We’ll depart from Marrakech at 8:00 AM, heading towards Ouarzazate. On the way, we’ll cross the High Atlas Mountains via the breathtaking Tizi n’Tichka pass, at an elevation of 2,260 meters. After crossing the mountains, we’ll visit the Kasbah of Pacha Glaoui in Telouet. As we travel through various Berber villages, we’ll arrive at the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, an incredible 800-year-old fortified city, where many famous movies like *Gladiator* and *Kingdom of Heaven* were filmed. After the visit, we’ll continue to Ouarzazate, where you’ll have the opportunity to visit the film studios. We’ll spend the first night in a hotel in Ouarzazate.
After breakfast and a visit to the Taourirt Kasbah, we’ll depart for Zagora, crossing the Anti-Atlas Mountains and the Tizi n Tinifift pass at 1,600 meters. Entering the Draa Valley, we’ll see Berber villages and kasbahs. Leaving behind the towns of N’kob, Tazarine, and Alnif, we’ll take a more remote route that leads to the Mharech Gorges. Much of this path follows the Dakar Rally route. Upon arrival at Mharech, we’ll have dinner and spend the night in a riad.
Continuing along the Dakar Rally route, we’ll visit even more secluded spots, including dry riverbeds (wadis), oases, and the Ouzina dunes. Along the way, we’ll visit Berber villages and enjoy a traditional Berber pizza lunch with a local family. We’ll then arrive at the impressive dunes of Merzouga, where we’ll be welcomed with a traditional tea as we rest. We’ll leave our luggage at the hotel and embark on a camel trek, taking about an hour and a half to reach the foot of the Great Dune, just in time for a breathtaking desert sunset. Dinner and overnight stay will be in a desert camp under a spectacular starry sky.
We’ll wake up before dawn to witness the sunrise. After returning to the hotel by camel, you can enjoy a relaxing shower and breakfast. We’ll then set out to explore Erg Chebbi, a vast desert area home to Morocco’s tallest dune, over 250 meters high, near the route of the Paris-Dakar Rally. We’ll stop at the Tissardmin oasis before visiting a nomad settlement, where you’ll learn about their lifestyle and customs. After several panoramic stops to admire the Erg Chebbi dunes, we’ll visit Khamlia, where we’ll meet a community of people from Mali and enjoy a cup of tea while listening to a brief Gnawa music concert. We’ll return to the hotel for lunch and have a free afternoon to climb the dunes and enjoy a romantic sunset. Dinner will be followed by a Berber drum show. Overnight stay in a hotel.
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll head towards Rissani, the birthplace of the Alawite dynasty and Morocco’s first imperial city. We’ll continue to Erfoud, famous for its black stone fossils (optional stop at a fossil workshop), before arriving at the Tafilalet Palm Grove. We’ll visit the Todra Gorge and then proceed to the Dades Valley. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel.
After leaving the Dades Valley, we’ll travel along the “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs,” passing through the stunning Valley of Roses and reaching the Skoura palm grove, home to the most famous kasbah in the area. From here, we’ll begin our return journey to Marrakech, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel, marking the end of our services.
