Marrakech frames this nine-day private tour, with the High Atlas, the kasbah country and the Sahara dunes in between. You travel in your own vehicle with an English-speaking driver guide, and a licensed local guide leads the walk through Marrakech. Breakfast is included every day, dinner is included on four evenings, and the group is limited to 14 guests.
Two nights in Marrakech open the tour, with a private walk through the Saadian Tombs, El Badi Palace, the medina and Djemaa el-Fna. On Day 3 the road crosses the High Atlas to Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, then runs through the Roses Valley, Skoura, Dades Gorge and Todgha Gorge to a Berber village near Tinghir.
Day 5 reaches the Erg Chebbi dunes for a sunset camel ride and a night in a desert camp. The return takes a different line, through the Draa Valley to Ouarzazate, then the Ounila Valley, Telouet and the Tizi n'Tichka pass back to Marrakech, where a free day closes the tour before your departure on Day 9.
The tour starts and ends in Marrakech, the red city at the foot of the High Atlas. Between the two, the route heads south-east along the old caravan road between Marrakech and the Sahara, where mud-brick kasbahs and fortified villages still line the valleys.
Ait Ben Haddou is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has served as a film backdrop, including for Gladiator and Game of Thrones. Further east, the Dades and Todgha gorges cut between steep cliffs, and Erg Chebbi near Merzouga is the field of tall golden dunes where the tour spends its desert night.
No particular skills are needed. Most of each day is spent in the vehicle, with stops to walk around kasbahs, gorges, palm groves and villages, and one camel ride at the dunes on Day 5.
Some days involve long stretches on mountain and desert roads, so a steady tolerance for time in the vehicle helps. If anyone in your party has limited mobility, a health condition or dietary needs, tell the team when you enquire so the days can be planned around them.
You travel with the same English-speaking driver guide from Marrakech to the dunes and back, in a private luxury SUV with fuel included, or a deluxe coach when the party is larger than four. In Marrakech a licensed local guide takes you through the sights in private, and the entrance fees that day are covered.
A dedicated concierge is on call 24 hours a day and can help with dinner reservations and special requests. Typical stays include La Maison Arabe Hotel and Spa in Marrakech and a luxury camp in the Sahara, and the group is limited to 14 guests.
Your English-speaking driver meets you at Marrakech Menara Airport and takes you to your riad or hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore the area around your stay. You spend the night at La Maison Arabe Hotel and Spa.
A licensed local guide leads a private tour of the main sights: the Saadian Tombs, El Badi Palace and the Koutoubia Mosque. You then explore the medina, the souks and the medersas, and finish the day at Djemaa el-Fna square. You stay again at La Maison Arabe Hotel and Spa.
The road crosses the High Atlas to Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified village of mud-brick buildings on the old caravan route to the Sahara, where you stop at the kasbah. You then continue to Ouarzazate and check in at Le Petit Riad.
The route runs through the Roses Valley and the palm-filled village of Skoura. You stop for lunch at Dades Gorge, explore Todgha Gorge and the town of Tinghir, then continue to the Berber village of Tamtatoucht, where you stay at Hotel Baddou.
You drive to Tinghir and walk among its palm groves and olive trees before reaching Merzouga, at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes. In the late afternoon you ride a camel to watch the sun set over the sand. The night is at Sahara Stars Camp, a luxury desert camp.
Watch the sun rise over the dunes before you set off. The road passes through Tazzarine and the Draa Valley, with lunch in Nakob and a visit to the Kasbah of Tamnougalte and the town of Agdz. You return to Ouarzazate and Le Petit Riad for the night.
The way back to Marrakech follows the Ounila Valley, with red canyons and Berber villages along the old caravan trail. You visit the Kasbah of Telouet and have a fig tajine for lunch, then cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass. You arrive in Marrakech and stay at La Maison Arabe Hotel and Spa.
The day is yours. Options include the souks and museums, a cooking class, a hammam and massage, or a hot air balloon ride. These are optional extras, and the concierge can help arrange them. You stay at La Maison Arabe Hotel and Spa.
A driver takes you to Marrakech Menara Airport for your flight, with help through the formalities and a farewell.
Four of the eight nights are in Marrakech at La Maison Arabe Hotel and Spa. The other four are at Le Petit Riad in Ouarzazate for two nights, Hotel Baddou in the Berber village of Tamtatoucht, and Sahara Stars Camp, a luxury camp at the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Rooms are arranged for two guests sharing. Dinner is included on four evenings, in Ouarzazate, at Dades Gorge and at the desert camp, where the night follows a sunset camel ride. These are the usual stays for this route, and the team confirms the exact properties at booking, depending on travel dates, budget, party size and availability.
Nights one, two, seven and eight are in Marrakech at La Maison Arabe Hotel and Spa. The others are at Le Petit Riad in Ouarzazate (nights three and six), Hotel Baddou in the Berber village of Tamtatoucht (night four) and Sahara Stars Camp at the Erg Chebbi dunes (night five).
Rooms are arranged for two guests sharing. The exact properties depend on your dates, budget, party size and availability, so the team confirms them with you when you book.
Breakfast is included every day. Four dinners are included, in Ouarzazate, at Dades Gorge and at the Sahara camp.
Lunches, drinks and any dinners not named in the plan are paid for separately. Planned lunch stops on the route include Dades Gorge on Day 4, Nakob on Day 6 and a fig tajine at Telouet on Day 7.
You travel in a private luxury SUV with fuel included, or in a deluxe coach when the party is larger than four. The same English-speaking driver guide stays with you throughout the trip.
In Marrakech on Day 2 a licensed local guide joins you for the sights, and all entrance fees for that day are covered. On the road days your driver guide looks after the route and the stops.
The tour is limited to 14 guests, and the vehicle is private to your party. Day-to-day timings are planned around the route rather than a shared timetable.
Prices are based on two guests sharing a room. If you are travelling alone or want a different room arrangement, ask when you enquire so the team can confirm what is possible.
On Day 5 you reach Merzouga and ride a camel to watch the sun set over the Erg Chebbi dunes. You then spend the night at Sahara Stars Camp, a luxury desert camp, with dinner included.
The next morning you watch the sun rise over the dunes before the drive back towards Ouarzazate on Day 6. A light scarf and warm layers are worth packing for the evening and the early start.
On Day 1 an English-speaking driver meets you at Marrakech Menara Airport and takes you to your riad or hotel. Share your flight details when you enquire so the pickup can be timed to your arrival.
On Day 9 you are driven back to Marrakech airport, with help through the formalities. Pickup and drop-off are part of the tour.
Day 8 is left open. Options include the souks and museums, a cooking class with a local family or in a commercial kitchen, or a tour of the Majorelle Gardens and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum.
A traditional hammam and massage, or an early-morning hot air balloon ride, are also possible. These are optional and not included, and the concierge can help you arrange them.
International flights, drinks, tips and meals not named in the plan are not included. Optional activities on the free day, such as a balloon ride or a cooking class, are also extra.
Transport to and from the meeting point is not included either, although airport pickup and drop-off in Marrakech are part of the tour.
A dedicated concierge is available 24 hours a day throughout the trip. They can help with dinner reservations and special requests.
Your English-speaking driver guide is also with you on every day of the route, so questions about timings, stops or changes can be raised on the spot.
The properties listed are the usual stays for this route. The team suggests the exact accommodation based on your budget, the number of people, your travel dates, your preferences and availability at each stop.
If availability is limited at a stop, the team proposes an alternative. Ask for the confirmed list of stays when you book.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Such an amazing experience! We had an absolutely wonderful time. The paragliding, quad biking, and dinner show were all fantastic and so much fun. Everything was well organized, and our guide was truly amazing, very friendly, welcoming, and great company throughout the whole experience. We felt comfortable and had…
Operated by Barbaro Tours Morocco, a partner of adventuro.
Central & Atlas Mountains, Morocco
From €126
Central & Atlas Mountains, Morocco
From €74
