Itinerary
After being picked up at your Riad/Hotel, you will begin the drive toward the Middle Atlas Mountains. Most of the day will be spent winding your way through the beautiful forests of Cedar, jagged rock faces, and Berber villages as you cross the Atlas Mountains and begin to descend toward the Sahara Desert. Half way, you will stop for lunch in the town of Midelt, famous for its fossils and rocks. We continue on mountain roads overlooking the wide flowing Oued Ziz. Passing Kasbahs and palm groves, we will drive through the adobe-colored city of Errachidia and arrive in the late afternoon to Merzouga, a city on the outskirts of the Sahara Desert. Overnight in a Hotel.
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be discovering this beautiful region of the Sahara desert. We will visit the fossils center and the ancient city of Rissani. It was once home to the Alawite dynasty as they took power, as well as Moulay er Rachid. It is a cultural destination in Morocco boasting beautiful examples of early Moroccan architectural styles and noteworthy palaces and temples, such as Ksar Oulad Abdelhalim. We will see men wearing the indigo blue robes distinctive of the Saharan people. We will also visit Khamlia village where you will have the opportunity to listen to Gnaoua music. Then later in the afternoon, get ready to saddle your camels for your journey to across the desert during a beautiful sunset for about 2 hours to reach your camp for the night by the sand dunes. Overnight in a Nomad tent for a night full of stars and Berber music, a night that you will not forget.
Wake up early to catch the sunrise over the dunes then head back to Merzouga to start the drive to Erfoud, where you set out behind the High Atlas Mountains, pass nomad people, and take a walk up in the towering Todra Gorges (600 feet high).The picturesque river valleys make for a beautiful journey toward the southeast of Morocco. Then continue your journey toward another impressive gorge, Dades, passing the strange rock creation of Tamnalt Hills before spending the night in the heart of Dades Gorge.
After an early breakfast you will set off toward the High Atlas Mountains via Ouarzazate. Tucked away in this region is one of the jewels of Morocco - Kasbah Ait Benhaddou. In typical Moroccan fashion, the true treasures must be searched out and discovered because they are usually off the beaten path. In actuality, this setting has been used for more films than any other location in Morocco, including Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, and more recently, Gladiator and Game of Thrones. Lunch can be taken at Ait Benhaddou. In the afternoon, you will head over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech where we drop you off at your Riad/Hotel.