Desert Tour from
Casablanca to Merzouga
Overview
4 Days from the Atlantic
to the Sahara
Start your journey in Casablanca — Morocco's cosmopolitan heart — and travel deep into the golden silence of the Sahara Desert. Over four unforgettable days, you'll cross the Middle Atlas mountains, discover the ancient imperial city of Fes, wind through the dramatic Ziz Valley, and arrive at the legendary dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga.
This tour is crafted for seniors and couples who want a relaxed, comfortable pace — with carefully chosen riads, a luxury desert camp, and a private guide who handles every detail so you can simply experience Morocco.
Tour Highlights
- Drive through the Middle Atlas cedar forests
- Visit the UNESCO-listed medina of Fes
- Traverse the dramatic Ziz Valley & Gorges
- Sunset camel ride over Erg Chebbi dunes
- Night in a luxury Berber desert camp
- Sunrise over the Sahara — a memory for life
- Return to Casablanca via Ouarzazate & Atlas
Day by Day
Your Itinerary
Your private guide picks you up from your Casablanca hotel in the morning. You head northeast through rolling farmlands before climbing into the fragrant cedar forests of the Middle Atlas. A relaxed pace throughout — no rushing.
- Stop in Ifrane — Morocco's alpine town nicknamed "Little Switzerland" — for coffee and a stroll
- Visit Azrou cedar forest and spot wild Barbary macaques
- Arrive in Fes late afternoon for check-in at a traditional riad
- Optional: gentle evening walk through the illuminated medina alleyways
🏨 Overnight: Riad in Fes Medina
After a leisurely breakfast at the riad, you head south. The landscape transforms dramatically — from green valleys to volcanic plateaus and the vast Saharan gateway.
- Pass through Midelt — the "city of apples" — for a lunch break
- Descend through the breathtaking Ziz Valley and Gorges
- Drive alongside the Ziz River lined with thousands of date palms
- Arrive in Merzouga as the sun begins to set over the dunes
- Mount your camel for a sunset camel trek deep into Erg Chebbi
- Arrive at your luxury desert camp for a traditional Berber dinner
🏕️ Overnight: Luxury Berber Desert Camp, Erg Chebbi
Wake before sunrise and climb the dunes to watch the first light paint the Sahara in gold and rose — one of the most breathtaking moments in all of travel. After a traditional breakfast at camp, you begin your journey west.
- Sunrise over Erg Chebbi — guided dune walk at dawn
- Visit a local Berber family in Merzouga village for mint tea
- Drive through the spectacular Todra Gorges — 300m canyon walls
- Pass through Boumalne Dades and the Valley of the Roses
- Visit Aït Benhaddou — UNESCO World Heritage ksar
- Arrive in Ouarzazate — the "Hollywood of Africa"
🏨 Overnight: Hotel in Ouarzazate
Your final day brings you back north over Morocco's most spectacular mountain road — the famous Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260m, winding through Berber villages with panoramic Atlas views.
- Optional morning visit to Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate
- Cross the Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass with stunning viewpoints
- Lunch stop in a Berber village with Atlas views
- Optional 2-hour stop in Marrakech medina
- Continue north on the motorway toward Casablanca
- Hotel drop-off upon arrival in the evening
🏠 Tour ends — safe travels!
What's Covered
Includes & Excludes
✓ Included
- ✓ Private air-conditioned vehicle (4×4 or minivan)
- ✓ Professional English-speaking driver/guide
- ✓ 3 nights accommodation (riad, desert camp, hotel)
- ✓ Daily breakfast at each accommodation
- ✓ Dinner on Night 2 at the desert camp
- ✓ Sunset camel trek in Merzouga dunes
- ✓ Luxury private tent at desert camp
- ✓ All fuel, tolls and parking fees
- ✓ Entrance to Aït Benhaddou UNESCO site
- ✓ Bottled water throughout the tour
- ✓ All taxes and service charges
✗ Not Included
- ✗ International flights to/from Morocco
- ✗ Travel insurance (highly recommended)
- ✗ Lunches and dinners (except camp dinner)
- ✗ Personal spending & souvenirs
- ✗ Tips for your guide (appreciated)
- ✗ Atlas Film Studios entrance (~$10, optional)
- ✗ Marrakech guided medina tour (optional)
- ✗ Single room supplement (ask us)
Gallery
Scenes from the Journey
Reserve Your Spot
Ready for the Sahara?
Send us a message and we'll respond within 24 hours to confirm your dates, answer any questions, and personalise your journey. No payment required to enquire.
- Duration 4 Days / 3 Nights
- Group size Private (1–8 pax)
- Departure Casablanca
- Return Casablanca
- Pace Easy — Relaxed
- Ideal for Seniors & Couples
Opens your email · contact@grandmoroccanjourney.com
