Marrakesh Trip Overview
When a wealthy local family didn’t offer hospitality to a poor woman and her son, God was offended and buried them under the mounds of sand 50km south of Erfoud called Erg Chebbi.
So goes the legend of the dunes rising majestically above the twin towns of Merzouga. – But the reality is even more unbelievable. Shape-shifting to reach heights of 160m, Erg Chebbi glows a stunning shade of rose gold, until afternoon sunlight tints the dunes orange, pink and purple.
Additional Info
* Duration: 3 days
* Starts: Marrakesh, Morocco
* Trip Category: Outdoor Activities >> 4WD, ATV & Off-Road Tours
Explore Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Marrakesh, Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco
When a wealthy local family didn’t offer hospitality to a poor woman and her son, God was offended and buried them under the mounds of sand 50km south of Erfoud called Erg Chebbi.
So goes the legend of the dunes rising majestically above the twin towns of Merzouga. – But the reality is even more unbelievable. Shape-shifting to reach heights of 160m, Erg Chebbi glows a stunning shade of rose gold, until afternoon sunlight tints the dunes orange, pink and purple.
Itinerary
Day 1: Marrakech-Ait benhaddou-Ouarzazate-Roses valley-Dades Valley
Pass By: Marrakech, Marrakech, Marrakech-Safi
It’s seven in the morning, we are now standing in front of the hotel with the driver in charge of accompanying us, we get in the car and we are going. We no longer see the sights of the city 45 minutes after our departure, but we are in the midst of rudimentary local villages and markets as if we have gone back in time.
Pass By: Tizi n Tichka, Imlil Village, Ouarzazate 45000 Morocco
We aren’t far from the city, but all the development that distinguishes our present began to gradually fade away, to be replaced by the High Atlas Mountains and some of the douars built on their slopes.
Stop At: Tizi n Tichka, Imlil Village, Ouarzazate 45000 Morocco
What a beautiful Road, The Tizi-n- Tichka is the second-highest summit after Toubkal (2260 m altitude) we still enjoying the spectacular views of the high Atlas Mountains until we reach the Ait Benhaddou Ksar, it is a kind of an old Moroccan Palace.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Ait Ben Haddou, Ait Ben Haddou, Souss-Massa
The Ait Benhaddou Ksar has been a UNESCO world heritage Site since 1987 and serval films have been shot there Such as Gladiator; The Mummy; Prince of Persia; Game Of throne….
we got time to get lunch and to visit some popular locations as well as the Ksar Ait ben haddou.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Ouarzazate, Ouarzazate, Draa-Tafilalet
After the visit of these Kasbahs, we will continue our way to Ouarzazate, it is a really cute city, nicknamed the door of the desert or the Hollywood of Africa.
It is 20 min driving to get Ouarzazate, a stop for 45 min to visit the cinema museum as the Taourirt Kasbah.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Roses Valley, El Kelaa M’gouna N10, El Kelaa M’gouna 45800 Morocco
We finished our visit to Ouarzazate which is a charming city, at least now we know why this city was chosen as a world-class film studio.
But the best is yet to come. We are still on our way towards the desert. Our next stop is the Valley of Roses. This name is not a metaphor or just a nickname given to a place, but it is a given name. The people of this area earn their living from growing roses and extracting oils, perfumes, and various cosmetics in a traditional natural way that preserves Safety standards and give better results compared to its counterparts of manufactured materials.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Dades Gorges, R704 Atlas Mountains, Boumalne Dades 45350 Morocco
Gosh! How cool are these rocks! When we asked the driver he told us that these mountains are called the toes of monkeys and when we look closely they were actually rocks in the shape of fingers but they were too big for monkeys, maybe the fingers of huge gorillas We will stop for a while and then continue our journey towards the hotel, which is still about twenty-six kilometers away from us.
Dinner and first night in Hotel Dades.
Duration: 12 hours
Meals included:
• Dinner
Accommodation included: First Night In Traditional Kasbah In Dades gorges.
Day 2: Dades Gorges-Boumalne village-Tinghir city-Todra Gorges- Erfoud-Merzouga
Pass By: Dades Gorges, R704 Atlas Mountains, Boumalne Dades 45350 Morocco
Good morning! What a beautiful morning, we spent a night in the straits of Dades, although the area is mountainous and it is bitterly cold during the winter, and the hotels here are houses only for hospitality, but the stay here is one of the most wonderful things that happened in this trip.
Stop At: Tinghir, Hay Taourirte, Tinerhir Morocco
This day is dedicated to visiting the city of Tinghir, the Todra gorges, and the districts, and we begin our visit with a meeting with the local guide of this region. We’ll have a guided visit to Tinghir Oasis, about 1h30 then to the Todra gorges. We will have our lunch at the same village then we’ll take our destination to Merzouga, Passing by tin-jdad, Erfoud and Rissani.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Merzouga, Merzouga, Draa-Tafilalet
Oh!!! This is Merzouga finally, we will benefit of 45 min Camel ride to see the sunset and to get into the Sahara as 45 min to see the sunrise and to get out from the Sahara the next morning.
In the Sahara, we will spend our second night under stars and Berber tents animated with fire and folkloric dances.
Duration: 13 hours
Pass By: Merzouga Desert, Merzouga Morocco
This is perhaps the best area in Morocco for spotting many desert bird species, including desert sparrows, Egyptian nightjars, desert warblers, fulvous babblers, and Blue-cheeked bee-eaters – all worth seeking, if only to put a face to those eccentric names. Sometimes in spring, a shallow lake appears northwest of Merzouga, attracting flocks of flamingos and other water birds.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Second night In Alkhaima ( Berber tents)
Day 3: Merzouga-Anif-kelaat m’gouna-Ouarzazate-Marrakech
Stop At: Merzouga Desert, Merzouga Morocco
On the morning of the third day at 07:00 am We will get up and prepare ourselves for a walk in the sand. after breakfast, We will meet our driver again who will bring us back to Marrakech.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Alnif, Alnif, Meknes-Tafilalet Region
After we leave Merzouga, we will have other stops to take pictures in really interesting places.
Stop At: High Atlas Mountains, 40020 Morocco
At the beginning of the foothills of the High Atlas, there is a restaurant in front of a picturesque view overlooking several barbarian villages surrounded by mountains. Enjoy a Berber meal in the quiet of the day and the air between the mountains whistling.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: High Atlas Mountains, 40020 Morocco
we will be Physically exhausted after this long way but we will bring with us not only memories but also a new culture as new people from different nationalities. so our last stop for this excursion will be in Ait Barka village, it’s a stop to get a rest and maybe grab a cup of tea.
Duration: 20 minutes
Pass By: Marrakech, Marrakech, Marrakech-Safi
At 07:30 PM, the driver will drop the travelers off in their hotels or nearby their Riads( riads located in small alleys that the vehicle cannot go through).
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
