Crossing the High Atlas to the dunes takes real driving time, so the question is less whether to go than how many days to give it.
By ToursXplorer Editorial Team
Marrakech greets visitors with the colour and bustle of Jemaa El-Fna square and the souks, a full change of scenery between tradition and modernity. Fez, further north, carries the layered atmosphere of a 13th-century imperial city with a long multicultural history. Both cities sit at the edge of a very different world: the road south climbs through oases and the Tafilalet, where green vegetation meets the ochre of the sands before the dunes of Merzouga and the Sahara rise, shaped by the Saharan wind known as the Chergui.
Reaching the Sahara from Marrakech or Fez means a genuine crossing of Morocco's interior, not a short detour. The real question is how many days to set aside, and which route, departure city and overnight stop to choose.
The road out of Marrakech climbs through the High Atlas and over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, pausing at the fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou before running on through Ouarzazate and the Draa Valley to Zagora. A camel trek at the Tinfou dunes leads into a night at a traditional Berber camp, dinner and breakfast included, and the return drive takes a different path back through the Ounila Valley and the Glaoui Kasbah of Telouet. It suits travellers who want the desert camp experience and the drive through the Atlas and the Draa Valley without giving up more than a weekend. Transport is in a private air-conditioned vehicle with a professional English-speaking driver and guide, and lunch on the first day near Ouarzazate is included.
This trip also leaves Marrakech and crosses the High Atlas to Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, but pushes further south through the Dades Valley and the Todgha Gorges before reaching Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes on the second day. A camel ride carries travellers into the dunes at sunset, followed by a night at a desert camp with dinner and an evening of Tam Tam drumming with local nomads. A local guide and driver and the meals specified in the itinerary run throughout, with the extra day on the road given over to the Dades Valley and Todgha Gorges.
This route also starts in Marrakech and climbs the Tizi n'Tichka pass to Ait Ben Haddou, then threads through the Valley of the Roses and the Dades Gorges before reaching Merzouga for a camel ride into the dunes at dusk and a night in a desert camp. Rather than doubling back to Marrakech, the final day crosses the Middle Atlas to finish in Fez, with a hotel drop-off there. It suits travellers who plan to carry on from Fez rather than loop back, and it includes a private air-conditioned vehicle, an English-speaking guide, one night at Dades Gorges and one night at the desert camp with dinner.
This trip departs Fez and passes through Ifrane, the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas and a lunch stop in Midelt before descending into the Ziz Valley and reaching the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga. A guided camel trek leads to a high dune in time for sunset, followed by a night in a private tent with a private bathroom at a luxury desert camp, dinner, breakfast and traditional Berber music included. Based in Fez, it offers a two-day route to the dunes with private transport and an English-speaking guide throughout.
These are multi-day trips built around long drives across mountain passes and valleys, with the desert camp as the overnight highlight rather than a quick stop. Expect a full day or more of travel before reaching the dunes, with stops at kasbahs, gorges or valleys breaking up the route depending on which trip is chosen.
Travellers who want to stay in one city throughout, rather than finishing in a different one, should check whether their chosen route returns to the departure city or ends elsewhere.
Yes, a 2-day route runs from Marrakech to Zagora and the Tinfou dunes. It crosses the High Atlas and the Tizi n'Tichka pass, stops at Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, then reaches the Tinfou dunes for a camel trek and an overnight stay at a traditional Berber camp before returning to Marrakech.
The Moroccan National Tourist Office's desert route from Marrakech runs to the Ouarzazate-Zagora-Tinghir area, about 3 hours 47 minutes by road, and on to the Errachidia-Midelt-Merzouga area, a further 4 hours 20 minutes. The shortest desert trips from Marrakech here are built as 2-day routes, with an overnight camp included.
From Marrakech, routes lead to two desert areas: the Tinfou dunes near Zagora on a 2-day trip, and the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga on a 3-day trip through the Dades Valley and Todgha Gorges. A third option continues past Merzouga to finish in Fez rather than returning to Marrakech.
The Moroccan National Tourist Office's desert route from Marrakech runs to the Ouarzazate-Zagora-Tinghir area, about 3 hours 47 minutes by road, and a further 4 hours 20 minutes on to the Errachidia area toward Merzouga. The shortest desert trip available from Marrakech here is 2 days, including an overnight camp.
These routes were drawn from our catalogue of trips departing Marrakech and Fez, selected to cover the shortest and longer options toward Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes from both cities. ToursXplorer sells some of the trips in this guide and earns a commission when you book them. The options are described by type so you can compare them, whoever you book with. About ToursXplorer
Last checked October 2026. Rules checked against: Moroccan National Tourist Office: Desert Break (suggested tour).
