Marrakech is a spectacular city, the ‘tourist capital’ of Morocco. But it is also a magnificent gateway to and from those who come to this country with another goal: the Sahara desert. That is precisely what this 5-day circular tour from Marrakech to the Merzouga desert proposes. And Tenere Tours, an expert in group travel, can also organize the route as a private group. Take note of what you can visit with your loved ones.
There is something about the desert dunes that brings peace to all who contemplate and cross them. On this 5-day tour, the Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga appear on the third and fourth days. To enjoy them, we will use the two pillars for the life of the Berber nomads: dromedaries as a means of transport and jaimas as practical and comfortable housing in this environment. Recommended: open your eyes wide to enjoy the colors of dusk and dawn, as well as the brightness of the stars in the sky. But curiously, we also recommend closing them and feeling with the rest of your senses to be thrilled by a silence that resonates, a sand that can be caressed, and a surprisingly tasty cuisine in the camp.
The dunes are the great goal of this circular tour from Marrakech to the desert. But on the way there and back, the natural landscapes offered by the south of the country are equally spectacular. For example, in the mountains of the High Atlas, where the highest peaks of the country rise. Or in the valleys that run from this mountain range to Merzouga, where large oases are formed based on palm trees and crops. Or in small corners such as the Todra Gorges, where nature is even more capricious. And as if that were not enough, the contribution of man is also up to par: kasbahs of adobe that will mark the route.
Marrakech is the starting and ending point of this 5-day, 4-night circular tour. But between one moment and another, the stages cover many other places, which we will reach in a comfortable vehicle… and dromedaries in the dunes, which can be exchanged for all-terrain vehicles:
The first day of this circular tour from Marrakech to the desert serves as acclimatization to your new country, where temperatures will surely be higher than in yours, and its customs, also different.
At the city airport, we will be waiting for you to make the private transfer to the riad in the center where you will stay on this first night. Depending on the arrival time of the flight and the check-in, you will have more or less free time for an exploration of the city on your own.
Already acclimatized to southern Morocco and ready for the trip, the road route begins. And it does so by leaving the plain of Marrakech to ascend the northern slope of the High Atlas, until reaching about 2,260 meters of altitude. That is where the natural pass of these mountains is, the port of Tizi n’Tichka. Getting out and taking photos of the surroundings will be unavoidable.
The descent takes place through more arid and bare valleys. But next to one of the few green spaces (Ounila River), stands the ksar of Ait Ben Haddou. It is worth visiting to see a unique enclave, which emerged as a place of service for the caravan routes of the desert. The need for protection explains its defensive configuration, with high walls decorated with geometric games in chiaroscuro. As it could not be otherwise, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a usual place for filming.
After leaving behind the nearby city of Ouarzazate, we will enter the Valley of the Roses (for its numerous rose crops) and the Dades Valley, which are part of the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs: although Ait Ben Haddou is the most prominent Berber military construction, there are many others that mark this stretch of the route, in different states of conservation.
In one of the towns in this last valley, we will make a stop along the way at the end of the day: we will settle in a riad to have dinner and rest for the next day.
Resuming the march through the Dades Valley and the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs, we will take a momentary detour at the height of Tinerhir to access the Todra Gorges and the surprise will be enormous: the road becomes zigzagging until leaving us in the depths of this canyon, with cliffs of natural rock that exceed 100 meters in height. Walking around here is a very pleasant experience, and climbing its walls is a challenge for the most experienced specialists.
Back in the Dades Valley, the road will take us closer to the desert, which will welcome us in Merzouga. In this small town we must make a ‘transfer’, parking our vehicle and taking the dromedaries that will take us through the dunes of Erg Chebbi, which begin here.
The dromedary ride will run between hills of fine sand and end in the jaimas camp, without leaving the dunes. These canvas tents, typical of the Berber nomadic civilization, will be our home for this night, with dinner and tea included, as well as an atmosphere of peace and tranquility difficult to achieve in any other corner of the world.
The notion of time is lost in the depths of the desert: it is the fourth day of the tour and it is convenient to get up very early to watch the sun rise over the horizon. The lights that project its rays on the sky and on the undulations of sand acquire very special tones, which you should not miss.
After that, it will be time for breakfast, the return to Merzouga and a refreshing shower, in a different order depending on the package contracted: in some cases, the shower will be in a hotel arranged in Merzouga; and in others, in the jaimas camp itself.
After that, it will be time to return to the starting place of this circular tour: from Marrakech to the desert we had taken the road of the Dades Valley, and for the return (from the desert to Marrakech), we will take the road of the Draa Valley, which is also part of the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs. But in this case, the oasis is permanent, because in reality the entire valley is considered the largest oasis in North Africa.
Ouarzazate is the point of confluence of both routes, so we will ascend the High Atlas by the same road, to Tizi n’Tichka, and descend through the valleys of the northern slope to Marrakech. The last night of this tour will be again in a riad in this city.
With all the images still fresh in the retina and in the memory, this fifth day will begin and, therefore, the tour will end. The schedules of this day depend on the details of your flight back home: we will pick you up at the hotel and make the private transfer to Menara Airport. And if before that moment you can have free time in the city, it is convenient to take advantage of it to make the last purchases or visits to Marrakech. We will adapt to it and we will say goodbye to you at the airport terminal, very grateful for the trust placed in us.
This tour includes transportation, accommodation and certain diets so that the program develops in the best way. This is what the travel package includes:
Below you can see what the travel package does not include:
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