the vast expanse of the desert
Experience the grandeur of the Sahara on a journey that takes you from Marrakech and across the High Atlas Mountains.
En route, explore the historic ksar (fortified village) of Ait Benhaddou, before a camel trek and night under a thousand stars at a camp in the Sahara. On your return to the city, you’ll stop in the remote mountain village of Tighza to enjoy a peaceful walk and authentic hammam.
Finally, there is time to explore Marrakech, one of the great cities of the Arabic world.
All the things you need to know
The tour starts at your Marrakech hotel this afternoon.
Accommodation: Akabar Hotel or Hotel Palais El Bahja (or similar)
With time to explore Marrakech at the end of your journey, you will leave the Red City behind and head into the Atlas Mountains. Your destination for the day is the well-preserved ksar of Ait Benhaddou. This Unesco World Heritage site is one of the most spectacular landmarks in the Atlas and the filming location for several Hollywood movies, including Gladiator (2000). The route takes you over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, the highest in Morocco, arriving mid-afternoon. You’ll take a tour through the ksar and then return to your hotel for dinner.
Accommodation: Rose du Sable (or similar)
Drive time: Four hours
You will travel through Ouarzazate, nicknamed the door to the desert because it used to be a crossing point for African traders on their way to Europe. It is now the site of the Atlas Film Studios, the setting for many Hollywood films and Game of Thrones. It’s also home to the impressive Kasbah Taourirt, a grand fort largely constructed from rammed earth and mud-brick.
You then head south with a 4hr 30min drive along the Draa Valley, which contains more than 4m palm trees and is bordered by many ksours (fortified villages). Here you embark on a one and a half hour camel trek and venture further into the Sahara, where you will spend the night at a simple Bedouin camp for spectacular stargazing. Surrounded by silence and millions of stars, you can appreciate the immensity of the desert.
Accommodation: Camp Chez Le Pacha (full-service camping)
Drive time: 5hr 30min
Please note: As you venture into the desert, you are requested to only bring an overnight bag and leave all your remaining luggage with the vehicle.
You’ll wake to the desert silence, then take a return camel ride and a short drive to Zagora. There’s time to rest, have a shower and enjoy the pool. Later in the afternoon, you can take an optional walk into the valley and around this famous desert outpost.
Accommodation: Hotel Chez le Pacha (or similar)
Drive time: Two hours
You’ll travel West through the Draa Valley to join the Ounila Valley in the High Atlas Mountains. You’ll start your walk from Animeter on a track with short steep inclines passing through small villages. After about 1hr 30min, you will arrive at your gite in Tighza where you will spend the night. Tighza is a rural village set in the Atlas mountains. From the terrace of your Gite you can look down into the valley and enjoy the sunset over the surrounding mountains. It is a peaceful retreat and provides the opportunity to meet local villagers and share their way of life.
In the evening, you will visit the village hammam, built with money raised by Exodus clients. This is a truly authentic experience. It is very much a traditional hammam and you are likely to get the opportunity to mix with the villagers, which further adds to the experience. Please don’t expect a spa treatment. A standard treatment is included, but you will need to purchase a scrubber and soap for 20 Moroccan dirham (US$2) and pay a customary tip of 20 dirham. Refreshed, you will return to the gite for your dinner in the mountains.
Accommodation: Tighza gite (or similar)
Drive time: 4hr 30min
This morning there is time to relax on the terrace, which has wonderful views across the fertile Tijhza Valley. Alternatively, you can have an optional three hour trek through the villages of this remote area, passing fields cultivated by the Amazigh women, with the peaks of the High Atlas as a fitting backdrop. You will leave the gite after lunch, making the scenic drive over the High Atlas Mountains back to Marrakech, with some stunning scenery along the way. Once again, you will cross Tizi n’Tichka. Back in Marrakech, you check into your hotel. In the evening, you will visit Djemma el Fna, the open-air central square around which Marrakech revolves. The name literally means place of death, as the sultans once displayed the heads of their enemies here. Now, with the food stalls, snake charmers, juice-sellers and acrobats, it is a place of night-time entertainment.
Accommodation: Akabar Hotel or Hotel Palais El Bahja (or similar)
Drive time: 5hr 30min
Today, you will have a guided walking tour to see the spectacular sites of Marrakech. The city guide will lead you to the Bahia Palace and the Saadian tombs, which date to the 16th century. You will see the outside of the largest mosque in Marrakech the Koutoubia. Continue through the labyrinthine of souks where you can barter for souvenirs. You can then have lunch together in a restaurant overlooking the square. Alternatively, you may prefer to head off on your own today and take a calèche ride (horse-drawn carriage) to the peaceful Majorelle gardens, owned by Yves St Laurent and decorated throughout in indigo blue or simply enjoy another hammam.
Accommodation: Akabar Hotel or Hotel Palais El Bahja (or similar)
Your journey comes to an end after breakfast. Hop into your free transfer to Marrakech Airport to catch your flight.
Meals included: Breakfast
- Experience the extraordinary variety of Morocco, from the Sahara to the Atlas Mountains
- Discover the grand ksar of Ait Benhaddou – a World Heritage site
- Journey into the Sahara by camel and spend a memorable night under the stars
- Stay in Tighza, a remote Amazigh village that has welcomed our groups for years
- Walk in the magnificent Atlas Mountains, guided by our tour leader
- Explore Marrakech with an expert local guide, visiting the lively souks and more
- Accommodation: 5 Classic nights (hotels), 2 Simple nights (1 gite, 1 Sahara camp)
- Travel by private minibus and camel
- Group normally 5 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
- Countries visited: Morocco
- All breakfasts and three dinners
- All accommodation
- Tour leader throughout
- Free arrival and departure transfers for everyone
This trip is rated Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate).
Driving: There are sometimes long journeys on this trip, but this is the only way to see everything Morocco offers. You are not confined to our vehicle though, as there are plenty of photo stops and opportunities to stretch our legs. Approximate drive times are noted on the daily itinerary.
Weather: Morocco is hot in summer but the tour leaders try to make the most of the coolest parts of the day for your sightseeing, so expect some early starts. Morocco can get cold in winter, normally with mild daytime temperatures. Pack winter clothes and nightwear for November to March, when nighttime temperatures can drop considerably, especially in the desert and the mountains. During these months, there can also be rain throughout the country and snow in the mountains. As Morocco is generally mild to hot it is not set up for colder temperatures and so there may not be heaters available. Of course, you can also ask for more blankets from the hotels.
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We are here to help. Our travel experts will organise and book your dream holiday.
call us today or complete our online enquiry form to start your next adventure.
