Experience a Sahara Adventure
This tour is a nine-day Sahara adventure into the vast desert complete with camel trekking, desert camping, and an opportunity to meet nomadic families and experience their desert lifestyle.
We will take you from the airport to the ancient city of Marrakesh where your Moroccan adventure will begin.
You will cross the High Atlas Mountains, take in stunning views and Berber villages. You will see where the black desert meets the small mountains of the Sahara and join a Berber family for a meal. After a camel ride to a Bedouin camp, you will spend the night in the silence of the desert.
On day six you will visit a fossil town where you can buy crystals and semi-precious stones as well as fossils before continuing to the Dades Valley with its majestic rock formations known by locals as “monkey toes”. Then on to the Valley of Roses on day seven, where around 4000 tonnes of rose petals are picked every spring, to be processed into rosewater or exported for the perfume industry. What a journey!
Day 1
Airport – Marrakesh
You will be met at the airport for the short journey to Marrakesh Medina and your riad. Depending on your arrival time there may be an opportunity to explore some of the local shops and experience your first glass of mint tea.
Overnight at your riad.
Day 2
Marrakesh – Tizi n Tichka Pass – Ouarzazate
Leaving Marrakesh we cross the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass, which at an altitude of 2260m (7417ft), is the highest pass in Morocco. You will be able to enjoy amazing views of this fascinating landscape and Berber villages. Continuing on to Ouarzazate – the Hollywood of Africa – you can explore the impressive Taourirt Kasbah and film studios before checking into your hotel/riad.
Day 3
Ouarzazate – Alnif – Jdaid and Ouzina desert
After breakfast, your Saharan adventure continues as we drive along the Draa Valley and through the small towns of Agdz and Alnif. Here we go off-road through the arid desert where you may see a mirage of an oasis. There will also be an opportunity to meet local nomads. Arriving in Ouzina desert you may choose to be accommodated in a small auberge or in a camp.
Day 4
Taous – Khamlia – Camel trek
Leaving the Ouzina desert behind we travel through the desert of Jdaid where the black desert meets the small mountains of the Sahara. En route you will pass through the villages of Taous and Khamlia where you will experience the music and life of the Gnaoua, descended from slaves brought to Morocco from Mali, Mauritania, Guinea, and Ghana. Your driver/guide will take you to join a Berber family for lunch which will give you the chance to learn more about Moroccan culture and history. In the afternoon a camel ride will take you across the sand dunes to a Bedouin camp where you will spend the night experiencing the immensity and silence of the desert.
Day 5
Erg Chebbi circle – Hamada
After experiencing a beautiful sunrise in the desert you will travel to meet nomads in the Hamada “black desert” and take tea in their tent. You will learn about the culture and local environment and experience a little more of the real Morocco. After lunch, you may choose to explore a little more of the Sahara on a quad bike. Overnight in a hotel/riad.
Day 6
Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Dades Valley
After breakfast, we set off for Erfoud – fossil town. Here you will see stalls selling crystals and semi-precious stones as well as fossils. The workshop Usine de Marmar is open to visitors. We then travel through Todra Gorge, a narrow corridor with sheer cliffs 300m (985ft) high rising up dramatically on each side. These are the most impressive cliffs in southern Morocco and they are well known to experienced mountaineers. Here you will have lunch before continuing to the Dades Valley where you will see some impressive rock formations known by locals as “monkey toes” as well as interesting mud Kasbahs.
Overnight in a hotel or riad overlooking the Dades Valley.
Day 7
Dades – Boutghrar – Valley of Roses – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakesh
Today we travel off-road between the Dades Valley and the Valley of the Roses. It’s a great opportunity to encounter the local nomads, some of whom still live in caves and tents. At El-Kelaa M’Gouna up to 4000 tonnes of rose petals are picked every spring to be processed into rosewater or exported for the perfume industry. The Rose Festival is held here in May. We then travel to the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, probably the most celebrated, filmed and photographed Kasbah in Morocco. Featured in numerous films (including Lawrence of Arabia, The Sheltering Sky and Gladiator) it is the best-preserved Kasbah in Morocco, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We cross the Atlas Mountains by the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass which at an altitude of 2260m (7417ft) is the highest pass in Morocco. You will be able to enjoy amazing views of this fascinating landscape and tBerber villages. Arriving at Marrakesh you will stay overnight in a riad near the famous Jemma el Fna square.
Day 8
Marrakesh Sightseeing
In the morning your local guide will take you to see the historic sites of Marrakesh including the Koutoubia Mosque, Jemma el Fna square, the souks of the Medina, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the famous Ben Youssef Medersa. In the afternoon your private driver/guide will take you to visit the Majorelle and Menara gardens. You will have dinner at a local restaurant and stay overnight at your riad.
Day 9
Marrakesh – Airport
Depending on your flight time there may be an opportunity for some last minute shopping before we collect you for your transfer to the airport.
Contact Us
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