Day 1: Marrakech – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley
Departure from Marrakech to Ouarzazate. During the journey we will cross the captivating landscapes of the Atlas Mountains, one of the main mountain ranges of Morocco. On this route we will also pass through Tizi n’Tichka: the highest stretch of road in North Africa, 2,260 meters!
We will make a stop on the way at the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, whose natural environment has served as a backdrop for the filming of movies like “Gladiator”. We will continue discovering Morocco’s link with the seventh art in Ouarzazate, where we will visit its famous film studios. Our day will end with an overnight stay in the Dades Valley until the next day.
Day 2: Dades Valley – Todra Gorges – Mharech Gorges
Refueled with a good breakfast, we will cross different Berber towns and villages towards the Todra Gorges. Do you know how its spectacular rocky landscapes originate? We will continue the route to another famous gorge: the Mharech Gorges. To reach this point we will cross some points of the old route of the Dakar rally.
Late in the afternoon we will arrive at a riad in Mharech. In this typical desert lodging we will be able to contemplate the stars of the firmament as we have never seen them before.
Day 3: Mharech – Ramlia Oasis – Ouzina Dunes – Merzouga
After breakfast in Mharech we will start a route along wadis (dry riverbeds) and dunes that will take us to the Ramlia Oasis. It is not a mirage! Neither will be the dunes of Ouzina, the next stop of the trip. At this point it will no longer be possible to get around in our jeep, so we will enjoy a camel ride in the Moroccan desert!
Our “four-legged cabs” will drop us off in the desert of Merzouga, a majestic natural area where we will spend the night in an authentic haima.
Day 4: Merzouga Desert
First of all, a warning: no rush and stress. We are in the desert of Merzouga, away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Once we have breakfast we will not have to worry about anything. Only to delight our eyes with the landscapes that we will see during a 4×4 jeep tour of the area. The nomadic Berber villages that we will find next to the dunes of Erg Chebbi, the highest in Morocco, will teach us a valuable lesson: we are so preoccupied with looking at the screen of our mobile or our tablet that, many times, we lose the perspective of what is really important: to observe life through our eyes and, above all, through our soul.
We will continue to enjoy the local culture and traditions in Khamlia, a small village where we will attend a folk music show. At the conclusion of the show we will return to our desert haima.
Day 5: Rissani – Ziz Valley – Middle Atlas – Fez
We will say goodbye to the desert of Merzouga with a good breakfast at the foot of the dunes. Our itinerary will continue to Rissani, the ancient capital of the Alaouite sultans. From this town we will continue the route through the Ziz Valley and the Middle Atlas to Ifrane, whose natural landscapes have earned him the nickname of “the Moroccan Switzerland”.