Merzouga Desert Journey
Grand Morocco in 14 Days
From Marrakech
From Fes
From Casablanca
Couples
Families
Friends
Boutique riads
Luxury desert camps
Nights under the stars
Our story
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8-Day Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech via the Sahara
If you have one week and land in Casablanca, this is the route we recommend most. Imperial Rabat, Meknes and Fes first, then the Middle Atlas to a camel trek and a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes, the Todra Gorge, the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs and two nights in Marrakech.
Best for: The best first week in Morocco.
Highlights
- Hassan II Mosque and Rabat
- Volubilis and Meknes
- Two nights in Fes
- Camel trek and a night in Erg Chebbi
- Todra Gorge and Aït Benhaddou
- Two nights in Marrakech
Day by day
Day 1Casablanca – Hassan II Mosque – Rabat
Your driver-guide meets you at Casablanca airport. First the Hassan II Mosque on the ocean, with a 210 m minaret and one of the few mosque interiors in Morocco open to visitors. Then up the coast to Rabat, the capital: the Kasbah of the Oudayas above the river, the Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V Mausoleum.
Day 2Rabat – Meknes – Volubilis – Fes
Inland through farmland to Meknes, the city of Sultan Moulay Ismail, for Bab Mansour and the royal granaries. At Volubilis a local guide shows you the Roman mosaics, then you pass the holy hill town of Moulay Idriss before reaching Fes in the evening.
Day 3Fes guided day
A full day in Fes el-Bali, the largest car-free medina in the world, with an official local guide. Bou Inania madrasa, the Al Quaraouiyine mosque and university founded in 859, the Nejjarine fountain, the Chouara tanneries seen from a leather-shop terrace, and the golden gates of the Royal Palace. Free time in the souks before dinner.
Day 4Fes – Ifrane – Azrou cedars – Ziz Valley – Merzouga
A long and beautiful drive across the Middle Atlas: Ifrane with its alpine roofs, the cedar forest of Azrou where Barbary macaques live, lunch in Midelt below the High Atlas, then the Ziz Gorges and a ribbon of date palms down to Erfoud. At Merzouga you swap the car for a camel and ride into the dunes of Erg Chebbi for sunset. Dinner, Berber drums by the fire and a night in your private tent.
Day 5Merzouga – Rissani – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley
Sunrise from the top of a dune, then breakfast at camp. In Rissani, the old caravan capital of the Tafilalet, you walk the local souk. The road follows palm oases to the Todra Gorge, where you walk between cliffs up to 300 m high. Evening in the Dades Valley among red rock formations.
Day 6Dades – Skoura – Ouarzazate – Aït Benhaddou – Marrakech
The Road of a Thousand Kasbahs: the Roses Valley, the palm oasis of Skoura and Kasbah Amridil, then Ouarzazate, Morocco's film capital. At Aït Benhaddou you climb through the UNESCO-listed ksar seen in Gladiator. In the afternoon you cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m) and reach Marrakech by evening.
Day 7Marrakech guided day
A morning with an official local guide: the Koutoubia minaret, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the souks of the medina. The afternoon is yours, perhaps the Majorelle Garden or a hammam, before the storytellers and food stalls of Jemaa el-Fna come alive at dusk.
Day 8Marrakech at leisure and departure
Free time for the Majorelle Garden, a hammam or one more coffee on a rooftop, then your transfer to Marrakech or Casablanca airport.
Where you'll stay
These are our usual choices. If one is full on your dates we book a place of the same standard, and you can ask for an upgrade.
Price per person
| Room | Per person |
|---|---|
| Double or twin, 2 sharing | €1,720 |
| Triple room, 3 sharing | €1,410 |
| Quadruple, 4 sharing | €1,205 |
| Single room, travelling alone | €3,180 |
Prices include your private car and English-speaking driver-guide for the whole trip. Your exact quote depends on dates, group size and hotel level, and we confirm it within 24 hours.
What's included
Included
- Private air-conditioned car with your own English-speaking driver-guide
- 7 nights in riads, a private desert camp and a Dades Valley hotel
- Breakfast every day
- Dinner at the desert camp and in the Dades Valley
- Official local guides in Volubilis, Fes and Marrakech
- Camel ride into the dunes, one camel per person
- Sandboarding and live music at the camp
- Passenger insurance in the vehicle
Not included
- Flights
- Lunches
- Drinks
- Entrance fees
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Questions about this journey
Is this a group tour?
No. Every Oasis Roads journey is private: your own car and English-speaking driver-guide, no strangers, up to 7 travellers per car.
Can we fly home from Casablanca?
Yes, we drive you back to Casablanca airport on the last day, about 3 hours.
Can we change the route or add nights?
Yes. Because the tour is private, we can add a night, swap a stop or change the end city. Tell us when you ask for your quote.
More journeys
Tangier, Fes & the Sahara
An unhurried week from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Sahara and Marrakech.
From €1,720 per person
The Slow Oasis Road
Two nights in the Dades, the Roses Valley on foot, the Todra Gorge and two desert nights.
From €1,500 per person
Desert, Atlas & Essaouira
Medina, mountains, two Sahara nights, Ouarzazate and a night by the Atlantic.
From €1,940 per person
Where will your road begin?
Tell us your dates and who's coming. Abdou or one of the team will send you a route and a price within 24 hours.