Departure date
Duration
Maximum group
Itinerary
Marrakech – Boumalne Dades
We will pick you up from your hotel or riad and leave Marrakech to cross the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n’Tichka Pass at 2,260 meters, an exceptional viewpoint to admire the panoramic mountain range around us. We will then visit the famous Ksar of Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and the backdrop for many renowned films such as Gladiator, Alexander, Ali Baba, and Lawrence of Arabia.
After lunch in this magical place, we will continue our journey enjoying the historical monuments and the natural beauty of the Rose Valley landscapes. We will spend the night in Boumalne Dades.
Our journey together begins with pickup from your riad/hotel in Marrakech. On the way to Fez, we will pass through various agricultural areas, small villages, and towns. Our first stop will be two hours after leaving Marrakech. The second stop will be in the city of Beni Mellal, home to the iconic Ain Asserdoun spring at the foot of the imposing Middle Atlas Mountains.
We will then enjoy a traditional Moroccan lunch and continue our journey, experiencing the contrast between the incomparable landscapes of the Middle Atlas Mountains on our right and vast green plains on our left. On our way to Fez, we will pass through the city of Khenifra, one of the largest towns in the Middle Atlas region, known for the fierce battles fought by Moroccans against the French colonizers (1912–1956).
Before arriving in Fez, we will cross the cedar forest of Azrou and reach Ifrane, a beautiful European-style mountain town in the heart of the Atlas Mountains, also known as “the Switzerland of Morocco.”
Boumalne Dades – Merzouga
During our second day, we will have the opportunity to discover oases such as TinjDades, the natural beauty of the Todra Gorges, and small Berber villages such as Mellab TinjDades.
We will continue towards Rissani, where we will have lunch and enjoy the tranquility and shade provided by the green palm groves of the Ziz Valley oasis, in the Tafilalet region. We will soon reach the highest sand dunes in North Africa, the Erg Chebbi Dunes, approximately 20 km long and 5 km wide.
In this unique and diverse environment near the village of Merzouga, we will begin our camel adventure towards a Berber camp in the middle of the dunes. In the evening, we will have dinner and enjoy the incomparable sounds of Berber drums around the campfire. Those who wish may spend the night in the haima (tent), while those who prefer can return to the hotel by camel.
Merzouga – Marrakech
We will wake up before sunrise to climb the dunes and enjoy and photograph this incomparable moment. After returning to the camp, we will have breakfast before continuing our long journey back to Marrakech, passing through Alnif, Tazarine, Nkob, the Draa Valley, and the Atlas Mountain range.
