Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech 5 days

Day 1: Marrakech – High Atlas – Ait Ben Haddou – Dades Valley

We’ll pick you up at your hotel or Riad in Marrakech around 8:00 am. Our journey begins by crossing the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi N’Tichka pass, offering panoramic views. Along the way, we’ll visit an Argan oil cooperative to learn about its production process and health benefits. Continuing south, we’ll take a 6 km track leading to the fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its Kasbah, featured in films like Gladiator and Sahara. After lunch in the village, we head to Ouarzazate, known as the gateway to the desert. Our route then takes us through the Skoura palm grove and Boumalne to reach the Dades Gorges for dinner and an overnight stay in a hotel.

Day 2: Dades Valley – Todra Gorges – Merzouga Dunes

After breakfast, we’ll explore the Dades Valley, stopping at strategic viewpoints to admire the gorges. Continuing along a scenic route adorned with Kasbahs, we’ll arrive at the Todra Gorges, renowned for its dramatic cliffs—a haven for climbers. Lunch will be served at the site before our journey continues to the Merzouga desert dunes. Upon arrival, we’ll enjoy a traditional tea break. Leaving our luggage at the hostel, we embark on a camel caravan to reach our Haimas camp. En route, we pause to witness the sunset over the dunes, followed by tea and relaxation. Dinner and overnight stay in Haimas, under the starlit desert sky.

Day 3: Merzouga – Erg Chebbi – Nomads – Merzouga

We rise before dawn to witness the sunrise from the Great Dune. Returning to our lodge on camelback, we’ll have breakfast and then explore Erg Chebbi, Morocco’s vast sand desert featuring the highest dune, over 250 meters high. We’ll follow part of the former Paris-Dakar route, passing by the Tissardmin oasis with its natural fossils and visiting a nomad settlement to learn about their way of life. After a stop at a panoramic viewpoint of Erg Chebbi, we head to Khamlia, an indigenous Mali village, for tea and a Gnawa spiritual music concert. Returning to the lodge, we can climb the dunes and enjoy another sunset before dinner, where we’ll have the opportunity to interact with Berber hosts.

Day 4: Merzouga – Rissani – Alnif – Draa Valley – Zagora

After breakfast and a refreshing shower, we leave Merzouga towards Rissani to visit its bustling market, a gathering place for desert nomads. Our journey then takes us through pre-desert landscapes to the Draa Valley, known for its extensive palm groves and the longest river in Morocco, stretching into Mauritania. Arriving in Zagora, once a vital point on the route to Timbuktu, we’ll dine and spend the night at a hotel.

Day 5: Zagora – Anti Atlas – Ouarzazate – High Atlas – Marrakech

Following breakfast, we trace the historical path to Timbuktu, climbing the Anti Atlas Mountains. We’ll visit the Taourirt Kasbah and the Cinema Studios in Ouarzazate before heading back to Marrakech via the Tizi N’Tichka pass. A lunch stop at a mountain restaurant is included. Upon arrival in Marrakech, we’ll transfer you to your hotel, concluding our tour services.