4 days trip from Ouarzazate to Merzouga Erg chebbi desert

Day 1: Ouarzazate – Skoura  – Rose valley – Dades Valley – Todra Gorges 

Morning departure from Ouarzazate to the Dades gorges and Todra gorges, passing the oasis of Skoura where we stop to visit the kasbah of Amridil. From here, our route takes us through Kela’a M’gouna, the valley of the roses, where we stop for a tea. Later, we drive off-road along the road of a thousand kasbahs to reach the Dades gorges for lunch. In the afternoon, there is time for a walk alongside the Boumalne dades river before continuing to the Todra gorges for the night in a hotel.

Day 2: Todra gorges – ziz valley – oasis of Tafilalet – Erfoud – Erg Chebbi dunes

After breakfast there is time for a leisurely walk in the Todra gorges and in the Tinghir palm grove, before driving to the dunes of Merzouga via the Ziz valley and the Tafilalet valley, stopping in Erfoud on the way for lunch. Having arrived in Merzouga, in the course of the afternoon there is time to take a camel trek for an hour and ascend Erg Chebbi dunes to watch the sunset from the summit (250m). After sunset, the night will be spent in a desert camp, which is also the venue for dinner.

Day 3: Merzouga – Rissani – Alnif – Tazzarin – N’Qob – Draa Valley – Zagora

If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise, when the colour of the dunes and the play of shadows are an awesome sight. After breakfast, the return to the car is on camel back and, after that, the drive continues from Merzouga to Zagora via the villages of Rissani, Alnif, Tazzarine (now featured in the film ‘Babel’) and N’Qob where we stop for lunch. In the afternoon, the route continues to Zagora along the Dra’a valley with all its kasbahs (from time to time off-road driving allows a closer impression of life in the villages). The night is spent in a charming riad in Zagora.

Day 4: Zagora – Tamegroute – Draa River – Anti Atlas – Ouarzazate

After breakfast, we drive southwards to Tamegroute in order to visit the potteries and the Koranic library. The return to Ouarzazate takes us off-road to gain a better impression and appreciation of the ancient caravan route, winding alongside the Dra’a river. In Tamenougalte, where the oldest Kasbah in the valley stands, we stop for lunch. In the afternoon, we return to Ouarzazate over the Anti-Atlas and the Tizi-n-Tinfifite pass (1660m).