Ten days is the right amount of time for Morocco. Long enough to move through the country’s distinct layers — imperial city, mountain village, desert camp — without feeling rushed at each one. Short enough that the journey stays coherent rather than fragmenting into logistics.
This itinerary is built around the southern circuit: Marrakech to the Sahara via the Atlas Mountains and the Drâa Valley, with enough time in each place to actually be there, not just pass through.
It places two nights in the Sahara — not one. That decision changes everything about the desert experience.
The Route at a Glance
| Day | Location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Marrakech | Medina, Jemaa el-Fna, Majorelle Garden |
| 3 | Aït Benhaddou + Ouarzazate | Kasbah, film studios, Drâa entry |
| 4 | Drâa Valley | Agdz, Zagora, palm groves, Drâa kasbahs |
| 5–6 | Erg Chegaga — M’Hamid | 2 nights in the deep Sahara at Umnya |
| 7 | Return Zagora | Slower pace, local market |
| 8 | Todra Gorge or Dadès Valley | Dramatic canyon landscape |
| 9 | Aït Benhaddou (again) or Ouarzazate | Final night before Marrakech |
| 10 | Marrakech | Departure or last evening in the medina |
Day 1–2: Marrakech
Land in Marrakech and let the city absorb you for two days. Do not try to do everything — the medina has a rhythm that rewards wandering over planning.
Day 1: Arrive, settle in your riad, walk the medina in the late afternoon. The souks are at their best in the slant of the day’s last light. Dine near Jemaa el-Fna square — not at the square itself (tourist pricing, tourist food), but in the streets branching off it.
Day 2: Majorelle Garden in the morning (book in advance — tickets sell out). The Yves Saint Laurent Museum alongside it. Lunch in Gueliz (the modern quarter). Afternoon: hammam or roof terrace. Evening: the square comes alive after dark — snake charmers, musicians, food stalls, the full theatre of Moroccan public life.
Where to stay: A traditional riad inside the medina. The experience of waking up in a courtyard is unlike any hotel room.
Practical note: Book your riad and activities in advance. Marrakech in peak season (March–May, October–December) fills quickly.
Day 3: Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate
The drive from Marrakech to the Sahara takes around 8–9 hours without stops. Do not do it in one day. Break it at Aït Benhaddou — one of the most remarkable earthen ksar (fortified village) complexes in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the filming location of Game of Thrones, Gladiator, and dozens of other productions.
Leave Marrakech early. Cross the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260m) — the highest paved road in Morocco — with stops for the view. Arrive at Aït Benhaddou in early afternoon. Climb through the ksar, cross the dry riverbed on foot (or by donkey), explore the granary at the top.
Continue to Ouarzazate (30 minutes), often called “the door of the desert.” Stay one night. If you’re interested in film history, the Atlas Film Studios are open for tours.
Drive time: Marrakech to Ouarzazate: ~4h. Ouarzazate to Aït Benhaddou: 30min each way.
Day 4: The Drâa Valley
The Drâa Valley is one of Morocco’s great underestimated landscapes. The road from Ouarzazate to Zagora follows the Drâa River south through 150km of palm grove, crumbling kasbahs, oasis villages, and bare pink mountains.
Stop at Agdz (a quiet market town with a beautiful central square), then follow the river south. The kasbahs here are not restored for tourists — they are lived-in, crumbling elegantly, still functioning as family compounds. Stop and look up at them from the road.
Arrive Zagora by mid-afternoon. This is the last town of any size before M’Hamid. Withdraw cash here if you haven’t already — ATMs become unreliable south of Zagora.
If you have time: The Drâa is also famous for its dates (tasting is usually free at roadside stalls) and for small Berber villages where guesthouses offer home-cooked meals.
Day 5–6: Erg Chegaga — Two Nights in the Deep Sahara
This is the heart of the itinerary.
M’Hamid El Ghizlane is a small Saharan town 100km south of Zagora — the last town before the open desert. From here, Erg Chegaga lies a further 50km into the desert on unpaved piste, reachable only by 4×4.
Why Erg Chegaga over Erg Chebbi (Merzouga)?
Erg Chebbi is closer to Marrakech and sees much higher tourist traffic. Erg Chegaga is Marokko’s largest dune field — 40,000 hectares — and receives a fraction of the visitors. The silence there is absolute. The dark sky is Bortle Class 1–2.
If you have ten days in Morocco, use one of them to go further. Erg Chegaga is worth it.
Day 5: Drive from Zagora to M’Hamid (1h30). Your camp’s 4×4 transfer picks you up in M’Hamid and drives the 50km piste to Erg Chegaga (about 1h30, depending on road condition). Arrive before sunset. Camel ride up the dunes for golden hour. Dinner in the open desert by candlelight.
Day 6: Sunrise over the dunes. Breakfast brought to your tent. The morning in the desert — walk, read, sit in the silence. Stargazing session with telescopes after dinner. Sleep under a sky you have never seen before.
Two nights is not excessive — it is the minimum to actually feel what the desert is. Most guests who come for one night leave wishing they had booked two.
At Umnya Desert Camp, the full experience — accommodation in private Berber tent suites, all meals (including candlelit dinner and breakfast at your tent), camel ride, 4×4 transfer from M’Hamid, and guided stargazing — is included. Find out more →
Day 7: Return to Zagora (Leisure Pace)
Drive back from Erg Chegaga to M’Hamid, then north to Zagora. The return journey feels different — you’ve had time, you know this road now. Stop in M’Hamid’s small market if it’s a market day (Monday or Thursday).
Zagora is a pleasant place to spend a night at a slower pace than the circuit allows elsewhere. Eat well, sleep early.
Day 8: Todra Gorge or Dadès Valley
Two options for the eastern return:
Option A: Todra Gorge — a narrow slot canyon in the High Atlas where the walls rise 300m and the river runs cold between them. Spectacular light in the late morning. A 2-hour walk through the gorge is easy; multi-day treks into the mountains beyond are also possible.
Option B: Dadès Valley (Valley of the Roses) — broader, more lush, with ancient kasbahs at regular intervals and the famous Dadès Gorge snaking up into the mountains. The road north into the gorge is dramatically narrow in places.
Both are equally beautiful. Todra is more dramatic; Dadès is more varied. Choose based on whether you prefer geological spectacle or landscape immersion.
Where to stay: Both areas have good guesthouses and small hotels. They are not heavily touristed outside of peak season.
Day 9: Aït Benhaddou (Again) or Ouarzazate
Cross back to Ouarzazate and the western side of the Atlas. If you passed through Aït Benhaddou quickly on Day 3, the return visit is worth it at a different time of day — the ksar in evening light is completely different from midday.
Alternatively, Ouarzazate itself has enough to fill an evening: the old kasbah of Taourirt (once the residence of a Glaoui pasha), the film studios tour, and some of the best tagine restaurants on the circuit.
Day 10: Return to Marrakech
The Tizi n’Tichka pass in the morning light on a clear day is one of the most beautiful drives in Morocco. Leave early enough to arrive Marrakech for a final afternoon in the medina.
If your flight is evening, you have time for lunch in the medina, a last walk through the souks, and a coffee on a rooftop terrace watching the city’s roofline. If your flight is early morning, stay overnight.
Practical Notes for this Itinerary
Transport
- The easiest way to cover this circuit is by hiring a driver for the full 10 days. A private driver with a comfortable car costs around €60–90/day depending on the vehicle. They handle navigation, know the stops, and can flex the route.
- Alternatively: rent a car in Marrakech (4×4 recommended for the Drâa and Zagora roads; essential for Erg Chegaga — though the camp’s 4×4 transfer handles that final stretch).
- CTM buses run between major towns (Marrakech–Ouarzazate, Ouarzazate–Zagora) but are slow and infrequent for a 10-day itinerary.
Best months
October–April is the ideal window for this circuit. The Atlas pass can close with snow in January–February; always check conditions before crossing. March–May offers the perfect combination of weather, light and seasonal wildlife.
Budget guide (per person, approximate)
| Category | Daily estimate |
|---|---|
| Riad or guesthouse | €40–120 |
| Meals (3 per day) | €20–40 |
| Driver hire | €30–45 (shared) |
| Activities and entry fees | €10–25 |
| Desert camp (Umnya, all-inclusive) | Per enquiry |
Packing
Desert packing is different from city packing. Read our complete Sahara packing list →
The Sahara Is Not a Day Trip
The most common regret we hear from guests is that they only booked one night in the desert. When you have come this far — through the Atlas, down the Drâa — one night barely allows you to exhale.
Two nights gives you a sunset, a full night sky, a sunrise, a morning in the silence. The desert needs time to become itself. Let it.
Umnya Desert Camp is located in Erg Chegaga, 50km from M’Hamid El Ghizlane. We provide 4×4 transfers from M’Hamid, all meals, and all activities. Enquire about availability →
