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Ouarzazate to Erg Chebbi desert tour of 2 days – overview:
Perfect for travellers seeking a short adventure, this 2-day desert tour from Ouarzazate to the Merzouga dunes takes you to one of the most popular destinations in southern Morocco. The journey follows the southern slopes of the High Atlas Mountains east of Ouarzazate, offering a spectacular variety of landscapes, lifestyles, and experiences.
Riding camels around the towering dunes is an unforgettable adventure, made perfect by watching the slow sunset, a daily spectacle even desert nomads enjoy. The day comes to a glorious end around a campfire with nomad music. At night, you can slumber comfortably in your private tent, reflecting on the day’s wonders.
On route to the desert, you will experience Skoura’s green oasis and the fortified, multi-generational home of Kasbah Amredhil, the sweetly scented Damascene rose products in the Valley of the Roses, the unusually shaped rocks in the Dades Valley, and a refreshing walk by the river.
The second day brings new highlights: the spectacle of the sunrise, visits to charming villages and a mountain pass featured in a Hollywood blockbuster, driving through the Dra’a Valley, and passing by 44 types of palm trees, adobe kasbahs, and Berber villages.
2-day Erg Chebbi desert tour from Ouarzazate – highlights:
- Visiting the fortified Kasbah Amredhil in Skoura Oasis and the Damascene Rose co-operatives in Kel’aa M’gouna.
- Exploring Dades Valley and the Toudgha Gorges, & uncovering the fascinating “Khettara” water channel.
- Experiencing a sunset camel ride, sandboarding, capturing unique photos & dancing to Berber music.
- A delicious dinner under the panoply of stars & sleeping in your private tent in a luxury camp in Erg Chebbi.
- Discovering the Dra’a Valley’s palm groves with its Berber villages, giving an insight into local life.
- Stopping by Agdz, a Berber village famous for its palm dates before crossing the Anti-Atlas Mountains.
What is included in this Erg Chebbi desert tour from Ouarzazate:
- Transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle; 4×4 Toyota Prado TX or deluxe van and fuel
- Experienced local English/French/Spanish/Italian-speaking Berber and nomad driver-guide
- Overnight in a luxury camp with private toilet and shower, lamps, carpets and traditional furniture
- All meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner – with vegetarian and vegan options available
- A camel ride with a guide. And if you wish to do some sandboarding, just speak to the camp staff!
- An option to go to and return from the camp by 4×4
- Luggage service to the camp and all accommodation
- Berber drumming and music
- Free time to explore the sites such as Dra’a Valley, Kasbah Tamnougalte, for walks, photos, and tea/coffee breaks
- The opportunity to ask the driver to stop when and where you wish
- Entrance fees and local guide
- Tea, coffee and mineral water in the desert
What is not included:
- Drinks
- Tips
- Extras
Good to know about a 2-day tour from Ouarzazate to Merzouga:
- This 2-day Ouarzazate to Merzouga dunes tour can be tailored to be more personal and special.
- You can add an extra full day in the desert to explore the Merzouga region or a desert trek for a full day.
- For an authentic desert-themed trip, please also consider our 2-day desert tour to Erg Chegaga from Ouarzazate.
- Would you like to visit the desert, ride camels & enjoy lunch in nomad tents on a single day? If so, do consider our Tinfou Dunes day trip.
- You can choose to go to the camp either on camelback or by 4×4 (you go for a camel ride from there).
- Here is a downloadable packing list to help plan for your Moroccan desert tour.
- We require a 30% deposit of the total price to book the car, while the balance is payable to the driver or to us in the office in Ouarzazate.
- We accept payment through PayPal, bank transfers in Europe, by credit card, or cash (USD, Euro, GBP or MAD).
- We offer a 25% discount for all children under 12, while, in any one family, one child below 3 can travel free of charge
- These prices are liable to fluctuation according to the current exchange rate.
- Our prices can be subject to an increase over the busy season, and, in particular, the Christmas and New Year’s Eve period.
The Merzouga desert tour from Ouarzazate – itinerary:
1st day: Ouarzazate – Merzouga Erg Chebbi
The morning departure is at 8.30 towards the Dades Gorges, passing the Oasis of Skoura, where numerous, often abandoned kasbahs stand amongst the palm trees. Kasbah Amredhil on the edge of the gardens and fields is a must-see. It has been beautifully restored and gives a clear idea of life within such housing. It is made entirely of adobe, an excellent building material; warm in winter and cool in summer, thanks to the depth of the walls.
Your route takes you on to Kelâat M’Gouna, the Valley of Roses. Here it is worth stopping to see the cosmetic articles made locally from the valley’s abundant roses. These products are well-known and highly valued.
You stop in the beautiful and always green Dades Gorges for lunch. Millions of years ago, this area forming the Dades Gorges lay on the seabed. Large amounts of sediment were deposited around giant coral reefs, and over time, this material became compacted into a variety of sedimentary rocks, such as sandstone and limestone. With the gradual upward movement of the earth’s crust, the region slowly rose above the sea’s surface and formed the Atlas Mountains and surrounding landscape.
The trip continues through the Ziz Valley, famous for the Date Festival each November, and through Erfoud, well-known for the millions of fossils found in the area as well as Rissani, where the River Ziz disappears. Between the 14th and 18th centuries, this was where the famed desert capital, Sijilmassa, was located. Fortunes were made in the gold and slave trade, using caravans from the Sahel. In the afternoon you can take a camel ride in the Sahara. The sunset from the top of the dunes is spectacular (250m).
Dinner and the night are at a luxury camp with your bathroom and beautiful Moroccan furnishings and lamps – an unexpected luxury amid the silent dunes.
2nd day: Merzouga – Ouarzazate
If you rise early, you will be rewarded with a mesmerising desert sunrise, where the colours and shadows create a unique spectacle. You will also have time to wander the dunes and soak in the tranquillity of this magical setting.
Back at the camp, breakfast is served before your itinerary continues to the Dra’a Valley, passing through the village of Tazzarine, famously mentioned in the film “Babel”. You will stop a little later in N’Qob for a delightful lunch.
Next, the journey takes you to Tansikht, where you cross the Dra’a River and turn north along the ancient caravan route. After a pause for a glass of tea/ coffee break, you go off-road a short way. This way, you will gain an appreciation for local life in the oases, with their towering palm trees and historic villages. Just after the turn, ask your driver to stop and marvel at the dinosaur footprints embedded in the rock beside the road.
At Agdez, at the top of the Draa Valley, you can visit Kasbah Tamnougalte, the oldest kasbah in the valley, where 13 families still reside in this ancient fortress. The road back to Ouarzazate climbs over the mountain pass of Tizi-n-Tinfifte, offering breathtaking views of its unique rock formations at an elevation of 1660 meters. Your Ouarzazate to Merzouga dunes tour concludes around 18:00.
Map of Ouarzazate to Merzouga dunes tour:
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