Luxury Morocco Desert Escape - 4 Days

Your pickup time will be 8 AM this morning as we journey out of Marrakech to Boumalne Dades. 

We will drive east of Marrakech past small suburban towns to the High Atlas Mountains. A few 

stops will be made to take photos, enjoy the panoramic views, stretch your legs and enjoy some 

refreshments. These stops are typically around 15 minutes but we can shorten or length this time 

depending on your need or interest in the location.  

Our first stop will be at Aït Barka (1h drive from Marrakech), which is situated at the beginning of 

the Atlas Mountains at an altitude of 1500m. Will then drive uphill on curvy roads to the famous 

Tizi N'tichka pass (1.5h drive from Aït Barka). We will stop at the top which is an elevation of 

2600m to take in the scenery, take pictures and enjoy refreshments before driving to Kasbah 

Telouet (1 hour drive from Tizi N'tichka). You will tour Kasbah Telouet (30 min) with a local guide 

who will explain the Kasbah’s significance and history as it is situated along the former route of 

the caravans and was occupied by the El Glaoui family.  

We will then make our way to the UNESCO listed landmark Aït Ben Haddou (1.5h drive from 

Kasbah Telouet) where you will tour this Berber fortified village with a local guide (1h). Aït Ben 

Haddou is known as a set for major Hollywood epics such as Kingdom of Heaven, Lawrence of 

Arabia, and Gladiator.  

We will then break for lunch. Your driver will offer restaurant recommendations however you may 

choose where you’d like to go.  

After lunch, we will continue on 1000 Kasbahs road to Skoura Oasis and Klaa Mgouna (1.5h 

drive from Ouarzazate). Klaa Mgouna is the capital of the valley of the roses and is famous for its 

rose water artisanal distillation factories. If interested, a tour of the distillation factory can be 

arranged.  

Our last leg of the journey will take us to Boumalne Dades (40 min drive from Kelaa Mgouna) 

where we will follow the Dades River on a tiny road passing by different fortified kasbahs located 

on the side of the road to Dades Canyons. We will make a stop to see a unique landscape of 

eroded sandstone formations called the Monkey Fingers before arriving at your hotel late in the 

afternoon.

Meals included: breakfast & dinner 

After breakfast, we will depart at 9:30am from your riad. We will drive along the road of 1001 

Kasbahs to the oasis of Tinghir, where we will deviate to a minor road to drive along the river to 

Todgha where we will stop for a walk in the oasis under the shade of palm trees. We will then 

continue to Todgha Gorges (1.5h drive from Boumalne Dades). The Todgha Gorges is a series 

of deep cliff-sided river canyons. We will stop by a Berber house where traditional Moroccan 

tribal rugs are made and sold. These rugs are also called Berber rugs as they are made by 

different Berber tribes across North Africa and the Sahara.  

We will make a stop to see the khettaras (15 min mini-tour with local guide), which is a 300 km 

network of irrigation channels that continued to function from the late 14th century until the early 

1970s. We will then drive to Erfoud (2h 15 min drive). Erfoud is a small oasis town known for its 

precious and unique fossils. Here, you have the option of visiting a fossil filled marble workshop. 

As Erfoud is surrounded by the beauty of the Sahara desert, it served as a film location for 

popular movies such as Prince of Persia and the Mummy.  

Then, we will continue to Rissani (30 min drive) which is famous for its dates market as well as 

being a starting point for the ancient trading caravans crossing the Sahara desert to Tomboctou. 

We will stop for lunch in Rissini. Here, we recommend trying Medfouna, which is a traditional 

Moroccan pizza. Rissani is well known for its markets (also called souks). You will visit these 

markets famous for its jewellery, souvenirs, gifts, spices, art and crafts. 

Our last leg of today’s journey will be to Merzouga (45 min drive). Upon arrival in Merzouga, we 

will transfer to camels to complete our journey to tonight’s luxury desert camp in the afternoon. 

The camel trek is approximately 1.5 hours and is during sunset as we believe this is the best way 

to take in the sunset over the dunes. Travellers also have the option to ride to the camp via an air 

conditioned and fully-covered 4x4. A traditional Berber dinner awaits you at the camp.

Meals included: breakfast & dinner 

This morning, you have the option to enjoy a sunrise camel trek (departure at 6:45 am). The 

duration of the trek is your choice however we recommend that you are back with sufficient time 

for breakfast. We will depart from the camp at 10 am this morning via 4x4. Our first stop will be to 

visit a nomadic family in their tent followed by the Mifis mine. We will then travel to Khamila, a 

Gnawa village. Black Africans from the Gnawa tribe originated from sub-Saharan countries and 

were forcibly moved across the Sahara as part of the slave trade. Gnawa music originates from 

their shackled chains as they crossed the desert, signing to the clanking of their chains. Here, 

you will listen to some Gnawa music and have lunch.  

We will then continue to Erg Chebbi to discover the vastness of the Sahara dunes where we will 

walk in the dunes. We will then make our way back to the camp for a second night under the 

stars. In the evening back at the camp, you’ll learn from your Berber hosts about life in the dunes 

and Berber culture. After a traditional Moroccan meal, you’ll listen to live Gnawa music with 

drums and castanents around a bonfire under the stars. The minimal light pollution and clear 

night skies of the Sahara desert allows for excellent stargazing conditions. The Milky Way Galaxy 

and shooting stars are often visible. Your nomadic hosts will teach you about celestial navigation 

and how to identify constellations. 

Meals included: breakfast & lunch & dinner 

After breakfast, we will depart from the camp at 9 am for today’s scenic drive to Fes. We will 

cross the Ziz Valley through Errachidia which is the capital of the Tafilalet region. In the Ziz 

Valley, we will make 3 stops: one for pictures in the Atlas mountains,two visit the dense canopy 

of palms nestled between ancient cliffs and three at the oasis. We will then continue our journey 

to Midelt where we will stop for lunch (recommended lunch spot is at Hotel Taddart). We will then 

continue to the Middle Atlas Mountains with its Cedar Forests and Berber towns of Azrou (drive by 

as this town is known for its barbary macaque), Imouzzer (stop for pictures in the mountains) and 

Ifrane (stop for garden visit). Irfane is fondly referred to as the Switzerland of Morocco and is a 

famous destination among locals for its ski resorts. We will visit the gardens in Irfane before 

making our way to Fez. You will arrive at your riad in the early afternoon.