MARRAKECH – OUARZAZATE – DADES VALLEY/GORGES

Your guide will take you up from your position in Marrakech and travel towards the Dades Gorge, through the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass (2260m) in the High Atlas highlands. We’ll take some time off to get some stunning images of the vibrant scenery and little Berber communities that dot the area. The Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, featured in such films as “The Man Who Would Be King,” “Jewel of the Nile,” “Jesus of Nazareth,” “The Message,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “The Mummy,” and “Gladiator,” is a stop along the road and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After your tour and lunch, we will continue traveling to the Dades Valley with a stop in Ouarzazate to see Taourirt Kasbah. Then we’ll take our trip via the beautiful Palmery of Skoura before heading through the lush green Dades Valley and the Valley of Roses. We will go to Dades Valley later in the day. Have dinner and stay the night at the hotel.

DAY 2: DADIS GORGES TO MERZOUGA

After breakfast, we will proceed from Dadès Gorge to the Sahara desert of Merzouga. Berber settlements are sprinkled along the path. To get to Merzouga from the Saharan oasis of Tafilalt, we’ll first visit Tinjdad, Jorf, and Erfoud (the fossil-hunting capital of Morocco). We will stay the night at the hotel next to Erg Chebbi, where we will enjoy some Berber music and a delicious dinner.

DAY 3: ERG CHEBBI 44 DESERT TOUR

Morning finds us at the beginning of our Erg Chebbi dune trip. We will visit a Berber home and listen to some Gnawa music, originating from Ghana and Sudan. We’ll go to a palm tree oasis, see some Berber nomads, and stop by some abandoned mines. For lunch, we will go back to Merzouga. Once we have had some time to unwind, we’ll go over to the camels, who are patiently waiting to take us on an excursion into the sand dunes.

Before we depart for the desert, the camels will be stocked with water, food, blankets, and anything else we will need for the journey. Each passenger will have their own camel, and the ride will take 1.5 hours to reach the interior of the dunes.

After arriving at your own private tent, you may go to the dunes to view the lovely sunset and try sand surfing on the dunes. After witnessing the sun set, you will stroll down back to the camp to sip mint tea (what we call Moroccan Berber Whiskey!). Then you will eat your lunch of excellent Moroccan Berber tagine in the camp. After supper, the celebration will commence. There will be drumming and dance performances by local Berber nomad musicians. After that, you can relax in the tranquil desert while gazing up at the star-studded sky. in a nomad tent for the evening and the night.

Tents come with a variety of amenities, including beds, power, a private bathroom with shower, and air conditioning (please let us know which amenities you want for an exact quote).

MERZOUGA-OUARZAZATE, DAY 4

Awake in the morning to the soft beckoning of your guide to witness the sun rise over the dunes of the Sahara. We will ride camels back from Desert Camp to Merzouga for breakfast and showers. Next, we’ll go to Ouarzazate through the Berber communities of the Atlas Mountains: Tinjdad, Tinghir, Todra Gorges, and Boumalene-du-Dades. We will arrive in Ouarzazate in the evening for supper and our stay at the riad.

DAY 5: OUARZAZATE–MARRAKECH

Leaving Ouarzazate in the morning, we will have the option to explore Ait Benhaddou for lunch before traveling back to Marrakech with excursions to Berber settlements and pauses in the Atlas Mountains. In the evening, we’ll return to Marrakech and drop you off anywhere you’d like. When you go to Morocco, we hope you’ll choose All Morocco Tours