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Atlas MountainsDesert safaris

Our most recommended Atlas Mountains Desert safaris

From Marrakech: 3-Day Sahara Tour to the Erg Chebbi Dunes

1. From Marrakech: 3-Day Sahara Tour to the Erg Chebbi Dunes

Sleep beneath the desert stars at a Berber campsite on an unforgettable dunes experience from Marrakech. Visit UNESCO-listed Ait Ben Haddou, the Valley of the Roses, and Tinghir. Stop at traditional Berber villages around the Todra Gorge and trek with a camel through the Erg Chebbi dunes, the highest in Morocco Day 1: Marrakech - TinghirYour shared 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga will start early in the morning. Head to Ait Benhaddou through the Tizi Ntichka pass and the high Atlas Mountains. Make many stops along the way. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, which also served as a set for various Hollywood blockbusters. Continue to Ouarzazate and Kasbah Taourirte before lunch. In the afternoon, drive to Tinghir via the Valley of the Roses before you reach your hotel located in Tinghir. Dinner and overnight.  Day 2: Tinghir – MerzougaAfter breakfast at your hotel in Tinghir, your journey will start today with a drive along the road of 1001 Kasbah to the Oasis of Tinghir, where you will deviate to a minor road driving along the river to Todra canyons After some time at leisure to enjoy the immensity of the huge cliffs, and lunch at a local café (at your leisure), continue early in the afternoon to Erfoud, famous for its date market, and a starting point of the ancient trading caravans crossing the Sahara desert to Tombouctou. Continue to Merzouga driving through some rocky desert landscape. Upon arrival at the edge of Erg Chebbi dunes, meet your camel caravan, and ride your camels through the amazing color-changing dunes with the sunset on the horizon as a backdrop. Reach your Sahara Desert camp, nestled in the middle of nowhere just before darkness. After some time to admire the dunes and the surrounding landscapes, get ready for a Moroccan dinner served under the stars next to a campfire. Late at night, enjoy Berber music with the local hosts playing drums Day 3: Merzouga – MarrakechAfter an early breakfast and a camel ride back to the main road, meet your driver and head back to Marrakech. Enjoy lunch on the road as you pass the Valley of Roses, and continue through the high atlas mountains to Marrakech. Finish your desert tour in Marrakech around 8 PM.

From Marrakech: Merzouga 3-Day Desert Safari with Food

2. From Marrakech: Merzouga 3-Day Desert Safari with Food

Discover the edge of the Sahara Desert on a three-day budget tour from Marrakech, and explore the dramatic landscapes of the Dades Valley and Kasbah of Ouarzazate. Ride across the dunes of Erg Chebbi by camel and sleep at a desert camp under the stars.  Day 1: Marrakech - Ait Ben Haddou - Dades Begin your journey by crossing the High Atlas Mountains past one Berber village after another to the UNESCO world heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou. This village is famous for its kasbah and fortified village and has been used as a set for some famous Hollywood epics and magazine photo shoots. After some leisure time, enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and continue your drive through Ouarzazate, known as the Gate of the Sahara. Continue to Boumalne Dades, admiring the scenic drive along the Dades Valley, where you can enjoy dinner and rest for the night at Kasbah Amazigh or Hotel Chems.  Day 2: Dades - Todgha Gorges - Merzouga Following breakfast, depart your hotel and drive to Tinghir and its dramatic Todgha Gorges, pausing for some free time to explore the canyons. Enjoy lunch at a local cafe and continue to Merzouga to meet your camel caravan. Experience the Erg Chebbi dunes on camelback and watch the sunset set. Reach your desert camp before nightfall and enjoy an authentic Moroccan dinner under the stars. Local nomads will provide entertainment and show you how to play the traditional Tam Tam drums. Enjoy dinner and an overnight stop.  Day 3: Merzouga Ouarzazate - Marrakech Following an early wake-up to watch the sunrise before breakfast (optional), a driver will be waiting to pick you up for the transfer back to Marrakech. Stop halfway for lunch at a local restaurant. Get dropped off at your original departure point or Djemaa El Fna around 8 PM. You can also book upgrades for the night in the Bedouin camp such as the deluxe desert camp with a luxury private tent complete with an ensuite shower, bathroom facilities, and 5-star amenities. These upgrades need to be booked per person.

Marrakech: Agafay Desert Quad or Camel Trip with Dinner Show

3. Marrakech: Agafay Desert Quad or Camel Trip with Dinner Show

Start your excursion by leaving Marrakech for the Agafay Desert. Once there, take in the breathtaking landscapes and choose between riding camels or 2-person quads through the desert dunes. Later, set by a pool located in a little corner of paradise. After sunset, attend a guitar show while sitting around the campfire. Enter a candlelit hut and enjoy a dinner composed of traditional Moroccan recipes: harira (traditional North African soup), tajine (slow-cooked meat stew), and dessert. Listen and get up and dance to live music including the traditional ahwash Berber dance and fire dancers. After this unforgettable evening, get driven back to Marrakech.

From Fes: 2-Day Desert Tour with Return to Fes or Marrakech

4. From Fes: 2-Day Desert Tour with Return to Fes or Marrakech

Experience life in the Sahara Desert on a small group tour to the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Ride a camel across the sands and watch the sunset along the way. Drive across the winding roads of the Middle Atlas Mountains and much more. Day 1: Fes - Ifrane - Midelt - Merzouga Depart Fes and pass through the winter ski resort of Ifrane, built by the French in the 1930s to resemble a Swiss village. Continue through the cedar forest of Azrou and look for the resident monkeys before your drive across the Middle Atlas Mountains. Wind your way through beautiful forests, mountain springs, jagged rocks and Berber villages before your descent to the Sahara Desert. Stop for lunch half-way in the town of Midelt, famous for its fossils and rocks. Then, continue towards Merzouga taking in the panoramic views of a huge oasis of palm trees at Ziz along the way. Upon arrival in Rissani, travel by 4WD vehicle into the desert, reaching Merzouga in the afternoon. Here, your guide will be waiting with the camels that will take you across the dunes to Erg Chebbi. Watch the sunset from the back of your camel on a one-hour trek to a Berber camp. Upon arrival at the desert shelter, your camels will be tethered as you are served a welcome mint tea. Enjoy dinner and relax as you look at the stars in the sky. Stay overnight in your choice of a shared, private standard, or private luxury tent. Day 2: Merzouga - Tafilalte - Fes Wake early and walk across the dunes to watch the sunrise from just behind the Algerian border, about 50 kilometers from Merzouga. Take a shower after and enjoy breakfast before the drive back to Fes, and benefit from comfort stops on the approximate 7-hour journey. 

Marrakech: Dinner in Agafay Desert with Pool and Camel Ride

5. Marrakech: Dinner in Agafay Desert with Pool and Camel Ride

Relax in the vast beauty of the Agafay Desert on this trip from Marrakech. Eat a 4-dish dinner in a traditional Bedouin tent, listen to the silence of the desert, and ride a camel. Meet your driver at your Marrakesh hotel, apartment, or Riad, and head into the Agafay Desert. Drive through the white dunes and see the bold colors of the sunset over the sand. After arriving at the Bedouin camp, experience traditional Moroccan cuisine under a starry sky. Dine in a Bedouin tent around a campfire and choose from 3 beef, chicken, or vegetarian set menu options, each with 4 mouthwatering dishes to share. After dinner, go for a camel ride or swim in the Infinity pool underneath the twinkling stars before returning to your hotel.

From Marrakech: Day Trip to Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou

6. From Marrakech: Day Trip to Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou

Discover local village, natural landscapes, and Kasbah Ait Benhaddou fortress on this day trip from Marrakech. Travel in an airconditioned van or car and stay connected with wi-fi access as you drive. Uncover movie-magic with a stop at the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate.  Start your day trip with pickup from your Marrakech accommodation from 7-8 AM. Hop inside a spacious and comfortable vehicle and soak up the scenery as you travel into the Atlas Mountains. Immerse yourself in local culture with a stop at the small village ofAit Ben Barka near the hilly countryside of Toufliht. Explore the area with your driver and learn about the schedule sights for your trip. Have some free time for a break before crossing the the Tizi n'Tichka pass. Stop to capture pictures of mountain peaks on the pass from 7,415 feet above sea level (2,260 meters). Continue on to the Atlas Film Studios at Ouarzazate, the largest film studio in the world which famously featured in the TV series Game of Thrones. Spend some free time to visit the studios or to explore on your own. Take some pictures of the unique rugged local landscapes in the area. After the studio, you purchase lunch at one of the best restaurants in the area, with excellent prices and stunning panoramic views.  Finally, head to the famous Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, which is recognized as a UNESCO site and one of the most extraordinary kasbahs (fortresses) in Morocco. End your day of scenic views and memories by relaxing in your comfortable air-conditioned vehicle on your drive back to your hotel in Marrakech.

From Marrakech: 3-Day Desert Tour to Fes

7. From Marrakech: 3-Day Desert Tour to Fes

Discover Fes and Marrakech, Morocco's imperial cities, on a guided 3-day tour. Day 1: Marrakech — Ait Ben Haddou — Dades (1st night at Kasbah Amazigh) Start your tour with an early pickup. Meet your driver at your hotel or riad in the morning before crossing the High Atlas Mountains towards Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. After a guided walk in the village, enjoy a leisurely lunch in Ait-Ben-Haddou. In the early afternoon, travel northeast to Boumalne Dades via Ouarzazate. Take a drive along the Dades River with the marvelous sunset as your backdrop. Reach the way to Dades Valley and make a pit stop to enjoy the amazing scenery. Then, continue to a hotel where you will dine and rest for the night at Kasbah Amazigh. Day 2: Dades — Merzouga Start the day with breakfast at your hotel. Set out on a journey along the road of 1001 Kasbahs to Tinghir, an oasis where you will have the opportunity to enjoy an hour-long walk by the river bank all the way to Todgha Gorges. Here, get some free time to enjoy the scenery before lunch.  Early in the afternoon, walk to Merzouga, where your camel caravan awaits. From here, ride your camel through the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi while enjoying a mesmerizing sunset.  Before dark, reach your Sahara desert camp nestled between the dunes, where you will eat a Moroccan dinner under the stars while being entertained by local nomads playing their drums around the campfire. After the campfire, relax in your standard or luxury tent, depending on which one you choose. The standard tents are basic accommodation, while a private tent is subject to availability. The toilets are right outside, with facilities to freshen up in a shared room. If you choose the luxury tent, it is located in a more isolated and scenic area, providing extra comfort, and a guaranteed private tent with flushable western toilets, hot showers, and a rich dinner and breakfast. Day 3: Merzouga — Fes  Get woken up by your desert hosts if you wish to watch the sunrise. After breakfast, drive along the Ziz River with its amazing oasis lined with palm trees and fortified ksours (castles) all the way to Midelt, a small town in the middle of the Atlas Mountains, your lunch stop for the day. In the afternoon, continue crossing the Middle Atlas Mountains towards Fes. Notice a dramatic change in the landscape: snow-capped mountains, cedar forests, and rich vegetation, a complete 180 from the arid and rocky landscapes of the rest of the tour.  End your Marrakech to Fes desert tour in the early evening as your driver takes you to your riad or hotel in Fes.

From Marrakech: Zagora 2-Day Desert Safari with Food & Camp

8. From Marrakech: Zagora 2-Day Desert Safari with Food & Camp

Live the life of a Berber on a 2-day desert safari to Zagora and the Draa Valley from Marrakech. Experience the shifting sand dunes on the back of a camel, sleep under a canopy of stars, and follow in the footsteps of Hollywood royalty on a visit to the world heritage village of Ait Ben Haddou. Day 1: Marrakech - Zagora Following an early morning pickup from your hotel or riad in Marrakech, drive across the High Atlas Mountains en route to Ouarzazate, where you will stop for lunch at your leisure. Continue to the oasis of Agdez, before driving through the date and palm trees of the Draa Valley. Marvel at the fortified Kasbahs along the way. Upon arrival at Zagora, meet your camel caravan and ride a camel over the sand dunes as you watch the sunset paint the desert sands. Then, transfer to your Sahara Desert camp just before dark. Settle into your private tent, and enjoy some free time to explore the surrounding desert scenery. Dinner will be served under the stars while your nomad hosts entertain you around a campfire with the beat of their tamtam drums. Day 2: Zagora - Marrakech Wake early to experience the magic of a desert sunrise (optional). Then, enjoy breakfast before climbing back into the saddle of your camel for the ride back to the main road. Here, your minibus will be waiting to take you on a scenic drive to the world heritage village of Ait Ben Haddou. Instantly recognizable as the setting of various Hollywood epics, it’s also a popular backdrop for photo shoots with international fashion magazines and agencies. Explore the Kasbah at leisure, with some free time for lunch, before the picturesque drive back to Marrakech.

Marrakech: Overnight Sahara Tour to Zagora & Ait Ben Haddou

9. Marrakech: Overnight Sahara Tour to Zagora & Ait Ben Haddou

Discover Ouarzazate and Zagora on this 2-day trip from Marrakech. Visit the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou fortress and admire stunning views of the Atlas mountains. Ride camel through the Sahara during the sunset. Savor a local dinner and breakfast and stay overnight in a tent at the Zagora dunes.  Day 1: Begin with early-morning pickup from Marrakech. Travel through the dessert sandstone city of Ouarzazate. Stop at the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, where you will have free time to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue to the verdant Draa Valley, which is well-known for its amazing ksour and kasbah. Head to Zagora and make your way to the windswept dunes for a sunset camel ride. Make camp at a campsite in the Zagora dunes and enjoy a hearty dinner of local flavors. Day 2: Wake early morning for a typical Berber breakfast before watching the sunrise from the back of your camel in the dunes. Board the bus and take the road back to Marrakech through the High Atlas Mountains.

Marrakech: Atlas Mountains & Agafay Desert Tour w Camel Ride

10. Marrakech: Atlas Mountains & Agafay Desert Tour w Camel Ride

Gain a deeper understanding of Berber culture as you embark on an unforgettable guided scenic day trip to the Atlas Mountains. Encounter enchanting countryside, get the chance to take a ride on a camel or horse, and meet locals in the villages of the Imlil Valley.  Start your day with pickup and meet your friendly local guide, who lives in one of the surrounding Berber villages. During your journey to the Atlas Mountains region, your guide will tell you about the rich culture and heritage of the Berber people as you hike between villages. Arrive in Tahnaout and visit a women-managed argan oil co-operative. Discover how the argan nut is pressed to make the famed argan oil products of Morocco. Receive a warm welcome in Imlil with a glass of mint tea before traveling past stunning waterfalls and small Berber settlements. Pause in Tamatert to take in the views of ancient irrigated terraced fields, surrounded by cherry and walnut trees.  Feast on a traditional Moroccan meal in Ait Souka at the home of a Berber family. Relax with scenic valley views from a sun-bathed rooftop terrace.  After some rest, board your vehicle and travel through the scenic Kik Plateau, with spectacular 360-degree views. Gaze in awe at the magnificent High Atlas Mountains as you pass through stone desert, barren light brown plateaus, oases, and rolling hills. Enjoy the serene surroundings of the Agafay Desert where you can take an optional camel or horse ride. Or, simply relax with some Moroccan mint tea for the perfect end to your day, before heading back to Marrakech.

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What people are saying about Atlas Mountains

Overall rating

4.1 / 5

based on 3,092 reviews

Great experience travelling through the High Atlas Mountains and to the desert. Our driver Ibrahim was a great guide, and we always felt that we got good guides at the stop offs and also decent spots for breaks and food on the drive. There is a lot of driving, but it is worth it for the views. Felt like we had plenty of time at Ait Benhaddou, which was one of the main things I was hoping to see, and the desert experience was incredible. We booked the luxury option, so got a tent of our own, and that was also such a unique special experience. The last day back to Marrakech was very long 10 hours, but with a good amount of stops, and it is necessary to see the desert within the 3 days.

Our guide Ghafour was fantastic and we had the most amazing day. He was very knowledgable and kind (and was also kind and talented enough to sing in Arabic for us). So many unforgettable experiences in one day, would recommend to anyone visiting Marrakesh.

Nice and easy tour to get a glimpse of the Atlas mountains and the dessert. Tour guide was very helpful too. (Rachid Mazik)

Amazing tour with an amazing guide. Thank you so much. The price was great and we had so much fun.

Wonderful journey with Oufars Hassan as guide, and Azilal as drvier. We recommend!