DAY 1: Marrakech to Dades Valley via Atlas Mountains and the Road of 1000 Kasbahs

Route: Marrakech → Atlas Mountains → Ait Benhaddou → Ouarzazate → Skoura Oasis → Roses Valley → Dades Valley

Your guide will pick you up from your accommodation or port to escape the city of Marrakech and set out toward the High Atlas Mountains. Crossing the Tizi n'Tichka Pass at 2,260 meters (7,415 feet), you'll experience views from North Africa's highest mountain pass. The road winds through northern Atlas villages with houses built from packed earth and local stone.

Traveling through Glaoua tribal territory, dotted with ancient kasbahs, you’ll reach Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO-listed fortified village. Here, you’ll pause for lunch and explore the famous kasbah on your own.

Continue to the Skoura Oasis, with dense palm groves and ancient kasbahs, then head along the scenic “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs” to Dades Valley. On the way, you’ll pass M'Goun Fortress and traditional Berber adobe homes along the riversides before spending the night in the Dades Valley.

DAY 2: Dades Valley to the Sahara Desert in Merzouga

Route: Dades Valley → Todra Canyon → Erfoud → Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes

After breakfast and hotel check-out, travel to Tinghir, a lush oasis lined with olive, pomegranate, and orange trees. The road leads through the Todra Gorges, where you’ll take time to explore the spectacular, narrow canyons.

Heading east, you’ll pass palm groves of Tinjdad and Touroug, then stop at a fossil workshop in Erfoud. After reaching Merzouga at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes, you’ll freshen up at a kasbah, store extra belongings, and prepare for your desert trek.

Choose between a 3-minute 4WD transfer or a scenic camel trek, adjustable from 10 minutes to 2 hours. With time to photograph the sunset, you’ll reach your private tent in a luxury camp amidst the dunes.

That evening, enjoy a traditional Moroccan dinner, live music around the campfire, and incredible stargazing in the serene desert.

DAY 3: Off-Road Desert Discovery and Nomadic Life Experience

You may choose to wake early to watch the sunrise play over the dunes. Try sandboarding before setting out to explore the Merzouga area.

Discover the desert landscape and its unique cultural heritage, visiting the Merzouga oasis and the Khamlia Village to hear Gnawa music, brought here by people descended from ex-slaves from Senegal. You’ll also meet nomads in their tents to learn about their way of life.

Travel on to the Lake of Merzouga, a haven for diverse birdlife, and then continue to Rissani, once the trading hub of the salt caravans. In the local souk, browse spices, clothing, and vegetables, and enjoy a traditional Berber pizza. Return to the kasbah and, after relaxing with tea or wine, journey to your second camp for another unforgettable night in the desert.

DAY 4: Desert Gems and Ouarzazate's Hollywood Heritage

Route: Merzouga → Rissani → N'Kob → Tazarine → Draa Valley → Agdz → Ouarzazate

After breakfast, set off for the Draa Valley, rich in scenic landscapes and traditional villages. Passing millions of palm trees, you’ll arrive at Agdz, a historic caravan stop on the Timbuktu route.

Later in Ouarzazate, Morocco’s “Hollywood,” where numerous films have been shot, enjoy the afternoon poolside, breathing in the clean desert air before spending the night in a hotel.

DAY 5: High Atlas Scenic Route to Marrakech

Route: Ouarzazate → Atlas Mountains → Marrakech

After breakfast, visit the Ouarzazate Cinema Museum, then travel through the Ounila Valley, enjoying spectacular views before crossing the Tizi n'Tichka Pass. You’ll continue past Berber villages and farmland, returning to Marrakech in the early evening, where your guide will lead you to your Riad, completing your adventure.

What’s Included

• Transportation in an air-conditioned 4WD vehicle or minivan for 5 days
• Services of a qualified multilingual local guide/driver
• Comprehensive sightseeing with guidance
• 2 nights in selected hotels/kasbahs/riads
• 2 nights in a Berber nomadic luxury camp with a private tent
• Camel ride for each traveler
• Daily breakfast and dinner (HB)
• Sandboarding (optional and undertaken at your own risk)
• Live traditional music show in the desert
• Passenger travel insurance within the vehicle

What’s Not Included

• Flights
• Lunch
• Tips, entrance fees, drinks, and personal items