From Marrakech, the High Atlas Mountains provide a beautiful backdrop, with snow-capped peaks for much of the year. But on the other side opens up ‘another Morocco’, more tranquil and silent: that of the Sahara and the valleys that ‘die’ on their way to it. With this 3-day tour from Marrakech to the desert, you can reach its most beautiful corners, and then continue to another city of great interest: Fez.
The route of this 3-day tour from Marrakech is very commercial, and not precisely because of its success among the most curious and adventurous travelers. It is because its roots lie in the caravan routes that connected Marrakech with other cities south of the Sahara, transporting all kinds of raw materials such as salt and manufactured goods, especially luxury items. They did so through natural passes, such as Tizi n’Tichka, through which our vehicle will travel.
Although this route is short, it won’t take long to feel the smallness of the human being. You will notice this when crossing the High Atlas Mountains, which are the highest in the country. But above all, you will experience it in the stony hammadas and in the sand dunes of the Sahara desert. In addition, the hand of man is not so evident here, as it is barely seen in villages, kasbahs and cultivated fields that arise next to the oases. On the other hand, the main responsible for these almost virgin landscapes is nature itself, for example eroding the rock to create the most capricious canyons, such as the Todra Gorges. Or covering hillsides with green cedar forests, as in Ifrane.
This 3-day tour from Marrakech to the desert does not have a round trip, since after visiting Merzouga and its dunes, the route continues to Fez. Therefore, it is a very interesting option for those who land in the first and take off from the second to return home. This is the detailed itinerary of this trip, which includes two nights in charming environments:
The high mountains that can be seen from Marrakech hide a vast region full of charm, which we will set out to discover as soon as we meet in the city or at the airport, as agreed. To do this, we will have to get into our comfortable vehicle, with a driver in your language at the wheel.
After crossing the port of Tizi n’Tichka, we will understand the difference between the northern slope, which is more humid, and the southern slope, which is more arid. Almost at the end of the descent we will arrive at Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified town declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. We will visit it to explore its compact hamlet, within its walls and at the foot of a hill with the remains of a kasbah. The absence of modern constructions gives it an extra charm, which is why Game of Thrones chose this enclave as a filming set in some chapters of the series.
A few kilometers later we will arrive at Ouarzazate, the main city of the region, also closely related to the film world due to its famous Atlas Studios. Leaving Ouarzazate we will take the road of the Valley of the Roses and the Dades Valley, which is part of the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs: in its small towns, which arose at the foot of the humble watercourse that forms an oasis, there is no shortage of Berber castles made of adobe.
Precisely in one of these villages in the Dades Valley, Boumalne Dades, we will stop along the way to have dinner and spend the first night of this tour, inside a charming riad.
On this second day of the tour, after having breakfast in the riad, we will resume the route through the Dades Valley, as it still has much to offer. For example, the town of Tinghir or Tinerhir, which well summarizes the essence of these towns: a humble settlement with a kasbah in the middle of an oasis that allows agricultural cultivation.
But Tinghir is also a strategic point on the route because from here arises the detour to another unique place: the Todra Gorges. This humble river, once mighty, has carved a canyon with surprisingly vertical walls, through which it runs boxed in. The vision of this masterpiece of nature will leave us speechless.
Back in the Dades Valley, we will continue towards the depths of the desert, passing through Erfoud among date palms and fossils as tourist attractions. The most moviegoers will recognize these landscapes for serving as the setting in the movie The Mummy, filmed here in 1999.
And soon after we will arrive at Merzouga, where the asphalt ends for us: the last section of the route will be through sand dunes, for which we will need dromedaries as a means of transport (replaceable by 4×4, if desired), always accompanied by an expert caretaker of these noble animals.
The walk through the dunes will conclude at the traditional haima camp, located in a place full of peace, away from the worldly noise. A welcome tea, a typical Berber dinner and an infinite sky full of stars will be the ingredients of a perfect night in the desert.
Time seems to go slower in the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Here the rhythm is marked by the sun, and the ideal is to be ready to see it appear on the horizon, because the sunrise offers an unusual beauty when observed on these capricious formations of fine golden sand.
Breakfast at the camp will be offered when this spectacle of lights has already finished. And after that, we will return to Merzouga to make the last section of this tour, again in our private vehicle. Now the itinerary goes up the Ziz Valley towards the Middle Atlas, a mountain range with less elevated peaks but more humid environments, especially on the northern slope.
That is where we will make the technical stop for the free lunch, specifically in Midelt. And with renewed energies we will continue to Ifrane, popularly known as the Switzerland of the Atlas because its gabled constructions are reminiscent of those of this Alpine country.
Fez will be just a stone’s throw away and our services will end at the chosen place in this city: it can be a hotel, the airport or any other, with the hope of having enjoyed the trip and meeting again in another destination in Morocco.
In order for this 3-day tour to run smoothly and without unforeseen events, the package includes the following essential services for its proper development:
On the other hand, the following services are at the traveler’s discretion, which are not included:
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