4 days trip from Marrakech to Desert
Tour Details
- 4 Days
- 3 Nights
- 6 Guests
This 4 days trip from Marrakech to Desert will take you from the high Atlas Mountains to the Dades Gorge, the Todra Gorge, and eventually the Sahara en route to and from Marrakech! You will pass the time while driving by discovering about Morocco’s past and present — a fascinating topic that will make the trip go by much more quickly. You can ride camels and see ancient kasbahs and desert communities while visiting the rugged peaks of the High Atlas mountains and following the route of the old Salt caravan road, this trans-Saharan trade route.
4 DAY TRIP FROM MARRAKECH TO DESERT AND THE OUTSTANDING MOUNTAINS OF THE ATLAS:
DAY 1: MARRAKECH – HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS – AIT BEN HADDOU KASBAH – BOUMALNE DADES:
Around 8/9 am. Our team will be waiting for you in the lobby of your hotel. They meet you there and pick you up to show you around some Southeast parts of our beautiful country. Crossing the highest road in Morocco, the Tizi n Ticha pass in the High Atlas mountains. We stopped through the way for outstanding pictures of the clay Berber villages, landscapes, and nature.
In about 4 hour drive, we arrive at one of the famous sites in Morocco, the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, a fortified castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A place where popular movies have been filmed. Such as Gladiator, Game of Thrones, Lawrence of Arabia, and many more. Make a visit to this extraordinary site, then have lunch either there at the village of Ait Ben Haddou, or at our next stop Ouarzazate which is half an hour’s drive.
In Ouarzazate, the Hollywood of all Africa. You visit and discover the Atlas studio, the world’s largest film studio. Afterward, you drive through the road named the road of thousands of Kasbahs. To the city of roses in Morocco *Kelaat M’gouna. Here you can see the pink flowers everywhere alongside the road during springtime, and see how people there make different products from roses.
Eventually, we arrive at Boumalne Dades, or Dades Valley, a calm town, with a beautiful green valley. You spend your first night here in a hotel or a riad with dinner included.
DAY 2: BOUMALNE DADES – TOUDRA GORGE – ERFOUD – SAHARA DESERT:
After a restful night and a flavourful breakfast at your hotel. We continue our journey. It usually starts around 9 am. Leaving the town of Boumalne on the way to Tinghir, the city Toudra Gorge lies. You visit the astonishing Canyons of Toudra Gorge, a place visited all year round by worldwide rock climbing for adventuring. You may be lucky to see them climbing during your visit. A place not far from where nomads still live in caves, they come with their animals “sheep, goats, donkeys” for water, and also take water with them for their home use. After a walk near the freshwater, you hit the road to Tinjdad town or near another village for lunch.
Next to Erfoud, a town famous for fossils, not to forget fresh dates from the large valley of Ziz crossing the town. After that, in an hour’s drive, you get to the beautiful Sahara desert of Merzouga, one of the most visited sites in Africa, a dream destination of any traveler.
Your camel man awaits you next to the dunes for lifting you by his camels to the desert camp. The camel ride takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes including an amazing stop for an incredible sunset at the top of a high dune in the middle of the desert. Your camel guide will take several memorable pictures for you along the ride. Arriving at the well-equipped camp, you will be welcomed with Moroccan tea and some cookies by the camp workers. In an hour, the working staff serve you a delicious dinner, then they make a fire outside the camp under a sky full of stars, where they will be playing Berber and African music, while you enjoy and dance around the fire.
Overnight at the camp.
DAY 3: SAHARA DESERT SIGHTSEEING:
In the morning around 10 am and after breakfast at the camp. Our driver and guide pick you up by a 4WD for one of the best experiences in the desert. Your visit to the Merzouga area starts from your hotel driving by the high dunes of the desert. Firstly, a panoramic view stop for the Sahara from a high mountain close to the dunes. Then drive to nomad families living next to the Moroccan/Algerian border to know about their culture and the way they are living in a harsh environment, sitting under their tents while having a cup of tea.
After that, our trip resumes to the M’ifis mascara mountain mine. You explore and have an idea of how workers get mines from the heart of the mountains. From there to Khamlia village, settled by the “black-skinned” people, who are famous for their Gnawa music all around the world. Here you try Berber Pizza, a recommended meal in Morocco this area is famous for. Besides, listening and dancing to Gnawa music played by these friendly people.
Later, we keep up to the Sahara Oasis for a walk inside its almond, palm, and fig trees and different vegetable plants. From there on, we drive you back to the hotel, for getting ready to ride the camels to camp lay at the other side of the desert. Your camel man awaits you next to the dunes for lifting you by his camels to the desert camp. The camel ride takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes including an amazing stop for an incredible sunset at the top of a high dune in the middle of the desert. Your camel guide will take several memorable pictures for you along the ride to the camp.
Arriving at the well-equipped camp, you will be welcomed with Moroccan tea and some cookies by the camp workers. In an hour, the working staff serve you a delicious dinner, then they make a fire outside the camp under a sky full of stars, where they will be playing Berber and African music, while you enjoy and dance around the fire.
Overnight at the camp.
DAY 3 : MERZOUGA – RISSANI – TOUDRA GORGE – DADES VALLEY TO OUARZAZATE:
Life is getting up an hour early to live an hour more, but only on this day in the desert. For witnessing one that may be one of the best sunrises in your whole life, we always advise you to wake up early. After a tasty breakfast at the camp, and possibly sandboarding. There are two optional ways to get back to the village of Merzouga to recommence our trip. Either by camels or by a 4WD vehicle.
We depart the pretty desert to Rissani town. The closest town to the Erg Chebbi. With the legendary history between the 14th and 18th centuries. You explore the largest Souk/market in the area, mainly the sheep and cattle market.
Then, continue your way to Alnif, and Nkob through the lower Atlas Mountains, and the largest river in Morocco”Draa”. We will stop for lunch in Nkob or Agdz town, then continue the trip. We arrive at Ouarzazate city, referred to as the Hollywood of Africa.
You spend your night here in a riad with dinner included.
DAY 4 : FROM OUARZAZATE – AIT BEN HADDOU KASBAH -- HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS – MARRAKECH:
Your 4 days trip from Marrakech to Desert still has a lot to reveal. You enjoy your breakfast at your riad, then we proceed to the Kasbah of Talouat, a unique abandoned kasbah of the 18th century, where we stop for lunch and a visit.
After our visit to this unique spot, we make our way to Marrakech. And always through the breathtaking landscapes of the Atlas mountains, through Berber villages, and Tizi N’tichka, the highest pass in Morocco. We stop for lunch, and stop from time to time at any worthy station, for some unforgettable photoshoots, and for admiring the places.
We reach Marrakech around 5 pm.
Drop you off at your hotel where the 4 days trip from Marrakech to Desert finishes.
- Private trip.
- Transport in an air conditioned touristic vehicle.
- Fuel/gas.
- An English speaking guide / a well-experienced driver during the trip.
- Private tent with private bathroom.
- 1 night with dinner and breakfast + bed in a luxury desert camp.
- Sand boarding in the desert.
- Camel Trekking in the desert.
- 1 night at a hotel with dinner and breakfast included + bed in Ouarzazate.
- 1 night at a hotel with dinner and breakfast included + bed in Dades Valley.
- Pick up from your hotel in Marrakech
- Drop off at your hotel in Marrakech.
- All lunches
- Dinners in Marrakech, Fes and Chefchaouen.
- Drinks
- Entrance fees to attractions and museums(cheap).
- Any other personal expenses.
