Day 1: MARRAKECH – TIZI N’TICHKA – TELOUET – AIT BENHADDOU – OUARZAZATE
Departure is from Marrakech in the morning from your riad or the airport. We start our adventure travelling in the direction of Telouet crossing the High Atlas mountains where we shall enjoy the extraordinary landscapes that these mountains offer us, the colour changes from oranges to greens, the shoulders of the roads occupied by vendors and a landscape worthy of view and we will cross the mountain pass Tizi n’Tichka, the highest point of the route with an altitude of 2,260 metres.
Our first visit will be in Telouet to visit the kasbah of the Pacha Glaoui built on an ancient kasbah of the XVIII century and in order to control the passage of the trade caravans. This palace was expanded using massive stone construction, although there are still several rooms that are kept in good condition, there is an impressive contrast created between the ruined walls of adobe and the luxury of decoration in the main rooms; adorned with a lot of designs of mosaics, marbles, silk tapestries, ceilings, stuccoes and cedar wood doors. After the visit we can stop to eat at the local restaurant in this small kasbah.
After lunch we will go to visit the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou. This fortified Kasbah was inhabited by the tribe of Ben Haddou until it began to deteriorate, UNESCO helped to rebuild a large part. Ait Benhaddou is a majestic sand coloured fortification, its interior looks like the set of a movie and is impressive to stroll around. Its citadel is tiny and consists of a few narrow cobbled streets. Climb until you reach the top of the fortification and there are some splendid views and the tones of the mountains are red and dramatic.We will continue to route to Ouarzazate which is the intermediate point that joins the mountains and the desert where we spend the night.
Day 2: OUARZAZATE – SKOURA – KELAAT MGOUNA – VALLEY OF THE ROSES – DADES GORGE – BOUMALNE – TINEGHIR – TODRA GORGE
In the morning and after a good Moroccan breakfast we will travel toward the valley of Skoura; with more than 700,000 date palms it stands out for its important enclave of greenery and its Kasbahs scattered throughout the oasis and its surroundings. We will visit the Kasbah of Amridil; an imposing kasbah whose treasures deserve a visit, you may be surprised by its corners, its small villages, orchards and olive groves hidden under huge palms, everything in a beautiful simplicity; an ideal place to visit.
We will continue to the valley of the Roses situated at the foot of the High Atlas, as its name indicates is the area of a most important crop and interesting from the point of view of tourism; 30 km of uninterrupted cultivation of roses, a splendid greenery nestled at the foot of a canyon of ochre hues that offers a spectacle of beauty and that form part of the one of the most important landscapes of Morocco. We take a track to the mountains and we will have the possibility of visiting one of the nomadic families that live in the caves of the High Atlas where we are offered a welcome tea and we will be able to enjoy the hospitality of the Berber people. We will continue in the direction of the Dades Gorge with its spectacular scenic and architectural wonders as the various ksour and numerous kasbahs of adobe come into view, many of them are in ruins but still marked out along the narrow valley; a panorama to admire.We will continue in the direction of Boumalne Dades where we stop for lunch.
Our route continues in the direction of Tineghir toward the impressive Todra Gorge; a mandatory stop to contemplate the great canyon, formed by limestone rock of red vertical walls and where its last 600 meters are the most spectacular. Where the canyon is at its narrowest it has a width of about 10 meters and 160 meters of height; a whole paradise of stone holding a river of crystalline waters, dotted with kasbahs and full of palm trees, with its picturesque environment it really a worthwhile stop. We will overnight nearby.
Day 3: TODRA GORGE – TOUROUG – TINEJDAD – ERFOUD – ERG CHEBBI (MERZOUGA)
Today after breakfast we will continue toward Tinjdad where we will stop for lunch, our route takes us through Berber villages such as Touroug, Jorf, etc, reaching Erfoud, where the main fields of fossils are. It has an important souk and market next to the central square which is the nerve centre of the population. Finally we will arrive in Merzouga at the hotel and prepare for a camel ride for an hour and a half to enjoy the sunset where we will be spending a night in the dunes of Erg Chebbi and enjoying the blanket of stars and the silence that surrounds us.
Day 4: MERZOUGA – HASSI LABIED – KHAMLIA – NOMADIC FAMILY – FOSSIL SITE
This morning we’ll get up extra early to see the spectacular sunrise. Gradually as the sun appears over the horizon, the desert sand glows with a reddish colour, before shifting to shades of yellow as the sun comes further up. We return to the hotel on our camels where we can take a shower and enjoy breakfast. Our adventure continues through the dunes in a 4×4 visiting the surrounding desert of Erg Chebbi; more than 250 meters of altitude, an extension of desert of fine sand where the natural scenery is an unforgettable landscape as far as the border with Algeria. We will make different stops to visit the volcanic black rocks of fossils, rock carvings that are in the middle of the desert and the village of Khamlia; these are people originally from black Africa, there we will enjoy their traditional Gnawa music while we have a delicious tea and enjoy the hospitality of the people. We will continue to visit the beautiful lake of Dayet Sriji where we might find pink flamingos bathing and a contrast between the orange colours which the desert offers us and the blue of the sky and the water.We will make a stop for lunch in Merzouga or Hassi Labiad and continue to discover the oasis located at the foot of the dunes.
In the middle of the afternoon we will arrive at the hotel.
Day 5: MERZOUGA – ERFOUD – ERRACHIDIA – MIDELT – AZROU – IFRANE – FES
After breakfast today we will continue toward RISSANI which is very famous for its market. This dignified city prides itself on being the last commercial stop before the desert; the atmosphere that is breathed strolling through the souks of Rissani is not found in any other place of Morocco, when twilight descends on the roofs that filter the rays of the sun, there is an explosion of colours and smells that exude with the combination of spices so well-known. We will be able to stroll through its souks and its local market where we will discover a different world. We will continue toward Erfoud where we will have the chance to visit the factory of fossilized marble and the Museum of the fossils and minerals where there is a collection of extraordinary fossils. Our route continues to the Ziz Valley; a hidden treasure in Morocco, that for all those lovers of nature and natural spaces, it is a pleasure to be able to admire the immensity of the mountain and the erosion that over the years has been produced by the great force of the waters that formerly came from the High Atlas Mountains. The contrast of the green of the palm trees with the red earth of the mountains and the small typical Berber ochre coloured houses that are all over the course of this valley and that are accommodated in a spectacular landscape shouldn’t be missed. We will continue to Midelt by the pass of Tizi n’Talghemt mountain where we stop for lunch. We will continue toward Fes passing through AZROU; an important Berber population located in the interior of the Middle Atlas and known for its forest of cedars surrounding it where we can admire the many monkeys that live in full freedom in this forest. We pass by IFRANE; a small mountain village that is known for its cleanliness and good condition, also referred to as “the Switzerland of Morocco”, a holiday destination for the wealthy people more of the country. In the afternoon we arrive to Fes.
Tour Include :
- Private Transport with A/C
- Driver/guide english speaking
- Fuel
- Hotel (breakfast & dinner included)
- Camel Ride & Night in Sahara Desert
- Camel Per person
- Sandboarding in The Dunes
Not included :
- Flight
- Lunchs
- Drinks
- Monuments tickets
