You don’t even need a week to discover the most spectacular corners of the Sahara in Morocco and also see the most interesting monuments in the country’s main city. With this tour from Ouarzazate to the desert and a guided tour in Marrakech, the program maximizes the days so you don’t miss any attractions, without sacrificing free time to use as you wish. Take note of the proposal and, if you like, book it to enjoy this private trip with only the companions you want.
“Mountainous, rough, and uncultivated.” That is one of the definitions in the DRAE (Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy) for the word “wild.” And that is precisely what much of the territory you will travel through on this 6-day tour is like. Mountainous, because we will cross the High Atlas twice. Rough, because aridity is evident in the rocky canyons and the desert, both in the dunes and in the hammadas that we will see here and there. And uncultivated because the oases that we will see arise, to a large extent, spontaneously, with thousands of palm trees carpeting the land in coexistence with cultivated land (rose bushes, fruit trees, etc.). But the most important thing is that all of this creates a surprising and beautiful variety of landscapes, which has its zenith in Erg Chebbi.
This 6-day tour includes many kilometers of road and, therefore, the landscape changes before our eyes at every moment. But there will also be time to set foot on the ground and delight in masterpieces of Moroccan history and culture. In some cases, with free walks through ancient medinas and fortified villages. And in another case, with explanations provided by an official guide: this will happen in the Marrakech medina, on the penultimate day, which will serve to admire the most beautiful monuments and learn about the most interesting aspects of this bustling city, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Starting in Ouarzazate and ending in Marrakech, this 6-day, 5-night tour offers the perfect balance between a short trip and in-depth experiences in each destination. All this in a private vehicle with a driver (except for the desert dromedaries or all-terrain vehicles) for greater comfort:
First day of the tour and time to acclimatize to your new destination, which will surely have temperatures and a latitude very different from your place of origin. Therefore, after meeting you at the airport and making the private transfer to the hotel, you will check in and enjoy free time until dinner time at the hotel and rest.
The proposals for this day will depend on the arrival time of the flight. One of them is to visit the Atlas Studios, a film complex where scenes from great films have been shot, such as the Oscar-winning Lawrence of Arabia or the blockbuster Gladiator.
On the second day of the tour, the road trip begins, with a spectacular itinerary: it is a section of the Route of the Kasbahs, named so because in the towns along the route there is no shortage of these constructions which, in some cases, were Berber fortresses made of adobe, erected centuries ago.
We will begin to see constructions of this type after crossing the rugged mountains of the Anti Atlas, which have also served as a setting for Hollywood films, such as Babel. After that, we will arrive at the Draa Valley, which is actually a huge oasis composed of thousands and thousands of palm trees.
Towns like Nkob, Tazarine, or Alnif will be part of the route, and we can stop the vehicle to photograph their most emblematic spaces. But without a doubt, the most picturesque town is already on the shores of the desert: Rissani. Its market, which takes place on certain days of the week, has given it worldwide fame, especially for the donkeys parked in its vicinity. Whether we find them or not, strolling through its medina will be an equally beautiful experience.
Upon arriving in Merzouga, we probably won’t find donkeys either, but we will find other iconic animals for life in the desert: dromedaries. On the backs of these noble camelids, we will travel through the dunes of Erg Chebbi, which begin just outside Merzouga. In this sea of fine, golden sand, which changes shape every day, there are no paths or signs, but we will advance guided by our guide until we reach the Jaima camp.
This camp, made up of traditional canvas tents, will be our home for the night, in a very welcoming atmosphere: welcome tea, bonfire to warm the cold night, typical Berber dinner, and rooms that, despite their removable origin, offer the greatest comfort. And if you look up, you will find more stars in the sky than you could imagine.
Thanks to the silence of the desert and the comfort of the tents, the night will have been peaceful. But the proposal is to get up as early as possible, even before the sun, because watching the sunrise over the dunes is a spectacle that you will keep in your heart forever.
Having experienced that dawn, it will be time for breakfast and return to Merzouga, again by dromedary (replaceable by all-terrain vehicles, both to and from). As for this morning’s shower, it will be taken in the jaimas or in a hotel in Merzouga, depending on the package contracted.
Our route heads towards Ouarzazate, but in this case not through the Draa Valley, but through the Dades Valley. In this way, when we arrive at the picturesque Tinghir, we will take a detour to access a hidden and improbable canyon: the Todra Gorges. The small river of the same name has carved the rock to create this narrow gorge, where you can walk pleasantly. Some even dare to climb its high walls, which exceed 100 meters in height in many sections.
Once you have seen this natural and wild corner, we will return to the Dades Valley to soak up its kasbahs and oases. And in a charming town, such as Boulmane Dades or another in its surroundings, we will stop the route: a beautiful riad awaits you for dinner and rest tonight.
On the fourth day of the tour, we leave the Dades Valley at the beginning of the morning, but not without first taking a trip to the Valley of the Roses: this poetic name is due to its thousands and thousands of rose bushes, planted a century ago to supply damascenes to the cosmetics industry, but also to celebrate moussems and sociocultural events.
Soon after, we will arrive again in Ouarzazate, in this case with the aim of discovering the kasbah of Taourirt, the city’s great monument. It is a Berber-style palace-castle, made of adobe on its exterior, used as a residence by the powerful El Glaoui family: its patriarch, Thami, ruled the region with the titles of Lord of the Atlas and Pasha of Marrakech.
Precisely towards those two places we head right after. First, we will ascend through the mountains of the High Atlas until we reach the Tizi n’Tichka pass and admire the panoramic view of imposing peaks, the highest in Morocco. And after that, we will descend along the northern slope of the mountain range until we reach the plain in which Marrakech extends.
Upon arriving at the riad and after checking in, you will have free time to make contact with this fascinating city.
The fifth day takes place entirely in Marrakech. And for good reason: it is a city full of monuments and historical constructions, which in many cases date back to the time of the dynasties that founded and embellished it: Almoravids and Almohads in medieval times, and Saadians in the 16th century. With all of them it was the capital, which is why it bears the nickname (like others) of ‘Imperial City’.
The official guide who will accompany us during the morning will tell us about all this and much more: he will have prepared a tour to discover the most beautiful corners of the medina, among which are usually the Koutoubia Mosque, the Jemaa el-Fna Square, the Bahia Palace, or the Ben Youssef Madrasa.
And if something is left in the inkwell due to lack of time, you can use the free afternoon to discover it: museums such as the Marrakech Museum or the Yves Saint-Laurent Museum, gardens such as the Majorelle Garden, and vestiges of the past such as the El Badi Palace are some of the options. And with a more mundane but no less interesting character, it is also recommended to get lost in the craft souks of the historic center, or the trendy neighborhoods in the new area.
Whatever the option, the night’s rest in the riad of the medina will be the last and the most deserved.
After five days of touring, the sixth is the last of all and its program depends on the schedules of the flight back home. Whether it takes off early or late (which would allow you to have some free time in the city beforehand), we will agree on a pick-up time at the riad and take you in private transfer to Menara Airport – Marrakech. At the terminal, it will be time to say goodbye and, above all, to thank you for booking this intense and enriching private trip with us.
Transportation, accommodations, diets… Nothing is left to chance on this tour thanks to the following list of services, which are included in the travel package:
The following services are not included in the travel package, so the client must take care of their cost and, if applicable, their reservation:
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