6 day Marrakesh Desert Kasbah Tour

Your 6 day Marrakesh Desert Kasbah Tour, "Rock the Kasbahs" starts upon arrival. We’ll pick you up at the airport and take you to a traditional riad in the Marrakesh medina.

You'll have the evening free. You may want to visit the world-famous Jmaa El Fna square, which fills every night with tourists and Moroccan families alike, out to enjoy fresh-cooked food and be entertained by storytellers, musicians, and dancers. It’s a carnival-like atmosphere and not to be missed!

After breakfast in your riad, a local guide will take you exploring for the day in Morocco's "red city". There are many fascinating cultural and historic sites to visit, such as the Saadian Tombs, in addition to the bustling souks in the medina. You'll have lunch with your guide at a local restaurant.

After the tour, you’ll have free time to relax or explore on your own. Or, if you prefer, we can arrange a visit to the famous Majorelle Gardens.

Dinner will be at the riad, where you’ll spend a second night.

After an early breakfast we’ll head into the High Atlas Mountains, crossing over Morocco’s highest road pass – the Tizi-n-Tichka pass at 2260m. We’ll stop at the top of the pass for refreshment and to take pictures of the stunning views.

We’ll continue on to Ait Ben Haddou, the oldest Kasbah in the south of Morocco, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although the village was originally built in the 17th century, people still live and work there today, their homes built right into the rock or with mud bricks, which are made locally using the same methods as in ancient times. Ait Ben Haddou has also featured in many films, including The Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven.

We’ll have lunch in the village, and you’ll have time to explore the Kasbah. It’s a gentle climb through winding streets to the top, where you can see in all directions.

We’ll continue our journey, passing through Ouarzazate, known as the "Hollywood of Morocco". Ouarzazate is home to several film studios, both Moroccan and international. The surrounding landscape is a popular on-location site and has been used to portray everything from the Egyptian desert to the surface of Mars. We’ll stop to take pictures at the Kasbah of Taourirt.

From there we’ll travel to Kalaat M’Gouna, the “Valley of the Roses”, Morocco’s rose-growing region. Each year, millions of rose petals are harvested to produce a wide variety of rose-infused products. The harvest ends with the annual Rose Festival in May. We'll stop here so that you can see, smell, and, if you wish, purchase some products made from local roses.

From there we’ll follow the winding Dades Valley through the Atlas Mountains. We’ll detour off the main road to travel into the spectacular Dades Gorge. Nearby is a rock formation known as “Monkey Toes”.

You’ll have dinner and spend the night in a Berber guesthouse overlooking the gorge.

In the morning you’ll have time for a walk along the gorge before we start heading towards the Sahara Desert.

We’ll drive to Tinghir, a lush green oasis full of palm trees and farmers’ crops, and visit the nearby Todra Gorge. The steep walls of the Todra Gorge are 300 metres high. This is a popular spot for rock climbers, as well as Moroccan families enjoying a picnic by the river. We’ll stop here and you’ll have a chance to walk along the river.

We’ll continue our journey, stopping for lunch in Rissani. You'll be able to visit the local souk (market), where local people do most of their shopping. On Tuesdays, the travelling market arrives, and people flock from nearby villages to shop.

From there we’ll head to the Merzouga region of the Sahara Desert. We’ll leave the paved road to drive towards the magnificent sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. Erg Chebbi has the highest dunes in North Africa, and the sight of them rising suddenly out of the desert floor never fails to impress!

When you arrive at the desert hotel in late afternoon, your camels will be waiting. You’ll leave civilization behind and camel-trek into the high dunes, where you’ll see the sands change colour as the sun moves across the sky. You’ll have time to explore, take pictures, and watch the sunset before camel-trekking out of the big dunes.

Arriving at the desert camp, you’ll enjoy a traditional Moroccan meal, followed by African drumming entertainment around a campfire. You’ll spend the night in tents surrounded by nothing but sand & the vast Saharan sky.

The next day, leave the dunes behind and travel back through the Dades Valley to Skoura. The 17th century fortified village (ksar) along the river is mostly in ruins now, but you’ll visit the fortified mansion, Kasbah Amridil. The Kasbah was built in the late 1800s and is still owned and maintained by the same family today. It’s considered one of the most impressive kasbahs in Morocco.

You’ll spend the night in Skoura.

After breakfast, we’ll head back into the High Atlas Mountains. Near the top, we’ll take a side road to the ruins of Telouet Kasbah (Palace of Glaoui). After visiting the Kasbah, we’ll once again cross the Tizi-n-Tichka pass and descend towards Marrakesh.

We’ll reach Marrakesh in the afternoon and drop you off at your hotel/riad or the airport. This brings your 6 day Marrakesh Desert Kasbah Tour, “Rock the Kasbahs” to a close.