Ouarzazate, Dades, Todra, Erg Chebbi, Rissani, Draa, Tamegroute, Aït Ben Haddou and more / 8 Days

• Includes

  The Complete Desert Culture Tour includes:

  Private transportation with an English-speaking driver for the entire tour.
  Two nights in Marrakech including breakfast.
  One night in Dades including breakfast and dinner.
  Camel ride through the dunes of Merzouga.
  One night in a superior tent in Erg Chebbi including breakfast and dinner.
  One night in a room in Merzouga including breakfast and dinner.
  One night in Zagora including breakfast.
  One night in Aït Ben Haddou including breakfast and dinner.
  Tickets (Kasbah Amridil and Kasbah Tamnougalt)
  Local Guides in Aït Ben Haddou, Kasbah Amridil and Kasbah Tamnougalt.
  Local taxes and fees.
  Travel insurance.

  How to make a reservation

• Does not include

  The Complete Desert Culture Tour does not include:

  Tips in Khamlia and Tamegroute (around 50 Dirhams per person and location).
  Cancellation insurance (available for purchase at reservation). See price and terms here.
  Drinks (soft drinks and bottled water cost around 25 Dirhams).
  Anything not specifically mentioned here as “included in the price”.

• Price

  This is a private tour and the cost varies based on how many people are in your party (prices below are per person for a double room):

  	4	3	2
  Cat. B	€1215	€1330	€1565
  Cat. A	€1595	€1710	€1945
  	High season supplement
  	+ €275/450

  Accommodations

  Category B (Premium):
  Marrakech: Riad Wow
  Dades: Perle du Dades
  Merzouga (room): Riad Serai (first night)
  Erg Chebbi (tent): Oasis Luxury Camp (second night)
  Zagora: Dar Hnini
  Aït Ben Haddou: Kasbah Tebi / Riad Caravane

  Category A (Luxury):
  Marrakech: Art Place Hotel & Ryad
  Dades: Eden Boutique Hotel
  Merzouga (room): Riad Chebbi (first night)
  Erg Chebbi (tent): Oasis Luxury Camp – Suite tent (second night)
  Zagora: Dar Hnini
  Aït Ben Haddou: Ksar Ighnda

  Kasbah Tebi remains closed in August for maintenance work. As a result, on Day 6, overnight accommodation in Ait Ben Haddou for the Premium category will only be possible at Riad Caravane.
  Riad Caravane is closed during the month of July. In case you do not want to stay at Kasbah Tebi, alternative accommodation will be arranged at Riad Bouchedor, located in Ouarzazate, at no additional cost.
  High season: March, April, May, October and December.
  Triple rooms are usually double rooms with an extra bed (cot).
  Accommodations specifically mentioned except in exceptional cases where we will stay in similar accommodations.
  Prices are valid until 31 December 2026.

• Observations

  Kasbah Tebi, located within the ksar of Aït Ben Haddou—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—has no electricity, so candles are necessary for lighting at night.
  Tents are equipped with air conditioning, but they may become unusable during inclement weather, particularly in the case of sandstorms.
  Tamegroute Library does not have a fixed schedule, so it is necessary to coordinate with the person in charge to confirm its availability and access times. A tip of approximately 50 dirhams per person is expected upon entry.
  Citizens of the EU need a passport with a minimum validity of 3 months
  Other nationalities: valid passport (check visas)

Itinerary

Complete Desert Culture Tour
>> Daily departures <<

Day 1
Starting Point · Marrakech

Arrival at the Marrakech airport (flight arranged by the traveler), private pick-up and transfer to our accommodations.

Day 2
Marrakech · Ouarzazate · Dades

Breakfast, pick up and departure to the desert. En route we get a chance to admire the Atlas Mountains in all their splendor, traveling on one of the highest roads in North Africa until we reach the Tichka Pass (2660 m; around 8000 feet in altitude).

Later we go to Ouarzazate, the gateway of the desert, where the Kasbah of Taourit is located. We see its exterior as it is currently closed for maintenance

Next, we explore the patchwork of villages, gardens and olive groves around the Skoura Palm Grove. Here we visit the well-preserved Kasbah Amridil, where ancient tools of daily life dating back hundreds of centuries are on display.

Arrival at our accommodations in Dades. Dinner included.

Day 3
Dades · Todra · Merzouga

Breakfast. Today’s first stop is the Valley of the Roses, a beautiful place known for the cultivation and manufacture of the rose of Damascus. Later we take in the Dadès Gorges, also known as Monkey Fingers or Atlas Brain, an abrupt landscape filled with impressive rock formations and ravines.

Then we continue through the Todgha Gorges, a more than 300 meter high gorge wall created over time by natural erosion.

Arrival at our accommodations in Merzouga. Dinner included.

Day 4
Merzouga · Khamlia · Rissani · Erg Chebbi

Breakfast. Head to Erfoud, with a visit to a fossil extraction center.

Continue to Khamlia. Arrival with welcome from a local music group and welcome tea (tips not included). Free time then head to Rissani, where we can see the city with its typical market.

Free time for lunch. Head to Merzouga.

In Merzouga, we leave the 4×4 behind and take a camel ride to our desert camp. Upon arrival, we find our suitcases already there, since they were transported by a 4×4 vehicle. We enjoy a starry night and an authentic Berber dinner.

Day 5
Erg Chebbi · The Draa Valley · Tamegroute · Zagora

Sunrise in the desert. After breakfast we head back to the vehicle.

Then we cross the Draa Valley, formed by the river that gives it its name. We take the opportunity to go along its shore, which will allow us to see how the life of the inhabitants of nearby towns revolves around it.

Next we go to Tamegroute, the old religious center of Morocco and today known for its green pottery. We visit its buried kasbah, with a labyrinthine underground network of alleys where hundreds of families still live today. We also visit the courtyard of the mausoleum, which is a good vantage point to see the whole Zaouia. It is also possible to visit its library, historically one of the richest in North Africa and the most important in Morocco*.

*Please note that the Tamegroute Library does not have a fixed schedule, so it is necessary to coordinate with the person in charge to confirm its availability and access times (tips not included).

Arrival at accommodations in Zagora.

Day 6
Zagora · Agdz · Aït Ben Haddou

Breakfast and tour of the city of Agdz. On today’s route, we cross the Saghro mountain range, and make various stops to admire its landscape with its stony needles, as well as the nomads who surprisingly are able to continue their way of life in this harsh landscape. We also visit some of the Berber villages in the area.

Our next stop is the Kasbah of Tamnougalt, which was declared a World Heritage Site and has been filmed on numerous occasions.

Then we continue to Aït Ben Haddou, also a World Heritage site and one of the best ksars because of its exceptional state of conservation and being a setting for famous films (Gladiator, The Mummy and Babel among others). We enjoy a meal while contemplating the fortress.

Arrival at our accommodations. Dinner included.

Day 7
Aït Ben Haddou · Marrakech

Breakfast and tour of the Ksar of Aït ben Haddou, in the early morning when visitors are still few. Free time (possibility for a horse or quad ride along the riverbed)

Departure to Marrakech with short stops en route.

Arrival in Marrakech and free time. Accommodations included.

Day 8
Marrakech · Return

Breakfast and check-out. At the agreed time (about 4 hours before departure), private pick up and transfer to Marrakech airport. Arrival and end of our services.

Please don’t hesitate to inquire about any adjustment you want to make to this itinerary (number of days, places to visit, departure location, etc.).

Places we visit during the Complete Desert Culture tour:
Ouarzazate, Skoura, Dades, Todra, Merzouga, Khamlia, Rissani, Draa Valley, Tamegroute, Zagora, Agdz and Aït Ben Haddou

1.5 = an hour and a half
Approximate time

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