Last Updated on March 20, 2021
In March 2008, JC and I went to Morocco with his family following his MBA graduation from ESADE in Barcelona. While making our itinerary, there were many cities in Morocco we were interested in visiting — Chefchaouen, Marrakech, Essaouira and Fes, to name a few. However, our number one priority was to take a camel ride through the desert and spend the night in a desert camp under the stars. While we were not able to cross off our entire Morocco bucket list on this one trip, we did manage to make our desert dreams a reality. Read below for our full itinerary and how to do Morocco in just three days complete with camels and an overnight in the desert.
Fly into Marrakech
In the end, we booked our flights from Barcelona to Marrakesh. We chose to fly into Marrakech as opposed to Tangier because Marrakech is located closer to the desert town of Merzouga. Why Merzouga? Well, it is next to the Erg Chebbi desert, also referred to as the Merzouga desert. Erg Chebbi is a beautiful expanse of desert with windblown sand dunes. ‘Ergs’ are areas of actively shifting dunes. Here you can ride camels across these impressive sand dunes and sleep in a desert camp under the stars — which was everything we dreamed of doing in Morocco.
Spend a full week — not 3 days — in Morocco if you can
We had to fit a trip to Italy and Morocco in one week, as JC’s mom and step dad had reservations to stay the weekend at QC Terme’s Hotel in Bormio, Italy. Finding flights from Barcelona to Marrakech to Bergamo in one week was tricky, which is why we ended up spending only three days in Morocco. If you are able to spend longer in Morocco, I would recommend doing so. Our itinerary was jam packed and we spent a lot of time driving (13 hours just one way!) in order to make our dream camel ride and overnight in the desert a reality. Spacing the trip out over more days would be a much more enjoyable approach.
How to Do Morocco in Three Days — Day 1
A Rocky Start at the Marrakech Airport
Our first day in Morocco, we landed in the Marrakech airport. We were picked up at the airport by our guide from Morocco Nomad Tours. Since we had booked our trip with a Moroccan tour group, we actually did not have the names of the hotels (if a desert camp counts as a hotel?!) we were staying in. We had completely put our faith in the company and did not ask for some of the specifics (which, in hindsight, was not so smart). When proceeding through customs in Marrakech this proved problematic. The customs officers wanted to know the name and address of where we are staying, and it took a lot of aggravation to finally get this information from our tour operator on the phone. Needless to say, make sure that you know the name of your hotel(s) before landing in Morocco (or anywhere you need to pass customs)!
Lunch Overlooking Aït Benhaddou
After about 3 1/2 hours of driving, we made a stop for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the ancient city of Aït Benhaddou. Here, we dined on our first of many tajines. A tajine is a slow simmered stew cooked in a particular type of clay pot. If you visit Morocco, you will eat this dish at least two times a day. It is good, but if you spend a long time in Morocco (or even just three days), you can see how it gets old pretty fast. You can have tajine with meat or vegetarian (as I did).
A Visit to the Ksar of Aït Benhaddou
The first main attraction on our trip was the Ksar Aït Benhaddou, a mud brick fortified city and UNESCO World Heritage site. Aït Benhaddou is the most famous and well-preserved ksar in southern Morocco (ksar simply means a group of dwellings). It is a great example of the kind of earthen architecture characteristic of the region. Aït Benhaddou has been used as the set of many famous films, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and Game of Thrones. Beware that the trek up to the top of the city is quite steep and definitely requires a certain level of physical fitness. However, the view from the top is definitely worth the climb. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking and we definitely felt like we were on the set of a major Hollywood film. Our guide, Mohammed, even wrapped our scarves around our heads like turbans for a real Lawrence of Arabia moment.
Next Stop – Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate
After Aït Benhaddou, we made a quick stop to view Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate. Located 25 minutes driving from Aït Benhadaddou, scenes from Gladiator, Games of Thrones and The Mummy, to name a few, were all filmed at this studio. It is also the world’s largest film studio (in area).
Stay the Night in Dadès Gorges
After Atlas Studios, we drove through the Valley of Roses. This region is the biggest producer of rose oil and rose water in Africa, hence the name. We finally ended our day with an overnight at a hotel in the Dadès Gorges. The Dadès Gorges are a series of gorges carved out by the Dadès River. Our hotel had spectacular views of the Atlas Mountains from the terrace.
How to Do Morocco in Three Days: Day 2
Todgha Gorge – The Highest Gorge in Morocco
After spending the night in Dadés Gorges, we drove about 2 hours to the Todgha Gorges. The Todgha Gorges are a series of limestone river canyons, carved by the Todgha and Dadés rivers. The height of the canyons can vary, but in some places they are as high as 400 meters.
A Pit Stop in the Town of Erfoud
The next stop on our journey was the desert oasis town of Erfoud. Erfoud is about 2 1/2 hours driving from the Todgha Gorge. We didn’t do too much here; rather, it is more of a rest stop before arriving to Merzouga.
Getting Dressed Like the Locals
Before reaching Merzouga, our guide brought us to a Moroccan clothing shop. Here, the shop owners dressed us up in traditional Moroccan dress. They then took our photo with the Moroccan flag. It is by far my favorite photo from the entire trip!
Camel Trek from Merzouga
After another hour of driving, we finally arrived in the desert town of Merzouga. We left our luggage and most of our belongings in a small hotel before making our way into the Erg Chebbi desert on camels. Now, riding a camel is not like riding a horse! Even I had to keep my balance by holding onto the front of the saddle (and I ride horses). However, I was able to keep my balance well enough to take some pretty amazing photos of our journey whilst on camel-back.
After about 1 hour of riding our camels across the desert, we came across our tented camp for the night. There we had dinner (tajine of course) and even sandboarded down the desert dunes. As we watched the sunset, we realized we had finally achieved our ultimate dream of trekking on camels and sleeping in the Moroccan desert.
How to Do Morocco in Three Days: Day 3
Return to Marrakech
Before sunrise we were already up and on our camels for the one hour journey back to the hotel where we had left our belongings. Upon reaching the hotel, we showered and ate breakfast before getting back in the car. Then we set out for our 9-hour drive back to Marrakech. We arrived in Marrakech in the evening, which gave us just enough time to check into our Airbnb and head to dinner before flying to Italy the next morning. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to really see the city, and we’ll have to make a return trip to Marrakech someday soon.
And that’s everything we did on our three day trip to Morocco. We definitely still have a lot more of Morocco to see and will have to make a return trip in the future. Where do you recommend us going to next in Morocco? Let us know in the comments below!
Up Next: How to Spend One-Week in Croatia | An 8-Day Travel Itinerary
