6 Day Tour from Marrakech: Sahara Desert and High Atlas Loop
Six days, a full circle and two very different deserts. This private loop from Marrakech takes the old caravan road past the Glaoui kasbah of Telouet, follows the gorges to the high dunes of Erg Chebbi, then returns by the Draa Valley and Zagora before a final, peaceful night in a Berber village in the High Atlas.
- Duration: 6 days, 5 nights
- Starts and ends: Marrakech
- Route: Marrakech → Telouet → Ait Ben Haddou → Dades → Todra → Merzouga → Zagora → Draa Valley → Ouirgane → Marrakech
- Price: on request, depends on group size and accommodation level
Highlights
- The back road to Ait Ben Haddou via the Telouet kasbah and the Ounila Valley
- A night in the Dades Valley and a walk in Todra Gorge
- Camel trek and camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes
- The Draa Valley, Morocco's longest palm grove, and Tamegroute's green pottery
- A last night in a mountain lodge near Ouirgane or Imlil
- A complete circuit with no repeated roads
Day by Day
Day 1: Marrakech → Telouet → Ounila Valley → Ait Ben Haddou
Cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass and turn off to the Glaoui kasbah of Telouet. Follow the Ounila Valley's red villages down to Ait Ben Haddou and sleep near the kasbah.
Day 2: Ait Ben Haddou → Skoura → Dades Valley
Morning in Ait Ben Haddou, then the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through Skoura and the Valley of Roses to the Dades Gorge.
Day 3: Dades → Todra Gorge → Merzouga
Walk the Todra Gorge, then continue to Merzouga. Camels take you into the dunes for sunset, a Berber dinner and a night at camp.
Day 4: Merzouga → Alnif → Nkob → Zagora
Sunrise in the dunes, then a scenic drive across the Jbel Saghro region to Zagora, the gateway to the Draa Valley.
Day 5: Zagora → Tamegroute → Draa Valley → Ouarzazate → Ouirgane
Visit the Tamegroute pottery cooperative and its old Quranic library, follow the Draa palm groves north and cross back into the High Atlas for a night at a mountain lodge.
Day 6: Ouirgane → Atlas villages → Marrakech
A morning walk to a Berber village with a guide and a mint tea with a local family, then a short drive back to Marrakech for lunch.
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver
- 5 nights: kasbah hotel, Dades hotel, desert camp, Zagora hotel and mountain lodge, with breakfast and dinners
- Camel trek in Erg Chebbi
- Local guides at Ait Ben Haddou and in the Atlas villages
- Fuel and bottled water
Not included: lunches, entrance fees, tips.
Good to Know
- Pace: the driving is spread evenly, with no day over 6 hours.
- Upgrade: a luxury desert camp and a boutique mountain lodge can be chosen for honeymoons.
- Related tours: the 5 day desert and gorges tour and the Imlil day trip.