From Marrakesh to Merzouga - 4-day trip

Itinerary

DAY 1: MARRAKECH - TELOUET - KASBAH TELOUET - TIZI-N-TICHKA - OUARZAZATE

Take the road to Ouarzazate. During your journey to Ouarzazate you will also pass the olive groves of the Oued Zat, as you ascend onto the Tizi-N-Tichka Pass Road. Built by the French in the 1920’s, the Tizi-N-Tichka Pass can be described as having mountainous barriers, Mediterranean and oceanic influences and desert borders. long the route you will see panoramic views of the High Atlas Mountains as well as sights of fertile valleys, blue and red colored pise villages and other striking mineral environments.

Visit Kasbah Telout, one of Morocco’s hidden jewels and a famous Kasbahs that is the origin of the Pacha Glaoui Family. Kasbah Telout is hidden among a tiny road in a small village that is 20 minutes outside Tichka. Its history stands alone with its original zellij tile, authentic, preserved silks and grand remnants of the Glaou family. This Kasbahs has yet to be coined a UNESCO World Heritage site and while it appears in parts to be in ruins on the exterior, its interior is one of true splendor.

Visit an Argan Cooperative where Argan Oil, Butter and Cosmetics are made with the Argan nut by hand as Berber women crack the nuts and the grind them one by one. Have a complimentary tasting. This cooperative is run entirely by women.

Visit Ait Benhaddou. Located 32 km from Ouarzazate lies the picturesque village. Aït Benhaddou of Aït Benhaddou is situated in Draa Tafilalet a hill along the Ouarzazate River. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here and Orson Welles used it as a location for Sodome and Gomorrah; and for Jesus of Nazareth the whole lower part of the village was rebuilt. In recent years more controlled restoration has been carried out under UNESCO auspices. Aït Benhaddou is one of many locations in this region used for shooting Hollywood films. Aït Benhaddou which once served as the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. Your guide will lead you on a private tour through this Berber village of towered and crenulated Kasbahs that once guarded the lucrative caravan route through the Atlas Mountains.

Overnight at Riad or Hotel in Ouarzazate.

DAY 2: OUARZAZATE - SKOURA - VALLEY OF ONE THOUSAND KASBAHS - TODRA GORGE - MERZOUGA

Visit Skoura and its “Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs.”Skoura is a fertile oasis lined with immense palm groves that provide great views of the Atlas Mountains alongside deserted landscapes. It is renowned for the cultivation of roses. The palm groves were laid out in the 12th century by the Almohad sultan Yacoub el-Mansour and named after its original inhabitants, the Berbers of the Haskourene tribe. The most beautiful kasbahs in southern Morocco can be found here.

Continue onward to the perfumed Valley of Roses. Your driver will stop for you to view the Capp et Florale distillation factories laid out in the small Kasbah town that manufacture the entire nations products of eau de rose. The rose water and other products such as hand and body soaps, oil, crème perfume and dried flowers are for sale and also popular among Moroccans. The factories produce 3000-4000 petals a year.

Lunch at the foot of the Todra Gorge.

The Todra Gorge is a spectacle with its gigantic rock walls changing color to create magical effects with the sunlight. In the morning, when the sun permeates through the bottom of the gorge, the rock changes from pink rose to deep ochre gradually throughout the rest of the day.

Arrive in Merzouga’s Erg Chebbi Dunes before sunset, then go by dromedary camel for one-hour, at sunset into the Erg Chebbi Dunes to a bivouac camp. Your Berber guide will share some of the Sahara Deserts’ secrets. As you glide across humpback on these silent, mystical dunes there will be countless opportunities to photograph the endless rolling dunes.

Arabian Nights Dinner & Overnight at a Family friendly Luxury Desert Camp in the Erg Chebbi Dunes.

DAY 3: MERZOUGA – RISSANI - ALNIF - AIT OUZZINE - BERBER VILLAGES - NKOB

Sunrise camel trek and breakfast in the Great Sahara Desert.

Continue via Rissani and Alnif to the Village of Ait Ouzzine.

Aït Ouzzine is a Berber village inhabited by over 300 families who live in beautifully painted crenulated kasbahs, with their own henna fields, water wells, livestock and gardens. This peaceful village is tucked away along an impressive desert route connecting the Draa Valley (Tansikht) and Rissani.

Meet a local Berber family, partake in a cooking lesson of how to make traditional bread and a tajine. Then explore and tour the village by foot. Walk in the green fields and see how the traditional Berbers live with their gardens of herbs, livestock, and henna plants.

Lunch will be served to you in Aït Ouzzine by a traditional Berber family. The menu will include a traditional meal of fresh baked bread with spices and a chicken and vegetable tajine and fresh local fruits for desert.

After lunch, have your hands and feet painted with henna or your hair adorned with saffron by a local village artist and relaxes. Experience the tradition of Berber perfume made from musk and amber along with the villages own spices. End the afternoon in Ait Ouzzine with mint tea and almonds.

Overnight at Riad or Hotel in Nkob.

DAY 4: NKOB - KASBAH TAMNAOGALT - DRAA VALLEY - AGDZ  ATLAS STUDIOS - OUARZAZATE - MARRAKESH

Visit Kasbah Tamnagoult, a village in the Draa River valley in 95 kilometers south of Ouarzazate. The village is close to Agdz. It is the former capital of the Mezguita region and residence of former caïds. Its name means 'meeting point' in Tachelhit (Berber).

En route pass the Sahara Desert town of Agdz and the heart of the Draa Valleyknown for its 45 qualities of dates. Stop for a picturesque view in Agdz and its stunning palmery along with local trade routes famous for bringing dates, spices and other goods from the South to Marrakech.

Visit the market of dates in Agdz. Try various dates of the region and see how the local souk works. Panoramic view of Agdz Palmeraie from a garrison atop Agdz. Continue the road passing Ouarzazate to Ait Benhaddou.

Visit the Atlas Film Studios. The studios are flanked by Holly-wood style Egyptian figures and cover 30,000 square meters of desert. David Lean filmed Lawrence of Arabia at The Atlas Film Studios in the early 1960’s. Since then many famous directors have followed in his footsteps to exploit the magnificent scenery. International blockbusters shot here in recent years include: the French version of Cleopatra, Bertolucci's Sheltering Sky, Scorsese's Kundun, Gillies MacKannon's Hideous Kinky, Ridley Scott's Gladiator, Black Hawke Down, Oliver Stone's Alexander The Great, Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven, and Penelope Cruz's Sahara.

Take the road back to Marrakech via the Tizi-N-Tichka Pass.