Draa Valley & Desert Tour (4 Nights)

from-marrakech-draa-desert-short-tour-map Our Draa Valley & Desert Tour (Marrakech, Zagora, M’Hamid, Ouarzazate, Marrakech) takes you from Marrakech, over the High Atlas Mountains, to Zagora and the stunning Draa Valley, home of the date palms. Enter the Sahara desert from M’Hamid and enjoy a night under the stars in the majestic Erg Chigaga dunes. Stunning mountain scenery, kasbah, and Berber villages line your route. A great chance to get a little off the beaten track and explore the regions to south of Ouarzazate in a short space of time.

DAY 1: Marrakech

morroco-marrakech-sqaure Upon arrival in Marrakech, you will be met and transferred to your hotel/Riad. Relax and settle in, or take of tour of Marrakech including the Menera Gardens, the famous Jardin Majoralle, the Bahia Palace and the Saadian tombs. Visit the Koutoubia Mosque, with its 77m high minaret dominating the centre of Marrakech. Continue to one of the centre attractions of Marrakech; Djemaa el-Fna, the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site which is one of the main cultural spaces in Marrakech. Overnight in Marrakech.

DAY 2: Marrakech – Zagora (363kms)

morocco-draa-valley-kashah Depart Marrakech for Zagora. You will travel the stunning Tichka Pass (2260m) which offers panoramic views of the Atlas Mountain chain and the Berber villages tucked within them. Continue to Zagora via the peaks and ridges of the Djebel Sarhro range, to the main pass at Tizi n’Tinififft (1660 m). At Agdz, you leave the mountains behind and continue onto Zagora, an oasis town in the Draa Valley on the edge of the Sahara desert. Overnight in Zagora.

DAY 3: Zagora – M’Hamid (97kms)

morocco-desert-camel-trek The small palm-grove village of M’hamid is the last administrative centre of the middle Draa. One of two places in Morocco where the Sahara begins, M’Hamid is where your Moroccan desert adventure starts! Trek the desert by camel and watch the sunset over the majestic Erg Chigaga dunes, and spend the night in an oasis in a Berber tent. Overnight in desert oasis.

DAY 4: M’Hamid – Ouarzazate (260kms)

Head back to Ouarzazate via the same road, browsing medieval potteries along the way. Visit Tamegroute on the edge of the Moroccan Sahara, for centuries an important centre for religion and education, and visit the Librairie Coranique (Koranic Library). Explore Ouarzazate, the ‘Hollywood’ of Morocco, famous for its film studios. Overnight in Ouarzazate.

DAY 5: Ouarzazate – Marrakech (203kms)

Continue your journey back to Marrakech, along the way visiting Ait Ben Haddou, one of Morocco’s most magnificent Kasbah. This setting has been used for more films than any other location in Morocco; including, Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, and The Gladiator. Your tour ends in Marrakech.