Marrakech to Erg Lihoudi: 2-Day Desert Tour via the Draa Valley
Overview
Here's the thing about this 2-day Marrakech to Erg Lihoudi desert tour: it's secretly two trips in one. Yes, you get the Sahara — real golden dunes, a camel trek, a night at a Berber camp under a ridiculous number of stars. But the road there is a greatest-hits album of southern Morocco: the hairpin bends of the Tizi n'Tichka pass, the UNESCO-listed kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou (you've seen it in Gladiator and Game of Thrones, trust me), and the Draa Valley — a 100-kilometre river of palm groves and mud-brick villages that most tourists never slow down for.
By late afternoon you reach M'hamid El Ghizlane, where the paved road literally ends and your camels are waiting. An hour's ride into the dunes of Erg Lihoudi, and you're at camp in time for sunset from the top. Dinner around the campfire, Berber drums, and a night sky with zero city glow — this is why you came.
Day 2 starts with sunrise over the dunes (set the alarm, thank us later), then the camel ride back and the return north — with an optional stop at Ouarzazate's famous film studios, where half of Hollywood's desert epics were shot. You're back in Marrakech by around 6:00 PM, which means real Sahara, real kasbahs and real desert silence — all in one weekend.
Want bigger dunes and more time out there? Our 3-day tours reach Erg Chigaga, Morocco's highest dunes at 300 m.But as a first taste of the desert from Marrakech, this one is hard to beat.
What's Included & Excluded
- Transportation with driver in a 4×4 vehicle or minibus
- Guided tour of visited sights
- Dinner at the desert camp
- Non-alcoholic beverages during meals
- Camel ride in the desert
- Soft drinks in the vehicle throughout the journey
2-Day Itinerary: Marrakech to Erg Lihoudi
Day 1: Marrakech → Aït Ben Haddou → Draa Valley → Erg Lihoudi Dunes
Departure at 7:00 AM from your Marrakech hotel or riad — it's an early start, but every hour of this drive earns its place. First, the High Atlas: we climb the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,206 metres, the highest road pass in North Africa, with photo stops over Berber villages stacked into the mountainsides.
Our descent brings us to Aït Ben Haddou, the UNESCO World Heritage kasbah you already know from the movies. We have lunch at a local restaurant, then join our guide for a walk through the ksar's earthen alleys — one of the best-preserved fortified villages in Morocco.
From there we continue through Agdz and into the Draa Valley, following the palm groves south with a short break in Zagora. At M'hamid El Ghizlane — the last village before the open Sahara — your camels are waiting. The one-hour trek into the Erg Lihoudi dunes is timed for sunset, and dinner is served by the campfire at your Berber camp. Overnight in a proper nomad-style tent among the dunes.
Day 2: Sunrise at Erg Lihoudi → Ouarzazate → Marrakech
Sunrise over the Erg Lihoudi dunes is the quiet highlight of the trip — if you climb one dune this weekend, make it this one. Breakfast is served at camp right after, then we mount the camels for the trek back to M'hamid, with the option of a hot shower at a hotel before the drive.
The return route runs back through Zagora, Agdz and the Draa Valley with a lunch break en route, plus an optional guided visit to the film studios of Ouarzazate — Morocco's own Hollywood, where Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and dozens of desert epics were filmed. We arrive back in Marrakech at around 6:00 PM.
Route Map
Prices & Availability
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Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Erg Lihoudi from Marrakech?
Is the camel ride difficult?
Erg Lihoudi or Erg Chigaga — which should I choose?
What is the desert camp like?
What should I bring?
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From our blog
- How to Get to Erg Chigaga — 5 Routes From Every Major City
- Morocco Desert Tour Experience — Honest Advice from 20 Years of Guiding
- Best Time to Visit Morocco Desert — The Complete Seasonal Guide 2026
- Erg Chigaga vs Erg Chebbi: How to Choose in 2026
- What to Pack for Morocco Desert Tour: Complete Checklist






