Tour Overview
A five-day immersion into the very soul of southern Morocco — from Marrakech across the High Atlas via the Tichka Pass (2,260 m), along ancient caravan routes through the Draa Valley, into the off-the-beaten-track Ouzina desert, and onward to the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi. Along the way you'll discover the UNESCO-listed kasbah of Aït Benhaddou (famous from Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia), share mint tea with a family in the 14-household village of Ouzina, hear traditional Gnawa music in Khamlia, ride camels over the Erg Chebbi dunes to a Bedouin-style camp for a star-lit dinner, and explore the dramatic 300 m cliffs of Todra Gorge and the rose-scented Dades Valley. A genuine, cultural desert adventure — not a rush.
Tour Highlights
- Tichka Pass (2,260 m) — Morocco's highest road
- UNESCO Aït Benhaddou — Hollywood's kasbah
- Off-the-beaten-path Ouzina desert
- Gnawa music in Khamlia village
- Camel trek & Bedouin camp in Erg Chebbi
- Todra Gorge — 300 m cliffs & palmeraies
- Dades Valley & Road of a Thousand Kasbahs
Day-by-Day Itinerary
1Day 1Marrakech → Zagora via Tichka Pass & Aït Benhaddou
Marrakech → Zagora via Tichka Pass & Aït Benhaddou
Early departure from Marrakech. Cross the High Atlas via the Tichka Pass (2,260 m) — Morocco's highest road pass — with panoramic views, serpentine roads and Berber villages clinging to the mountainsides. Visit the kasbahs of Tamnougalte and the 16th-century UNESCO-listed Aït Benhaddou, used as a filming location for Gladiator and many other blockbusters. Continue through the palm-lined Draa River valley. Overnight in a traditional kasbah in Zagora.
2Day 2Zagora → Ouzina Desert (off-the-beaten-track)
Zagora → Ouzina Desert (off-the-beaten-track)
A full day through magnificent desert scenery rarely visited by tourists — on the crossroads of the old caravan routes that once carried sugar, cotton and rice across Morocco, and part of the historic Paris-Dakar Rally. Cross the Draa Valley and the Oum Geran Plateau, pass hidden Berber villages and black desert ergs. Picnic lunch under an acacia tree. Arrive in the afternoon to your hotel in the Ouzina desert.
3Day 3Ouzina → Khamlia → Erg Chebbi Camel Trek
Ouzina → Khamlia → Erg Chebbi Camel Trek
Morning visit to the 14-family village of Ouzina — adobe houses, communal bakery where women gather to bake bread, the local school, and mint tea with a local family. Continue to Khamlia, a traditional Saharan village whose people originally came from Mali — enjoy live Gnawa drumming and dance, then walk through its farmed plots in the sand. On arrival in Merzouga, mount your personal camel and trek over the great dunes of Erg Chebbi to a Bedouin-style camp. Hike to a dune top for sunset, then dinner by the fire under the stars.
4Day 4Erg Chebbi → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley
Erg Chebbi → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley
Rise early for a spectacular desert sunrise and open-air breakfast at the camp. Leave Merzouga for the oasis town of Tinghir and the towering Todra Gorge — dramatic cliffs up to 300 m high, with streams running into palmeraies. Time to walk the canyon with a local guide and lunch riverside. Continue to Boumalne Dades and detour up into the Dades Gorges — stunning rock formations, kasbahs, and pisé villages along one of the most scenic drives in the world.
5Day 5Dades Valley → Valley of Roses → Marrakech
Dades Valley → Valley of Roses → Marrakech
Short morning walk in the Dades Gorges, then follow the Dades Valley through El Kelaâ M'Gouna (the Valley of Roses and the 'Road of a Thousand Kasbahs'). Stop in Ouarzazate and lunch in Aït Benhaddou village with time to explore the UNESCO-listed site — the nest of films such as Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia. Cross the Tichka Pass back into the High Atlas and return to Marrakech by evening.
Photo Gallery
Free cancellation up to 48h before