4 days tour – Myystic Morocco Roads

Day 1: Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou

Your driver will pick you up at 08:00 am from your hotel or the closest accessible point for the car, and you will start your 4-day adventure desert tour from Marrakech to Fez, heading south to Ait Ben Haddou. Pass through the Atlas Mountains via the stunning Tizi n’Tichka mountain pass and enjoy the mountainous road and the spectacular Berber villages. Several stops for coffee, toilets, and to appreciate the panoramic views and to take pictures. Reach Telouet Kasbah, where you will be introduced to your local guide and learn about the history of the lords of the Atlas, “Ethami El Glaoui.”. From here we will drive along the beautiful and awe-inspiring Ounila Valley, full of bends in the roads, surprises at the hues of the rock and soil, Berber villages and gardens, as well as smaller Kasbahs, until you reach the village of Ait Ben Haddou and your home for the evening.

Day 2: Ait Ben Haddou - Dades Valley

Today we will continue further east, traveling through the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs, many in disrepair as they’re constructed of pisé mud (rammed earth). As you head toward Boumalne Dades, you will pass many small towns where you can see traditional farming methods in use. Be on the lookout for nomads tending to their animals as you make your way through fragrant Kela’a M’gouna, the “Valley of the Roses”. You’ll eventually arrive in Boumalne Dades, a major town bridging the Dades River, and your home for the evening. On the route to Erfoud, you will notice strange piles of sand following the road. These are the heads of the “khettarat”, the ingenious underground water channels designed to minimize evaporation in the desert heat. It is fascinating to climb down to experience the coolness below ground and to wonder at the ancient engineering involved.

Day 3: Dades Gorge - Merzouga

After a good night’s rest, you will have breakfast at the hotel and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the terrace to get some fresh air of the beautiful valley before hitting the road again and heading to the second gorge on our route: Todra gorge. You will have free walking time to fully explore and enjoy these magnificent edgy mountains and the vibrant green valley of Todra. Continue to Erg Chebbi Dunes in Merzouga with a couple of photo stops. On the route to Erfoud, you will notice strange piles of sand following the road. These are the heads of the “khettarat”, the ingenious underground water channels designed to minimize evaporation in the desert heat. It is fascinating to climb down to experience the coolness below ground and to wonder at the ancient engineering involved. Upon reaching the edge of the dune, the camels will be waiting for you. You will ride with the caravan into the dunes while the luggage will be transported to the camp in an SUV.

Day 4: Merzouga Desert - Fez

An early wake-up to enjoy the sunrise over the highest dune of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga, one of the best moments of the desert; afterwards, you will have breakfast in the camp, pack, and go back either on camels or by 4×4, leaving the dunes behind to meet your driver. Drive along the Ziz Valley, remarkable for the extent of its palm trees and the volume of dates produced each year. Notice the many ksars, fortified houses merchants built to protect their wares. Stopping for a panoramic view of the oasis of Aoufous in the Tafilalte region. After lunch, you continue further north to Fes (the medieval city) via the cedar forest near Azrou and the mountain of the middle Atlas, with the possibility to see the Barbary apes (monkies). You may have a stop in Ifrane (the Switzerland of Morocco). After a long day on the road, we drop you off at your accommodation.