Sahara Mini-Circuit: 3-Day Budget Tour from Marrakech Featuring Dades Valley and Ouarzazate Kasbah

Discover the edge of the Sahara Desert on a 3-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 surrounded by high dunes.

Duration: 3 days
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

Marrakech-Ait ben haddou-roses valley-dades gorges.

Tizi n Tichka - Touama is a Moroccan mountain Berber village in the middle of the kingdom. the travelers can enjoy beautiful views of the hills of the High Atlas mountain, lush valley, also they can have a Berber breakfast in case they don’t have it at their hotels.

Tizi n Tichka - Between Marrakech and Ouarzazate, the Tizi N’Tichka road is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful of Morocco, this extraordinary road With its spectacular landscapes. the travelers will have a stop to see the majestic summit of the Tizi-n-tichka mountain at an altitude of 2260 meters.

Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou - Ait Ben Haddou the historical monument of Morocco, registered on the list of world heritage of UNESCO. You will be in this kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou for two and a half hours, one and a half hours for visiting the kasbah where they recorded the most famous movies as a gladiator, prince of Persia and game of thrones And the other hour for getting lunch.

Maroc - “Ouarzazate city” or the Hollywood of Africa. Ouarzazate means in English “The quiet city”, named by this name because of the effective role that this region played in creating a suitable and quiet place for the ancient travelers from North Africa and Europe and heading to Central and Southern Africa. But you will easily notice that it is exactly the opposite now, due to a large number of archaeological and developmental sites In it, which enables its people to be the destination of every tourist who cares about everything that is historical and cinematic global.
you will be in the heart of the old medina to explore the kasbah of Taourirt And the international museum of cinema.

Vallee Des Roses - You will see many things you may have seen before, such as taxis, clothing stores, markets, and road hubs. But what if everything you saw previously is ornate and shaped by flowers and roses as if you were in a large garden where the inhabitants of the region lived. the travelers will have stops to take photos of the special decoration of the roundabouts there, also it will be nice to see a pink taxi turn around.

Dades Gorges - Dades Gorges passing through the village of Boumalne Dades where there are three main steps: the Dades Valley; the Kasbah ait youl; the rocks gathering at the feet of the monkeys.

Dades Gorges - Last but not least, what about ending this day with a beautiful traditional barbarian castle situated in the heart of the Dades Straits next to the valley? your room type will be chosen depending on your desires.

boumalne dades-tinghir et gorges de todra-Merzouga.

Tinghir - after breakfast, you will continue your trip to the city of Tinghir and its regions, a guided tour of the Tinghir valleys for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes then the Todra gorges. You will have your lunch in the same village, then you will take your destination to Merzouga.

Merzouga Desert - Passing through tin-n-Jdad, Rissani and Erfoud, you will arrive in Merzouga, 45-minute dromedary ride to watch the sunset, you will have a night in nomad tents in the middle of the desert animated by folk dances and traditional music. Enjoy the panoramic views of the stars over the sand dunes before turning off to your beds.

Merzouga-Marrakech

Merzouga Desert - On the morning of the third day at 07:00 am travelers will get up and prepare themselves for a walk in the sand. after breakfast, the tourists will meet their driver again who will bring them back to Marrakech.

Ait Barka - the travelers will be Physically exhausted after this long way but they will bring with them not only memories but also a new culture as new people from different nationalities. so our last stop for this excursion will be in Ait Barka village, it’s a stop to get a rest and maybe if they want to grab a cup of tea.

Marrakech - At 07:30 PM, the driver will drop the travelers off in their hotels or nearby their Riads( riads located in small alleys that the vehicle can not go through).

What's Included
  • Dinner
  • Breakfast
  • Accommodation for 2 nights
  • Camel ride to and from the camp
  • Driver
  • Guide in Todra
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
What's Not Included
  • guide pour la Kasbah d’Ait ben haddou
  • déjeuners et Boissons.
  • transfert a fès
Location
Station Ola Energy
Rue Moulay Ismail
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(77 Ratings)
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1 star
Maarten
Mar 31, 2024
Nice trip - Everything was well organised. Our driver Achraf in particular made our trip unforgettable. Very professional driver with a lot of knowledge about the area. We never felt unsafe with him for a moment!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thibaut
Mar 9, 2024
3 days excursion with Mourad: - Mourad is a very good guide and professional in driving, the cities and landscape are magnificent. The Merzouga desert is magnificent. I recommend .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marionjc2056ue
Jan 7, 2024
Fantastic experience - Ezmail was our driver for the 3-day trip. This was recommended by the manager of our Riad and was really fantastic. Ezmail is a very good driver who has many years of experience. In addition, he has a lot of knowledge of Morocco and gave a lot of explanations and pointed out things. What I liked most was that he didn't just take us to touristy places where we felt like we had to buy something, but to beautiful places. We also had a delicious meal along the way And the overnight stay the first night was really amazing. The 2nd night in the desert was special to experience but really very cold. We underestimated that a bit 😉 All in all, the trip was a very special experience and felt very safe because of Izmael
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mariagraziapj4938bc
Nov 12, 2023
Unforgettable experience - We spent three unforgettable days from Marrakech to the Sahara desert. Our driver and guide Achraf contributed to making everything perfect, a helpful, kind but above all reliable person, a fundamental requirement for a trip of this magnitude. If I were to return to Morocco I would like him to be my guide again for this beautiful, welcoming and warm country. Thanks Achraf and I hope to see you soon 😊
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tevzi-kata
Aug 7, 2023
Magnificent stay with tourism professionals - The agency is super professional. Everything is perfectly organized and secure. I had a great time with my 6 year old daughter. Our group was perfect. The DRIVER Achraf is a wonderful person, in addition to doing his job as a driver for 3 days, he does not hesitate to answer our questions with precision and multiple knowledge. He is incredibly kind. It drives extremely well over a long distance. The guides met at the different visiting sites are also very qualified and fascinating in their explanations. The choice of accommodation is top notch, the first night in an excellent hotel and the second night in the very original desert camp where we were welcomed as at home. In short, unforgettable moments with a great group, very professional staff and landscapes and activities to discover if you come to Morocco. Make no mistake, go through this agency
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gu_n_mar_ai2018
May 21, 2023
Highly recommended, once in a lifetime experience! - Just came back from the most amazing trip of my life! Tired, but oh so happy 😁 We got to see so much of beautiful Moroccan landscape and learned about the culture and the kind people of Morocco. But the BEST part was of course the Sahara desert, the peace and serenity is like nothing I have ever experienced, we rode camels, danced by the fire with the locals and other travellers, laid in the soft sand all night and just watched the stars 🤩 in the morning we drank tea with the Nomad people that live in the desert and then sped through the sand dunes in 4x4 Jeeps, that was just amazing 😍 Special thanks to our guides in the villages and an EXTRA special thanks to our wonderful driver Ismael, so helpful, kind and funny and of course an excellent driver! Thank you so much again for everything ❤️ I highly recommend this trip, it's definitely a once in a lifetime experience ❤️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dchiker9
Apr 15, 2023
Economy tour with no extras. - I give this tour three stars only because, technically, they deliver on the basics. You get driven out to the desert (which is amazing) stopping at some interesting sites along the way. You get a bed and a few barely adequate meals, and transport back to Marrakech. But don’t expect anything above and beyond. Very poor communication, frequent late starts, meager meals, and numerous (although small) extra charges were the main deficiencies. Perhaps all these shortcoming were captured in the terrible planning of the third day. At the oasis in the desert on the second night, we are told to report to the main tent at 4:30 am for breakfast so we could be in the desert for sunrise. We all dutifully showed up and then waited half a hour for breakfast, which consisted of… bread with jam and honey, and black coffee or tea. That’s it. Then more delays until we finally headed into the desert shortly before 6. We got on the bus to head back to Marrakech a little after 7:30. Other than a bathroom break when we could grab a few snacks like chips and cookies, we were trapped on the bus with no access to food until we finally stopped for lunch at 2:00 So after getting up at 4:30 am, we didn’t get a real meal for more than 9 hours. I don’t mind roughing it in simple accommodations. (I slept on the ground when hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.) And I recognize the very low price of this tour. But better communication and planning, and larger portions at dinner and breakfast (you pay for your own lunch all three days), would have gone a long way to earning this deal an extra star.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Balayage50
Jan 3, 2023
Not recommended - No heat or aircon in van; Dangerous van driver; Driver barely spoke English and made no effort to tell us even the minimum of what the next stop would be; Several stops on itinerary not made and instead many stops to push poor quality souvenirs; Expensive set menu lunches with mediocre food; Aggressive camp owner in Merzouga; Inhumane treatment of camels; Tips and good reviews expected at the end with no concern for our comfort or enjoyment during the trip; Definitely would not recommend this company
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bal_a
Dec 21, 2022
A huge disappointment - Things to beware of with Great Travel Morocco for their Sahara 3days/2nights mini circuit from Marrakech: 1. Although they advertise airconditioned vehicle, our van did not have functioning air-conditioning or heating. We were freezing cold most of the time. The driver brushed us off when we asked for more heat. 2. We booked an English tour but our driver Abdul barely spoke English. He spoke French to the one French speaking tourist and provided her with a personal tour while the rest of us were left in the dark. 3. We were all disappointed with the lack of effort by Abdul the driver. He was disengaged and preferred to chat with the local shop and restaurant owners at each stop instead of inquiring about the wellbeing of his group. He made no effort to keep us together and on-time. We were with him for 3 days and he did not even try learn our names, referring to us instead by our Nationalities eg: ‘Where are the Japanese?’ when referring to a group of people of Chinese descent who clearly stated to him that they were from Germany. 4. The minimal responsibility of a driver is to tell us what our schedule is for the day, where we are going, how long it will take to get there and how long we have at each stop. Abdul did not do this. He seemed annoyed when asked for this information. 5. Despite having a van of 15 people, Abdul drove dangerously close to vehicles in front of him. He had to stop so abruptly on one occasion when a car in front slowed for a speed bump that we were all thrown forward and several of us had neck pain that evening. He admitted to not being able to see the speed bumps clearly. He also drove very fast on the notoriously dangerous Tizi n'Tichka high mountain pass. 6. Our driver Abdul only asked us once if we were enjoying the trip, at the very end, right before giving us a card and asking for a good review. 7. Lunches were a set menu, mediocre and expensive (at least 100 dirham each). You don't have to eat at these restaurants. Walking away and eating at another local restaurant will save you money if you are on a budget. This angered Abdul our driver. 8. Many stops were made exclusively in attempt to sell you souvenirs. The company gets a cut of the profit when souvenirs are purchased so too much time is spent at these souvenir stops in hopes that guests will make purchases. We had an unscheduled stop prior to the desert where we were dressed up in traditional clothes. People were buying souvenirs, which is fine, but Abdul did not tell us that if they didn't hurry up then we would miss the sunset. We were the last group to arrive at the desert and had only 15 minutes to view the rapidly fading orange colours of the sand before walking for an additional 45 in the dark on camels to the camp. This was hugely disappointing as it was meant to be the highlight of the trip. 9. Tizi n Tichka (Touama village): this is just a stop at small café at the side of the road with a view of some partially obscured mountains in the distance. Other tour groups stopped further along the road when you have an astounding view of the deep valley. 10. Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou: a guide hired by the tour company will be waiting and you will be asked to pay 3 euros for his services. You can choose to explore the kasbah on your own which most of us did. 11. Ouarzazate: although this is listed as a stop, Abdul only slowed down in front of one of the film studios for us to attempt to take a picture through the van's windows. 12. Roses Valley: you would picture a valley full of fields of roses according to the tour description but in reality, your stop will be at a shop on the main road with a toilet that sells rose products. So don't get your hopes up. 13. Dades Gorges: 3 stops are listed (Dades Valley, Kasbah ait youl, Monkey Rocks) here but as we arrived after dark, no stops were made. We were dropped off at 3 different hotels and only those staying at the furthest hotel were given the opportunity to see the Monkey Rocks the following morning. Hotel: You need to pay 10 euros if you want to use the heater in the room. There was no hot water and it was very cold at night. Wifi only worked in the dinning room and not in the rooms. 14. Merzouga Desert: Although there were many tents available and the description of the tour states 'Private Tent', the camp owner attempted to cram us all into a smaller number of tents. He stated 'What's the problem?' when a couple of young girls expressed their displeasure of being forced to share a tent with men. Expect to pay an additional 120 dirham per person if you want to take a Jeep back to Merzouga instead of the camel. 15. Inhumane treatment of camels: The camel I was on had its synthetic rope tied so tightly to its mouth that the area was bleeding. I alerted the camel driver and he just ignored me. 16. Alnif: the trip description states we will have ‘other stops to take pictures in really interesting places’. There was only 1 stop made chosen by the driver, a water collecting system which most of the group was not interested in. 17. Agouim: Trip description: ‘restaurant in front of a picturesque view overlooking villages surrounded buy mountains’: there was absolutely no view from this restaurant. It was right on the side of the highway. 18. Ait Barka: Trip description: ‘our last stop for this excursion will be in Ait Barka Village: there was no stop here. 19. 18. Marrakech: Trip description: ‘at 07:30pm the driver will drop off travelers in their hotels’: we arrived closer to 9pm and we were told this is the normal arrival time. Hopefully this review will dissuade you from choosing Great Travel Morocco and prompt this company to make changes on how its tours are run and to improve the quality of its drivers. The company needs to change its trip descriptions to clearly reflect what the experience will be and to provide drivers who can, at the very least, stick to the trip schedule and keep guests informed.
Review provided by Viator
A_evans277
Dec 13, 2022
Find another company to take you - I just wouldn't recommend bothering with these people. Can't arrange a proper pickup, very rude also. They also put lies on the listing saying maximum of 10 people when there are 17 on the bus.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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October 2024
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