7 Days From Ouarzazate To Marrakech & Desert

Day 1: Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Draa Valley – Zagora

From your hotel, we will depart and head toward the Great South. Firstly, we will explore and visit one of the most important sites in Morocco, the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, one of the best preserved locations in all of North Africa and recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Here have been made many famous films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, or The Kingdom of Heaven, but what is really important is exploring this form of defensive settlement that gives us an idea of how the lives of its inhabitants and their way of life were, then making a panoramic tour of the “city of silence” or “city without noise,” Ouarzazate, with our knowledgeable Moroccan guide. Situated on top of a large plateau and also known as the Hollywood of the African continent, Ouarzazate was a former military detachment and today is the administrative capital of the Drâa Oasis. We’ll go to Tamarit’s kasbah, which is fabulous. Then, we will continue our way through Ait Saoun and its 1,660-meter mountain pass, Tizi-N-Tinifft. We will follow the Drâa Valley, which has more than 200 kilometers of palm groves that make this one of the most beautiful routes in Morocco. Commercial caravans used to pass through here on their way to Zagora, which is as close to the desert as its famous sign reminds us: “Timbuktu 52 days,” dinner and breakfast at your accommodation.

Day 2 : Zagora – Rally track Paris Dakar – Desert of Ouzina

Today we will enjoy and explore some very special panoramic views on the road that was used in the Paris Dakar Rally. We will drive, crossing the Sahara desert of the Draa valley and its plateaus, passing through infinity of Berber villages, and finally arriving in the desert of Ouzina, where we will be able to enjoy the fascinating sunset from the great dune. Then we will walk to our camp, where we will have dinner and enjoy our pleasant evening.

Day 3: Ouzina – Erg Ouzina – Ouzina village – nomad culture in the Sahara

For the early morning, we suggest that you get up early to see the sunrise between the dunes. After breakfast, we will head to the village of Ouzina to explore and discover more about the way of life of its people. We will explore their bread oven and its orchards. We can eat there (their “Berber pizza”), and why not get a henna tattoo? We will visit the fossil mines in the afternoon before returning to the Ouzina desert to try to find an authentic nomadic family, have tea with them, eat dinner, and stay overnight at the riad in Ouzina.

Day 4 : Ouzina Desert – Khamlia – Merzouga Desert

The road of the Dakar route will take us back to the asphalt until we reach the village of Khamlia, or “the black village of Mali,” a stop to discover, enjoy, and learn about their African percussions that make up the spiritual music Gnawa. We will drive to the Erg Chebbi dunes and exchange our car for camels, on which we will ride to enjoy the magnificent sunset and spend the night in the middle of the dunes, with dinner and overnight in a luxury desert camp.

Day 5: Merzouga Desert – Erg Chebbi – Rissani – Erfoud – Todra River Gorge and Dades River Gorge

After breakfast, we ride the camels back to our car to continue to the city of Rissani. A walk through the economic capital of southern Morocco, visiting its enriching and authentic souk full of colors, then following towards the gorge of the river Todgha, a magnificent and spectacular valley formed by rock walls that reach 150 meters high, will be worthwhile in this area.

Day 6: Dades Valley – Thousand Kasbahs Route – Marrakech

After breakfast, we will explore and visit the Dades Valley, then follow the Thousand Kasbahs route, and then we will return to the pass of Tizi-N-Tichka to Marrakech.

Day 7 : Transfer to the airport

We will pick you up from your riad to take you to the airport at the agreed time.