5 days Sahara desert discovery

Marrakech to Ouarzazate, via the High Atlas and Aït Ben Haddou

Your 5 days Sahara desert discovery begins with a climb over the High Atlas via the Tizi n’Tichka pass, with stops to admire the views of Berber villages clinging to the mountainsides. Our first major destination is Aït Ben Haddou, a preserved mud-brick ksar and UNESCO World Heritage site.

After exploring the maze of alleys in the kasbah, we continue to Ouarzazate, known as the “Hollywood of Africa”. We visit the Atlas Film Studios or the Taourirt Kasbah, and end the day in this gateway to the desert.

Overnight in a riad or hotel in Ouarzazate, with dinner and breakfast

Ouarzazate to Tafraoute Sidi Ali, via the Draa Valley and Zagora

Today we head south over the Anti-Atlas towards the Draa Valley, following Morocco’s longest river valley in the shade of its date palms. After a stop in Zagora, the gateway to the southern desert, we leave the asphalt behind.

The real adventure begins off-road, across the reg (stony desert) and dry riverbeds, to the remote village of Tafraoute Sidi Ali, a peaceful place where the vastness of the Sahara truly sets in.

Overnight in a traditional auberge in Tafraoute Sidi Ali, with dinner and breakfast

Tafraoute Sidi Ali to Merzouga, via the Dakar route and Ramlia

Get ready for an epic day of off-road exploration, following parts of the original Paris-Dakar rally route. We cross the desert to the Ramlia oasis, a tiny Berber community living in the heart of the dunes: Saharan life at its most authentic, far from the crowds.

By late afternoon, the towering orange dunes of Erg Chebbi appear on the horizon. In Merzouga, you’ll swap the 4×4 for camels and ride into the dunes, reaching your luxury camp just in time for a spectacular sunset.

Overnight in a luxury desert camp in Merzouga, with dinner and breakfast

Merzouga to the Dades Valley, via Rissani and the Todra Gorge

After a sunrise breakfast in the dunes, we visit the traditional market of Rissani, once a vital stop for trans-Saharan caravans. Then we turn north towards the mountains and stop at the Todra Gorge, where you can walk along the river beneath vertical limestone cliffs.

In the afternoon we enter the Dades Valley, the “Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs”, and stop to see the unusual Monkey Fingers rock formations before settling in for the night in the cool mountain air.

Overnight in a riad or hotel in the Dades Valley, with dinner and breakfast

Dades Valley to Marrakech, via the Valley of the Roses

On the final day of your 5 days Sahara desert discovery, we travel through the Valley of the Roses, famous for its Damask roses and local cosmetics cooperatives, and pass the Skoura palm grove before climbing back over the High Atlas.

As we descend towards the Haouz plains, the red walls of Marrakech come into view. Your driver drops you off at your accommodation by late afternoon, bringing this desert expedition to a close.