Marrakech to Merzouga: the complete route guide.

At 2,260m, Tizi n'Tichka is the highest mountain pass in North Africa accessible by paved road. The drive from Marrakech is rewarding: the city gives way to the High Atlas in about 45 minutes, and the road climbs through a series of dramatic switchbacks. There are safe pull-offs for photos at the summit. In winter, the pass occasionally closes for a day or two after heavy snowfall.

Ait Ben Haddou is a UNESCO World Heritage ksar (fortified village) built in earthen architecture, inhabited since at least the 11th century and used as a filming location for Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and Lawrence of Arabia. Cross the river on foot (shallow most of the year) and walk the kasbah uphill to the granary at the top. The view from above — red mud towers rising from the valley floor, the Atlas in the background — is one of the best in southern Morocco.

Called the 'Hollywood of Morocco' for its film studios and sunny climate. The Atlas Film Studios here are the largest in the world — tours run daily. Ouarzazate is also a practical overnight stop on Day 1 if you arrive late, though most 3-day tours push further to the Dades Gorge for the overnight. The road east from Ouarzazate along the N10 is the Route of a Thousand Kasbahs — named for the almost continuous succession of mud-brick fortresses visible from the road.

The Dades Valley opens dramatically as you drive east — narrow canyons, sculpted pink rock formations called the 'Monkey Fingers', and a river winding through palms and rose fields. Most 3-day Merzouga tours overnight here, giving you a morning walk in the gorge before continuing east. The road into the gorge climbs steeply — most guesthouses are in the upper canyon where the scenery is best. Dinner at a guesthouse terrace overlooking the canyon at dusk is a reliable highlight.

Todra Gorge is one of the most striking landscapes in Morocco: a narrow slot canyon where the walls rise 300m vertically on both sides and the gap narrows to 10m at its tightest point. A cold river runs along the canyon floor. The gorge is 15km north of the town of Tinghir, reached by a good paved road. Rock climbers come from across Europe to climb the walls. For most travelers, 1–2 hours in the gorge — walking the lower section and eating at one of the cafés where the canyon widens — is sufficient before continuing to Merzouga.

Merzouga town sits at the base of Erg Chebbi — the 22km-long, 150m-high sand sea that is Morocco's most iconic desert landscape. Arriving in late afternoon, you'll have time to check into your camp, mount a camel for the 45–90 minute trek into the dunes, watch sunset from a dune crest, eat dinner at camp, and wake at 5am for sunrise. Two nights gives more time for sandboarding, quad biking, and visiting the fossilized sea bed in the surrounding hamada.