8-Day Adventure Tour from Marrakech: The Great South

Day 1 – Marrakech – Welcome at the airport and meeting with the escort guide – Hotel or riad transfer – Free time for a first contact with the city and its medina

Welcome at Marrakech Menara Airport and meeting with the escort guide. Prepare to be amazed and inspired! Transfer to the Hotel or Riad. Free visit at your own pace of Jemaa el Fna Square and the medina, the heart of the city. A unique experience where all the nightlife and activity is concentrated: dancers, storytellers, jugglers, artisans, merchants, and snake charmers. From the terraces of some cafes, you can get a wide panoramic view of the city: mosques and minarets, palaces and gardens, souks and bazaars. JEMAA EL-FNA SQUARE This square is the city’s main square and throughout the day it attracts tourists and locals alike, who visit the stalls selling orange juice and water during daylight hours, as well as snake charmers, women dedicated to painting with henna, or boys with monkeys. At night the atmosphere changes and you can see dancers, musicians, and entertainers filling it entirely, providing an atmosphere of drums and fun. We recommend sitting in one of the surrounding cafes to enjoy the atmosphere or going to dinner at one of the more than 100 stalls set up at this time featuring different types of Moroccan food.

Day 2 – Marrakech – High Atlas – Tichka Pass (2260m) – Ouarzazate – Skoura Palm Grove – Roses Valley – Dades Valley

After breakfast, pickup at the hotel or riad to begin the journey. We will cross the High Atlas Mountains, traveling through the Tichka Pass at an altitude of 2260m, making stops to contemplate the landscape and take photographs, as it is one of the most impressive routes in Morocco. Here, we will trade the vegetation of Marrakech and the views of the palm groves on the northern face of the mountains for the aridity of the south, and we will begin to notice the first adobe Berber villages on the mountain slopes. After passing the city of Ouarzazate, the so-called gateway to the desert, we will continue through the Skoura palm grove and the Roses Valley until reaching the Dades Valley, where we will spend the night surrounded by mountains.

Day 3 – Dades Valley – Todra Gorges – Merzouga – Erg Chebbi Dunes

After breakfast, we will continue along the banks of Boumalne, where a road lined with kasbahs (citadels) and ksours (fortresses or castles of adobe) opens up, presenting a landscape of ocher, red, and mauve colors. After a journey filled with ksours, oases, and palm trees, we will arrive in Tinghir, home to the spectacular Todra Gorges perched at an altitude of 1,350 meters and surrounded by a palm grove. We will continue toward Erfoud and arrive by tracks facing the Erg Chebbi dunes. Traditional Berber dinner.

Day 4 – Merzouga – Tour around the dunes in 4×4 – Visit to Berber nomadic families – Fossils and mines area – Khamlia (including traditional Gnaoua music demonstration) – Camel excursion – Magical night in a Berber camp (khaimas)

Today we will have the entire day to travel through and discover the lifestyle and culture of the desert. After breakfast, departure in the 4×4 vehicle to circle the dunes, visit the Berber nomads living in the area and share a tea with them, head out to the mines and fossil area to discover the natural resources of the desert, and witness a traditional Gnaoua music demonstration by the Bambaras group of Khamlia. In the mid-afternoon, a camel excursion is taken to reach the camp located deep within the dunes, while enjoying a sunset that will probably be stored in your memory as one of the best natural spectacles you have ever witnessed. Traditional Berber dinner at the camp to the rhythm of drums under the moon and stars, surrounded by dunes and accompanied by a campfire. This will undoubtedly be a magical night!

Day 5 – Merzouga – Rissani – Erfoud – Merzouga – Afternoon of relaxation to enjoy a walk in the dunes, the hotel pool, or to take part in an optional activity (quads, buggies…)

Those who wish can wake up early to watch the sun rise from the dunes and not miss the opportunity to contemplate a sunrise that can be enjoyed here like in few other places. After breakfast, we will return by camel to the location where our vehicle awaits us to take us to Rissani, where we will have the opportunity to witness local commercial exchanges and the livestock market firsthand. In Erfoud, we will visit a fossil quarry to discover how they are handcrafted. Today we will have a free afternoon to take a relaxing walk in the dunes and enjoy the last sunset in the desert, engage in optional activities (quads…), or simply take a swim in the hotel pool. Farewell dinner in the desert.

Day 6 – Merzouga – Alnif – Nkob – Agdz – Draa Valley – Ouarzazate

After breakfast, we will say goodbye to the dunes and set off on the route to head through the Draa Valley, home to one of the longest rivers in Morocco. Stops will be made to contemplate the charming adobe kasbahs and Berber villages dotting the route, as well as the interesting geological formations of the valley. Arrival in Ouarzazate, situated on a large plateau right in the middle of the Route of the One Thousand Kasbahs. Time for a well-deserved rest.

Day 7 – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Telouet – Marrakech

After breakfast, if you wish, you can take an optional tour of the Universal Film Studios or the Taourirt Kasbah. Next, we will take a detour to visit the famous Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for being one of the best-preserved ksurs—fortified villages—in Morocco. Free time to walk through the kasbah and climb to its summit to contemplate the views. Next, we will pass through Telouet, where the ancient Andalusian-style Glaoui Kasbah is located at an altitude of 1650 meters. We will cross the High Atlas Mountains once again with their beautiful landscapes. Arrival in Marrakech and transfer to the riad for a well-deserved rest or to enjoy the magical atmosphere of the city.

Day 8 – Marrakech – Free time or optional visit with a local guide – At the agreed time, airport transfer

Depending on the scheduled departure time of your flight, free time for last-minute visits and shopping, or if the flight schedule permits, an optional tour with a local guide. At the agreed time, transfer to the airport. END OF OUR SERVICES. We wish you a happy return home, and see you again soon in Morocco, Inshallah