From Marrakech: 15-Days Desert Tour Merzouga

Our 15 Days Tour Early departure from the red city of Marrakech to Merzouga for the Kasbah of Telouet, via the Tichka Pass and through the High Atlas Mountains. Lunch on the road, continuing along the Ounila Valley to the village of Tamdakht, where you’ll enjoy a short walk. Then on to the village of Ait Benhaddou, and a visit to the ancient Ksar of Ait Benhaddou (a UNESCO World Heritage site). Dinner and overnight in Ouarzazate.

Early departure from Ouarzazate for the Skoura palm grove, then on to Kelaa M’Gouna (opportunity to visit a rose water distillation cooperative). Then on to the Rose Valley, where you’ll enjoy short hikes along Oued Mgoun. Lunch in a local restaurant or picnic by the river. Continuation via a splendid track to the Dades Valley and Gorges. Dinner and overnight at a guest house.

After breakfast, we start our day exploring the Dades Valley: (weather permitting) hiking through a beautiful canyon and gardens. Then off to the Todra Gorges via M’semrir and through the High Atlas Mountains to the village of Ait Hani. Lunch in a local restaurant, then on to the Todra Gorges. Enjoy a beautiful walk through the Todra Gorge and the Tinghir palm grove. Dinner and overnight in a hotel.

After breakfast, a departure from the Todra Gorges for the Merzouga dunes via Tinejdad. On the way, you’ll discover the “khat tara”, an ancient traditional irrigation system. Lunch on the road in a local restaurant. Then on via Erfoud to the Merzouga desert, camel ride in the dunes, enjoying a superb sunset over the dunes. Dinner and overnight in a tented camp in Merzouga.

After watching the sunrise over the dunes and breakfast, depart from Merzouga for Rissani, where a short visit is in order, then on to Alnif (fossil region). Lunch in a local restaurant in Alnif or in the village of N’KOB. Then on to the Draa Valley to get as close as possible to the palm grove and its fortified houses. Dinner and overnight in Agdz.

Afetr Breakfast in your guest House, we drive crossing the oasis, 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, Have lunch in 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 hand-written Arabic texts is very famous in Morocco and the books a wonder to behold.
Further south lies M’hamid, the gate to the desert , where the paved road stops and the Sahara
starts. Overnight in Hotel.

beautiful Moroccan furnishings. 

Another 85 km east crossing the dunes and the stony desert, 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 little government-run museum has interesting explanations of saffron agriculture, and as you enter the scent of saffron is dominant. The road takes us onto to Taroudant for the night in a riad.

In the morning, after breakfast 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 over the famous Tizi-n-Test pass. At the top, the beautiful, elegant, brick Tinmal
mosque, once stood, but was sadly almost completely demolished during the severe September
2023 earthquake.
 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. The extreme quiet of the village and the
beauty of the views are quite overwhelming.

After breakfst in your guest house, meet your berber guide From hiking crissing the valleys pass through Ikkiss then Tizi N’Aguersioual and enjoy lunch at the village of Matate, where you will have the opportunity to share mint tea with a local family. At the end of this journey of 6 hours, you will pass by Tizi N’Oudite to Aït Aïssa to spend the night.

Your last day experience will take between 5 to 6 hours, you will pass via the read of the biggest waterfalls in the area then by Tizi Mizzik (2500m) where you will be joined by your supply mule. After an excellent lunch in the middle of nature surrounded by breathtaking views of the Atlas, you will go down to Imlil village where your trip will end. Your private transport will take you back to your accomodation in Marrakech.
Overnight in Riad 

After Breakfast your Local Guide will pick you up from your riad, Admire Mellah Square and the souk, Bab Agnaou, the Bahia Palace and other monuments and must-sees. Your local host will take you to the city’s main sights so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Marrakech so unique.
Along the way, your local host will show you hidden treasures that only locals know about. Get to know the city from a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that few tourists know.
A magical tale Behind every landmark and stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to hear incredible stories, unique insights and fun facts that only a knowledgeable local would know! Special treatment Follow your host to one of his favorite restaurants for a snack or a drink enjoyed by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend, and get answers to all your travel questions.