Experience the ultimate adventure with our 3 days Marrakech to Merzouga desert trip. Journey through the majestic High Atlas Mountains and marvel at the breathtaking landscapes along the way. Discover the iconic Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Immerse yourself in the magical ambiance of the Merzouga desert as you spend a night at a Berber camp, where you can witness the mesmerizing sunset and sunrise over the golden dunes. This unforgettable journey promises an authentic and immersive desert experience.
Departing from your accommodation in Marrakech at 8 am and heading to the High Atlas Mountains, the Moroccan Atlas Mountains, passing through the port of Tizi-Nichka, with stops for panoramic views and taking pictures of small Berber villages camouflaged in the landscape. Then we continue south towards the Ksar (fortified village) of Ait Ben Haddou where we will visit the famous Kasbah (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Famous films have been filmed on this stunning stage, including Gladiator, Obelix, The Mummy, The Jewel of the Nile, and Sahara with Penelope Cruz.
Free time for lunch in town. Then we continue on our way to Ouarzazate, also known as the “Gate of the Desert” which in Berber means “without noise or disturbance”. Here we will see Kasbah Taourirt, one of the most magnificent palaces in Morocco. The next site to visit is the Valley of Roses which passes through the large Skoura palm grove. A beautiful place to admire the more than 700,000 palm trees and the many kasbahs that have been built in the surrounding area. In this valley, Damascus roses are grown for cosmetic purposes, such as valuable rose water. The Rose Festival is held here annually in May, and it is an important museum of Moroccan culture. Finally, we arrived at Dades Valley, where we would spend the night.
We will enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the Dades Valley from one strategic vantage point in the mountains, and from there we can admire the large number of kasbahs and the picturesque characteristics of each one. A very good asphalt road leads up the valley from the city of Tinerhir to the valley and then to the desert. After some stops on the way we will reach the Todra Gorge. The scene is amazing. Local people live in the area and can be seen in their mud-brick villages.
Thanks to their rocky sides with many uneven surfaces, these valleys are very popular among rock climbers. After a short hike in the Todra Gorge, you will have free time for lunch in Tinjdad or Torug and then we continue into the desert to reach the magnificent Merzouga dunes. There we will take a one-hour camel ride to the Bedouin camp located in the middle of a sea of sand dunes (Erg Chebbi). Before dinner we will see the sunset on top of the dunes and then sleep in a tent under a sky full of beautiful stars.
Very early in the morning, we have a “sunrise date.” In the middle of the desert, waking up early is a “must” to admire the most stunning sunrise you have ever seen at the top of the sand dunes near the camp. Then we return to Merzouga on camels where a delicious breakfast awaits us. Having regained our strength, we begin the last day of our journey by passing through the arid pre-Saharan region where we will meet the “Acacia” tree, the typical tree of this landscape.
On the way to the Draa Valley, we will stop for some time to enjoy the beautiful views of the river that gives the valley its name. It is the longest river in Morocco, and it passes through the country’s crater to reach Mauritania. Our journey continues towards Ouarzazate, passing through the Anti-Atlas. We will have some free time for lunch in the city and in the afternoon we start our way again to Marrakech arriving around 8pm. Transfer to the hotel and finish our services.
