What you see and do
- See Marrakech with a local guide: the Koutoubia, the souks, the Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace and the Ben Youssef Madrasa.
- Cross the High Atlas twice by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at about 2,260 m.
- Visit Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987.
- Walk into the Todra Gorges and stop at the Monkey Fingers rocks in the Dades Valley.
- Spend two nights at Merzouga: one in a camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes, one in a hotel beside them.
- Come back a different way, through the kasbah village of Nkob and the palm groves of the Draa Valley.
Day-by-day itinerary
7 days, about 1,159 km by road. Tap a day to open it.
Day 1Arrival in Marrakech
A driver meets you at Marrakech Menara Airport and takes you to your riad in the medina. Nothing is scheduled for the rest of the day.
If you have the energy, walk to Jemaa el-Fna, the main square, which is at its busiest after dark when the food stalls are set up. Dinner tonight is your own choice and at your own cost.
Day 2Guided day in Marrakech
A local guide takes you through the old city on foot. The usual starting point is the Koutoubia Mosque, whose 12th-century minaret is the tallest structure in the medina. Non-Muslims cannot go inside, so you see it from the gardens and the square.
From there you go into the souks, where leather, metal and wool are still worked by hand in small workshops. The second half of the visit covers three monuments: the Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace with its painted ceilings and courtyards, and the Ben Youssef Madrasa, a former Islamic college. Entrance tickets are paid on the spot.
You are back at the riad in the afternoon, and the evening is free.
Day 3Marrakech to the Dades Valley342 km
The road trip begins. From Marrakech the route climbs through Amazigh (Berber) villages to the Tizi n'Tichka pass, with regular pull-offs for photos.
South of the pass you stop at Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified village of red earth towers that has stood in for ancient cities in films such as Gladiator. Lunch is at a local restaurant.
The afternoon drive passes Ouarzazate and the Valley of Roses before reaching the Dades Valley, where you spend the night between canyon walls.
Day 4Dades Valley to Merzouga and the desert camp255 km
Before leaving the Dades Valley you stop at the Monkey Fingers, a cliff of rounded rock columns, and pass several old kasbahs.
At Tinghir the road turns up to the Todra Gorges, where there is free time to walk between the cliffs. Lunch is in Erfoud. Beyond it the rock gives way to sand.
You reach Merzouga in the late afternoon and ride camels into Erg Chebbi for sunset. Dinner, music and the night are at a camp in the dunes.
Day 5A day around Merzouga
This is the rest day of the week. After breakfast at camp you return to the edge of the dunes by camel or 4x4 and meet your driver.
The day is spent on short visits near the dunes: a village where Gnawa musicians play, and Mfis, an abandoned mining settlement on the far side of the erg.
You sleep tonight in a hotel next to the dunes, with dinner included. A second evening here gives another chance to watch the light change on the sand, this time with a full bathroom to come back to.
Day 6Merzouga to Ouarzazate by Nkob and the Draa Valley367 km
The longest drive of the week runs west along a southern road that most shorter tours do not use. The country is open and stony, with few towns.
You break the journey at Nkob, a village with many old kasbahs set against the mountains. The road continues to Agdz, where it meets the Draa River and its palm groves, then turns north to Ouarzazate. You arrive in the late afternoon.
Day 7Ouarzazate to Marrakech195 km
The last day is short. If you want to see one of the Ouarzazate film studios, this morning is the time, with the ticket paid on the spot.
You then cross the High Atlas once more by the Tizi n'Tichka pass and reach Marrakech in the afternoon or early evening. Your driver takes you to your hotel or straight to the airport. If you are flying the same day, choose a late evening flight, or add a night in Marrakech to be safe.
Price and what changes it
This 7-day private tour costs €1,700 to €3,800 per person. Every trip is tailored, so the final price depends on your group size, hotel and camp level, and what you add.
- Why a week costs more per day than a 3-day trip. This tour adds two riad nights in Marrakech, a guided city day and two extra hotel nights, on top of the desert loop.
- Group size. The driver, vehicle and city guide are fixed costs divided among your party, so a group of four or six pays noticeably less per person than a couple.
- Riad, hotel and camp level. With six nights, the choice between standard, comfort and luxury moves the total more than on a short tour. See what a Morocco tour costs.
Other lengths are priced on the Morocco tour cost page.
Included and not included
Included
- Airport pickup in Marrakech and drop-off at your hotel or the airport on day seven
- Private air-conditioned vehicle for the five days outside Marrakech
- English- or Spanish-speaking driver
- Local guide for the day in Marrakech
- Two nights in a riad 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 Merzouga and one night in a hotel in Ouarzazate
- Camel ride in the dunes
- All breakfasts and three dinners
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Dinners in Marrakech and any other dinner not listed in your quote
- Entrance fees to monuments
- Tips
- Flights
Is this the right tour for you?
It suits you if
- You have one week and are flying in and out of Marrakech.
- You want the desert without the 550 km final day of the three-day loop. Here the return is split over two days.
- You like a guide for the city and a slow day in the middle of a road trip.
- It is your first visit and you would rather know the south well than see the whole country quickly.
Think twice if
- Fes or Chefchaouen is on your list. This route stays south of the High Atlas. The 8-day Morocco tour from Casablanca covers the imperial cities and the desert, and our 7-day Morocco itinerary compares the options.
- You are short of time. The same dunes can be reached on the 3-day Marrakech to Merzouga desert tour, with longer days in the car.
- You want every dinner covered. Three dinners are included, so budget for the others, mainly in Marrakech.
- You are travelling in midsummer or midwinter. The Sahara is very hot from June to August, and nights in the desert and the mountains are cold from December to February. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable. See the best time to visit Morocco.
Places on the route
What travellers say
★★★★★
“Within a few days he put a curated program of two weeks in place.”
Questions about the 7-day Morocco tour from Marrakech
Is 7 days enough to see Morocco?
Seven days is enough for the south: Marrakech, the High Atlas and the Sahara at an easy pace. It is not enough to add Fes, Chefchaouen and the coast as well without long daily drives. For those, look at tours of 8 to 14 days.
How long is the drive from Marrakech to the Sahara on this tour?
The outward journey to Merzouga is split over two days, about 342 km and 255 km, with a night in the Dades Valley. The return is also split, with a night in Ouarzazate.
Which meals are included?
All six breakfasts and three dinners. Lunches, drinks and the remaining dinners are paid for directly. Your written quote lists which nights include dinner.
Do we have the same driver all week?
The tour is private, with your own vehicle and driver for the road trip and a separate local guide for the day in Marrakech. Nobody else joins your group at any point.
What should I pack for a week in southern Morocco?
Comfortable walking shoes, sun protection, a small day bag and a warm layer, because nights in the mountains and the desert are cool for much of the year. See what to wear in Morocco.
Can this tour end in Fes or include Essaouira?
Yes. Every itinerary can be changed: the end city, the number of days and the hotel level. Tell us what you want to add and Best Morocco Travel will send a revised route and price. Contact us.
