Merzouga

Overview

The classic road south. You cross the High Atlas, break the drive at Aït Benhaddou and the Dades, then swap the road for a 4x4 across the last stretch to a camp at Erg Chebbi.

Photos

Route

1. 1Marrakech←→
2. 2Aït Benhaddou←→
3. 3Dades Valley←→
4. 4Merzouga

Highlights

• Erg Chebbi's tall dunes — the Sahara people picture
• A 4x4 for the final stretch to your camp
• The hour before sunrise, while the sand is still cold
• Broken up by Aït Benhaddou and the Dades Valley

Day by day

A representative plan. Every trip is adjusted to your dates, your pace and what you want to see.

1. 1

   Day 1

   Marrakech to the Dades Valley

   A long driving day, about seven hours with stops. You cross the High Atlas on the Tizi n'Tichka pass and come down to Ait Benhaddou, where you walk through the ksar for an hour.

   From there it is 30 minutes to Ouarzazate and about two hours on to Boumalne Dades. Start early. The light on the pass is better in the morning and the stops add up. Dinner and an early night at the end of it.

2. 2

   Day 2

   Dades Valley to Merzouga

   Four to five hours of driving and the easiest day of the three. You can stop at Todra Gorge, roughly an hour east, where the road runs between high limestone walls. Then it is on through the palm villages of the Draa to Erfoud.

   At Merzouga you leave the car and take a 4x4 for the last stretch to camp at Erg Chebbi. You get out on the sand before sunset and stay up for the sky after dark. The dunes are cold before dawn.

3. 3

   Day 3

   Merzouga to Fes

   You are up before sunrise for the hour on the dunes while the sand is still cold. Breakfast at camp, the camel handlers getting the day started, and then the drive.

   Fes is about seven hours from here and is usually split at Midelt for lunch. If Marrakech is where you need to be, the return retraces the whole route and needs a night on the road, so tell us when you book.

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