Itinerary

Day 1

We will meet you at your riad or hotel, depart Marrakech and transport over the High Atlas mountains Tizi nTichka pass. We will have time to stop and enjoy impressive landscapes, and have coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Tour World Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou. This village of clustered Berber Kasbahs has been used as a backdrop for more than 20 films and was one of the most important fortress strongholds on the old Salt Road where caravans brought slaves, gold, ivory and salt from Saharan Africa to Marrakech and beyond. Our next next destination is Dades valley. You will pass through many Berber villages, and once in the desert, see riverside oasis and barren hillsides clustered with kasbahs (fortified dwellings that house many families and their livestock). Stay in auberge (small country inn) with Moroccan dinner on the terrace, overlooking the valley gorge and gardens.

Day 2

After breakfast we have a one hour drive then a walk through a massive fault dividing the High Atlas mountains. Todra Gorge sheer rock walls rise to 300m. After our walk, we'll have lunch. Back in the car, we'll explore further until the Erg Chebbi dunes appear on the horizon. Our late afternoon destination is the auberge near Merzouga, where you meet your camel guide and ride into the dunes to the bivouac (camp). Upon arrival you will have a traditional tagine dinner prepared (vegetarians welcome), under the evening stars shining brilliantly in the sky. Climb the dunes and watch the moon rise before retiring to your bed in the nomad wool tent.

Day 3

Bivouac trekkers return by camel at sunrise to the auberge for breakfast and shower. Take your time to explore and enjoy the dunes, before going back to the High Atlas mountains. Along the way we pass through folded exposed rock slabs of fossils and we can stop and explore. Optional visit a fossil factory to see Sahara's wonderful varieties of ancient life. After lunch, you will wander through palmery villages, gardens, and kasbahs for a close look at traditional Berber ways of life. Visit the women's market in Tinihir and old kasbah quarter. We will stay in traditional old kasbah with evening Moroccan dinner by swimming pool.

Day 4

After breakfast transport through the Valley of the Rose, famous for Persian roses grown for soft fragrant oil, and Ouarzazate to have lunch and a tour through the old Pasha's kasbah. You may decide to visit the Atlas film studios where movies such as Cleopatra, Gladiator and The Mummy were made. Heading down the Tizi n'Tichka pass, we will arrive Marrakech approximately 6pm.

Extra Information

Inclusions -

lunch dinner

Extras -

4 or 5 day Desert Tours with a Camel Trek

Take some time and explore the real Morocco in Sahara. We use air conditioned vehicles, great music, and unique boutique hotels. Price includes transport and gasoil by 4x4 seating maximum 6 passengers; experienced driver; small hotels with breakfast and dinner; lunch stops; personalized extended walks and exploration of oasis palmeries and kasbahs, markets and medinas; sleep one night in nomad desert bivouac with your camel guide and camels of course!

You will depart from the Marrakech medina nearest access to your riad at 8:30am - if you are staying outside the medina, we can pick you up directly from your hotel.