INCREDIBLE DESERT TOUR – OUARZAZATE TO ERG CHEBBI DUNES

Hour by hour

Your day, step by step

1. 1

   Ouarzazate to Merzouga

   8:00 am, our journey will start, heading South by taking the road of a thousand Kasbahs, which takes us to drive through the Skoura valley (visit the Amridil Kasbah), next is the roses valley (Kelaa M’gouna) where Morocco’s most celebrated Roses, used for making rosewater-grown in huge numbers.

   Each May, 3000-4000 tons of roses may be gathered in a single week. When the harvest is over, the town hosts the Rose Moussem festival. There is music, dancing and exhibitions of local crafts.

   We will continue to get to the next valley (Dades valley), a lush green valley with its fortified Kasbahs and large number of Berber villages that following it, we get a stop for some pictures from a high point, where we can dominate a big part of this oasis. After, getting to Tinghir town, then drive left where several villages clustered around the oasis, on the banks of Todra River. The Homes all made from bright red pisé in the traditional pre-saharian style, blend almost seamlessly into a backdrop of foothills of the same color.

   This amazing landscape leads us into the deep Todra gorges, carved out of the limestone over millennia by the region’s rivers, and not surprisingly it’s a popular spot for mountain and valley hiking, it has some particularly spectacular terrain, with sheer rock faces reaching 300 m high in places. A walk is highly recommended to stretch your legs, and absorb the atmosphere of its water that flowing down the rocks.

   Next, we stop somewhere for lunch, then heading straight to the desert, through the towns: Erfoud and Rissani.

   Once we reach the sand dunes, a ride on a camel already arranged (1 hour and half for the ride), you will navigate through the golden erg chebbi sand dunes, while admiring a memorable sunset before reaching your camp.

   If not windy, dinner will be served to you under a clear starry sky, while setting around a campfire, enjoying the silence of the desert, relaxing, stargazing, and the local Berber nomads playing on their drums.

2. 2

   Erg chegaga to Ouarzazate

   Your journey will start by a early wake up to watch the sunrise on one of the highest sand dunes that surrounding your camp, have your breakfast, then get on the camel to ride back to the hotel ( 1 hour and half for the ride).

   A quick shower is highly possible, before we leave. Once you get ready, meet your driver and drive heading towards Ouarzazate, through the city of Rissani-Alnif and Tazzarine.

   We will stop at the village of N’kob, where we pause for a break and have lunch.

   After lunch, we will continue driving and join the Draa valley (palm grooves, longest valley all over Morocco), the next city must be AGDZ, continue to cross the Anti Atlas Mountains (Tinififte pass: 1660 m).

   Late afternoon, get to Ouarzazate with a drop off at your accommodation.