What you see and do
- Walk Marrakech with a local guide on your first afternoon: the medina, the souks, Jemaa el-Fna and the outside of the Koutoubia Mosque.
- Cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass and follow the kasbah road through Skoura and the Valley of Roses.
- Sleep in the Dades Valley, then stretch your legs in the Todra Gorges.
- Ride a camel for an hour or more into Erg Chebbi and spend the night in a desert camp.
- Break the return in Ouarzazate, with time for a hammam if you want one.
- Visit Ait Ben Haddou on the way home and still reach Marrakech in the afternoon.
Day-by-day itinerary
6 days, about 1,137 km by road. Tap a day to open it.
Day 1Arrival and a guided walk in Marrakech
You are met at Marrakech Menara Airport and driven to your riad or hotel. Once you have checked in, a local guide walks you through the old city: the medina lanes, the covered souks, Jemaa el-Fna and the Koutoubia Mosque, which non-Muslim visitors see from outside.
Because the visit happens on your arrival day, how much you see depends on when you land. A morning flight gives a full afternoon. If you arrive late, tell us and the walk can be planned around it.
After dark the square fills with food stalls and musicians. A rooftop café at its edge is an easy place to watch without being in the middle of it. Dinner tonight is your own choice.
Day 2Marrakech to the Dades Valley324 km
The road trip starts after breakfast. The Tizi n'Tichka pass takes you over the High Atlas, past terraced valleys and Amazigh (Berber) villages that sit on the hillsides.
On the dry side of the mountains the route joins the old kasbah road. It runs through the palm grove of Skoura and into the Valley of Roses, where local cooperatives make rose water, oils and cosmetics.
Ait Ben Haddou is saved for day five on this itinerary, which keeps today a little lighter. The night is in the Dades Valley, a quiet place to stop before the desert.
Day 3Dades Valley to Merzouga and the camp254 km
The first stop is the Todra Gorges. Get out and walk along the foot of the cliffs for a quarter of an hour or so. It is flat and shaded.
The road goes on through Tinjdad and Erfoud, a town known for the fossils found in the surrounding rock, and reaches Merzouga in the afternoon.
Here you change to camels. The ride into Erg Chebbi lasts roughly an hour to an hour and a half, so bring water and a scarf. Dinner is at the camp, with music by the fire afterwards.
Day 4Merzouga to Ouarzazate364 km
Most people set an alarm for sunrise. Seeing the dunes change colour at first light is the main argument for sleeping in the desert instead of visiting for an afternoon.
After breakfast you begin the longest drive of the week, west across desert and mountain country to Ouarzazate. Your driver chooses the stops to suit the day.
Once you arrive there is time for a traditional hammam, which is optional and paid on the spot. After two days on the road it is a good use of an hour. Dinner is included tonight.
Day 5Ouarzazate to Marrakech by Ait Ben Haddou195 km
A short drive from Ouarzazate brings you to Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified earth village on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Coming from this side you arrive in the morning, ahead of most day-trippers from Marrakech.
Walking up through the ksar shows how a trading settlement on a caravan route was laid out and defended, with houses stacked up the hill and a granary at the top.
You then cross the High Atlas back to Marrakech and arrive in the afternoon. The rest of the day is free, for a rest or for whatever you missed in the medina on day one.
Day 6Departure from Marrakech
The last morning is yours until it is time to leave. A private transfer takes you to Marrakech Menara Airport to match your flight.
Having this night in the city means there is no pressure on the drive back from the south the day before, and no risk to your flight from a slow mountain road.
Price and what changes it
This 6-day private tour costs €1,300 to €3,270 per person. Every trip is tailored, so the final price depends on your group size, hotel and camp level, and what you add.
- Why six days costs more than five. The shorter desert tours are road trips only. This one adds two Marrakech nights, a city guide and airport transfers, which is where the step up in price comes from.
- Riad and camp level. Five nights in standard, comfort or luxury places add up differently, and Marrakech riads vary more in price than hotels on the road.
- Group size. Driver, vehicle and guide are fixed costs split across your party. Couples pay more per person than a family or group of friends. See what a Morocco tour costs.
Other lengths are priced on the Morocco tour cost page.
Included and not included
Included
- Airport pickup on day one and airport transfer on day six
- Private air-conditioned vehicle for the four days outside Marrakech
- English- or Spanish-speaking driver
- Local guide for the walk in Marrakech
- Two nights in a riad or hotel in Marrakech
- One night in a hotel in the Dades Valley
- One night in a desert camp in Erg Chebbi
- One night in a hotel in Ouarzazate
- Camel ride in the dunes
- Breakfast daily and some dinners, listed in your quote
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Dinners not listed in your quote, usually those in Marrakech
- Entrance fees to monuments
- Tips
- Flights
- Optional hammam in Ouarzazate
Is this the right tour for you?
It suits you if
- You are flying in and out of Marrakech and want one plan that covers everything from landing to take-off.
- It is your first time in Morocco and you would like someone to show you the medina before you explore it alone.
- You want the desert return split over two days, with a night back in the city as a buffer before your flight.
- You have less than a week. This is the shortest tour we list that pairs a guided Marrakech visit with the Sahara.
Think twice if
- You want time in the dunes above all. There is one desert night here. The 5-day Marrakech to Merzouga desert tour has two, with no city nights.
- You can spare one more day. The 7-day Morocco tour from Marrakech gives a full guided day in Marrakech with its main monuments, a second night at Merzouga, and a return through Nkob and the Draa Valley.
- You have already booked your own Marrakech stay. Then you are paying for city nights you do not need, and a four or five day desert tour is the better fit.
- You hoped to see Fes or Chefchaouen. Six days from Marrakech stays in the south. Our Morocco itinerary guide shows what each trip length can cover.
- You expect all meals. Breakfast is daily, but only some dinners are included, so plan to pay for the others yourself.
Places on the route
What travellers say
★★★★★
“Everything was well organized from the beginning to the end.”
Questions about the 6-day Morocco tour from Marrakech
Is 6 days enough for Morocco from Marrakech?
It is enough for Marrakech, the High Atlas, the Dades Valley and the dunes at Merzouga at a fair pace. It is not enough to add Fes, Chefchaouen or the coast, which need a longer trip.
What is the difference between the 6-day and 7-day tours from Marrakech?
The 7-day tour has a full guided day in Marrakech and a second night at Merzouga. The 6-day tour has a guided walk on arrival day and one night in the dunes, so it suits travellers with a fixed six days.
Which dinners are included?
Breakfast is included every day and dinner on some nights, usually the ones spent outside Marrakech. Your written quote lists them, so you know before you agree to anything.
What if my flight lands in the evening?
The airport pickup still happens whenever you land. The guided walk is planned for the arrival day, so with a late flight ask us about moving it or adding a night at the start.
When is the best time of year for this tour?
March to May and September to November are the most comfortable, with mild days in the mountains and warm ones in the desert. Summer is very hot at Merzouga and winter nights are cold. The tour runs all year.
Can I add a second night in the desert?
Yes. Every itinerary can be changed, and an extra Merzouga night is the most common request on this route. Contact us with your dates and Best Morocco Travel will send a revised plan and price.
