Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga – 5 Days

Marrakech to Tizi n'Tichka to Ait Benhaddou to Skoura

The road climbs the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass, with a stop at the UNESCO-listed kasbah of Ait Benhaddou.

The day ends in Skoura, an oasis town wrapped in palm groves and dotted with historic kasbahs, a quieter alternative to a first night in Ouarzazate.

• Tizi n'Tichka crossing - Ait Benhaddou UNESCO site - Overnight in Skoura oasis

Skoura to Kasbah Amridil to Dades Valley

A stop at Kasbah Amridil, one of Morocco's best-preserved fortified kasbahs, offers a look at traditional earthen architecture before the road continues along the 'Road of a Thousand Kasbahs'.

Overnight in the Dades Valley, among dramatic rock formations carved by the Dades River.

• Kasbah Amridil visit - Road of a Thousand Kasbahs - Overnight in Dades Valley

Dades Valley to Todra Gorge to Merzouga

A morning walk through Todra Gorge, a limestone canyon over 300 metres deep, precedes the drive toward the desert.

By late afternoon, camels carry you into Erg Chebbi for sunset, dinner around the campfire, and a night camping under the stars.

• Todra Gorge walk - Camel trek into Erg Chebbi - Desert camp under the stars

Merzouga sunrise to Rissani fossil country

After sunrise over the dunes, the route passes through Rissani — once the site of the ancient trading post of Sijilmasa — and the fossil-rich landscapes around Erfoud, where trilobites and ammonites are still extracted from local quarries.

Overnight back in the Dades Valley or Ouarzazate area.

• Sunrise at Erg Chebbi - Rissani's Sijilmasa history - Erfoud fossil country

Return drive to Marrakech

The final day retraces the route back over the High Atlas to Marrakech, arriving by evening and closing out the loop.

• Return over the High Atlas - Arrival in Marrakech