The marvels of the South

Morning departure at 8am from your hotel or riad in Marrakech to the Dades gorges crossing the High Atlas mountains. From these mountains, the views over the valleys and the berber villages perched on the mountain sides, sometimes barely distinguishable from the mountains themselves, are spectacular. Having crossed the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, you continue to descend until you finally reach the city of Ouarzazate where you stop for lunch. In the afternoon, the road continues to the oasis of Skoura where we stop to visit the kasbah of Amridil. From here, the route takes us through Kela’a M’gouna, the valley of the roses and the road of a thousand kasbahs. You stop in the Dades gorges in a luxury riad by the end of the day for spending the night.

After breakfast, there is time to walk by the Boumalne Dades valley before continuing to the dunes of Merzouga via the Todra gorges where you can take a walk and having lunch. In the afternoon, our trip continues to Erg Chebbi along the Ziz valley and the Tafilalte valley to the dunes of Merzouga for an hourcamel ride to reach the luxury desert camp near the dunes of Erg Chebbi (250m). From the top of the dunes the sunset is spectacular. Here, at Erg Chebbi, we will have dinner and spend the night in a luxury desert camp.

If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise. After breakfast, the itinerary continues from Merzouga to Ouarzazate via the villages of Rissani, Alnif, Tazzarine (featured in the film ‘Babel’) and N’Qob for lunch. In the afternoon, we drive along the Draa valley and the ancient road of caravans towards Agdez, passing oases and kasbahs, beside the river. The last part of the day’s journey is across the Anti-Atlas mountains and the Tizi-n-Tinfifite pass to Ouarzazate for the night in a guest house.

After breakfast, we visit the Atlas Film Studios. Driving north, you leave the main road and take a side road to the kasbah of Ait ben Haddou for a visit (Ait Ben Haddou is the most famous Kasbah in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also well-known as being the backdrop to many Hollywood blockbusters). The road then continues along the valley of Ounila with beautiful and prosperous villages, stunning mountains and views to Telouet, where you will stop to visit the kasbah of Telouet and have lunch. We reach Marrakech by the early evening.