Four days is the shortest trip that does the Sahara justice from Marrakech. It is a lot of road, but it is some of the most beautiful road in Morocco: the High Atlas, the kasbah valleys and, at the end, the orange dunes of Erg Chebbi. Here is a route that keeps the driving reasonable and leaves time for the moments that matter.

Day 1: Marrakech to the Dadès valley

Leave Marrakech early and climb into the High Atlas over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, the highest road pass in the country at about 2,260 m. Stop at Aït Ben Haddou, the fortified village listed by UNESCO, and walk up to the granary at the top for the view. After lunch in Ouarzazate, continue along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to the Dadès gorges, where you spend the night in a guesthouse above the river.

Driving time: about 7 hours with stops.

Day 2: Todra gorge and the dunes of Merzouga

Drive to the Todra gorge near Tinghir and walk between its 300-metre walls in the morning light. In the afternoon, the landscape flattens and the first dunes appear on the horizon. In Merzouga, leave the car or bags at the meeting point and ride a camel into Erg Chebbi for sunset. Dinner, music and the night are spent in a desert camp.

Driving time: about 5 hours.

Day 3: sunrise in the Sahara, then west again

Climb a dune before sunrise: it is the quietest moment of the whole trip. After breakfast, head back west. Many travellers break the long return in Ouarzazate or in the Draa valley to avoid driving after dark.

Day 4: back over the Atlas to Marrakech

A relaxed morning, then the mountain road back to Marrakech, with tea stops in the Berber villages along the way. Arrive in the afternoon, in time for a last dinner in the medina.

Practical tips

  • Best seasons: spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). Summer is very hot in the desert, and winter nights are cold.
  • Pack: a warm layer for the night, a scarf against sand and sun, sunglasses and a small bag for the camp (large luggage usually stays at the meeting point).
  • Driving: roads are paved all the way to Merzouga, but the Tichka pass is slow and winding. Avoid driving at night.
  • More time? With 5 or 6 days you can add a night in the Dadès or Skoura palm grove and make the return much easier.

Self-drive or organised?

You can do this route on your own with an automatic rental car, or let us organise it: route, riads, desert camp and transfers, with one contact person for the whole trip. See our Morocco circuits or send us your dates for a tailored proposal.