DAY 1 : MARRAKECH – OUARZAZATE – VALLEY OF DADES
Departure at 8:00 from your Riad / Hotel Marrakech, towards the Dades Valley, by the Tizi-N-Tichka pass (2260m) in the High Atlas Mountains. From Marrakech to Ouarzazate, you can enjoy the scenic route, beautiful landscapes with different colors and Berber villages along the way. You will have free time here to visit the old Kasbah of Ouarzazate “Kasbah of Taourirt” and have lunch, then you go further south-east of the green valley of Dades and the city of roses of the Skoura palm grove via fascinating. Dinner and overnight in the Dades Valley.
DAY 2 : DADES – TODRA GORGE – MERZOUGA DUNES (Erg Chebbi)
After breakfast, departure from your hotel in the Dades Valley, at 8 am, taking the road of 1000 kasbahs driving around the colorful Berber villages of the Dades Valley. 45 km further on you will come to Tinghir with its beautiful palm grove and the Jewish Quarter. You continue to Gorges Todra (Todgha), free time to go on trek along the canyons about 300m high, a favorite place for climbing enthusiasts. Then you will go to the dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga Sahara Desert and you will have time for lunch on the way before arriving at Erfoud. Then we will drive to the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. We continue deeper into the desert landscape, until the dunes appear in the middle dunes, overnight in a Berber house in Merzouga.
DAY 3 : DESERT SAFARI – NOMAD VILLAGES – BLACK DESERT – CAMEL RIDE
We will drive to explore the small villages around Erg Chebbi dunes (such as Hassi Labied, Merdani, Khamlia, M’fis) on our way to Kamlia we expect to meet people showing their desert foxes. You can also meet the reptiles and mammals of the desert, in Khamlia, known as the village of blacks who were slaves from Sudan, you will be greeted with hospitality with a cup of tea (Berber whiskey) while enjoying their spiritual music Gnawa . Leaving Khamlia our next stop is on the panoramic view of golden dunes near the Algerian border, we can stop for picnic lunch in the shade of a tree before continuing to visit a nomadic family, who live under Berber tent and caring for a herd of cattle, goats and camels, you will be introduced to family members and get to know their way of life while enjoying the taste of a good cup of tea. After these, you will have the chance to visit the sites of black volcanic rocks. continuing, you will reach the panorama near Yasmina lake where you will be surprised by the dune scene, in addition to the proximity of the lake (spring). then we will be back to Merzouga, relax until the evening then we go up in the camels camping (bivouac) under the stars of the evening shines brightly in the clear night sky. Climb the dunes and watch the moon rise before retiring to your bed in a nomad tent.
DAY 4 : MERZOUGA – AIT BENHADDOU – MARRAKECH
After breakfast, we can enjoy a visit of movie sets and studios located in Ouarzazate which is known as Hollywood of Africa. Next, we will visit the Kasbah Ait Benhaddou Universal Heritage Site as it was named by UNESCO in 1987. Ait Benhaddou is the World Heritage Site that has been used as a backdrop for more than 20 films, including “Gladiator” “Indiana Jones” and “Lawrence of Arabia”. Enjoy a stroll to explore the traditional Moroccan style of architecture in which the Kasbahs are built. We continue our way to Marrakech through the Atlas and Tizi n’Tichka high pass. Lunch break in the middle of the Atlas Mountains. and return to your Riad or Hotel in Marrakech.
MAP OF TOUR :