3 Days Trip from Marrakech to Merzouga

3 Days Trip from Marrakech to Merzouga

Day 1: Marrakech – High Atlas – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley

Pick up from your accommodation in Marrakech at 8 o’clock in the morning, and depart to the High Atlas, Sof Moroccan Atlas mountains, going through Tizi N’Tichka port with stops for panoramic views and taking pictures of the Berber small villages that camouflage in the landscape. Then we continue south to 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 shot on this spectacular stage, including Gladiator, Obelix, The Mummy, The Jewel of the Nile, Sahara with Penélope Cruz…etc. Free time for lunch in town. Then we continue to Ouarzazate, also known as “The gate of the desert,” which in the Berber language means “noiseless or without confusion.” Here we’ll see the Taourirt kasbah, one of the most spectacular ksars in Morocco. The next site to visit is the Rose Valley going through the big Skoura palm grove, a beautiful place to contemplate more than 700.000 palms and numerous kasbahs built in the surrounding area. Damascenes roses are raised in this Valley for cosmetic use, such as the valued rosewater. The Rose Festival is held here annually in May, an important museum for Moroccan culture. Finally, we reach the Dades Valley, where we’ll spend the night.

Day 2: Dades Valley – Todra Gorges – Merzouga – Camel Trek and overnight in Berber Camp

After breakfast, we’ll enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the Dades Valley from one strategic lookout in the mountains; from there, we can appreciate the great number of kasbahs and the scenic characteristics of each one. A very good asphalt road leads up the valley from Tinerhir to the gorge and the desert. After some stops on the way, we’ll reach the Todra Gorges. The scenery is spectacular. Local people live in the area and can be seen in their adobe villages. These gorges are popular among rock climbers thanks to their rock sides with many uneven surfaces. After a short walk in the Todra gorges, you’l have free time for lunch in Tinejdad or Touroug, and then we’ll continue our way to the desert to reach the spectacular dunes of Merzouga. We’ll take a camel ride of one hour to our nomad camp in the middle of a sea of dunes (Erg Chebbi). Before dinner, we’ll see the sunset at the top of a dune for then sleep in a tent under a beautiful starry sky.

Day 3 : Merzouga Dunes – Draa Valley – Anti Atlas Mountains – Ouarzazate – Marrakech

We have a “Date with the sunrise” very early in the morning. In the middle of the desert, waking up early is a “must do” to contemplate the most spectacular sunrise you’ve ever seen at the top of a dune close to the camp. Then we return to Merzouga on the camels, where a delicious breakfast awaits us. Having regained strength, we start our last trip day going through the arid pre-desertic area where we’ll meet the “acacia,” a typical tree of this landscape. On the way to the Draa Valley, we’ll make some stops to enjoy the river’s beautiful views that give a name to the valley. It’s the longest river in Morocco, going through the country and reaching Mauritania. Our trip continues towards Ouarzazate going through the Anti Atlas. We’ll have some free time for lunch in town, and in the afternoon, we start off our road again to Marrakech, reaching about 8 pm. Transfer to the hotel and end of our services.