Marrakech, Atlas and Merzouga desert Tour: the great south

We start the tour of the great south, from Marrakech to Merzouga desert. We pick you up at the airport and we go to Marrakech. Depending on the time of arrival at the great city of Marrakech, we recommend to visit it with a local guide. You will discover its long history through the famous Koutoubia, the Bahia Palace, the Badi Palace and the Ben Youssef Madrasa..

The door of the Atlas opens its splendor in Marrakech, a unique city, epicenter of tourism and crafts. Overflowing its light, the fiery red of its buildings and the refreshing green of its palm trees and gardens. The city vibrates, eclectic, exultant, combining old and modern Moroccan exoticism. Living it is an experience that will shine in a special way on your trip.

The beauty of the ancient city will fascinate you. The music of Jemaa El Fna Square, and the bustle in the impressive souk, the largest in Morocco, will transport you to other times. The adventure of getting lost in the Medina streets until you return to the square. This is undoubtedly a magical place, where it is worth spending hours. Do have a tea or eat in one of its terraces,. You will come back to it again and again.During the morning it is full of orange juice stands, jugglers and enchanted snakes. At night, smoke from traditional Moroccan food stands is mixed among musicians, dancers and storytellers who gather in this square declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

You will find modern nightclubs and fun of dancing, as in the story of a thousand and one nights, specially in the modern district of Gueliz. But not only there. Charme, comfort and glamour of its most exquisite hotels, riads and finest restaurants, art museums... make Marrakech the most welcoming and charm. And possibly the most attractive city in all of Morocco.

Our route begins crossing the High Atlas by Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass, the highest road pass in North Africa, at 2260 meters high. Atlas is a great mountain range that offers extraordinary mountainous landscapes dotted with small berber villages. We will make as many stops you want to admire and photograph them.

The highlight of the day is the walk through the mythical fortified city, the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou. It enjoys the status declared by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. Its ornate adobe dwellings are confined within a strong wall reinforced by defense turrets. This spectacular set of kasbahs built on a hill rises above the desert landscape of the Anti Atlas. It is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic places in Morocco.

We will follow the route of the thousand kasbahs, of enormous architectural value although many in ruins, that it is really a place like no other which makes the traveler fall in love with. In the afternoon we can still do a very educational visit to the beautiful Amridil kasbah, in the Skoura oasis. Then we will cross the Roses' Valley, famous for the beauty products that are extracted from them.

We will end the day in Boulmane-Dades.

If you like walking for a while in the fresh morning air, you can walk out of the riad to the river, crossing the bridge. You can take a walk through the orchards and a couple of nearby towns, with the opportunity to interact with the local people, see an abandoned kasbah, the small Berber cemetery, and enjoy the beautiful landscape up to the area of curious geological formations in the mountains called the Monkey's Fingers, where our driver will wait for you.

We will drive to the Dades Gorges, which is a narrow valley with spectacular zigzagging landscape.

Landscape from this day of our tour from Marrakech to Merzouga desert, will change completely again. The route continues towards Tinghir to deviate a bit towards the famous Todra Gorges. Another awesome place, made of vertical rock walls over 100 meters high, product of erosion overtime, that we will travel along its base by the river of clear water. We will enjoy a walk at the foot of these impressive walls, in a small stop along the way.

The great green palm grove along the course of the river will accompany us a stretch on our trip to Erfoud, the desert gate. Afterwards, we can visit amazing quarries of fossils that are there. And that is, where there is sand now, once there was water. We will finally arrive at the foot of Erg Chebbi wonderful dunes. A welcome mint tea will be waiting for us and we will enjoy the sunset in the desert of Merzouga. Reach the camp with a ride with dromedaries is an option we recommend.

That first night in the desert is worth staying in a haimas camp. The original ones are tents made with dromedary hair in the traditional way of the berbers nomads. Our tents are equipped with every detail. After relaxing with a good shower, we will enjoy dinner in the tented camp near the dunes in the style of a thousand and one nights. Stars illuminate in the darkness of the desert sky, that seem to shine more than anywhere else.

Before breakfast, possibility of walk towards the dunes to admire the sunrise. With the light of dawn and as the sun rises the desert sand takes on a spectacular reddish color.

Coming back from the site camp, we will drive through some of the Paris-Dakar rally old tracks. Already with our driver, we will visit Khamlia, a small town of about three hundred inhabitants of a Sha and Berber ethnic group. Originally from black Africa, they moved to the Sahara where they began to settle together with Berber nomads. Its people, as in the whole south, are warm and friendly. And music is also an important part of their culture. We will make a stop to enjoy their hospitality and their traditional Gnawa music.

We will go to the well and orchard /oasis of the village of Hassi Labied. A haven of peace to understand a little more about the life of the inhabitants of this town in the desert.

Free afternoon to relax at the hotel, enjoy the pool, go for a walk near the dunes or quad biking to hire once in the desert.

In this fifth day of this tour from Marrakech to Merzouga desert, leaving the desert, we will go to Rissani, the ancient capital of Morocco, whose market is famous for the sale of donkeys. Although visited by tourists, its operation continues intact for the locals. People from all over the region go to buy and sell all kinds of goods, food and animals. If there is time and it is market day it is well worth visiting.

We walk the road back through the oasis of the Draa Valley. Formed by a narrow strip of water in the high Atlas mountains, from time to time it emerges triumphantly in lush oases filled with palm trees and Berber villages. The Draa is the largest palm grove in Morocco, with almost 100 km in length and variable widths that in some points can exceed 5 km. The valley is dotted with numerous ksur and kasbahs among the huge green. We will continue the trip to Ouarzazate, where we will stay.

In the morning, opportunity to visit the huge cinema studios where scenes from so renowned movies such as "The Mummy", "Gladiator" and many others, such as episodes of the "Game of Thrones" series, have been recorded. The desert, oasis, kasbahs and snowy mountains of the Atlas are an unbeatable setting for shooting movies.

The road that we will follow joins Ouarzazate with Marrakech, and was in ancient times the route of the caravans that carried salt and other products from the desert. We will travel the winding road of the beautiful Ounila Valley, crossing numerous Berber villages far from the main tourist route.

Halfway we will find the town of Telouet, where we will visit the kasbah that is being restored, known as the Glaoui Palace, the former pasha of the area. Built between the 18th and 19th centuries, its interior is very beautiful and little known, you will love it.

The day back to enjoy landscapes of the Atlas and cross the Tizi n'Tichka on our way to Marrakech ends this tour from Merzouga desert.

Depending on the departure time of the flight, free time to visit what was not seen on the first day, such as Saadian tombs. Return to Djemma el-Fna square or wander into the souks to do lasts shoppings.

With the vehicle we will take you to visit Majorelle gardens, or Agafay and the Menara gardens, near the airport, depending on your time.

Transfer to the airport and end of our trip from Marrakech to Merzouga desert. End of our services.