MARRAKECH & SOUTHERN WONDERS

Day 1: Marrakech – Ouarzazate, 200km

Half board. Departure for Ouarzazate, passing through the Atlas’ green valleys and forests till the Tizi’n’Tichka col (2260m). Visit of Telouet and Pascha Glaoui’s Kasbah, situated in the flowery Ounila valley, well-known area for its salt mines, less frequented and rich in decorations; it can seem shabby, but once you’ll pass its ‘bab’, you’ll discover its beauties: Italian marble, Andalusian Zelij and natural pigments’ frescos. Arrival in Ouarzazate, dinner and overnight stay in a traditional riad. Arrival in the late afternoon in Ouarzazate, dinner and overnight stay in a traditional riad.

Free time and dinner. Overnight stay in the Riad.

Day 2: Ouarzazate – Boumalne Dades, 165km

Half board. Departure for the 1,000 Kasbahs’ route and the Dades valley, full of history and natural scenarios. You’ll start from the Skoura palm grove, Berber village, the first stop of the route. The caravan travelers used to stop here after the exhausting Sahara: the nomads unburden the camels’ cargo, while the Skoura inhabitants loaded the mules for the Atlas and Fez. Continuation for the Dades and visit of the Damask roses’ village, where, in May, essences, perfumes, oil and rose water are produced. The highlight of the excursion will be the Dades gorges, where reddish rocks will melt with the green palm grove, almond trees and fig trees. Dinner in Boumalne Dades and overnight in a Kasbah.

Day 3: Boumalne Dades – Merzouga, 200km

Half board. You’ll leave the Atlas behind you and head towards the Tafilalt Valley, crossing several palm groves, once watered by ‘khettara’s, underground canals, which, still today, are visible. Stop in Tinjdad, where the “Oasis Museum” can be found. Continuation for the south; you’ll see the Ziz gorges, defined by two artificial doorways, surrounded by the Hassan Addakil dam and the Tunnel de Légionnaire built by French colonial troops in the 1930s. After that, it’s up to the Errachidia, Efroud and Rissani oases and palm groves. Arrival in Merzouga, the last oasis before the Erg Chebbi desert. Dinner and overnight stay in a typical Kasbah with a view on the dunes.

Day 4: Merzouga – Zagora, 250km

Half board. Leaving Merzouga, you’ll pass through the “oases’ track”, incredibly beautiful route which crosses palm groves, vegetable gardens and land villages. Passing the villages of Rissani and Alnif, Slow Food ark of taste for the cumin, undisputed protagonist in the Moroccan kitchen; in the southeast of Morocco, 880 meters on the level of the sea, the country is set to the feet of the mountains of the Anti-oriental Atlas, above a lunar valley, with red and stony earth.In the oasis wheat, dates palms, almond trees, orange trees, fig trees are cultivated but the most particular products of this sour territory are henna and cumin. Pursuance for Tazzarine, where anciently caravans from the Draa and Tafilalt Valley met. Dinner and overnight stay in riad.

Day 5: Fes

Half board. Departure for the the Draa Valley and its huge palm grove (400km² of date palms). This gigantic palm grove is in reality constituted by 6 palm groves, one after the other, all arranged by the landowner. These farmers are called “Five”, because they have right to a fifth of the crop.

The oases system is very complex, but worth of understanding. 6 Km away from Zagora, you’ll meet the bizarre Tissergat. Its medina is covered, built to be defended by the Arabs, and it represents an unusual way to live inside a fortitude equipped of everything to survive under siege. Zagora, its souk and murals that points out in 52 days the route to Timbuktu. Zagora is in fact a transit city, the last before the desert. 6 km away from Zagora there is a famous Koranic school that preserves over 4,000 ancient religious texts and scientific essays, some of which written in gold on skins of gazelle. The library can be found in a sanctuary particularly worshipped. In the late afternoon, you’ll see the sun going down on the Sahara and disappear behind the dunes. Romantic dinner under the sky of the desert and overnight stay in a basic desert camp in the erg of the Chegaga region. Possibility of staying in a magnificent desert lux camp.

Day 6: Chegaga Desert – Ouarzazate Area, 150km + 68km

Half board. Departure for the desert excursion, partly ‘hammada’ (stone), partly erg (sand). In the afternoon reentry on the asphalt in direction. Dinner and overnight stay in a Kasbah-hotel in the Douar (small village) of Tamdaght, not distant from the famous Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, Unesco site and international movie set.

Day 7: Ouarzazate area – Marrakech, 200km 

Breakfast. Early departure to cross the Tizi’n’Tichka col. Stop at the tourist, but unmissable Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah. Free visit till the Agadir (castellated barn), from which you’ll enjoy a 360° view of the valley and the Mellah river. Arrival in Marrakech and free time. Overnight stay.