From Atlas To Sahara

Itinerary:

• Day 1 : Marrakech/Dades Gorges – accomodation: “la Port du Dadès” or similar
• Day 2 : Dades Gorges/Agdz – accomodation: “kasbah Rose du sable” or similar
• Day 3 : Agdz/M’Hamid – accomodation: Kasbah Aladdin
• Day 4 : M’hamid/Chegaga – accomodation: bivouac “Le charme d’Aladdin“
• Day 5 : Chegaga / Oasis of Fint – accomodation: “la Terrasse des Délices” or similar
• Day 6 : Fint/Marrakech –

Included In the Offer:

• Assistance to travellers throughout the trip with local guide/driver
• All private transfers by 4×4 vehicle or minibus as needed
• Half board during the tour
• Accommodation for 1 night in Dades
• Accommodation for 1 night in Agdz
• Accommodation for 1 night in M’Hamid
• Accommodation for 1 night in a fixed bivouac at the foot of the big dunes of Chegaga
• Accommodation for 1 night at “Oasis de Fint”
• The excursions mentioned in the itinerary
• All taxes and service charges

Not included In the Offer:

• International flight tickets
• Lunch, drinks and personal expenses
• Optional excursions
• Tips

Tour Details:

Day 1 : Marrakech-Dades Gorges
Departure from Marrakech at 8:00 am to cross the High Atlas by the Tichka pass 2260 mts. It’s the highest road pass
in Morocco that connects Marrakech to the Saharan regions of which Ouarzazate is the crossroad. We will stop for a visit to the famous fortified city of Ait Ben Haddou. Classified as a UNESCO world heritage site, the Kasbah has been the backdrop for many films such as: Lawrence of Arabia, 7 days in Tibet, Alexander the Great and more.
After lunch we will continue our journey by crossing the palm grove of Skoura, the Valley of the Roses and then to the Dades gorges where we will stay for the night at the hotel.

Day 2 : Dades Gorges-Agdz
After breakfast, you can go for an excursion in the Gorges. The valley of the Dades Gorges is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and impressive sites of southern Morocco. Located between “Boumalne Dadès” and “M’semrir”, in the Souss-Massa region, it takes its name from Dades, a tributary of the Draa River that winds along an arid and desert landscape to water the many oases along its banks, but also the fig trees, date palms and other almond trees.
We will then take the road again to explore new Gorges, those of Todgha, just as remarkable.
While walking in the heart of this immense oasis you will encounter breathtaking landscapes of canyons and green gorges.
The destination will then be toward Agdz via Tazarine.
Dinner and night in the palm grove.

Day 3 : Agdz-M’Hamid
Up to the end of the road there will be this paradox: on the left, the magnificent landscape of the palm grove with its plantations of date palms, olive trees, fruit trees and market gardening, and on the right, a relentless drought and an arid land. The valley of Drâa
is also known for its sumptuous Ksours and kasbahs built in adobe architecture, one of the most remarkable being that of Tamnougalt.
We arrive to Zagora, the capital of the region, where an old sign, indicating “Timbuktu 52 days”, welcomes you and makes you feel the excitement of our close encounter with the magnificent Sahara desert. This was the starting point for the great camel caravans that crossed the Sahara to Mali.
The next stop will be in Tamegroute, a quiet adobe village famous for its green ceramics and its very old Koranic library.
At 90km south-east of Zagora we will finally arrive to the peaceful oasis of M’hamid El Ghizlane (or M’Hamid of the gazelles), where the road ends to make a way for the desert. In the sixteenth century, M’Hamid was the point of departure of Ahmed El Mansour Addahbi, who left with his warriors, his camels and all his tribe to conquer Timbuktu.
Ali will welcome you at the Aladdin Kasbah according to the hospitality of the region and will try to transmit to you the magic of this place which preserves the sacred character of the zaouïa where his ancestor the marabout lived. You will discover the joy of living and the sense of humour always present despite the hardness of life of the inhabitants along the Sahara.
You will be able to admire the sunset from the terrace with a magnificent view of the palm grove or climb a nearby dune for a taste of the desert.
Typical dinner and night.

Day 4 : M’hamid-Chegaga
The next day after breakfast, the four wheel ride (4×4) adventure begins, across the Sahara, toward the Erg Chegaga, one of the two big deserts of dunes of the Moroccan Sahara, which is accessible after about 50 kilometers of tracks between Reg and sand. The Erg Chegaga is composed of several ergs very intertwined, on an extent of about 40 kilometers length and 15 kilometers width, some dunes reach 40 meters of height (a building of 16 floors) for a maximum altitude of 520 meters.
Once on the perfect fold, at the top, the view on the waves of dunes is impressive. Thus, many are those who feel the magic of the desert, through its silence, its extremely geometric and, at the same time, fluid forms, its changing colors, and the infinity of stars that covers you like a protective luminous coat.
You will also have the option of taking a camel ride around the dunes.
Meals and an animated evening around the fire to the sound of the music of the nomads.
Night at the fixed bivouac Aladdin at the foot of the big dunes in bungalow with a private bath.

Day 5 : Chegaga- Oasis of Fint
After breakfast the return to Marrakech will be by a different road. At the exit of the dunes we will cross the immense Lake Iriki, generally dried up by a lack of rainfall and where the clay makes mirages outcropping. It is a mythical place in southern Morocco and was, only a few decades ago, the favourite place of southern gazelles.
We take the paved road again and head to the village of Tazenakh, which is a Berber mountain handicraft-carpets center, they’re called “Ouaouzguites” carpets. Ouzguiti or Gloui are those that are sold the most and are the most appreciated.
The N-10 road continues east through the Anti-Atlas plateau, an arid and sparsely populated area, before climbing the Mountains of Ikshane and Tagatine, at 1650 and 1890 meters, and arriving to Taliouine, known for the cultivation of saffron and then to Ouarzazate.
At the exit of Ouarzazate the oasis of Fint is a green point enclosed in the middle of rocks. Majestic date palms and orchards grow on the banks of its wadi. Fint is populated by an entirely Amazigh community known for its hospitality. Its first inhabitants lived in troglodytic haitats.
Dinner and night at the hotel.

Day 6 : Departure
After breakfast and a last walk in the oasis we will take the road through the Tichka pass to arrive to Marrakech in the afternoon.