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Guide · Short trips
2-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, or Zagora instead?
A 2-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga exists, but it is mostly driving. Zagora is closer and quieter, and three days to Merzouga is the full version. Here is how to choose.
Check availabilityfrom $137 · free cancellation
Editorial team, marrakech-to-merzouga.comUpdated October 24, 20266 min read22 sources
Quick answer
- 012 days to Merzouga
- Possible, with around 10 hours of driving each way.
- 022 days to Zagora
- Out at 7:00 AM, back around 6:00 PM the next day.
- 033 days to Merzouga
- The full trip, rated 4.87 by 22,054 guests.
- 04Zagora's desert
- Zagora is an oasis on the Draa, not on Erg Chebbi.1
- 05Prices
- Zagora trips here start from $73 to $81.
The problem with two days
Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes lie in the far southeast of Morocco, near the Algerian border, on the other side of the High Atlas from Marrakech.2 Getting there takes a long day on the road whichever tour you choose, and so does getting back.
A 2-day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga does exist. The one compared here is honest about it: the drive from Marrakech to Merzouga takes around 10 hours with stops for lunch and breaks, pickup is around 5 to 6 AM, and arrival on day 2 is expected around 7 to 8 PM. It is designed for people with limited time, keeps long stops to a minimum to avoid delays, and offers an extra-day add-on for a less rushed trip.
That makes the 2-day version a trip for people who want the high dunes at any cost and have no third day to give. For everyone else there are two better answers: the 2-day trips to Zagora, which trade the big dunes for a shorter drive, and the 3-day trip to Merzouga, which spreads the same road over two days with a hotel night in between.
Two days to Zagora
How the short trip runs
-
Day 1, 7:00 AM
Leave Marrakech
The Zagora safari departs at 7:00 AM.
-
Day 1
Atlas and the ksar
Trips run via Ait Ben Haddou on the way south.
-
Evening
Camel to camp
About 45 to 60 minutes each way.
-
Day 2, dawn
Sunrise ride
A sunrise camel ride in the dunes.
-
Day 2, 6:00 PM
Back in Marrakech
The safari is back around 6:00 PM on day 2.
Zagora: the shorter desert
Zagora lies on the Draa, Morocco's longest river at 1,100 km, and Britannica names it alongside Ouarzazate as one of the river's important oases.31 The 2-day trips from Marrakech cross the High Atlas, pass Ait Ben Haddou and then follow the Draa valley south to a desert camp near the town.
The timings are kind for a short trip. One Zagora safari departs at 7:00 AM on day 1 and returns around 6:00 PM on day 2, with one night in the Zagora desert in a standard camp with a shared bathroom or a luxury camp with a private bathroom. Its camel trek is about 45 to 60 minutes each way.
What you give up is the scale of the dunes. Erg Chebbi is a sand sea of star dunes, some over 100 m high.45 Zagora is an oasis on a different river and is not part of that sand sea.1 For a first night under desert stars with a camel ride, Zagora works; for the classic picture of towering orange dunes, it is Merzouga.
Ratings
How guests rate the short and long trips
out of 5
Side by side
Two days or three, Zagora or Merzouga
| Trip | Days | Dunes | Reviews | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zagora small group | 2 | Zagora | 293 | from $76 |
| Zagora & Ait Ben Haddou | 2 | Zagora | 2,234 | from $73 |
| Zagora safari with camp | 2 | Zagora | 1,173 | from $81 |
| Merzouga in 2 days | 2 | Erg Chebbi | 668 | from $112 |
| Merzouga round trip | 3 | Erg Chebbi | 22,054 | from $137 |
Days, reviews and starting prices from each GetYourGuide listing; prices are from-prices, not quotes.
Three ways to do it
Zagora, a fast Merzouga or the full trip
Shortest drive
Fastest to Erg ChebbiMerzouga in 2 days
Back to Marrakech or on to Fes
- Pickup
- Around 5 to 6 AM
- Drive
- Around 10 hours
- Rating
- 4.73
Our pickMerzouga round trip
Hotel night and desert camp
- Length
- 3 days
- Meals
- Breakfasts, dinners
- Rating
- 4.87
Decision helper
Two days or three?
Match the trip to your time and patience
Zagora
Out at 7:00 AM, back around 6:00 PM the next day.
Merzouga in 2 days
Around 10 hours of driving to Merzouga, back around 7 to 8 PM on day 2.
Merzouga round trip
A hotel night breaks the road; rated 4.87 by 22,054 guests.
Zagora small group
Limited to 18 participants and rated 4.78 by its guests.
Merzouga in 2 days
It runs back to Marrakech or on to Fes, by choice.
Of its total length of 700 miles (1,100 km), the longest of any Moroccan river, all but the headstreams and upper course are usually dry.
The Marrakech to Zagora desert tour, compared
The Zagora trip this page recommends is a small-group tour limited to 18 participants, with guides in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, rated 4.78 from 293 reviews and starting from $76. It runs via Ait Benhaddou, where the local guide in the village is an optional extra.
A second option takes in Zagora and Ait Ben Haddou with a sunrise camel ride, a photo stop in Ouarzazate and lunch in the Atlas on the way back; it is rated 4.44 from 2,234 reviews and starts from $73. A third, a safari with food and a camp, is rated 4.51 from 1,173 reviews and starts from $81.
Read the exclusions on each. On the food safari, lunch, drinks and small expenses are not included, and the listing suggests bringing cash, as cards may not be accepted at some stops. Its notes also warn of very hot summers from June to August and cold nights from November to February.
Map
From Marrakech over the Atlas to the dunes
First the whole road with Fes and Zagora, then the two gorges at Boumalne and Tinghir, then the oasis towns and the sand sea of Erg Chebbi.
1Marrakech2Tizi n'Tichka3Ait Ben Haddou4Ouarzazate5Boumalne Dades6Tinghir7Errachidia8Merzouga9Zagora10Fes11Midelt
5Boumalne Dades6Tinghir12Kalaat M'Gouna13Dades Gorges14Todra Gorge
8Merzouga15Erfoud16Rissani17Erg Chebbi
- 1Marrakech
Start and end of the round trip; its medina, founded in 1070-72, has been a World Heritage site since 1985.67
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Tizi n'Tichka
The High Atlas pass on the road to Ouarzazate, 2,267 m high.89
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Ait Ben Haddou
An earthen ksar on the southern slopes of the High Atlas, a World Heritage site since 1987.1011
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Ouarzazate
An oasis and road junction on the Saharan side of the High Atlas, near where its river joins the Draa.129
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Boumalne Dades
The private-tent tour from Marrakech stops here for its first night; the Dades runs 350 km south to the Draa.13
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Tinghir
The private-tent tour lists 40 minutes in Tinghir and 20 minutes at the Todra River.
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Errachidia
The WMO climate station behind this site's month-by-month figures, at 1,037 m.14
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Merzouga
The village beside the dunes, where a large aquifer feeds palm groves and fields.15
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Zagora
An oasis on the Draa and the goal of the 2-day desert trips from Marrakech.1
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Fes
Where the one-way desert tours end; its medina has been a World Heritage site since 1981.16
In Google Maps ↗ - 11Midelt
The lunch stop on the last day of two one-way tours to Fes.
In Google Maps ↗ - 12Kalaat M'Gouna
A 20-minute break on the private-tent tour; the food-included safari sleeps in this area on night one.
In Google Maps ↗ - 13Dades Gorges
The gorges of the Dades River, a popular tourist destination.17
In Google Maps ↗ - 14Todra Gorge
The Fes to Marrakech luxury-camp tour lists 1 hour at the Todra River.
In Google Maps ↗ - 15Erfoud
One of the fortified villages of Tafilalt, the largest Saharan oasis of Morocco.1819
In Google Maps ↗ - 16Rissani
A Tafilalt village; the oasis's old capital Sijilmassa was founded in 757 CE.1920
In Google Maps ↗ - 17Erg Chebbi
Star dunes, some over 100 m high, that formed more than 13,000 years ago.521
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
For a short desert trip
01
Before you book
- Check the pickup and return times
- Check which camp grade you get
- Check whether lunch is included
02
Pack
- A small bag for the camp night
- A warm layer for the night
- Cash; cards may not be accepted at stops
Cost calculator
Price two days or three for your group
Enter your group size to compare four short and long trips.
People
Total from$152
pp from $76
Check availabilityfree cancellationThe sum multiplies each trip's GetYourGuide from-price by the size of your party and converts it at the day's ECB rate; checkout shows the final figure.
Video
Morocco Zagora desert excursion review, with tips
The video starts loading once you tap play.
Three days to Merzouga: the full version
The tour this site recommends takes three days and returns you to Marrakech, with 1 night in an air-conditioned hotel room and 1 night in an Erg Chebbi desert camp of your chosen grade. It is rated 4.87 from 22,054 reviews and starts from $137.
The extra day buys time rather than distance. Instead of covering the road in one push, the trip breaks it with a night in the valleys, which leaves room for the stops along the way: the Atlas Mountains and Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou are named among its highlights, together with camel rides at sunset and sunrise and the sunrise over the Erg Chebbi dunes.
It also includes more: breakfasts and dinners, a driver-guide, a camel ride or 4x4 transfer, sandboarding, Berber drumming and music, and luggage service. Lunch and drinks are paid on the road, and tips are extra, as on the shorter trips.
Time on the road, side by side
The clearest way to compare is hours in the vehicle against hours in the desert. On the 2-day Merzouga trip, the outbound drive alone takes around 10 hours with stops, and the return lands around 7 to 8 PM on day 2. That leaves one evening and one sunrise in the dunes for two very long days.
The Zagora trips cut the driving. Leaving at 7:00 AM and back around 6:00 PM the next day, they still include a camel trek each way and a night in camp. On the 3-day trips to Merzouga, a reverse route lists legs such as 2.5 hours from the Tichka pass down to Marrakech and 2 hours from the dunes towards the Todra River.
Pick by what you can tolerate. If a full day in a van is fine and the big dunes matter most, the 2-day Merzouga trip delivers them. If you get tired or carsick on long drives, Zagora is the gentler choice, and if you have the time, three days to Merzouga is the balanced one.
What the Draa valley adds
The road to Zagora is a different journey from the road to Merzouga. After the High Atlas and Ouarzazate, it follows the Draa south, the river that rises from the Dades and the Imini in the High Atlas and runs for 1,100 km, though all but its upper course is usually dry.223 Where the water does run, the valley is a band of palms and fields between bare hills.
Britannica names Ouarzazate and Zagora as the important oases of that river, and the Zagora trips pass through both.1 One of them stops in Ouarzazate on the way back for photos of the town and its surroundings, then crosses the High Atlas with lunch at a traditional restaurant in the mountains.
If you are curious about oasis life, the Draa valley is the more varied drive of the two short options: earthen villages, palm groves and small fields along the river, rather than the open desert plain. The Merzouga road has its own valleys, the Dades and the Todra, but you only see them properly on a 3-day trip, when the hotel night gives the second day room for stops.
Which short desert trip suits you
Choose Zagora if you have two days, want the desert night and a camel ride, and would rather not spend most of your trip on the road. It also suits families and travellers who want a smaller group; the trip recommended here is limited to 18 participants.
Choose the 2-day Merzouga trip if the dunes of Erg Chebbi are the point of your Morocco trip, you are fine with a pickup around 5 to 6 AM and a very long first day, and you cannot spare a third day. It also lets you finish in Fes instead of Marrakech.
Choose three days to Merzouga if you can. It is the version with by far the most reviews among the trips on this site, it gives the road a rhythm, and it puts you in the high dunes at sunset and at sunrise without a frantic schedule.
Your desert trip
Three days, one night in the dunes.
Pick a date, get collected at your riad, and cancel free up to 24 hours before.
You ask,we answer.
Can you visit Merzouga in two days from Marrakech?
Yes, but it is mostly driving. One 2-day trip lists around 10 hours of driving to Merzouga and an arrival back around 7 to 8 PM on day 2.
How long does the Zagora trip take?
Two days, about 7 AM to 6 PM. One Zagora safari departs at 7:00 AM on day 1 and returns around 6:00 PM on day 2.
Is Zagora part of the Erg Chebbi dunes?
No, it lies on the Draa. Zagora is an oasis on the Draa; Erg Chebbi, whose tallest star dunes rise over 100 m, is near Merzouga.15
Is there a camel ride on the Zagora trip?
Yes. One Zagora safari lists a camel trek of about 45 to 60 minutes each way.
How big are the groups on the Zagora tour?
Up to 18 people. The Zagora trip recommended here is limited to 18 participants.
Which is better value, 2 or 3 days?
Three days, if you have the time. The 3-day trip adds a hotel night with its dinner and breakfast, and more stops, for its price.
Is the Zagora trip hot in summer?
Very hot from June to August. The food safari warns of very hot summers and cold nights from November to February.
Sources
What this text is based on
- 1Encyclopaedia BritannicaDraa River↩
- 2NASA Earth ObservatorySandy Sculptures in Morocco's Erg Chebbi↩
- 3Encyclopaedia BritannicaDraa River↩
- 4NASA Earth ObservatorySandy Sculptures in Morocco's Erg Chebbi↩
- 5NASA Photojournal (NASA/JPL, Terra ASTER)Star Dunes, Morocco (PIA26287)↩
- 6UNESCO World Heritage CentreMedina of Marrakesh↩
- 7UNESCO World Heritage CentreMedina of Marrakesh↩
- 8Encyclopaedia BritannicaHigh Atlas↩
- 9Encyclopaedia BritannicaOuarzazat↩
- 10UNESCO World Heritage CentreKsar of Ait-Ben-Haddou↩
- 11UNESCO World Heritage CentreKsar of Ait-Ben-Haddou↩
- 12Encyclopaedia BritannicaOuarzazat↩
- 13Encyclopaedia BritannicaDades River↩
- 14World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: ERRACHIDIA, WMO 60210↩
- 15NASA Earth ObservatorySandy Sculptures in Morocco's Erg Chebbi↩
- 16UNESCO World Heritage CentreMedina of Fez↩
- 17Encyclopaedia BritannicaDades River↩
- 18Encyclopaedia BritannicaTafilalt↩
- 19Encyclopaedia BritannicaTafilalt↩
- 20Encyclopaedia BritannicaTafilalt↩
- 21NASA Photojournal (NASA/JPL, Terra ASTER)Star Dunes, Morocco (PIA26287)↩
- 22Encyclopaedia BritannicaDraa River↩
