Overview of This 5 Day Morocco Tour
Our 5-day Morocco itinerary starts and ends in Marrakech and crosses the High Atlas to the Sahara: Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades Valley, Todra Gorge and a night in a desert camp at Merzouga, with your own driver and riad stays, priced for your group.
Five days in Morocco is enough for one city and the desert, not for the whole country. This route gives Marrakech a full evening at each end and spends the middle three days on the road south, where the scenery changes most: snow on the Atlas passes in spring, mud-brick kasbahs, palm oases and finally the dunes of Erg Chebbi. The drives are long on two days, so we plan the stops to break them up.
- Jemaa el-Fnaa and the Marrakech souks at dusk
- The Tizi n’Tichka pass over the High Atlas
- Ait Ben Haddou, the fortified village listed by UNESCO
- Todra Gorge and the Dades Valley
- Camel ride and a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes
- The Draa Valley palm groves on the way back
Your 5 Days in Morocco, Day by Day
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Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech
Airport transfer about 20 minYour driver meets you at Marrakech Menara Airport arrivals and takes you to your riad inside the medina walls. Once you have settled in, walk to Jemaa el-Fnaa as the food stalls light up, or let us arrange a local guide for a first loop of the souks. Tonight we go over the plan for the road south with you.
- Stops
- Jemaa el-Fnaa, the souks
- Overnight
- Riad in Marrakech
- Meals
- Dinner
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Day 2: Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou and the Dades Valley
About 6 h 30 min driving · 320 kmAn early start takes you up the switchbacks of the Tizi n’Tichka, at 2,260 m the highest paved pass in the High Atlas. On the far side, Ait Ben Haddou rises in terraces of red earth above a riverbed; you walk up to the granary at the top. After lunch in Ouarzazate, the road runs east through the rose gardens of the Kelaat M’Gouna area to your kasbah hotel in the Dades Valley.
- Stops
- Tizi n’Tichka, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Skoura
- Overnight
- Kasbah-style hotel in the Dades Valley
- Meals
- Breakfast · Dinner
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Day 3: Dades Valley to Todra Gorge and Merzouga
About 5 h driving · 290 kmMorning light is best in Todra Gorge, where the river runs between walls about 300 m high; there is time to walk the narrowest section on foot. The road then follows the old caravan route through Tinejdad and Erfoud to Merzouga. You leave your main luggage in the car, meet your camels at the edge of Erg Chebbi and ride into the dunes for sunset, then dinner and drums at camp.
- Stops
- Todra Gorge, Tinghir, Erfoud
- Overnight
- Desert camp in Erg Chebbi
- Meals
- Breakfast · Dinner
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Day 4: Merzouga to the Draa Valley and Ouarzazate
About 6 h 30 min driving · 370 kmClimb a dune for sunrise before the camel ride back to breakfast. Instead of repeating the road you came on, we return west by the southern route through Alnif and N’Kob, a village of more than forty kasbahs, then along the palm groves of the Draa Valley to Agdz. The night is in Ouarzazate or back at Ait Ben Haddou, which is quiet once the day visitors have gone.
- Stops
- Rissani, Alnif, N’Kob, Draa Valley, Agdz
- Overnight
- Kasbah-style hotel near Ouarzazate
- Meals
- Breakfast · Dinner
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Day 5: Over the High Atlas to Marrakech
About 4 h driving · 200 kmA shorter drive back over the Tizi n’Tichka, with a stop at an argan oil cooperative if you would like one. You reach Marrakech by early afternoon: your driver takes you to the airport, or to a riad if you are staying on. Guests who stay add a morning at the Bahia Palace and the Majorelle Garden.
- Stops
- Tizi n’Tichka, argan cooperative
- Overnight
- Departure, or add nights in Marrakech
- Meals
- Breakfast
Route Map: 5 Days from Marrakech
About 1,200 km in total, as a loop from Marrakech. The Sahara is far from Marrakech, so days 2 and 4 are the long ones; the stops in between are what makes them worth it.
What’s Included in This 5 Day Morocco Tour
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for 5 days
- Fuel, tolls and parking
- 4 nights: riad, kasbah hotels and desert camp
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- Camel trek in Erg Chebbi
- Airport or hotel pickup and drop-off
Not included
- International flights
- Lunches and drinks
- Monument entrance fees
- Tips for driver and guides
- Travel insurance
Where You’ll Stay
- Marrakech · 1 night Riad or hotel Options sent with your quote
- Dades Valley · 1 night Kasbah-style hotel Options sent with your quote
- Merzouga · 1 night Desert camp Options sent with your quote
- Ouarzazate area · 1 night Kasbah-style hotel Options sent with your quote
5 Day Morocco Tour Prices
Every private tour is priced for your group, so we quote it rather than list one fixed price. Three things set it:
- Group sizeThe vehicle and driver cost the same whatever the size of your party, so the more of you travel, the less each person pays.
- Hotel levelComfortable riads and hotels, or a step up to superior riads and a luxury desert camp.
- SeasonSpring and fall are the busiest months for riads and desert camps.
Customize This Tour
Arriving in Casablanca or Fes instead? We can start there and end in Marrakech. You can also add a second night in Marrakech at the start, or swap the return day for the drive on to Fes.
Customize This 5-Day Tour
Your driver/guide
One professional, English-speaking driver/guide for all five days, in an air-conditioned 4×4 or minivan depending on your group size. Other languages are available on request.
Meet our drivers and guides5-Day Morocco Tour FAQ
Is 5 days in Morocco enough?
Five days is enough for Marrakech and the Sahara, or for Marrakech and the imperial cities, but not both. If you want Fes and Chefchaouen as well as the desert, look at our 7-day itinerary.
How long are the drives on this 5 day Morocco itinerary?
Days 2 and 4 each have about 6 to 7 hours of driving, split with stops every hour or two. Day 3 is about 5 hours and the last day about 4.
Can we do this 5 day Morocco tour from Fes?
Yes. From Fes the natural route is Fes to Merzouga, then west through the Dades Valley to Marrakech, which needs 3 or 4 days. We can build 5 days around it.
Do we come back the same way?
Mostly not. You go out through the Dades Valley and Todra Gorge and come back through N’Kob and the Draa Valley. Only the Tizi n’Tichka pass is on both days.
What is the best time for a 5 day tour from Marrakech?
March to May and September to November. In winter the Tichka pass can have snow and desert nights are cold; in July and August the desert is very hot by day.
