A camel caravan crossing orange sand dunes in the Moroccan Sahara

Marrakech, the High Atlas and Merzouga · Morocco

Marrakech and the Sahara

Souks, palaces and the evening crowd on Jemaa el-Fnaa, then over the High Atlas past mud-brick kasbahs and gorges to a night among the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Six days from the medina to the edge of the Sahara and back.

6 days
$ Budget
Moderate
Good with kids
Solo
Couples
Friends
Culture
Nature
Food

Copy this trip into Andamos See the plan

Day by day

The plan

Times are suggestions. Opening hours and seasons change, so check before you go. Once it’s in your trip, move anything you like.

Day 1
The medina
1. 09:00
  Koutoubia Mosque
  Activity
  The city’s landmark minaret; walk around the gardens beside it to get your bearings.
2. 10:00
  Bahia Palace
  Activity
  Courtyards, carved cedar ceilings and painted tiles from the late 1800s.
3. 12:30
  Lunch: tagine in the medina
  Food & drink
  Slow-cooked chicken with preserved lemon and olives is the classic order.
4. 14:30
  The souks and Ben Youssef Madrasa
  Activity
  Wander the covered market lanes north to a former Quranic school with a carved stucco courtyard.
5. 18:00
  Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk
  Activity
  The main square fills with food stalls, musicians and storytellers as the light goes.
Day 2
Gardens and tombs
1. 08:30
  Jardin Majorelle
  Activity
  Cacti, bamboo and a cobalt-blue villa; arrive at opening, before the lines build.
2. 11:00
  Saadian Tombs
  Activity
  Richly decorated burial chambers of a 16th-century dynasty, rediscovered in the 1900s.
3. 12:00
  El Badi Palace
  Activity
  The vast ruins of a palace, with storks nesting on the walls and views from the ramparts.
4. 13:30
  Lunch: street food in the Mellah
  Food & drink
  Grilled brochettes and msemen flatbread in the old Jewish quarter.
5. 16:00
  Hammam
  Activity
  A steam bath and scrub, the local way to unwind before the long drive tomorrow.
Day 3
Over the High Atlas
1. 07:30
  Drive over the Tizi n’Tichka pass
  Getting around
  A winding mountain road with Berber villages clinging to the slopes; most people go with a driver or a small-group tour.
2. 11:00
  Aït Benhaddou
  Activity
  A fortified mud-brick village on a hillside, a UNESCO site seen in many films.
3. 13:00
  Lunch near Ouarzazate
  Food & drink
  Try a Berber omelette or a vegetable tagine on the way.
4. 15:30
  Road of a Thousand Kasbahs
  Getting around
  The road east passes palm groves, rose fields and old kasbahs.
5. 18:30
  Stay in the Dades Valley
  Stay
  A quiet night among red rock formations and terraced fields.
Day 4
Into the dunes
1. 08:30
  Todra Gorge
  Activity
  Walk the floor of a narrow canyon between tall limestone walls.
2. 12:30
  Lunch: Berber pizza near Rissani
  Food & drink
  Medfouna, a flatbread stuffed with meat and spices and baked in the sand.
3. 15:00
  Continue to Merzouga
  Getting around
  The road ends at the edge of Erg Chebbi, the tallest dunes in Morocco.
4. 17:00
  Camel ride at sunset
  Activity
  Ride into the dunes as the sand turns orange, then climb a ridge to watch the sun go down.
5. 20:00
  Night in a desert camp
  Stay
  Dinner by the fire, drumming and a sky full of stars.
Day 5
Sunrise and the long road back
1. 06:00
  Sunrise over the dunes
  Activity
  Climb the nearest dune in the cool early light before riding back to the village.
2. 08:30
  Drive back to Marrakech
  Getting around
  Most of the day on the road; break it up with stops in the Draa or Ouarzazate area.
3. 13:00
  Lunch on the road
  Food & drink
  A simple grill stop with kefta and bread.
4. 19:30
  Back in Marrakech
  Stay
  Stay in a riad in the medina for your last night.
Day 6
Last morning in Marrakech
1. 09:00
  Breakfast on a riad terrace
  Food & drink
  Mint tea, msemen and honey above the rooftops.
2. 10:30
  Dyers’ souk and leather tanneries
  Activity
  Skeins of dyed wool hang over the lanes; the tanneries are in the northeast of the medina.
3. 13:00
  Lunch: tanjia
  Food & drink
  Marrakech’s own dish, beef slow-cooked for hours in a clay jar.
4. 15:00
  To the airport
  Getting around
  Marrakech Menara airport is a short taxi ride from the medina.

Good to know

Tips

Go in spring or autumn

Summer in the desert is extremely hot, and winter nights in the dunes and the Atlas get close to freezing. March to May and October to November are the most comfortable.

Book the desert part as a tour

Merzouga is a long way from Marrakech. A driver or a small-group tour that includes the camp and camels saves a lot of planning; check what is included before you pay.

Haggling and cash

Bargaining is normal in the souks, so start low and stay friendly. Cards are not taken everywhere; carry dirhams in small notes.

Finding your way in the medina

Lanes twist and maps struggle. Politely decline offers to guide you unless you want a guide, and use the Koutoubia minaret and Jemaa el-Fnaa as landmarks.

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Marrakech and the Sahara

The plan

The medina

Gardens and tombs

Over the High Atlas

Into the dunes

Sunrise and the long road back

Last morning in Marrakech