The Southern Route — Ten Nights to the Sahara

On the sixth evening a camel takes you into the Erg Chebbi dunes as the light goes, and the camp is already lit when you reach it. The silence is the thing no photograph prepares you for.

This is the classic road south, arranged privately and paced for a family: Marrakech first, then the Dadès valley, then Merzouga and a night in a camp at the edge of the Sahara, with one chauffeur from the first day to the last. The way back follows the Draâ rather than the road you came in on, so no day repeats itself.

It suits families with older children and couples who want the full south — the mountains, the gorges, the dunes — without long days in convoy or a different guide at every stop.

The ten nights, briefly. Nights 1–3: Marrakech, in a riad in the medina — the souks with someone who knows them, the gardens, tables booked in your name. Night 4: south over the Atlas to the Dadès valley, a road of kasbahs and gorges. Night 5: Merzouga, at a house facing the dunes. Night 6: a private camp among the Erg Chebbi dunes, a camel at dusk, dinner under the stars. Night 7: west through Rissani and Tazzarine to the Draâ valley, where the palm groves run for kilometres along the river. Night 8: Aït Ben Haddou — the earthen kasbah, best seen at first light before the coaches arrive. Nights 9–10: back over the Tizi n’Tichka to Marrakech, a last day with nothing planned, and dinner on your final evening. Day 11: private transfer and departure.

At a glance

• 10 nights, privately arranged from arrival to departure
• Private chauffeur throughout, all transport between stages; the return follows the Draâ, not the outbound road
• Five nights in riads and houses, one night in a private camp at Erg Chebbi, two nights back in Marrakech to close
• Restaurant tables booked in your name and prepaid; your driver on the road 20 minutes before every pickup
• A day-by-day briefing with Google Maps links; lunches at 2 pm, dinners at 9 pm
• Daily breakfast
• From $5,200 for two · $6,400 for three · Not included: international flights, meals outside those listed, personal expenses, optional upgrades

Good to know

Two long driving days bracket the desert night; the gorges and the Draâ are timed to the light rather than to a schedule. Desert nights are cold in any season — pack layers. The route is a starting point: a second night in the dunes, a quieter Marrakech, a different balance between road and rest, all of it composes around your dates. If the budget is too low for the level you want, we say so early.

Cancellation

Full refund up to 45 days before departure, less any non-recoverable costs already committed with the houses. Fifty percent between 45 and 21 days. Non-refundable within 21 days of departure. One change of dates without fees, where the houses accept it.

Tell us your dates — Start a private brief.