Shared Marrakech Merzouga Tour

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Shared Marrakech Merzouga Tour

City
MARRAKECH
Departure
DAILY
Time
7:00
Duration
3 DAYS
Availability
SHARED
Price
SEE BELOW
desert tours from Marrakech desert tours from Marrakech desert tours from Marrakech desert tours from Marrakech desert tours from Marrakech desert tours from Marrakech

Tour Overview

The Marrakech Desert Tour to Merzouga is our most popular desert tour. As there are many wonderful sights to see and wonders that mother nature has to offer. This tour is one of the best tours to do if you want to discover the deep Sahara Desert and don’t mind long hours driving or gazing at the scenery. Among the many things to see, the landscape itself is breathtaking. You will start in an area that is fruitful and full of greenery, and the next thing you know it is desert and sand dunes. There are various valleys and Haouz plains around Marrakech to enjoy, as well as the High Atlas Mountains. One popular area of sand dunes is called the Erg Chebbi.

Tour Highlights

  • First, we plan to cross the Tizi n' Tichka mountain pass in the Atlas Mountains.
  • We will visit Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, a popular world heritage site. After taking in the sights of Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, we will track up the Dades Canyons.
  • We will rest and take in more sights. After a little break, we will then work our way toward the Todra gorges and Tinghir oasis.
  • We will venture our way to Erg Chebbi to ride camels and watch the breathtaking sunset. When we have reached the Berber desert camp in the Sahara desert, where we will spend the night.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1 : Marrakech – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley (6 H Drive)

Your budget shared 3-day desert tour group will take a trip from Marrakech to Merzouga and will start early in the morning with a ride to the east of Marrakech. We will be traveling past small towns toward the High Atlas Mountains. There will be a few stops so everyone can take pictures, videos, stretch, and have something to drink. The first major stop to do some real sightseeing is Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. After driving uphill on many winding roads, the next stop is the fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou. This village was also known to be used as a set for major Hollywood movies. In fact, some well-known movies include Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, and Lawrence of Arabia. On your tour, you will enjoy crossing the river that serves as a border between the Kasbah and the main road. Here you can spend time walking around and exploring the village at your leisure. There are local guides for hire that know the area well. You will also take the time to have lunch at one of the local cafes and enjoy many of the local amenities. After doing some exploring, the group will continue onto the Dades valley. On our way, we will be driving past many places like Ouarzazate, which is home to a 19th-century palace and Kalaat Mgouna, the capital of the valley of the roses, in fact, the Roses Festival takes place in Kelaat M'Gouna every year in May. Upon arrival at Boumalne Dades, a small town in theTinghir Province, we will then follow along on a small road parallel to the Dades River. During this ride, you will get to see some wonderful pieces of history. The different fortified Kasbahs or small fortress-like homes are sometimes forgotten about in some tours, but not in ours! Depending on how much stopping and sightseeing we do, you should arrive at your Dades Valley hotel late in the afternoon. This is where you will have dinner and stay overnight.

Day 2: Dades – Todra Gorges – Merzouga (4 H Drive)

After breakfast in your hotel in Dades Valley, we will then begin our day with a stroll down the road of 1001 Kasbahs. We will head toward the oasis of Tighir, where we will then take a road along the river to Todra Gorge. The Todra Gorge is roughly 15 miles long and is made of limestone river canyons. Here was can stop the vehicle for a walk and enjoy the surroundings. We can then enjoy some shade of many palm trees and continue on to see more. Leisure time is always important during tours, as we don’t want anyone to feel rushed, this a tour that is supposed to educate and excite you about the area. We want you to appreciate the culture and surroundings and take it all in. After some time to enjoy the giant cliffs, and then possibly lunch if you are hungry. There are also local cafes here that you can enjoy and eat or drink at your leisure. When lunchtime is finished, we can continue into the afternoon with a trip to Rissani. Rissani is the capital of Tafilalet is one place that looks truly trapped in time. Here we will take in some of Morocco's incredible culture. Not to mention, Rissani was the first stop in The legendary trading caravans of the Sahara, journeying to the legendary city of Tombouctou. Here we will only stop for a moment and then we will travel to Merzouga. Merzouga is known as a gateway to Erg Chebbi, a collection of sand dunes just north of town. Be prepared for a bumpy ride here as we will be cruising through the sun-scorched deserts, the jagged terrain stretched out for miles in every direction.. We will then drive to the lodge, a cozy lodge that offers a cozy restaurant, outdoor pool, and even a garden. Here you should feel free to take a swim and get refreshed in their pool or even check out the restaurant for a snack, before getting ready for your sunset desert trek to the camp. We will then meet with our camel caravan, where we will once again ride through the sand dunes at sunset before making it to our camp by nightfall. After some more leisure time of admiring your surrounding landscapes, you will then be served a starlit, authentic Moroccan dinner, next to the campfire. As you enjoy your dinner with the company of others, you can enjoy being entertained by the local nomad hosts who will play their drums.

Day 3: Merzouga – Ouarzazate – Marrakech (9 H Drive)

The next day will be an early sunrise camel hike through the Erg Chebbi dunes and back to the lodge. Here we will have breakfast, maybe a quick swim, and then get cleaned up. Swimming will depend on time constraints.

After some time to eat and bathe, we will then meet up with our vehicle and drive back to Ouarzazate. We will drive back through the winding roads of lush palm groves through the Draa Valley. After some more leisure time and an opportunity to have lunch, we will travel back to Marrakech and through the High Atlas Mountains. Your 3-day group desert tour will end in Marrakech at about 7 pm. Of course, this time is also merely an estimate.

Included

  • The van you will be traveling in is an airconditioned modern minivan driven by an English and/or French-speaking drive. There is a maximum of 17 passengers, so be sure to check with your tour guide if other arrangements are needed
  • The first night in Dades Valley hotel is included within the tour and includes breakfast and dinner.
  • There will be comfortable tents provided at our Sahara desert camp. Here is will you will enjoy an included Moroccon dinner with authentic drum players.
  • To guarantee a private room/tent upgrade with extra 10 euro per person
  • Breakfast, shower, and access to the swimming pool are all included with the group tour.

Excluded

  • Beverages
  • Lunches
  • Personal expenses

Things To Remember

  • The driver will be sure to stop in new places in order to eat, drink, take photos, sightsee, or to enjoy leisure time
  • This tour is perfect for both small and large groups. As long as you consider yourself an easy-going traveler then you will enjoy all this tour has to offer, otherwise, there are more private tours to choose from
  • There is a place for your luggage. While camping in the desert, your luggage will remain safely on the van
  • Be sure to also pack a smaller backpack full of your more important overnight things. This is for the camel ride and overnight stay in the camp
  • Remember, you will be in the desert. Be sure to pack your own bathroom supplies as well as washcloths and towels. Toilet Paper is a smart thing to add to your backpack. The guide will have some in the van in case of an emergency but it is your responsibility overall
  • The temperature in the desert at night can reach 0°C so be sure to pack warm sleeping clothes. Blankets are provided.
  • Also, you should pack sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and of course good walking shoes, as we will be doing some hiking and want to be safe
  • As far as camel riding goes, be sure to wear pants or long shorts in order to prevent chafing and rubbing issues.
  • Sandboarding is popular in the dunes of Erg Chebbi and if you wish to join in on the fun there are a few sand boards at the lodge
  • The van you will be traveling in is an airconditioned modern minivan driven by an English-speaking driver. There is a maximum of 17 passengers

price for group tours

Shared tours are organized in small group of 17 persons
PRICE PER PERSON
88 €

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