1st day : Departure in the morning from Marrakech to Ouarzazate by 4x4 passing through the High Atlas mountains and over the pass of Tizi-n-Tichka at 2260m. There are plenty of opportunities to stop and take photos. Otherwise the first scheduled stop is to visit the Kasbah of Telouet which served as a palatial residence and the headquarters of the powerful Glaoui tribe, and we then drive along a track which crosses Oumila Valley and leads to the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, where we have lunch. In the afternoon, we visit the Kasbah before leaving for Ouarzazate for the night.
2nd day Morning departure to the Toudra Gorge, passing the Oasis of Skoura, where numerous ancient kasbahs, some sadly in ruins, stand amongst the palm trees. From here, our route takes us through Kela’a M’gouna, the Valley of Roses, where we stop to see cosmetic articles locally-made from the valley’s abundant roses. These products are well-known throughout Morocco and are highly valued. We drive off-road (road of thousand kasbahs) to the Dades Gorge for lunch, after which there is time for a stroll alongside the river before continuing to the Toudra Gorge for the night.
3rd day : After breakfast, we go off-road to N'Qob, passing the Tizi-n-Tazzazert mountain in the Saghro mountain range to the village of N’Qob for lunch. From here our route takes us to the Dra’a Valley at Tansikht in the afternoon, continuing south to Zagora for dinner and a night’s rest.
4th day : The next morning, there is an opportunity for a camel ride of about one and a half hours in the dunes beyond M’hamid (Erg Lihoudi). Lunch is in M’hamid itself, reached in the 4x4 across the dunes. The same afternoon we make our way across another 60km through the varying features of the desert; ‘erg’, ‘reg’, ‘hammada’, oases, to the Erg Cheggaga dunes which, at 300m high and 45km long, are the largest in Morocco. These dunes afford a wonderful view of the setting sun, before returning to the bivouac at the foot for dinner and a night’s rest.
5th day : After breakfast, the road crosses another 90km of desert, passing Lake Iriqui and the mountains as well as fossils, for enthusiasts. The first village beyond the desert, Foum Zguid, is the place for lunch and a refreshing shower. The return to Ouarzazate takes us through Taznakht, famous for its carpet shops, and back to the Dra’a Valley at Agdez for dinner and the night in the oldest local kasbah, “Kasbah Tamnougalte”.
6th day : After breakfast there will be a visit to the Kasbah itself before returning to Ouarzazate, via the mountain pass of Tizi-n-Tinfifte (1660m). Once in Ouarzazate, we visit the Kasbah of Taourirt, originally the residence of the Pasha of Marrakech and a symbol of the feudal period of the lords of Atlas. Afterwards, an unpaved track to the Fint Oasis nestling among the mountains, which once served as the crossroads of caravans, provides a hidden delight. After having lunch with a berber family, the return to Marrakech will complete the trip at the end of the afternoon.
