8 Days trip from Marrakech to Desert via Merzouga : Tour Starting from Marrakech, Desert Tour from Marrakech

Introduction :

We will start this tour from Marrakech to Erg Chebbi Desert through the High Atlas mountains via Ouarzazate . visit Telouat Kasbah , Ait benhaddou Kasbah . Ouarzazate “the Hollywood of Africa” and stop for pictures next largest studio in Africa “Atlas studio” , Roses Valley . dades valley .overnight in the Dades gorge , we will continue our way to tenghir , down to Merzouga desert, Camel trekking . overnight in the berber tents at the middle of the dunes, after breakfast, will come back again in our road to Marrakech in another direction , Rwe will viste Rissani Markt , Tazarine , Nkob , Dra Valley , Ouarzazate , down to Marrakech.

Program details :

1 Day 1 : Arrival at Marrakech – Transfert to the Hotel

Pick up from the airport at your arrival time and transfer to the Riad that´s in the medina, the Historical center of the city of Marrakech, two minutes walk from the famous square Jamaa El Fna. In the afternoon the best option is to explore the medina on your own, approaching the square that in the evening is full of narrators, jugglers, diviners. snake charmers, dancers, tooth removers and so on. Overnight in Riad.

2 Day 2 : Marrakech – High Atlas – Telouat Kasbah – Ait Ben Haddou – Ounila Valley – Ouarzazate

Pick up at 8.30 in the morning and depart to Ouarzazate going through the High Atlas mountains. In our way, we´ll see Tizi Ntichka pass . that with 2.260m altitude is the highest point in our country. We´ll enjoy beautiful landscapes from the viewpoints on the way and make some stops to take pictures of the berber villages. Then we´ll take a small road that goes to Telouat Kasbah. After visiting the kasbah you´ll have free time to enjoy a typical food in town.In the afternoon we´ll continue through the Ounila valley, where you can see small berber villages and families that live in adobe houses lost in the mountains, to reach the Kasbah (fortified village) of Ait Ben Haddou where we will visit the famous Kasbah (declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Famous films have been shot in this spectacular stage, including Gladiator , Obelix, The Mummy, The Jewel of the Nile, Sahara with Penélope Cruz…etc. After visiting the kasbah we´ll go to Ouarzazate also known as “The gate of the desert”.Dinner at the hotel where we´ll spend the night.

3 Day 3 : Ouarzazate – Draa Valley – Merzouga Desert – Camel ride and night in the Berber tent

After breakfast we´ll depart towards the Draa Valley where you can see one of the longest rivers in Morocco. On the way we make some stops to take pictures and enjoy the view of the spectacular kasbahs and berber villages that dot the road as well as the beauties of the Draa valley .we´ll have some free time for lunch in Alnif, and then, after two hours driving we´ll reach the wonderful Merzouga dunes. “Desert of powdery sand dunes”. We´ll change there our motorized transportation for one of animal traction to go inside the heart of the the desert. When we reach the camp, we accommodate in the tents, that are tents made of camel hair, just like the ones used by nomad families. Dinner and night in the berber tent under a beautiful starry sky.

4 Day 4 : Merzouga – Nomad Families – Tisardmin Oasis – Erg Chebbi Dunes

After seeing the sunrise in desert and after breakfast we go back on the camels to Merzouga then Start our journey . Then we`ll skirt the Erg Chebbi, great extension of sandy desert where we can find the Big Dune of Morocco. which has more than 250mts high. We continue then by the road that was formerly used for the “Paris – Dakar” and ends in the mountains that limit with Algelria. Stop at Tissardmin oasis where we can find fossil quarries still present in the area, we continue then by a road where we can see nomad settlements and learn their secrets and manners. The next stop will be at a viewpoint to contemplate the hole Erg Chebbi. We`ll reach then Khamilia Village, originally from Mali … , where we´ll take a relaxing cup of tea meanwhile we listen to a concert of the spiritual music of Gnawa.Transfer to your accommodation and free afternoon to enjoy the town or the dunes next to the hotel to see the sunset. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

5 Day 5 : Merzouga Desert – Rissani Market – Erfoud Fossil’s – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley

We leave the desert after breakfast to go to Rissani where we`ll visit the market place (market days: tuesday, thursday and saturday), we continue then to Erfoud where we can visit the manufactures of fossilized marble before starting our way to Touroug and Tinjdad palm groves. One hour later we´ll reach one of the best places of the High Atlas, the Todra Gorges. The course of the river has carved out cliff-sided canyon and it´s because of its beauty and the high rock sides that´s very popular among climbers.Free time to have lunch in this wonderful place. A short walk through the gorges is very advisable to better appreciate the beauty of the landscape.In the afternoon we continue to the Dadès valley, also known as the figs valley going through Boumalne Dadés we`ll stop at the “monkey legs”. Overnight at the Dades Valley.

6 Day 6 : Dades Valley – Palm Groves of Skoura – High Atlas Mountains – Marrakech

After breakfast we can enjoy one of the better views of the Dadès valley from one strategic lookout in the mountains, from there we can appreciate the great number of kasbahs and the scenic characteristics of each one. Then we continue by a road dot with different kasbahs of touristic interest. After some stops to enjoy the “One thousand kasbahs road”. the Roses Valley an the big Skoura palm grove we`ll get to Ouarzazate to visit the Kasbah of Taourirt, old residence of the Glaoui or Marrakech pasha. And if you are interested we can visit the cinema studios and tue cinema museum.Free time for lunch in town.In the afternoon we start our way back to Marrakech going through the mountain port of Tizi Ntichka with some stops to take pictures.Here we leave back the moon landscape to reach another view full of colors.We`ll get to Marrakech about 6pm, overnight in hotel.

7 Day 7 : Full day to visit Marrakech.

In the morning visit to the Medina at Marrakech with a local guide.

We`ll start admiring the great wall bordering the Medina, the Koutoubia Minaret, this tower is the twin of the one in the Giralda in Seville. Then we`ll visit the Saadines Tomb, Bahia Palace, Majorelle Gardens… reaching finally the square Jamaa El Fna where the background is completely different from the night.

In the evening free time to practice your haggling art in the souk or discover hidden places at the Medina. Accommodation at the riad.