Here is the full day-by-day plan. Timings are approximate and can be adjusted to your preferences and the season.
DAY1
Marrakech → Atlas Mountains → Rose Valley → Dades Valley
7–8 h with stops~ 390 kmOvernight: Dades Valley
Morning: crossing the High Atlas
Your driver picks you up in Marrakech around 8:00 AM. The road climbs through Berber villages to the Tizi n'Tichka pass (about 2,260 m) with wide viewpoints over the Atlas peaks. Photo and tea stops are included.
Midday: Ouarzazate
Pass the area of Ait Ben Haddou (you will visit it properly on day 4), continue to Ouarzazate, the "door of the desert", and stop for lunch. Optionally visit Taourirt Kasbah or the film studios.
Afternoon: Rose Valley
Drive through the Skoura palm grove and Kelaat M'Gouna, the capital of Moroccan roses. In spring (late April to May) the fields bloom and the rose festival takes place; the rest of the year you can still visit cooperatives and buy rose water, soap and oils.
Evening: Dades Valley
Arrive in the Dades Valley, famous for its "monkey fingers" rocks and the winding road. Enjoy the sunset view, dinner and a quiet night.
DAY2
Dades Valley → Todra Gorge → Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)
5–6 h with stops~ 270 kmOvernight: desert camp
Morning: Todra Gorge
After breakfast, drive to Tinghir and the spectacular Todra Gorge, where limestone walls rise up to 300 metres. Walk through the gorge, see the palm grove and meet local families.
Midday: road to the Sahara
Continue through Tinejdad and Erfoud, the gateway to the Sahara and the fossil capital of Morocco, to Merzouga. Lunch on the way.
Late afternoon: camel trek into the dunes
Meet your camel guide and ride into the dunes of Erg Chebbi to watch the sunset turn the sand from gold to red. Climb the highest dune for a photo you will keep forever.
Night: desert camp
Dinner (tagine) is served at camp, followed by Berber drums, a campfire and a sky full of stars.
DAY3
Merzouga Discovery by Jeep — Full Day in the Desert
4x4 jeep safariOvernight: camp or hotel in Merzouga
Sunrise over the dunes
Wake up early for the sunrise, when the dunes are quiet and the light is soft. Breakfast at camp.
4x4 jeep excursion
With a local driver you discover the area around Merzouga: the open hammada, nomad tents, Khamlia village (home of Gnawa musicians), Dayet Srji lake when it holds water, fossil sites and Berber villages.
Free time and optional activities
Relax at camp, try sandboarding, a quad bike or a second camel ride, and enjoy a final sunset on the dunes. Extras are arranged on request.
DAY4
Merzouga → Alnif → Agdez → Ait Ben Haddou
~ 8 h with stops~ 420 kmOvernight: Ait Ben Haddou
Morning: goodbye to the dunes
Optional sunrise camel ride, breakfast and departure from Merzouga.
Alnif and the fossil route
Drive west through Rissani and Alnif, a region known for fossils and minerals, with desert landscapes and small oases.
Agdez and the Draa Valley
Continue through Tazzarine and Nekob to Agdez, a historic caravan town at the foot of Jbel Kissane, then follow the green Draa Valley with palm groves and old kasbahs.
Evening: Ait Ben Haddou
Arrive at the UNESCO World Heritage ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified village of red-clay buildings. Visit it at golden hour, then enjoy dinner and a quiet night.
DAY5
Ait Ben Haddou → Marrakech
4–4.5 h~ 185 kmEnd of tour
Morning at the ksar
Explore Ait Ben Haddou in the soft morning light, climb to the top granary for panoramic views and talk with local artists.
Back over the Atlas
Drive back over the Tizi n'Tichka pass with a last photo stop and lunch. Arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon; your driver drops you at your hotel, riad or the airport.
