The south of Morocco offers relatively easy access to the spectacular Sahara, the largest desert on Earth. With enormous dunes, seemingly endless expanses of sand and an incredible climate, the deserts of Morocco offer an extraordinary experience. This extreme area is a magnet for adventure seekers when visiting Morocco.
Enjoy a hiking expedition into the magnificent desert with a team of professionals. Sleep at a desert camp and immerse yourself for a few days in the world of the Moroccan nomads.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Marrakech – High Atlas Mountains – Kasbah Ait Ben Hadou – Agdez – Draa Valley– Tinfou Desert.
Departure takes place in front of your hotel or Riad. Through Tizi- N-Tichka pass (2260m) in the High Atlas Mountains you will enjoy a snaky road, beautiful landscapes with different colors and Berber villages along the way.
The first stop will be in Ait Barka village around 10:00AM. There you can take beautiful pictures, relax in the car or have a breakfast if you wish to. That is also the point to start the highest Atlas mountains of Morocco TIZI N TICHKA ascension. The second stop will take place in the top of TICHKA.
Next you will arrive to Ait Ben Hadou which is classified by UNESCO as a world heritage monument. There the local guide will explain the history of this amazing heritage and then you will have around one hour of free time for lunch.
Then you will travel to the south through Agdezand Draa Valley. To end the first day of Sahara trip from marrakech, you will get to the camp, enjoy dinner and stay overnight in the tents.
Day 2: Tinfou Desert – Zagora – Tazarine – Errisani – Erg Chebbi Dunes Merzouga.
The day starts with breakfast in the Berber Camp of Tinfou Desert. Then the journey continues through plenty of Berber Villages like Tazarine and Errrisani , until you reach the big Sahara desert Erg Chebbi dunes.
Once you arrive to the dunes of Erg Chebbi, you will start with a camel ride at sunset to get to the oasis, where the camp is located. Spend the night in the bivouac in Merzouga Sahara dunes under nomadic tents or outside under shooting stars. Play drums with the camel drivers, have dinner and stay overnight in Merzouga Sahara desert camp.
Day 3: Merzouga – Erfoud – Todra Gorges – Dades Gorges.
The experience starts very early in the morning, in order to admire what will may be the best sunrise of your life. You will set over to the Sand Dunes of Sahara in Erg Chebbi to watch wonderful sunrise. After watching the sunrise you will head down to the Camp for a breakfast. Then you’ll peacefully camel-trek back to the village of Merzouga. While enjoying the morning camel ride you will experience the unique beauty of the spectacular Erg Chebbi sand dunes – changing with the light as the day progresses.
Once you arrive at the village of Merzouga, you will meet the driver again to continue the tour to Dades. You can have an optional stop in Rissani to visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali chref, thef ounder of the Alaouit dynasty and then you will continue to Arfoud to visit the fossilized marble factory before continuing to the Todra valley, where you will have lunch. Once in Todra you can have a half-hour walk to discover the gorges, as you will be guided through the palm grove and the Jewish quarter. Todra gorges is the highest, narrowest gorges in Morocco. The Todra river has formed a gorge of enormous vertical walls of great beauty.
In the evening you will drive through the Dades valley, where you’ll see the majestic sand castles and the amazing rock formations known as “monkey toes”. Overnight accommodation will be in a fancy guest house overlooking the Dades Valley.
Day 4: Dades – Skoura – Ouarzazate – Kasbah Telouet – Marrakech.
After breakfast in your accommodation, you will start travelling through the Dades Valley towards Ouarzazate and then to Marrakech. The road through Dades Valley is called the way of the thousand Kasbahs– providing numerous opportunities to take some of your best photographic shots of the trip. You will stop at Kalaat M’Gouna -the centre of rose’s valley-, where you will have the option to visit the cooperative for the roses, to purchase the rosewater, which will make your linen smell good a long time after your trip is over. The way continues to Marrakech via the Ait Benhaddou Kasbah and Kasbah Telouet. Built by Et Hami El Glaoui, one of the last Berber chieftains during the 19th century, now the Kasbah is a house of many Glaoui people. Your journey will then continue through the majestic Tizi n’Tichka Pass (2260 m) over the High Atlas Mountains, where you will have the opportunity to explore the process of producing the Argan oil- existing only in morocco – by Berber women in their cooperative, before arriving at your overnight accommodation back in Marrakech.