4 Day Marrakech Sahara Tour
4 Days Morocco Tour is a good option for those coming to Marrakech for a week or more. interesting itinerary for a desert trip, which includes the ‘must see’ in Morocco desert. starting at 8 am, pick up from your accommodation. Drive in a modern, air conditioned vehicle.
Day 1: Marrakech– Tizi N Tichka - Skoura Oases- Rose Valley – Dades Valley:
We journey over the Atlas Mountains, enjoying the magnificent views of the surrounding countryside, then continuing onward to Ouarzazate for a delicious lunch prepared locally & Sightseeing. After lunch, we continue along the route of Thousand Kasbah via The Roses Valley, which is renowned for the Festival of Roses.
We also pass through the little Berber villages of Skoura and ‘El Kelaa des M’Gouna’ then ‘Boumalene Dades’. The latest is famous for its bird- rich Vallee des Oiseaux (Bird Valley) and the starting point to explore the spectacular Dades valley, a lush carpet set against the massive rocks. We will stop for dinner and accommodation over night in a charming Kasbah in the area.
Day 2: Dades Valley - Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) Sahara Desert :
After breakfast, our first stop is Tinerhir, with its extensive palm grove, the Ksours built into the rocky hills above it and its mysterious decaying Jewish quarter.
No more than a mountain village, set at 1300 meters altitude, it has been for generations a stop for nomadic Berber tribes traveling from the mountains towards Morocco desert during the winter months. Do not miss a walk in the palm grove, an amazing world of its own: date palms at the edge, terraces of olive, pomegranate, almond and fruit trees further in, with grain and vegetable crops planted in between.
The most spectacular mountain gorges of Morocco, Todra Gorges , lie only 15 km from Tinerhir, presenting an arresting spectacle with its crystal clear river emerging from it, its huge walls changing color to magical effect as the day unfolds. It’s 300 meters ( 1000 feet ) high walls are home to more than 150 bolted routes and at any time of the day, you can catch a glimpse of someone rock climbing his way up the gigantic walls.
Before reaching Merzouga, we will pass through Erfoud and Rissani. Rissani used to serve as last stop on the great caravan routes south as well as gold and slave auctions were taking place here as late as 1800’s. It is also from here that the Alaoui dynasty, ruling Morocco nowadays launched its bid for power centuries ago.
Merzouga & Erg chebbi
The last village on our way is Merzouga, and behind it lie some of the highest dunes of the Sahara in Morocco, Erg Chebbi. With all the expectations building up along the road still, nothing quite prepares you to the spectacle stretching in front of your eyes from the top of the dunes. For as far as you can see, there is nothing but sand, an ocean of it as set to conquer everything that stands in its way. All worldly matters loose sense and the feeling of peace are overwhelming… After a short camel trek, you will spend the night in a nomadic Desert Camp under the most beautiful starred sky.
Day 3 : Merzouga – Rissani – Agdez - Low Atlas Mt – Ouarzazate :
Just prior to sunrise, we have a camel ride to explore the area further as we head back to Merzouga. Shower and Good breakfast at the hotel. We start our journey through the Draa valley and over the Low Atlas Mountains. Until you see the Draa valley, you can’t fully appreciate the amazing feat of Morocco’s existence.
Before the Almoravid could conquer territory all the way up to Barcelona, and Saadians could monopolize the sugar trade, first they had to get past unassailable gorges, mud brick watchtowers and fiercely autonomous oases. Yet this Morocco desert landscape still seems wildly adventurous. After crossing the Ait sawen pass over the Low Atlas Mountains, we would reach our Guest House in Ouarzazate, Diner and overnight.
Day 4: Ouarzazate – Cinema Studios – Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou – Telouet – Tizi N Tichka - Marrakech :
After the Breakfast at the guest house, we have a visit at the Cinema studios in Ouarzazate known as ‘Hollywood’ movie studios have built quite a resume providing convincingly exotic backdrops for movies supposedly set in Tibet, ancient Rome, Somalia and Egypt.
Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou :
Ait Benhaddou makes a perfect example standing as one of the few UNESCO world sites of Morocco. You might find it familiar if you watched ‘Gladiator’, ‘Alexander’ or ‘Lawrence of Arabia’. Having served as background for all these pictures. The citadel is strategically built on the side of the mountain so as to control the most precious good of the area: the river flowing beneath. Its adobe houses intertwine with each other giving place to mysterious alleyways and intricate light patterns. You can reach the peak through various of its narrow stone paved alleys, a hide- and- seek paradise. From the granary on the top, the view is breathtaking.
Kasbah Telouet :
After the visit, we set out on the Ounila Valley to reach Telouet. The beauty of the valley zigzagging underneath the route is beyond words. At Telouet, what was once the main residence of the ‘ Lord of the Atlas’ – Pacha El Glaoui , used to accommodate his court, the stables, a Mosque and countless slaves at a time when the Pacha was reportedly having tea with W. Churchill and started the first bus company in Morocco. A visit is recommended if only to marvel at the extravagance of this modern-day dynasty and the contrast between the derelict exterior and the opulent interior.
After the visit, we set out on the Ounila Valley to reach Telouet. The beauty of the valley zigzagging underneath the route is beyond words. At Telouet, what was once the main residence of the ‘ Lord of the Atlas’ – Pacha El Glaoui , used to accommodate his court, the stables, a Mosque and countless slaves at a time when the Pacha was reportedly having tea with W. Churchill and started the first bus company in Morocco. A visit is recommended if only to marvel at the extravagance of this modern-day dynasty and the contrast between the derelict exterior and the opulent interior.
We will then start our way back crossing the High Atlas, this time on the tarmac road that used to be the route first build by the French Foreign Legion over the Atlas Mountains. The route zigzags its way through the abrupt valleys and mountain peaks to arrive in Marrakesh later in the evening. This tour can also be arranged to travel from Marrakech to Fez over 3 nights and 4 days with an overnight in the Sahara desert.