Itinerary 5 day desert tour from Marrakech
This tour from Marrakech into Sahara desert. Travel along Tizi-N-Tichka pass through the view of the Hight Atlas Mountains, in the route you will realize that Morocco is a country of contrasts. An opportunity to check out the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou, discover the Hollywood of Morocco in Ouarzazate.
You´ll also follow the Road of 1000 Kasbahs to the most beautiful valleys of great South of Morocco: the Valley of Dades, the valley of Roses and the Todgha Gorge . Then trek into the Desert spending the night under the stars camping in the Sahara, we will discover the region of Sahara Desert visit the Gnaoua people, originally slaves from Mali localed in a small town Khamlia, and visit local Nomad famillie to live the nomad's lifestyle, visit the old village of M´IFIS build by the franch military, and is very famous with mines, minerals fosils, as now just Moroccan military live there because its the closest point to the Algerian border. In the way back to Marrakech we will visit Errisani is a silent town was the ancient capital of Tafilalet and its location as a crossroads between north and south trought the city to an important estatus of a former major caravan center. Our journey continue through Alnif and wonderful scenery of the Draa Valley via Anti-Atlas mountain, until we reach to Ouarzazate, next day we can explore this famous city for the big Kasbahs and biggest film studio in Africa. After this we’ll drive back over the winding Tizi-N-Tichka pass back to Marrakech.
Day 1: Marrakech - Ait Ben Haddou -Valley of Roses - Dades Gorge
Pick up you at yor hotel and then drive through the dramatic Tizi n Tichka, over the Hight Atlas Mountains, this roads will show you fantastic veiw and lead you through Berber village, and the landscaps change as the all city of Morocco. After many stop for enjoy this veiws, we drive through the famous Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, this is a beautiful example of southern Moroccan architecture, now is a parte of UNESCO and has been filmed many movie in this kasbahs. After lunch we continue to Dades Valley via Ouarzazate, this is ´Hollywood of Africa´, if you like you can visit the Atlas Studio. The road we take is a Road of the thousand Kasbahs, as you can see many kasbahs and Ksar in Morocco, until we arrived to the famous Valley of Roses, home of the fragrant damascus rose that is cultivated here and processed into the world famous rose oil , we can stop in a coorperarive to see how the women do this fantasic work. Then we continue to our hotel in Dades Valley.
Day 2: Dades Gorge - Todra gorge - Merzouga
After breakfast we drive to Todra Gorges via the view panoramic of Valley of Dades, here the contrasting landscapes remind visitors of the Colorado, with its high plateau , until we arrived to this amazing great canyons. The narrow valley is lines with palmery and up on the rocks you may see the nomad famillies tending sheep and goats. This great canynos its peaks sometimes splintered by erosion, and ths area is populated by Berbers, when you can have some time to walk by yoursefl and interact with the local people. Afterwards we travel further into the desert to the tiny village of Merzouga, then take camel ride to a berber camp when you will see one of the most beautiful sunset and thousands of stars in the sky. Spend the night in a camp.
Day 3: Merzouga - Khamlia - Nomade Families - Merzouga
Before the sunrise, you can wake up to see the sunrise, then you will have breakfast and shower in the camp. After this we get on the roed to discover the region of Merzouga. We start the Khamlia village originally from Subsaharien when we get the opportunity to listen to their Gnawa music and learn about them culture and lifestyle, then we visit a nomad familly who live in tents around the Erg Chebbi dunes and you can see them life is very simple and they are very happy and open poeples, as its hard way of living begin away from facilities . We would love to show you this way of life, even experience it by drink some tea with them. Our journey continue to the old village of M´IFIS build by the french military, and is very famous with mines, minerals fosils, as now just Moroccan military live there because its the closest point to the Algerian border. After this we bring you to your accommodation, and in aftrenoon you can explore the town or the dunes next to your hotel to see the sunset. Night in a hotel.
Day 4 : Merzouga - Errisani - Anti Atlas Mountais - Ouarzazate
After breakfast we will drive to Errisani, the silent town was the ancient capital of Tafilalet, and its location as a cross roads between north and south brought the city to an important status of a former major caravan center. Up to now Erissani remains a major commercial center in the region with a large souk, particulary lively today on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. After this our journey back to Marrakech. we drive through different areas and different Berber villages (Alnif, Tazarine, N’kob) until we arrived to the Draa river and Valley is a Morocco longest, we will have a stop to admire this view. After that we cross the Montains of Anti Atlas until we arived to Ouarzazate.
Day 5: Ouarzazate - Marrakech
After breakfast, you can explore the town of Ouarzazate. This city is famous for the big Kasbahs, but also has the biggest film studio in the world (Atlas studios). Here you can visit Cinema Museum or studio’s cinema and Kasbah Taouirirt Then we’ll drive back over the winding Tizi-n-Tichka pass back to Marrakech. We will bring you back to your hotel in the early evening.