Overview
This 8 day Morocco tour from Marrakech puts the desert and the coast in one trip. You cross the High Atlas, follow the kasbah road east to the dunes of Merzouga, come back through the Draa valley, and finish where the Atlantic wind blows over the ramparts of Essaouira. Because it is spread over a week, no driving day is longer than you can comfortably manage, and every night is in a different landscape.
The first half is a slower version of our 4-day Marrakech desert tour: a night at Aït Ben Haddou instead of a quick stop, then the Dades valley and the Todra gorge. You spend two nights at Erg Chebbi, one in a camp among the dunes and one in a hotel at their edge, with a full day in between for Gnawa music in Khamlia, the market at Rissani and the sand itself. The return runs west by Alnif and N'Kob to the palm groves around Agdz, and back over the Tichka pass to Marrakech.
The last two days are a change of air: argan country, a women's cooperative where the oil is pressed by hand, and a night by the sea in Essaouira. It works well as a first trip to Morocco for travellers who want more than the city. For the desert part, read our Merzouga desert travel guide before you go.
Highlights
- An evening and a sunrise at Aït Ben Haddou, after the day visitors leave
- A walk between the high rock walls of the Todra gorge
- Two nights at Erg Chebbi: a desert camp, then a hotel by the dunes
- Gnawa music in Khamlia and the market at Rissani
- A quiet return through N'Kob and the Draa valley palm groves
- Goats in the argan trees, then the port and medina of Essaouira
Itinerary, day by day
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1
Marrakech → Tizi n'Tichka → Aït Ben Haddou
Pickup from your riad or hotel around 8:00. The road climbs through Berber villages and walnut terraces to the Tizi n'Tichka pass, about 2,260 m up in the High Atlas, then drops towards the pre-Sahara. You arrive at Aït Ben Haddou in the early afternoon with time to cross the river and walk up through the earthen ksar, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. Stay for sunset from the granary at the top, when the walls turn red.
About 190 km, 4 to 5 hours with stops · Overnight: a hotel or guesthouse in Aït Ben Haddou
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2
Aït Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate → Skoura → Dades valley
A short drive to Ouarzazate, the door of the desert, where you can visit a film studio or the old kasbah. Then the palm grove of Skoura, dotted with mud-brick kasbahs, and the road through Kelaat M'Gouna, known for its rose water. In the late afternoon you reach the Dades valley, with its folded red rock and green fields along the river.
About 200 km, 5 to 6 hours with stops · Overnight: a hotel or guesthouse in the Dades valley
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3
Dades → Todra gorge → Erfoud → Merzouga, camel ride
East to Tinghir and into the Todra gorge, where you walk along the stream between walls up to about 300 m high. The road then crosses open hammada to Erfoud and on to Merzouga. In the late afternoon you swap the vehicle for a camel and ride into Erg Chebbi, whose dunes reach about 150 m, as the light softens. Dinner, drums and a sky full of stars at the desert camp.
About 290 km, 6 to 7 hours with stops · Camel ride about 1 hour · Overnight: the desert camp in Erg Chebbi (standard, or luxury upgrade)
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4
A full day around Merzouga
Climb a dune for sunrise, then ride back out of the sand for breakfast. The day is yours, at an easy pace: Gnawa musicians in the village of Khamlia, the old market town of Rissani with its date sellers and donkey park, and tea with a nomad family if one is camped nearby. The afternoon is free for the dunes, a sandboard run or simply a long rest before sunset.
Short drives only · Overnight: a hotel at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes
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5
Merzouga → Alnif → N'Kob → Agdz, Draa valley
West on the quiet southern road. Alnif is fossil country, and you can stop at a workshop where trilobites are cleaned from the rock. N'Kob, at the foot of the Jbel Saghro, has dozens of kasbahs in one small village. In the afternoon the road meets the Draa river and its long ribbon of palm groves, and you stop for the night near Agdz.
About 330 km, 6 to 7 hours with stops · Overnight: a hotel or guesthouse in Agdz, Draa valley
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6
Agdz → Ouarzazate → Tizi n'Tichka → Marrakech
A morning walk in the palm grove, then north over the Anti-Atlas to Ouarzazate and back across the Tichka pass, with photo stops where the valleys open up. You are in Marrakech by late afternoon, in time for the Jemaa el-Fna square at dusk.
About 270 km, 6 hours with stops · Overnight: a riad or hotel in Marrakech
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7
Marrakech → argan country → Essaouira
West across the plains towards the Atlantic. As the argan forest begins, watch for goats balancing in the branches. You stop at a women's argan cooperative to see the nuts cracked and the oil pressed, and to taste amlou, the local spread of argan oil, almonds and honey. Essaouira by lunchtime, with the afternoon free for the beach or the medina.
About 190 km, 3 hours with stops · Overnight: a riad or hotel in Essaouira
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8
Essaouira → drop-off in Essaouira or Marrakech
A morning on foot: the sea ramparts and their old cannons, the fishing port with its blue boats and grilled-sardine stalls, and the whitewashed lanes of the medina. Your tour ends here, or your driver takes you back to Marrakech in the afternoon.
Optional return to Marrakech: about 190 km, 3 hours · Drop-off at your accommodation or the airport
Hotels and desert camps on this tour
Standard accommodation is included in the price. You can upgrade to superior hotels and camp for €35 per person per night; choose it in the booking panel.
| Night | Place | Standard | Superior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Night 1 | Aït Ben Haddou | Riad Maktub or similar | Hotel Caravane or similar |
| Night 2 | Dades valley | Hotel Maison d'Hôte Argana or similar | Hotel Ksar Sultan or similar |
| Night 3 | Desert camp, Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) | Mouhou Standard Desert Camp or similar | Mouhou Luxury Camp or similar |
| Night 4 | Merzouga, at the edge of the dunes | Hotel L'Homme du Désert or similar | Hotel Riad Chebbi or similar |
| Night 5 | Agdz (Draa valley) | Dar Qamar or similar | Dar Janane or similar |
| Night 6 | Marrakech | Riad Marana or similar | Riad Bahia Salama or similar |
| Night 7 | Essaouira | Riad Maison du Sud or similar | Hotel Suite Azure or similar |
Included
- Pickup at your accommodation in Marrakech; drop-off in Essaouira or Marrakech
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver for the 8 days
- Fuel
- 7 nights: Aït Ben Haddou, Dades valley, desert camp, a hotel by the dunes, Agdz, Marrakech and Essaouira
- Dinners and breakfasts
- Camel ride to and from camp
- Free time to explore
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Local guides in Aït Ben Haddou, Todra and Essaouira (optional)
- Purchases at the argan cooperative
- Tips for driver, musicians and camp staff
- Entrance fees
Good to know before you go
What to bring
A small overnight bag for the camp, a warm layer for desert evenings and the windy coast, a scarf, sunglasses, sunscreen and comfortable shoes for the gorges and medinas. Our guide to a night in the Sahara has a full packing list.
Best season
Spring and autumn are the most comfortable. Winter brings clear days but desert nights close to 0 °C; in summer the south can pass 40 °C, while Essaouira stays mild and breezy all year.
Where you sleep
Hotels, guesthouses or riads on six nights. In the desert, a standard camp with electricity and shared bathrooms (no Wi-Fi), or the luxury camp with a private bathroom with hot water, charging outlets and Wi-Fi.
Ending in Essaouira
Staying on by the sea? Tell us and we drop you in Essaouira on day 8. If you fly home from Marrakech, the driver brings you back that afternoon, so book a flight from the evening onwards.
Route map
Marrakech → Tizi n'Tichka → Aït Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate → Skoura → Kelaat M'Gouna → Dades → Todra → Erfoud → Merzouga → Rissani → Alnif → N'Kob → Agdz → Ouarzazate → Marrakech → Essaouira
Questions about the 8-day Morocco tour
How much does the 8-day tour cost?
It runs as a private tour, priced per group: €175 per day for your vehicle and driver plus €40 per person per night for accommodation. For 2 travellers over 8 days and 7 nights that comes to €1,960 in total (€980 per person). Superior hotels and the luxury camp add €35 per person per night, and children pay 5% less. A 20% deposit confirms the booking, with free cancellation up to 48 hours before departure.
How is it different from the shorter desert tours?
It covers the same desert road as the 4-day Marrakech desert tour, but with a night at Aït Ben Haddou, two nights at Erg Chebbi, a return through the Draa valley and two days on the coast. If you have less time, the 5-day desert tour from Marrakech keeps the extra Merzouga day and the Draa valley, without Essaouira.
How long are the driving days?
Between about 3 and 7 hours with stops. The longest are day 3 to Merzouga and day 5 to Agdz; day 4 has only short drives, and days 7 and 8 are about 3 hours each.
Can we join a group instead of going private?
This route is planned as a private tour. A small-group option is available on request; send us your dates and we will tell you what is possible.
Can we add nights or change the route?
Yes. Add a second night in Essaouira, skip the return to Marrakech, or spend longer in the Dades valley; the price is recalculated with the same formula. If you would rather design the whole trip yourself, book a private driver in Morocco.
Do I have to ride a camel?
No. The camel ride to camp takes about 1 hour; if you prefer, you can reach the camp by 4x4 instead. Let us know when you book.
What travellers say about our tours
Rated 4.9/5 by 64 travellers on Tripadvisor, across all the tours we run.
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