Day 1 :
After an early morning pick up at your accommodations, we will begin our exciting day discovering the historic towns that lie in the semi-arid plain on the other side of the High Atlas Mountains.
Leaving Marrakesh, Driving higher and higher, we will encounter the numerous winding switchbacks of the Tizi n’Tichka mountain pass, a marvel of modern engineering and design.
At 2,260m above sea level, we will stop at the crest of the Tizi n’Tichka to gaze at the surrounding mountaintops.
After crossing the high Atlas Mountains, we’ll arrive at the village of Ait Benhaddou, an important UNESCO sight in the region.
With its many towers and traditional houses, Ait Benhaddou stands as the most striking example of the pre-Saharan architecture of southern Morocco.
After exploring the area then We can have lunch at one of the excellent restaurants overlooking Ait Benhaddou.
Our last stop today will be in the capital of southern Morocco, Ouarzazate.
Like Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate boasts an important fortified center, the Taourirt Kasbah.
However, what makes Ouarzazate most famous today are its internationally renowned movie studios.
If you’d like, we can visit either the cinema museum, or even one of the studios.
After checking into a hotel in Ouarzazate, you’ll have the rest of the evening to explore the town on your own.
Day2:
Following breakfast, we’ll get back on the road and skirt along the opposite side of the High Atlas Mountains, exploring traditional mudbrick towns and beautiful desert landscapes as we make our way to Merzouga and its surrounding sand dunes.
Along our way, we’ll visit the famous little town of Kelaat Mgouna, known across Morocco for its traditional Rose Festival in May.
A little further down the road, we’ll discover Soukora, a traditional mudbrick town in heart of 25km² of lush palm groves.
Driving a little further on, we’ll reach Tinghir, an ancient Berber town where we will visit todra gorges morocco 1024Our day’s first stop will be in the Dades Valley, a region famous for its sprawling palm groves growing over an underground river.
We’ll finish this exciting day with our late afternoon arrival in Merzouga, we’ll trek out via camelback to a Berber camp site in the middle of the sand dunes, far, far away from the worries of the world.
Here your Berber hosts will cook traditional desert meals for you, while teaching you about their culture.
Spend the evening huddled around the campfire, venture out into the desert, or lie on a sand dune and gaze at the stars.
Day 3 :
On our last day together, you will have the opportunity to wake up early and catch the beautiful desert sunrise from atop of sand dune.
After breakfast, we will hike out of the desert on camelback to reach our van in Merzouga.
After giving you the opportunity to shower and freshen up, we will hit the road to get to Fez before the evening.
Our first stop on today’s itinerary will be in the town of Azrou, the ancient capital of the Amazigh people in the Middle Atlas Mountains region.Atlas Mountains morocco tour
Situated at 1,250m above sea level, Azrou finds itself nestled cozily in the surrounding hills of the Middle Atlas Mountains.
Famous for its cedar forests, butterflies, and Barbary ape population, Azrou is a perfect place to get back to nature.
in Azrou, we will stop outside of the town to explore this beautiful natural environment.
Climbing higher into the Middle Atlas, passing through oak forests, the next stop on our drive will be in the famed ‘Switzerland of Morocco’, the town of Ifrane. Thanks to its alpine climate, at 1,665m above sea level, Ifrane can’t escape getting large quantities of snow every winter.
As such, the roofs of its houses and businesses are sloped so not to be crushed under the weight of snow, earning Ifrane the cute nickname the ‘Switzerland of Morocco’.
During the summer, though, the temperature rises and Moroccan’s flock to Ifrane for its tidy parks, clean air, and beautiful scenery.
Ifrane is also famous for the world renowned Al-Akhawayn University, which attracts the best and brightest of Morocco each year.
We will also make a stop at the Ifrane National Park to admire the ancient cedar trees and try our luck at finding a colony of Barbary apes.
Our last stop will be in the provincial town of Imouzer, which is famous for its Apple Festival in September. Many of the inhabitants of Imouzer are of Amazigh descent and speak a language different than Arabic as their mother tongue.
The area around Imouzer is dotted with lakes that were carved out during a period of intense volcanic activity in the distant past. Stopping at one of these lakes, Dayet Aoua, you will have the opportunity to go for a quick horse or donkey ride on the lakeshore.
Leaving Imouzer, we will drive directly to Fez to get you to your accommodations at a reasonable hour.