Silence of desert – 3 day to Merzouga
Duration
Tour Type
Overview
Included/Exclude
Tour Plan
Leaving Marrakech and heading south, we will cross the highest pass in Morocco, named Tizi N'Tichka, after a long descent, we will arrive at the village of Ait Benhaddou, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1986. A beautiful preserved Ksar (a village made of kasbahs), where many movies have been shot such as The Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, and even Game of Thrones. Once in the village, a local guide will accompany you to visit the area and climb to the top for a breathtaking view of the entire Ksar and Ounila Valley.
After the visit, you can have lunch in one of the restaurants of the new district of Ait benhaddou, our drivers will recommend you the places offering the best quality/price ratio. After a delicious meal, we will continue to Ouarzazate, also known as the Hollywood of Africa, famous for its movie attraction, it has 2 movie studios and a movie museum as well as its beautiful kasbah of Taourirte, you can optionally visit one of these attractions but a short break in front of the kasbah to take a picture is already included.
Leaving Ouarzazate and continuing south, after passing through the Skoura region with its beautiful palm groves, we will enter the valley of roses with its capital Kelaat-Mgouna, famous for its damascina rose, which the locals have excelled at transforming into a variety of perfumes, soaps, creams and more. The blooming season, during which the roses can be seen in nearby fields, begins in mid-April and ends in mid-May. An annual festival is held in town to market new products, celebrate and elect a rose queen... yaaay.
Leaving Kelaat-Mgouna and continuing on the same national road, we will arrive at the small town of Boumalen-Dades, where we will take a sharp left and head towards the impressive Dades Valley, with its contrasting colors of reddish mountains and vibrant green rivers. A short stop to admire the famous rock formations of the monkey feet, before heading to our hotel for the night.
Once at the hotel, your luggage will be taken to your rooms, and a welcome tea will be served at the reception, then you will be taken to your rooms and why not take a hot shower to relax after this long day. A delicious dinner will be served at the hotel restaurant, and musical performances by the staff are usually held afterwards.
Leaving the Dades valley after a refreshing breakfast, we will head towards Tinghir, where we will again take a sharp left to visit the famous Todra Gorge with its beautiful cliffs that serve as a nice climbing spot for amateurs, you can take a 30 minutes walk, take some nice pictures, have a coffee or a tea before continuing the road.
After Tinghir, the immense arid plateaus announce our approach to the desert areas of the country, the lunch stop can be made either in Tinejdad or in Touroug according to the rhythm of the day and your hunger. Still driving, we reach Erfoud and wait for Merzouga, where different camps are located in different areas, your driver will drive you to your camel park at the edge of the dunes, you can enjoy a few minutes to stretch and adjust your scarves and cameras, you don't need to worry about luggage as it will be carried to the camp in the vehicle. The chameleons will help you onto your desert boat, probably after telling you their names as a fun introduction, you will then cross the dunes at sunset to enjoy the hypnotic views of the Sahara and take some memorable photos. The drive takes about 1 hour or so, and will take you to your camp, where you will be welcomed with mint tea as usual, to get acquainted with the place and the staff. You will be shown to your tents to sort out your luggage, which has probably arrived before you. The camps offer hot water for showers and electricity to charge electronic devices. We urge you to be as responsible as possible with these resources, as most camps rely on solar power to meet basic needs.
Start the day early to witness the absolutely beautiful sunrise over the mighty and vast dunes of Merzouga. The exact time of sunrise will be communicated to you by your camp hosts, as the time changes throughout the year. After this soul-recharging experience, you will have an energetic breakfast at the camp. Then you will ride the camels from the camp to the meeting point with your driver at the edge of the desert, to start the long journey back to Merzouga.
PS: If you have to arrive in Marrakech a little earlier, every minute you save in the morning is precious, and that's why we offer the possibility to come back by car from the camp instead of the camels. You can discuss this with your driver the day before to make the necessary arrangements, this will also give you the opportunity to drive the SUV in the sand and get a taste of the difficult but fun sand driving.
Once on the asphalt, you can enjoy the comfort of the vehicle to take a nap and rest for a while, as the scenery will be the same for some time as your driver drives through vast stretches of desert land. The first coffee break may be in Alnif or Tazzarine, and a lunch stop may be arranged in Nkoub or Ouarzazate, depending on the start of the day and the pace of the morning.
The day will include only minimal and necessary stops, as the distance to be covered is quite important (that is why it is recommended to take longer versions of this tour when possible).
After crossing the High Atlas Mountains once again, and arriving in the bustling city of Marrakech, your driver will take you to your hotel/riad or the nearest parking lot if the place is not accessible by car, and can arrange to meet your hosts for the night if necessary, thus announcing the end of our beautiful and memorable trip.