it suits, and when to go This trip suits couples and families with older children, provided they accept three days in the car. At the camp, children under 5 stay free, those aged 5 to 12 pay a supplement, and the adult rate applies from 13. A tent sleeps three at most: a family of four takes two. The season runs from March to May, then October to November. Summer is very hot: in Errachidia the average high reaches 39.5 °C in July. In winter, days stay mild but nights in the dunes are very cold. Whatever the season, pack a warm jacket, a hat, long sleeves and closed shoes. Morocco has been on GMT all year round since 20 September 2026: the same time as London in winter and 1 hour behind in summer. ## Frequently asked questions ### How long is the drive from Marrakech to Merzouga? About ten hours for a little over 550 km. This trip splits it into three legs: about 3 h 45 to Ouarzazate, a little over 2 h 30 from Skoura to the Dades gorges, then about 4 h 20 to Merzouga. ### Can I fly back from Merzouga? Yes, from Errachidia airport, about 2 h by road, served by Royal Air Maroc. Flight days are set when booking, together with the time you leave the camp. ### Should I drive myself? This trip is planned by car with driver. Driving there is not advisable for inexperienced drivers, and night driving is best avoided; reaching the camp before sunset also takes good knowledge of the road. ### Can children stay at the camp? Yes. Under-5s stay free, 5 to 12-year-olds pay a supplement, and the adult rate applies from 13. Each tent sleeps three at most. ### Do I need two nights in Merzouga? Sabaro recommends it: with a single night you arrive in the late afternoon and leave in the morning. The second night gives you a full day in the erg, with both sunrise and sunset.