Marrakech - Merzouga

Marrakech-Dades Gorges-Merzouga Desert-Marrakech

Desert Tour

3 days 2 Nights

Itinerary

1st day: Marrakesh – Dades gorges.

Morning departure at 8 o’clock from your hotel or riad in Marrakesh to cross the High Atlas Mountains. After the Tiz-n-Tichka pass, you leave the main road and take a side road to the Telouet Kasbah, which belonged to the Lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui family, and which now stands in ruins after the last Pasha fled the country following the departure of the French.

From there you continue along the new and stunningly beautiful connecting road for lunch at Ait Benhaddou. This is the most famous Kasbah in Morocco and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which you can visit after lunch.  This Kasbah, the most famous in Morocco, has been used as a backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters and was one of the most important fortress strongholds on the old Salt Road caravan routes, where traders brought slaves, gold, ivory and salt from sub-Saharan Africa to Marrakech and beyond.

We continue through the city of Ouarzazate and to the Skoura Oasis, where numerous ancient Kasbahs, some sadly in ruins, stand amongst the palm trees. From here, the route goes through Kela’a M’gouna, the Valley of Roses, with a stop to see cosmetic articles locally-made from the valley’s abundant roses.  The evening is spent in a comfortable guest house in the Dades Gorge.

2nd day: Dades Gorges – Merzouga

After breakfast, there is time to walk by the river before continuing to Toudgha Gorge; one of the most spectacular canyons in the world. Here you can walk by the river and observe the changing colours that run through the mountain as it has been etched by the river over time.

Depending on how we tracking with time, lunch will either be here in the gorge or later at the bivouac at the Erg Chebbi dunes, our destination for the evening.  The camp is accessed through the Ziz Valley, and the towns of Erfoud and Rissani which is where the king’s family originates.

In the afternoon after a welcoming glass of tea, you can take a camel ride of between one and two hours in the Sahara. The sunset from the top of the 250 meter dunes is a spectacular sight.  In the evening enjoy a home made dinner in a nomad tent at the foot of the dunes.

3rd day: Merzouga – Marrakesh

If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise, when the colour of the dunes and the play of shadows are an awesome sight. The drive back west to the Dra’a Valley takes us along the length of the Saghro mountains via the villages of Tazzarine (featured in the film ‘Babel’) and N’Qob, where we have lunch overlooking the mountains.

In the afternoon we drive to Tanasikht, where we reach the Dra’a valley, full of large palm trees and ancient Kasbahs. Here we go along the track of the ancient caravan route to Agdez, and the oldest Kasbah in the valley, Kasbah Tamnougalt. Back on the paved road again, we return to Marrakesh again over the High Atlas at the end of the afternoon.

Please Note: Prices for all of our tours include accommodation and access to historical sites.  Unless otherwise stated in the details of the specific tour, breakfast and dinner are included, however lunch and alcohol are not