8-Day Morocco Desert Tour from Marrakech with Chegaga and Atlas

8 Days Duration

Experiences

About This Tour

Explore Morocco's diverse landscapes and cultural heritage on an 8-day journey from Marrakech through the High Atlas Mountains, oases, gorges, and desert. Trave...

Duration: 8 Days · Tour type: Private · Activity level: Easy · Accommodation: Included · Luxury · Transport: Included · Wheelchair access: Yes · Cities: Marrakech, Taroudant, Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Zagora, Toubkal, Merzouga, Imlil, Todgha Gorge, Erfoud, Atlas Mountains, Erg Chegaga, Tinejdad, Skoura, Tamegroute, Dadès Gorges, Toubkal National Park · Languages: Dutch, English, French, Italian, Spanish

Know before you go: Kasbah Aït ben Haddou is one of Morocco's nine UNESCO World Heritage sites and is the oldest and most famous kasbah of all.; The architectural style of Kasbah Aït ben Haddou is well preserved, with earthen constructions that perfectly adapt to climatic conditions.; Kasbah Aït ben Haddou has gained popularity as a backdrop for many Hollywood blockbuster films.; Two of the three main buildings of the kasbah lie exposed to the wind and rain, as the Pasha's property was confiscated as punishment for treason.; Unfortunately, the whole kasbah is now closed due to the damage caused by the earthquake that struck Morocco in September 2023.; The Ounila Valley, with its fertile fields and gardens, follows the river far below the road.; The varying hues of rock and soil, Berber villages and gardens, and smaller kasbahs are all breathtaking. Olive, almond, and fruit trees are the main crops vital to most families' economies.; Kasbah Amredhil has been beautifully restored, giving a clear idea of multi-generational life.; It is made entirely of adobe, with very thick walls that keep out the summer's heat and retain warmth in winter.; The locally produced cosmetic articles are well known throughout Morocco, and the rose scent lingers deliciously.; You will take an off-road piste to gain a better impression of the landscape.; On the way, Berber nomads will welcome you at their caves and offer you a glass of tea.; Their visitors are often astounded by just how hard life is in these arid surroundings, bringing up children and tending their goats.; This leaves you half a day to walk in the valley, or to spend it relaxing or strolling by the fields and gardens.; Near the town lies Kasbah Tamnougalte, the oldest in the Dra'a Valley.; Some of the houses are still inhabited, while others are crumbling away.; After Tansikht, we reach Tinsouline; a kilometre or so away are the fascinating rock carvings of animals long extinct in Morocco.; This is Foum Chenna, some 4000 years old.; Beyond Zagora, the largest town in the whole area, we stop in Tamgroute to visit the potteries famous for the green glaze.; The ancient Quranic library with exquisite handwritten Arabic texts is very famous in Morocco, and the books are a wonder to behold.; 60 km away across the desert are the remote Erg Chegaga dunes (300 m).; These dunes are far away from civilisation, right out in the full desert, where the silence is overwhelming.; The little government-run museum has interesting explanations of saffron agriculture, and as you enter, the scent of saffron is dominant.; At the top, the beautiful, elegant, brick Tinmal mosque once stood, but was sadly almost completely demolished during the severe September 2023 earthquake.; The extreme quiet of the village and the beauty of the views are quite overwhelming.

About Taroudant

Morocco

Taroudant

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What's Included

Transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle: 4x4 Toyota Prado TX and fuel
Pick-up from and drop-off at your riad or hotel in Marrakech
Experienced local English-, French-, Spanish-, or Italian-speaking Berber and nomad driver/guide
Accommodation in air-conditioned rooms or suites with a private bathroom
Overnight in a luxury desert camp in Erg Chebbi, Merzouga, and Erg Chegaga
All meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with vegetarian and vegan options available
A camel ride with a guide
Luggage service to the camp and all accommodation
Berber drumming and music
Free time to explore the sites, such as Aït Ben Haddou, for walks, photos, and tea or coffee breaks
Entrance fees and a local guide
Tea, coffee, and mineral water in the desert

Not Included

Drinks
Tips
Extras

Itinerary

1

Day 01

High Atlas Crossing from Marrakech to Ouarzazate

Morning departure from your hotel or riad in Marrakech at 8:30 to drive across the High Atlas Mountains. There are numerous opportunities to stop for photos, and the drivers know the most popular spots. The first scheduled kasbah visit is Telouet. This was the palace and headquarters of the powerful Glaoui tribe, who held sway over much of the area directly to the south. Nevertheless, visiting the exterior with a local guide is still worthwhile for discovering its rich history.
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Day 02

Skoura Oasis and Valley of Roses to Dades Gorges

After breakfast, the road turns east, passing the Skoura Oasis, where numerous ancient kasbahs stand abandoned among the palm trees. The drive continues to Kela'a M'gouna, the Valley of Roses, famous for its Rose Festival in May. You will take an off-road piste to gain a better impression of the landscape. On the way, Berber nomads will welcome you at their caves and offer you a glass of tea. It is just a short way on to the Dades Valley for lunch. This leaves you half a day to walk in the valley, or to spend it relaxing or strolling by the fields and gardens. If you wish, you have time to walk into the mountains to spend the night with a Berber family, or you can remain in the valley for the night in a guest house.
3

Day 03

Todgha Gorge, Fossils, and Desert Arrival in Merzouga

The following morning, the trip continues a short distance to Tinghir and the higher Toudgha gorges. As you walk through, being careful to avoid the tourist buses, you can appreciate the steep high sides and will have to crane your neck to see the narrow expanse of sky above. Between Tinjdad and Erfoud, you can walk down into the extraordinary underground water channels deep below the surface, which prevented evaporation in the desert heat. In Erfoud itself, you can stop to see the cutting and polishing of thousands of fossils, formed into many different artefacts. When you reach the edge of the dunes, you will take the camels to ride to your luxury tent. If you prefer, the 4x4 can take you there instead.
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Day 04

Sunrise in Merzouga and Journey through the Dra'a Valley

The morning sunrise is spectacular and well worth getting up early to watch. The drive west to the Dra'a Valley passes through Tazzarine, featured in the film "Babel", and N'Qob for lunch. If you are lucky, you may see scimitar-horned oryx in an enormous fenced reserve. In the afternoon, the road arrives at Tansikht on the Dra'a River. We turn north to Agdez at the head of the valley, where we spend the night in a guest house.
5

Day 05

Ancient Caravan Routes to the Chegaga Dunes

For a short while, we go off-road along some of the ancient caravan routes, passing villages and gardens so that you can gain a better idea of the way of life along the oases. After Tansikht, we reach Tinsouline; a kilometre or so away are the fascinating rock carvings of animals long extinct in Morocco. This is Foum Chenna, some 4000 years old. Beyond Zagora, the largest town in the whole area, we stop in Tamgroute to visit the potteries famous for the green glaze. Further south lies M'hamid, the gate to the desert, where the paved road stops and the Sahara starts. These dunes are far away from civilisation, right out in the full desert, where the silence is overwhelming. You have dinner and spend the night at a luxury camp with a private bathroom, king-sized beds, and beautiful Moroccan furnishings.
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Day 06

Across Lake Iriqui and Mountain Passes to Taroudant

Another 90 km east crosses shallow dunes and the stony desert ("erg" and "hammada"), and later across the now dried-up Lake Iriqui. Here you may well experience a mirage, and unless it has been raining hard, which is rare and would mean the lake is impassable, we can assure you this "water" really is a figment of the imagination. Here you can search for fossils, some lying loosely around but most fixed firmly into the rock. From Foum Zguid at the edge of the desert, we drive north to Taznakht, famous for its Berber gelims and carpets. Travelling east again, we cross the Tizi-n-Ikhsane and Tizi-n-Tighatine passes to reach Taliouine, the centre of the saffron-growing region. The road takes us on to Taroudant for the night in a riad.
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Day 07

Taroudant and the Tizi-n-Test Pass to Imlil

In the morning, you visit Taroudant, also known as "the little Marrakech" due to its massive and unusually intact ramparts. Travelling back east a short way, we turn north over the High Atlas Mountains via the famous Tizi-n-Test pass. Lunch will be at a mountain restaurant with superb views. From here, we continue through the mountains to the village of Imlil, where we stay the night.
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Day 08

Toubkal National Park and Return to Marrakech

After breakfast, there is plenty of time to walk and look up at Toubkal Mountain, the highest peak in North Africa. Travelling along a very narrow, very picturesque road in the Toubkal National Park, we reach Asni, a small Berber village famous for its permanent as well as its weekly souks. We then pass the mausoleum of Moulay Brahim, a well-known Moroccan Sufi saint who died in 1661. The road leads to the small village of Tahanout, with an opportunity to stop on the way to wander through the astonishing Andre Heller Anima Garden, full of colourful sculptures and plants from across the world. Your driver escorts you to your hotel, bringing your Marrakech desert tour of 8 days to an end.