Atlas & Desert Tour
1st Day : Marrakesh
Arrival. Reception and transfer to the hotel.
2nd day : Beni Mellal
After lunch we leave Marrakech and head towards the waterfalls of Ouzoud d’Azilal, visiting the dam at Bin Elouidane. We make a stop at the village of Afourar before arriving at Beni Mellal where we dine and spend the night at the hotel.
3rd day :Beni Mellal - Imilchil
We depart after breakfast heading towards Imilchil, crossing the Atlas Mountains. We’ll stop en route to take in the magnificent landscapes and panoramic views before arriving at Imilchil. It is here, where in mid September, the great festival of “The engagement of Moussem” takes place to celebrate the tribal of Ait Haliddou. The village is located in a valley high in the mountains at an altitude of 2,500m ( 8,200ft). We dine and stay the night at the hotel..
4th day : Imilchil - Merzouga
After breakfast we drive towards Merzouga going via the Gorges of Ziz, Errachidia. We visit the “Source Bleu de Meski”, pools constructed by the French Foreign Legion in the 1930’s. We stop at Aoufous to take photographs of the panoramic views before continuing to the town of Erfoud. Here we visit a fossil processing plant. We then head south leaving the tarmac road behind us heading towards the impressive Dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga.
Arriving before sunset, we’ll stroll on the dunes and watch the sun go down. After which we dine and spend the night in an inn or in Nomad tents.
5th day :Merzouga - Visit surrounding area
This stage enables you to benefit from the splendid views of the sunrise over the dunes of the Erg Chebbi. After breakfast we travel along the dunes to the village of Khamliya which is inhabited by people who originated from sub-saharan Senegal. Here we will watch them dance to their Gnawa music and possibly participate.
We will then visit a lake where pink Greater Flamingo reside. We will have lunch in Rissani, the oldest imperial city and economic centre for the area. We will visit the souk where spices and local crafts will be on display for sale. Finally we will return to Merzouga where we will ride camels into the dunes to spend the night in Nomad tents by an oasis.
6th day : Merzouga - Gorges of Todra
In the morning we leave the tents behind and have breakfast at a local inn. We then travel towards the Gorges of Todra, passing kasbahs and valleys of splendid palms until we reach Tinghir. Here we will visit the very impressive Gorges of Todra. We will dine and spend the night at a hotel.
7th day : Gorges of Todra - Ouarzazate
After breakfast we leave Tinghir and head towards Ouarzazate. We will go via Boumalne Dades and the Valley of the Kalaat M’gouna, a city renowned for its production of pink roses. The harvest of the petals can produce as much as 4,000 tons in favourable years. We visit the Kasbah Taourirt on the outskirts of Ouarzazate before going to the world famous film studios situated just out of town. We dine and spend the night at a hotel.
8th day: Ouarzazate - Marrakech
Today after breakfast we head back towards Marrakech via the kasbahs of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We then take the Tizi-n-Tichka pass over the High Atlas mountains, stopping for photo opportunities of the magnificent views. We carry on to the red city of Marrakech, where we will visit the famous market square of Jamaa Elfna. We will dine and sleep at the hotel.
8th day: Marrakech - Departure
After breakfast there will be a tour of the city, taking in the “Jardin Majorelle”, the medina, Koutoubia and Saadienne tombs. After midday an opportunity to visit Jamaa Elfna before heading for the airport for your flight home. The itinerary for the last day is subject to change due to flight times.
