4 days Agadir to Sahara Tour

Your 4 days Agadir to Sahara "Saffron & Sahara" Tour begins with an early morning pick-up in Agadir. We’ll drive to Taroudant, known as “little Marrakesh”, where we’ll stop to visit the lovely medina.

We’ll then drive 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, then 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 a short way towards Ouarzazate, known as the “Hollywood of Morocco”. It has several film studios, both Moroccan and international. The surrounding landscape is a popular on location site representing everything from the Egyptian desert to the surface of Mars. We’ll tour one of the film studios.

You’ll spend the night at a riad in Ouarzazate.

On Day 2, we’ll head towards the Sahara Desert. After breakfast, we’ll travel to Skoura, famous for its palmerie. There, we’ll visit the picturesque Kasbah Amridil. The 17th century fortified village (ksar) along the river is mostly in ruins now, but the Kasbah (fortified mansion) on the south end was built in the late 19th century and is one of the most impressive kasbahs in Morocco. It is still owned and maintained by the same family today.

From here we travel to Kalaat M’Gouna, the “Valley of the Roses”, where millions of rose petals are harvested each year to produce a huge array of rose-infused products for culinary and cosmetic use. The harvest culminates in May with the annual Rose Festival – worth attending if you can arrange your visit around this popular festival. We'll make a stop here so that you can see, smell, and, if you wish, purchase some products made from local roses.

From there we’ll pass through the Dades Valley, following the winding road through the Atlas Mountains. We’ll stop so you can take pictures of this spectacular view.

Next is the Todra Valley, which narrows into Todra Gorge. The steep walls of the 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 for lunch at a nearby restaurant, and you’ll have a chance to walk along the river.

Here we’ll stop for lunch at a nearby restaurant, and you’ll have a chance to walk along the river.

After lunch we’ll leave the mountains and valleys behind. We'll turn off the highway and travel across flat rocky desert to the Saharan region of Merzouga, 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!

At the hotel, your camels will be waiting to take you into the dunes as the late afternoon sun sinks over the sands. 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 returning by camel to the tent camp about 1 hour from the dunes. There, you’ll enjoy a traditional Moroccan meal.

After dinner you’ll be entertained with African music – drumming and singing and dancing – around a campfire.

The second half of your 4 days Agadir to Sahara Tour takes you back to Agadir via a slightly different route through the Atlas Mountains. After breakfast in the desert, we’ll leave the big dunes behind and drive through the Dra’a Valley – the longest valley in Morocco. We’ll pass through numerous villages, including Tazzarine, which was featured in the film “Babel”, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette.

We’ll stop for lunch in N’Qob, where you can enjoy beautiful views of the Atlas Mountains while you eat.

In the afternoon, the journey takes us across the Dra’a River to Tansikht. Here we’ll go off-road to follow the ancient caravan route along the valley with its huge palm trees and ancient villages.

We’ll have dinner and spend the night in Agdz.

The final day of your 4-day tour is packed with lovely scenery & fascinating stops. After breakfast, we’ll journey through some beautiful countryside to the village of Taznakht, known for its Berber kilims & carpets. You’ll have a chance to see local artisans at work, weaving these distinctive rugs.

Later, we’ll cross the Tizi-n-Ikhsane & Tizi-n-Tighatine passes in the Atlas Mountains. We’ll stop to have lunch in Taliouine, the heart of the saffron growing area of Morocco. Here, we’ll visit a women’s saffron co-operative, where you’ll learn how the precious saffron is harvested each November by local Berber families from fields of crocuses.

On the way back to Agadir, we’ll visit another women’s cooperative where argan nuts are shelled & ground by hand by local women to make argan oil & other argan products. Argan oil is well-known world-wide for its value in conditioning hair and skin; oil made from roasted argan nuts is also delicious for eating with bread or salad. Argan trees only grow in Morocco, and in this region, they’re everywhere. If we’re lucky, we might see goats climbing in the argan trees – an unbelievable sight – as they feast on tasty fruit.

We’ll pass through Taroudant again before arriving in Agadir in the late afternoon & reaching the end of your 4 days Agadir to Sahara "Saffron & Sahara" Tour.