Marrakech to Boumalne Dades via Ait Ben Haddou

The trip departs from Marrakech towards Ouarzazate, crossing the Atlas Mountains through the Tizi-n-Tishka pass at 2,260 meters elevation. The route features mountain streams, oak and walnut trees, and Berber villages with terraced fields. Snow may cover the pass in winter. The group visits Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed site famous for its use in films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and The Mummy. After walking within the Kasbah walls and having lunch, the journey proceeds to Ouarzazate and then Boumalne Dades, ending the first day along the road known as the thousand Kasbahs because of the many fortresses scattered in the region.

600 min

Toudra Gorges and Merzouga Desert Camp

After breakfast, the trip proceeds to Toudra Gorges, located about 14 kilometers from Tenghir, where visitors walk through a canyon with 300-meter-high walls. The route continues to the southern Sahara oases, arriving at Merzouga. Here, guests ride camels over the large sand dunes to a desert camp, stopping occasionally to view the sunset. Upon reaching the camp by dusk, tea is served and tents are shown. After dinner, a musician performs by the fire, and guests may walk up the dunes to observe the starry sky and shooting stars.

480 min

Sunrise, Rissani, Tinghir, and Return to Marrakech

Early the next morning, guests watch the sunrise, have breakfast, and ride camels back to the vehicle. The drive continues to Rissani, the largest oasis in the country, featuring adobe Kasbahs and palm groves, where a stop is made. From Rissani, a 150-kilometer detour leads to Tinghir through mountains and acacia trees. Lunch is taken in a village on the way to Ouarzazate. The journey proceeds in the afternoon, crossing the Atlas Mountains again before arriving in Marrakech early in the evening.

660 min