Three-day tour including Southern Valleys and Sahara Desert

Tour Reference DV-MM3/124

This three-day tour rarely fails to excite all the senses. You will travel through spectacular mountain scenery, witness a rainbow of colours through the valleys, smell the sweetness of roses, taste traditional Moroccan food and feel the magic of the Sahara Desert.

We include Aït Ben Haddou, the Todra Gorge and the Jbel Sarho volcanic mountain range during this tour.

Category Desert Overland Tour
Duration 3 Days
Starts From Marrakech
Returns to Marrakech
Group Size 2 - 6
Prices from €175

Tour itinerary

Day 1

Marrakech | Aït Ben Haddou | Valley Of The Roses | Dadès Gorge

After collecting you from your hotel or riad at 08.00am, we set off towards Ouarzazate enjoying the spectacular scenery as we climb upwards to the important Tizi-n-Tichka pass – the highest major mountain pass in North Africa - nestled at a height of 2,260m in the High Atlas Mountains.

As with the rest of the tour, your driver will stop off en route for photo opportunities of breathtaking views and the scenic beauty of the many Berber villages throughout our travels.

Our first major stop is at the UNESCO world heritage site of Ait Benhaddou. Dating back to the 17th Century, this ksar is an outstanding example of early southern Morocco architecture. And, not only will you be stepping back in time here, you can also follow in the footsteps of film stars who have appeared in productions such as Gladiator, The Mummy, Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones which used this magnificent backdrop for some of their location shoots.

 

With fond farewells to our Kasbah tour guide, we head towards Ouarzazate, now a holiday destination in its own right but more widely known as the “doorway to the Sahara Desert” and as the location for Morocco’s largest film studios.

We continue our journey along the Road of One Thousand Kasbahs and will also pass through the Valley of the Roses, renowned as Morocco’s prime centre for rose cultivation and production of rose-based products. During early summer, the air has a magical rose-scented aura to complement the fabulous array of colours you will see. The Berber villagers also grow and harvest Persian roses to make creams, soaps and rose water for sale throughout Morocco and for export abroad.

More photographic opportunities await as we head back into the mountains following the path of the Dadès River. Unusual and incredible rock formations – a dream for geologists – unfold in the Tamnalt Hills.

Winding our way up towards the Dadès Gorge – carved through centuries of erosion by the Dadès River – we arrive at our accommodation for the night and an opportunity to exchange notes with your fellow travellers during your evening meal in the heart of the gorge.

Meals included / not included
Breakfast Not included
Lunch Not included
Dinner Included

Day 2

Dades Gorge | Todra Gorge | Merzouga | Erg Chebbi

After breakfast – and in the shadow of the early morning sun – we head out of the Dadès Gorge, passing through a Berber village and on to the Todra Gorge.

Here you can enjoy the glorious, fresh mountain air and take a trek through some of the 300m high – and sometimes just 20m wide - canyons which are popular with both amateur and professional rock climbers. The scenery then changes dramatically as we head towards the Sahara. The sheer mountain drops give way to the wide-open plains that serve as a prelude to the desert and the Erg Chebbi dunes just beyond Merzouga.

 

After a stop-over for lunch we pass through the oasis town of Erfoud – another popular movie location – and it will come as no surprise that much of the surrounding landscape bears a striking resemblance to that of the planet Mars! On arrival at Erg Chebbi, we change our mode of transport for a two-hour camel trek into the desert.

 

You’ll have the opportunity to witness a fabulous Saharan sunset and take in some dramatic desert scenery as our guides escort us to their Berber camp behind an oasis in the heart of the Moroccan desert.

 

Here you can enjoy a traditional Berber meal and entertainment before becoming entranced by the total darkness and peace of the desert under a canopy of millions of stars. An incredible way to complete your day…and reflect on the popular belief that there are more stars in the sky than there are grains of sand in the desert!

Meals included / not included
Breakfast Included
Lunch Not included
Dinner Included

Day 3

Erg Chebbi | Merzouga | Nkob | Marrakech

The day begins early in the Berber desert camp – especially if you want to capture the magic of the Saharan sunrise. And fortified by a traditional Berber breakfast, we begin our camel trek as the first part of our return journey to Marrakech. Our route takes us to the end of the Ziz Valley where the Arab dynasties first entered Morocco.

 

With its imposing ‘bab’, the old city of Rissani is a popular market town for traders and nomads, some of whom you may see wearing bright, indigo-coloured robes, the distinctive outfit of the Saharan people. Next, we head to the Jbel Sarhro volcanic mountain range: a wild and almost barren region of striking rock formations and panoramic views of gorges.

 

Seemingly inhospitable, it is the homeland of the Aït Atta tribe whose ancestors can be traced back to before the 7th century. We pass through the town of Nkob which, in spite of its remoteness, boasts some 45 kasbahs that in their heyday used to thrive on this important trading route through Southern Morocco from Timbuktu.

With this barren but intriguing landscape behind us, we soon find ourselves back in the familiar territory of palm groves in the oases of the Drâa Valley. And, as we climb back through the High Atlas Mountains, vivid reminders of how generations of Berber villagers live and work in such a challenging environment. We reach our final destination, Marrakech, during the evening and return you to your hotel or riad.

Meals included / not included
Breakfast Included
Lunch Not included
Dinner Not included

Gallery

Pricing

2 Persons €280 pp
3 Persons €260 pp
4 Persons €225 pp
5 Persons €190 pp
6 Persons €175 pp

Solo travellers are always welcome. Please ask for details and availability. For groups of more than 6 guests, please ask our Reservations Team for more information about availability and prices. Reductions apply for children accompanied by adults. No charge for children under 5 years. All local taxes, state taxes, parking fees, tolls and fuel charges are included within the price. Please see below for more information.

Accommodation

Except for the Berber camp, the inclusive prices for accommodation are based on staying at a 3 or 4 star riad or hotel. Your accommodation can be upgraded to 5 star for part or all of your tour if you wish. Just ask our Reservations Team. Unless specified, your accommodation is inclusive of an evening meal and breakfast. Prices based on two people sharing a room. Single supplements may apply.

Inclusive and Exclusive

What is included

• Accommodation in Berber tent at desert camp

• All fuel, travel taxes and tolls as per itinerary

• Breakfast at desert camp

• Camel trek and guides

• Collection from your accommodation *

• English/French/Spanish speaking driver

• English/French/Spanish speaking tour guides

• Evening meal and entertainment at desert camp

• Half board accommodation inc. breakfast

• Return to your accommodation *

• Transportation in air-conditioned 4x4 or mini-bus

What is not included

• Airport-train-seaport transfers to accommodation

• Entrance fee to attractions or events en route

• Flights or travel to and from Morocco

• Gratuities at your discretion

• Lunches, snacks and drinks

• Incidental expenses and souvenirs

• Personal travel and health insurance

• Any other items or services not shown as inclusive

NB: Local tour guides at Aït Ben Haddou and Telouet are optional. Prices vary according to group size and season. Please ask for details prior to booking.


Notes:

* Within 5kms of tour start and return points

Upgrades and changes to your itinerary

We’re more than happy to alter this itinerary to suit your individual requirements prior to booking. Just let us know what changes you would like and we will advise. And if you would prefer to travel throughout in a luxury limousine or have any special requirements you would like arranged for your tour, please ask us for details.

Other information

As with many of our tours, this itinerary involves a certain amount of travelling and walking, often on uneven surfaces. Please think carefully about the personal mobility (especially young children) of those in your group and the suitability of this tour for them before booking. Our Reservations Team will be happy to advise you on this.

Contact Us

To book this tour, request more information about the tour or advise of any special requirements you may have, please send an email to us using the form below.

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Contact information

Phone (office): +212 524 433 513

Fax: +212 524 433 513

Mobile (Morocco): + 212 662 27 39 30

Mobile (Spain): + 34 659 320 701

Email: tours@magnificentmorocco.com

Address: Angle Rue Tarik Ibn Ziad & Ibn Aicha Résidence Excel Sior

Imm. 18 No 6 Gueliz

Marrakech

Morocco