DAY 1: Fez – Ifrane – Ziz Valley – Erfoud – Merzouga – Dromedary ride – Overnight stay in jaimas (Berber tent)
After breakfast, we will head to the Merzouga desert by crossing the Middle Atlas and its cedar forest. This mountain range extends 350 kilometers from the southwest to the northwest of Morocco. We will visit Ifrane, known as Morocco’s “Little Switzerland”. The next stop will be Azrou (which means “rock” in Berber), a town known for its handicrafts, carpets and wood carving. After passing Midelt, we will continue to the Tizi Talghemt pass, or Camel’s Neck, located at 1,907 meters of altitude. The landscape is impressive, the mountains are completely bare. Passing Errachidia, we cross the Tafilalet massif up to the palm grove of Erfoud. We finally head to the Merzouga desert and arrive at the hotel in the afternoon to leave the suitcases and anything we may not need in the desert. We will rest for a while and take a one hour-long caravan of dromedaries to a camp in the heart of the desert. We will make a halfway stop to see the sunset over the dunes and stretch our legs before heading to the camp. Once there, we will have some tea before dinner. At night, we will enjoy traditional Berber drums, singing, and dancing and may climb the dunes nearby to make wishes upon shooting stars. Overnight stay in the jaimas (Berber tents).
DAY 2: Merzouga – Rissani – Todra Gorges – Dades Valley
Wake up early to admire the beautiful sunrise and to climb the dunes. After breakfast, we will ride back on the dromedaries and take our car. Departure to Rissani, where we will visit its market, the most important one in the south, where the desert nomads go shopping. We will then go to Erfoud to visit the fossilized marble factory before continuing to the palm groves of Touroug and Tinjdad. An hour later, we will reach one of the South’s strongest points: the Todra Gorges. The Todra riverbed has formed a beautiful gorge of vertical walls of enormous proportions. This unique place is a rock climber’s paradise. After lunch, the trip continues to Boumalne Dades and the Dades Valley. Accommodation in a kasbah.
DAY 3: Dades Valley – Valley of the Roses – Ouarzazate – Aït Ben Haddou – High Atlas – Marrakech
After breakfast, we depart to Ouarzazate through Boumalne Dades, El-Kelaa M’Gouna and Skoura. Admire the view of the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, the Valley of the Roses and the Skoura oasis. Once in Ouarzazate, we will stop to visit the Taourirt kasbah, built by the Glaoui dynasty. We will then head to the town of Aït Ben Haddou to have lunch and explore its exotic Ksar (fortified village) declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. We will drive through the dramatic Tizi n’Tichka mountain pass (at 2260 meters) with stops to take photos and enjoy the landscape of the High Atlas mountains. We will visit the Argan oil cooperative to learn about the making process and the benefits for the human body. The trip ends in Marrakech at your hotel or raid in the late afternoon.
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