Sahara Desert Tours
Sahara Desert Tours
Sahara Desert Tours
Sahara Desert Tours
The 7-Day Casablanca to Merzouga Sahara Desert Journey via Atlas Mountains is a complete and well-paced adventure that allows travelers to experience Morocco’s incredible diversity without rushing. Starting from Casablanca, Morocco’s economic capital on the Atlantic coast, this journey travels through imperial cities, mountain regions, palm-filled valleys, and deep desert landscapes before reaching the golden dunes of Merzouga. By crossing both the Middle Atlas and High Atlas Mountains, the tour offers beautiful scenery, traditional villages, and peaceful countryside that many travelers never see. With extra days on the road, this itinerary gives you time to enjoy each place, understand local life, experience camel trekking in the Sahara, and spend unforgettable nights in a desert camp under the stars, before continuing toward southern Morocco and returning comfortably.
Visiting Casablanca and the Hassan II Mosque
Exploring Rabat, Morocco’s capital city
Discovering the cultural city of Fes
Traveling through the Middle Atlas Mountains
Visiting Ifrane and cedar forests with monkeys
Scenic drive through the Ziz Valley
Camel trekking in the Merzouga Sahara Desert
Overnight stay in a traditional desert camp
Exploring Todra Gorges and desert valleys
Crossing the High Atlas Mountains
Your journey begins in the morning with pickup from your hotel or the airport in Casablanca. You start by visiting the famous Hassan II Mosque, located directly on the Atlantic Ocean and known for its impressive size and architecture. Afterward, you travel north along the coast to Rabat, the capital city of Morocco, where you visit important sites such as the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and the Kasbah of the Oudayas overlooking the river. After lunch, you continue inland toward Fes, passing through green countryside and small towns. In the evening, you arrive in Fes, check in to your hotel or riad, and enjoy a relaxed night.
After breakfast, you enjoy a full day exploring Fes with a local guide. You walk through the ancient medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and visit important places such as Al Quaraouiyine University, Bou Inania Madrasa, Nejjarine Fountain, and the famous leather tanneries. As you move through narrow streets, you learn about traditional crafts, daily life, and local history. You also stop at panoramic viewpoints overlooking the city. After lunch in a local restaurant, you continue exploring before returning to your accommodation for the night.
Leaving Fes in the morning, you travel south through the Middle Atlas Mountains. The scenery changes from city life to green hills and fresh mountain air. You stop in Ifrane, a clean and peaceful town known for its European-style buildings and cool climate. Continuing to the cedar forests near Azrou, you may see Barbary monkeys and enjoy a short walk among the trees. After lunch, the road continues through mountain villages and open landscapes toward Midelt, a town located between the Middle and High Atlas Mountains. You check in to your hotel, relax, and enjoy dinner before spending the night.
After breakfast, you leave Midelt and begin a long but scenic drive toward the desert. The road descends into the Ziz Valley, offering breathtaking views of palm groves, rivers, and traditional villages built along the oasis. You stop several times to enjoy the scenery and take photos. Passing through Erfoud, known for fossils and date palms, you continue toward Merzouga. In the late afternoon, you arrive at the edge of the Sahara Desert, where camels are waiting. You ride your camel across the Erg Chebbi dunes, enjoying the silence of the desert and watching the sunset. You then reach your desert camp, where you enjoy dinner, local music, and a peaceful night under the stars.
You wake up early to watch the sunrise over the dunes, followed by breakfast at the camp. This day is dedicated to exploring the Merzouga region at a relaxed pace. You may visit nomad families, learn about desert life, and explore nearby villages such as Khamlia, known for its traditional music. You have time to walk in the dunes, relax in the desert, or enjoy optional activities such as sandboarding or a 4×4 excursion. You spend a second night near the dunes in a hotel or desert camp, enjoying the calm desert atmosphere.
After breakfast, you leave the desert and begin traveling west. You pass through Rissani, an important desert market town, before continuing toward the Todra Gorges. Here, you have time to walk between the high canyon walls and enjoy the fresh air and natural scenery. After lunch, the journey continues through small villages and desert landscapes toward the Dades Valley. You arrive in the valley in the late afternoon, check in to your hotel or guesthouse, and relax for the night.
On the final day, you leave the Dades Valley and travel through the Valley of Roses and the Skoura palm grove toward Ouarzazate. You visit the famous Aït Ben Haddou Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its traditional architecture and movie history. After lunch, you cross the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n’Tichka Pass, stopping for photos and panoramic views. The journey continues north toward Casablanca, where you arrive in the evening and are dropped off at your accommodation, marking the end of your desert journey.
Morocco Best Tours is a specialized local travel agency based in Marrakech that focuses on providing private, tailor-made experiences across the Kingdom.
