6-Day Desert Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga and Zagora

Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech – High Atlas Mountains – Telouat – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate.

On the 6-day Morocco tour, we will pick you up at the airport and head south, crossing the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi Ntichka pass (2,260 m above sea level), where we will make several stops to take in the beautiful panoramic views and take some great photos.

We will continue our journey along a small road where we will take the opportunity to admire beautiful landscapes of great chromatic diversity, until we reach the village of Telouat, where we will visit its Kasbah and have lunch in a typical restaurant in the village.

In the afternoon, we will continue our journey along the track, passing through various Berber villages where families live in adobe houses lost in the mountains, until we reach the fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou, where we will visit its famous Kasbah (the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO).

Several famous films have been shot in this spectacular setting, including Gladiator, Obelix, and Sahara starring Penélope Cruz. After visiting the Kasbah, we will head to Ouarzazate, considered the gateway to the desert. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

Day 2: Ouarzazate – Valley of Roses – Todra Gorge – Merzouga.

Breakfast and departure for the Valley of Roses, passing through the Skoura Palm Grove, where a road dotted with kasbahs, each one different, begins. After several stops, we will arrive at one of the highlights of the south:

The Todra Gorges. The Todra River has carved out a gorge with enormous, beautiful vertical walls. It is a paradise for climbers and a unique place. Lunch at a restaurant in the Gorges and then on to the desert until we reach the impressive Merzouga Dunes. After drinking the Hospitality Tea and leaving our bags in our rooms, we will have the opportunity to climb the dunes and enjoy a wonderful sunset.

Return from the dunes and chat with the Berbers at the hostel to understand and learn a little more about life in the desert. Dinner and Berber music show with drums and castanets. Accommodation at the hostel.

Day 3: Merzouga – Erg Chebbi – Nomads – Merzouga.

We are now in the desert! After a hearty and delicious breakfast, we will circle Erg Chebbi, a stretch of sandy desert where Morocco’s Great Dune is located, at an altitude of over 250 meters, and we will connect via a track with part of the route followed by the old Paris-Dakar rally, with the mountains bordering Algeria in the background.

Stop at the Tissardmin oasis and continue on to a nomadic settlement where we will learn some of the secrets of their life and customs.

Next stop at a panoramic viewpoint where we can admire Erg Chebbi in its entirety. We will arrive at the village of Khamlia, originally from Mali, where we will relax with a cup of tea while enjoying a small concert of Gnawa spiritual music. Return to the hostel, lunch, and around 4:00 p.m. we will set off in a caravan of dromedaries to the Haimas camp (approximately 1 hour) and, before arriving, we will enjoy the sunset and stretch our legs a little before reaching the haimas. Upon arrival at the camp, we will be offered a cup of hospitality tea, as is customary, and before dinner we will take the opportunity to climb the large dune or simply those near the camp and enjoy the peace and silence that the moment and the place offer us. We will sleep in the Haima under a blanket of stars in the heart of the desert.

Day 4: Merzouga – Rissani – Alnif – Draa Valley – Zagora.

We will wake up before dawn to watch the sunrise from the Great Dune. Return to the lodge on camels. Shower and breakfast.

We will leave early for Rissani and visit the city considered to be the cradle of the Alaouite dynasty, where its market stands out as the most important in the south, attracting many desert nomads who come here to shop. We will leave the desert behind and cross the arid yet interesting pre-desert landscapes until we reach the Draa Valley, where we will make several stops to enjoy the valley alongside the river of the same name, which is the longest in Morocco and crosses the entire country to Mauritania.

We will continue our journey to Zagora, the current administrative center of the area and from where caravans used to depart for Timbuktu on a long journey that lasted 52 days. From here, you can see the entire Draâ Valley and the oasis of the same name, considered the largest in Morocco and the richest in date production. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

Day 5: Zagora – Ouarzazate – High Atlas – Marrakech.

Breakfast and departure to see the sign showing the 52-day journey to Timbuktu (a very important commercial center in Mali) before climbing up to the Anti-Atlas Mountains and then arriving in Ouarzazate, where we will visit the Kasbahs of Taourirt and Tifoultoute and the film studios.

We will depart for Marrakech via the Tizi N’ Tichka mountain pass, stopping for lunch at a restaurant in the mountains. Afterwards, we will visit the argan oil cooperative, where we will learn about the production process and the countless benefits this product has for the human body. We will continue on our way to Marrakech and, once in the city, we will enjoy a free evening to stroll around Jamaa el Fna square and have dinner at one of the typical stalls that fill the square. Accommodation in a riad.

Day 6: Marrakech – Airport.

At the agreed time, transfer to the airport and end of the 6-day Morocco tour.