5 DAYS/4 NIGHT DESERT TOUR FROM Marrakech to Erg Chebbi

ITINERARY

Day 1: Marrakech – High Atlas – Kasbah Telouat – Aït Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate

At 8.30 am, a private 4×4 car will pick you up from your Marrakech hotel and take you over the High Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate. We will pass via the 2,260-meter-high Tizi Ntichka Pass, the highest point in our nation, en route. We will stop multiple times along the route to take pictures of the picturesque Berber settlements and enjoy the breathtaking views from the vistas. After that, we’ll turn onto a tiny road to the Telouat Kasbah. You will have some free time after touring the kasbah to savor a traditional meal in the village. 

In the afternoon, we will travel to the fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou, where we will visit the well-known kasbah (designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986), via the Unila Valley, where you can observe tiny Berber villages and families living in mud-brick houses lost in the mountains. This gorgeous setting was used for filming several well-known movies, including Gladiator, Obelix, The Mummy, The Pearl of the Nile, and Sahara starring Penelope Cruz. We will go to Ouarzazate, commonly referred to as the “gateway to the desert,” after touring the Kasbah. We’re having dinner at the hotel where we’re staying tonight.

Day 2: Ouarzazate – Draa Valley – Merzouga Desert 

We will travel to the Draa Valley, which is home to one of Morocco’s longest rivers, after breakfast. Along the trip, we’ll pause a few times to snap pictures and take in the breathtaking views of the Draa Valley and the surrounding Berber communities and kasbahs. You will arrive at the stunning dunes of Merzouga after a two-hour journey, with time for lunch in Nkoba or Alnifa. a dusty dunes desert. We’ll get into an animal-drawn vehicle instead of a motor car and travel deep into the desert. We will spend the night in camel hair tents, which are used by nomadic families, once we get to camp. Dinner and a night of sleep under a brilliant starry sky in a Berber tent.

Day 3: Merzouga Desert – Khamliya village – Erg Chebbi

A whole day spent in the desert is worthwhile to rise early in the middle of the desert to witness the most breathtaking sunrise I have ever seen from the top of the dune adjacent to the camp and take in this gift from nature. We ride camels back to Merzouga around sunrise, where a substantial breakfast is waiting for us. Next, we traverse Erg Chebbi, an immense sandy desert where the Great Dune of Morocco rises to a height of more than 250 meters. We continue on the route taken by the Paris-Dakar rally and arrive at the Algerian border’s mountains. We pause at the Tissardmin oasis, which still has preserved fossilized quarries. We keep going down the road, passing by nomadic camps and discovering their secrets and traditions. We will be stopping at an overlook to observe the Erg Chebbi Gorge next. After that, we’ll arrive in the Mali-born village of Khamilia, where we may enjoy a soothing cup of tea while taking in a concert of Gnawa spiritual music. After arriving at the resort, spend the afternoon exploring the nearby dunes or villages and taking in the sunset. The hotel for dinner and the night.

Day 4: Merzouga Desert – Rissani market – Erfoud fossils – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley

We depart the desert after breakfast and make our way to Rissani, where we spend time at the market on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. We proceed to Erfoud, where we will tour the factories that produce fossilized marble, and then we head to Tourug and Tindad’s palm orchards. We will be in the Todra Gorge, one of the most breathtaking locations in the High Atlas, in an hour. Climbers adore the gorge that the riverbed cut out of the rock because of its beauty and the sheer height of the rocks. We had lunch here in this wonderful setting. We suggest taking a quick stroll around the gorge to fully enjoy the splendor of the surroundings. We will travel to the Dades Valley, also called the Valley of Figs, in the afternoon, stopping at the “monkey paws” after going through Bumaln Dades. Dinner and a night at the Dades Canyon Gorges.

Day 5: Dades Gorge – Valley of Roses – Skoura Palm Grove – High Atlas – Marrakech

Following breakfast, we take in one of the most breathtaking vistas of the Dades Valley from a high vantage point atop the mountains. From here, we can make out several kasbahs and their attractive charms. We keep going down the route that is dotted with several interesting kasbahs for tourists. We will travel to Ouarzazate to explore the Kasbah of Taourirt, the historic home of the Glaoui or Pasha of Marrakech, after making multiple stops along the “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs,” including the Valley of Roses and the expansive palm grove of Skoura. You are welcome to explore the movie museum and the film studios. We travel via the Tizi N’Tichka pass on our midday return trip to Marrakech, making multiple stops for pictures. Here, we shall go from the lunar scenery and take in yet another vibrant sight. Around 8:00 p.m., arrive in Marrakech, make your hotel transfer, and conclude our services.