A private tour from Marrakech to Sahara and Draa valley over 5 days.
Caravans Dust ( 5 - 7 days)
Our most off the beaten track and unique Moroccan itinerary, among our shorter ones.
The 5 day itinerary follows the old caravan route from Marrakech into the Sahara dunes, returning via an off the beaten track over the majestic Atlas Mountains or by the Atlantic coast via Agadir or Essaouira. No other tour packs so much diversity in just 5 days as we explore untamed, wild nature and the local culture of the Berber, Jewish and Bedouin people.
Our route will take us past the Draa valley, Biblical villages, lush palm groves, rock engravings, woodlands, desert oases and mountain ranges. We will explore mysterious Ksours and kasbahs, century old Berber granaries, bake bread with the locals, shape clay into pottery at Tamegroute, have tea with the nomads in the Sahara, cross Erg Chigaga dunes, pluck out fossils and shed off the desert sand on the Atlantic coast, to name a few.
Day 1: Marrakech- Tizi n Tichka- Telouet- Ait Benhaddou – Agdz ( 5 hour drive*).
*driving times don’t include the various stops.
As our itinerary leaves Marrakech, the distant haze begins to resolve itself into a jagged mountain range – the High Atlas mountains, jutting abruptly from the plain. Our route follows the same one caravans trod centuries ago, to bring into Marrakech slaves, gold and precious wood from the other side of the ocean of sand, Sahara.
[… in the sands of that country is gold, treasure inexpressible. They have much gold and merchants trade with salt for it, taking the salt on camels from the salt mines. They start from a town called Sijilmasa… and travel in the desert as it were upon the sea, having guides to pilot them by the stars or rocks in the desert. ] ( Tohfut-ul- Alaby by anonymous author, 12th century)
Beautiful scenery and small villages built in tiers succeed among oak trees, walnut groves and snow patches before arriving at the Tizi n Tichka pass, at 2100 meters high. Once over the pass a totally different picture is unveiled: the lunar landscape of the Anti Atlas and the lush palm groves of the south. Scent of thyme from the bushes fills the air. Here and there cooperatives turn the argan fruit into the precious oil.
[ Read: Morocco on a honeymoon ]
Just after the pass, the tour leaves the tarmac and goes off road to then reach Telouet and former pasha’s palace dominating the village. Pacha Glaoui overshadowed the sultan and decided to erect a palace in the High Atlas, where his family had originated from. He had employed the most skilled artisans to build and decorate his main residence and, in its golden age, armies, stables and Christian slaves were confined within its walls while a flourishing Jewish community was managing the nearby salt mines.
Leaving Telouet behind, our Moroccan itinerary crosses spaghetti western backgrounds to then follow the canyon. Here and there, decaying kasbahs stand witnesses of an age soon resolute. Soon after, arrive at UNESCO site of Ait Benhaddou, the postcard- like adobe citadel.
A fat, red sun, only underlines the beige tones of the mud and straws mixture and through the covered passages and stone walls, the past filters itself into the present.
Later, the journey crosses Ouarzazate, made famous by its film studios where scenes of ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Gladiator’ were shot. As we leave Ouarzazate behind, the road skirts through desolate arid landscapes. There is an acuteness to the light. Soon, the route climbs, twists and turns its way before breaking through the scarp at the pass of Tizi n’Tinififft at 1800 meters high and descends onto the lush palm grove of Agdz.
Right after the pass you catch a first glimpse of the valley and the oases, the green swath of palms snaking up into the haze bordered by the ksours, honeycomb adobe villages. There is no road sign but somehow you become aware you have entered a different realm. Le Grand Sud.
{ Read: The House of Dreams, between Marrakech and the Sahara }
Draa Valley, with its numerous oases, Biblical adobe villages and kasbahs, used as overnight stops by the caravans until not too long ago is the beginning of the ‘caravan highway’ connecting for centuries Timbuktu, Gao and the kingdoms of Ghana and Mali to Morocco. We will stop for accommodation and dinner in a beautiful guest house nested in the palm grove nearby.
DAY 2: Agdz – Zagora – Tamegroute- Mhamid – Erg Chigaga ( 5 hour drive);
[Until the beginning of the 17th century the Taghaza- Timbuktu road appears to have been the greatest of the routes across the desert. At any rate, up to the 1880’s the Saharan trade was a factor of considerable importance in the economy of Morocco] ( E.W. Bovill – The Golden Trade of the Moors)
We will stop at Tamnougalt and roam through the eerie kasbah before crossing over the palm grove and if you wish, take a short detour to uncover local rock engravings, megalithic rock paintings depicting animals and hunting scenes. As you cross Zagora, a mock serious road sign spelling ‘Timbuktu – 52 days by camel‘ still greets the visitors.
In the shade of an ocean of palm trees, locals get the best out of their fertile land as olives, pumpkins, quinces, apples, pomegranate, wheat and barley all grow, watered by the ancestral system of irrigation. You wouldn’t want to miss a guided tour of this unique habitat.
“Bentley: What attracts you personally to the desert ?
Lawrence: It’s clean…”
We will stop for a break in Tamegroute where century old Qorans and Arab treaties on astronomy and sciences are neatly arranged behind glass windows at the local library. Why not try your hand at some pottery ? The pottery of Tamegroute, a particular unique tinge of green is exported thence all over Morocco.
In the next village, the ladies bake pastry in the local oven. Have a bite or pull up your sleeves and help – it’s up to you. Crossing Jbel Bani, we wave hello to Mount Tagine on our right and, before long, we reach M’hammid, where the tarmac ends – the last village before the Sahara.
The next two hours of our tour make full use of the four wheel drive as rocky desert gives way to gravel and then sand dunes, past the occasional water well and oasis. Like someone once said, you feel like you must deserve the dunes before sighting them. Ahead of you: sleepy yet shifting leviathans of sand as far as the sight can stretch, dotted by the occasional desert camp.
At the foot of Erg Chigaga dunes, we can arrange for you to be met and taken by camel ride to the camp for the last bit of the way ( for differences between desert luxury camp and basic desert camp, please read here).
While the staff of the camp is unloading your luggage and preparing your dinner, you climb onto the highest dune you can find. And lose yourself in the moment. As the sun slowly sets over the dunes, there is nowhere else you would rather be. Dinner and accommodation in a private tent.
Day 3: Erg Chigaga- Iriki – Foum Zguid ( 3 hour drive);
Should you have missed the sunrise… well, try not to. Spend a few hours taking in the dunes and exploring the ever shifting peaks and crests. Why not jump on a board and surf down the highest dune you can find ?
If yesterday was about getting away from civilization, today is about getting back to it. After toddling across sand dunes and desert wells, our trip reaches the perfectly flat Lake Iriki, nowadays completely dry, where the Draa river used to form its estuary.
In the distance, the mirage plays tricks on you, yet the boat – shaped adobe Café Titanic is actually there, standing ( we doubt it ever served an expresso though). Later on, we will have tea with a family of nomads and search for fossils. Then, we take on the hamada, the much dreaded stony desert and perhaps spot an iguana, to finally reach Foum Zguid.
Farewell Sahara, hello civilization. Have lunch in the village and head to your accommodation for the night, to spend the afternoon relaxing and enjoying the pool.
DAY 4: Foum Zguid – Ighrem – Taroudant ( 4 hour drive);
(If you have an extra day at hand, it is worth spending an extra night in Tafraoute, a little known gem of a town, or further south. close to some spectacular gorges, fortresses and hike opportunities, to then reach Taroudant on the afternoon of the next day following one of the most dramatic and off the beaten track roads in Morocco).
Leave Foum Zguid to follow the solitary road leading to Tata, lined by semi deserted landscapes, a sort of Moroccan route 66, stopping on the way to admire the waterfalls at Tissint.
Puffs of dust, djinns, spring suddenly into being, cross the route, rolling across the plain, then rush off with the wind on the urgent accomplishment of a long- plotted deed…
Later, head north across the Anti Atlas. But first, stop in Ait Kine and visit the 18th century village granary, still in use. The locals still store their precious grains in the stacked cells, guarded by the ever reliable amin. Back on the road, with a bit of chance, your driver will have you discover the ancient Berber alphabet symbols carved thousands of years ago on the stone embankment of the dry river bed.
The valley of Tagmout cusps between stern flanks and serrated peaks, ascending to 1800 meters high. Stop for a tea or coffee in Ighrem, a quiet Berber town. Late afternoon, descend on the plain of Taroudant, majestically overlooked by the peaks of the High Atlas, at over 4000 meters high.
Arriving in Taroudant, there is hardly anything more relaxing after the desert trip than a plunge in the refreshing pool and/ or ridding off the sand inside the in- house hammam ( steam bath) at the local guest house. As the lights start to twinkle, in the gardens the scent of jasmine perfumes the air while dinner is set.
Day 5: Taroudant- Taghazout/ Chichaoua- Marrakech ( 4- 5 hours) or Taroudant – Tinmel – Marrakech ( 5 hours).
Le Petit Marrakech, as Taroudant is also known, lies in the middle of a fertile agricultural plain that crashes into the foothills of the Anti Atlas while nudging the Sahara in the south.
Its walls were built by the Saadi sultans back in 16th century when the city was their capital and the main base to attack Portuguese invaders on the nearby Atlantic coast. In this quiet town where most folks go around on their bicycle, hop on a caleche and have a tour around the city walls or wander the souks best known for silver, honey and argan oil and imagine how Marrakech used to be decades ago.
There are at least two ways to return to Marrakech. You can return via the highway from Agadir, after having enjoyed some time on the beach in Taghazout. Why not learn the surf rudiments or ride horses on the vast Atlantic beach ? Or, you can choose to take the scenic route over the High Atlas mountains ( 5 hours till Marrakech) with the Tizi N Test pass at 2000 meters high on the way. Arrive in Marrakech late afternoon. This concludes our 5 day Morocco itinerary.
Below you will find the resumed version of this 5 day Morocco itinerary:
- Day 1: Marrakech – Telouet – Ait Benhaddou – Agdz (5 hour drive).
- Day 2: Agdz – Zagora – Mhamid – Erg Chigaga ( 5 hour drive).
- Day 3: Erg Chigaga – Lake Iriki – Foum Zguid ( 3 hour drive).
- Day 4: Foum Zguid – Ighrem – Taroudant ( 4 hour drive).
- Day 5: Taroudant – Marrakech/ Essaouira ( 3 hour drive).
* We advise adding an extra day if traveling between November and March to compensate for the early sunsets;
Most of our guests prefer adding an extra day to either allow for some relaxing time by the beach in Essaouira or trekking in the Atlas Mountains. Please note that all our tours of Morocco are private and daily stops are accommodated along the way every couple of hours for you to visit a site, take a stunning photo or stretch your legs.
The following extras can be included:
- organic honey tasting experience at a 500 year old apiary;
- visit the nomad grottos;
- cooking a meal with a local family and shopping for ingredients in a local souk;
- the architectural genius of century- old Anti Atlas granaries;
- take a class in Moroccan pottery or make slippers;
- trekking/ mountain biking in the High Atlas/ Anti Atlas;
- bake bread in the adobe oven with the village ladies;
- uncover the rock engravings of Djebel Bani;
How much a 5 day Morocco tour costs ?
Bellow you will find our tentative rates ( no two itineraries are similar ) based on two persons traveling together, with the relevant accommodation option. For discounted rates, we invite you to book off season. 1 % of our revenues are donated towards social causes in Morocco.
Dreamers: starting from 840 US $/ 780 €/ 695 £ per person ( double room & comfort desert tent);
Privilege: starting from 1330 US $/ 1228 €/ 1089 £ per person ( suite & luxury tent with en suite shower and toilet);
Divine: price available on request.
Our portfolio accommodations do not fit into a rigorous star rating system, so we have named them Dreamers, Privilege and Divine, to best resume their nature. To ensure availability, we recommend booking at least 3-4 months in advance.
Pricing can vary at different times of the year. If you book your tour to take place in December, January ( outside NYE holidays), February, June, July and August, you will enjoy our low season rates.
An exact rate will be offered once we have agreed on the precise itinerary, accommodation range preferred and any extras you would like to include. Discounts apply when 3 or more persons share the vehicle(s). You can also choose to mix different accommodation ranges within the same circuit.
Our rates for such a 5 day itinerary include:
– private use of the English fluent driver-guide and modern air-conditioned Toyota 4×4;
– boutique/ luxury hotel accommodation for 3 nights;
– Sahara camel trek & private basic/ luxury tent for 1 night;
– 4 three- course- meal dinners and 4 breakfasts for 2 persons;
– bake bread with the village ladies;
– airport or hotel pick- up and drop off;
– caleche ride around the 16th century old Taroudant;
– refreshing drinks inside the vehicle all along the itinerary;
– admission fees to all local sites and attractions;
– 24 hours travel assistance ( with Privilege/ Divine option);
– gasoline and highway tolls;
– transport insurance, VAT and visitors tax.
WHY SHOULD YOU BOOK WITH US THIS 5 DAY MOROCCO ITINERARY:
# We are based in Morocco since 2006 and no, we don’t work from home :). We scout for the most unique sites & local experiences all year round. We present these on our blog and Instagram pages. And only an agent based in Morocco can keep up with the latest travel advice or restaurant openings;
# We anonymously test, hand- pick and continuously update the best boutique and luxury hotels, Riads , eco lodges and Kasbahs across Morocco;
# We strive to bring you most authentic experiences. Some of them are unique: private flight to the Sahara; visit of a medina with a local university teacher; mechoui with a nomad family, on site restoration of century old granaries;
# 1 percent of our receipts go towards local projects, like help educate girls from rural Morocco or restoring the agadirs of southern Morocco;
# we accept payments by credit card, bank transfer and, starting in 2023, select cryptocurrencies;
# we are on hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, before and during your tour, by email, phone or Whatsapp/ Skype/ Zoom.
Ready to create your unique Morocco tour? Get in touch here with our on- the- ground team in Morocco.
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