Marrakech to Merzouga — 5-Day Mountains & Desert Circuit

The classic Moroccan desert circuit, done properly. From Marrakech you climb the hairpins of the Tizi n’Tichka pass to the UNESCO ksar of Aït Ben Haddou and the film-studio town of Ouarzazate, sleeping in the Dades valley beneath its strange rock formations. The next day threads the sheer walls of the Todra Gorge and the fossil country around Erfoud before the tarmac ends at Merzouga — where you swap the car for a camel and ride into the dunes of Erg Chebbi as the sun goes down. Dinner by the fire, Berber drums, and a night in a desert camp under the stars. After sunrise over the dunes, the long scenic road home crosses Rissani, the Drâa valley’s endless palm groves and Agdz, back over the Atlas to Marrakech. Small groups, private transport, half board and local guides throughout.