5 Days Marrakech to Sahara with Ouarzazate + Dades + Todra + Fint

Start your day early morning to go from Marrakech to Ouarzazate city. You will have the opportunity to cross the mighty Atlas Mountains and enjoy its amazing views. After a couple of strategic photos stops on the way, you will finally arrive at Ksar Ait Benhaddou, an ancient outpost for caravans carrying goods between Marrakech and destinations in sub-Saharan Africa. Ait Benhaddou is enlisted as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. This location is also set for many famous box office movies such as Gladiator for example. You will spend the night at a hotel in Ouarzazate with dinner and breakfast included.

Morning departure to go from Ouarzazate to Dades Valley. Today you explore many of the most beautiful places in south Morocco. Enter Dades Valley and enjoy such landscapes that might confuse you from being in Morocco or planet Mars. The red-color tones of the mountains are unbelievable. As you enter the Sahara Desert, the change of landscape is as obvious as fantastic. You will arrive at Erg Chebbi dunes in time to go on a camel ride and get dropped off at an authentic desert camp where you will spend the night in a tent with dinner and breakfast included.

Early morning wake up to enjoy the sunrise in the desert. Don’t miss this opportunity even if it means rising up early to climb the dunes. The reward is worthwhile. There are times that the sun creates this surreal colors while rising up from the Algerian mountains. This is an epic experience.

You’re going back to your hotel to have breakfast and get ready to explore the desert. Today you will be taken to several places in the region in order to get to know its culture, traditions, and best places to visit.

The highlight of the day will be a phenomenal Gnawa show with dance and music played by local artists. People from Khamlia village are descendants from sub-Saharan Africa tribes that stayed in the region while the ancient caravan routes we still operating. Nowadays, they maintain different traditions that create a very interesting and creative way of life.

After visiting Hassilabied oasis, you’ll be taken to your hotel to enjoy and relax the rest of the day until your time to go on a camel trekking just before sunset. You will spend the night in a desert camp in the dunes. If you thought your Sahara trip couldn’t get any better, well, you got it all wrong. The evening will be with music and local dance while eating a delicious local meal.

After breakfast, we will leave our hotel in Ouarzazate in order to visit several places in the city. We start with the charming Taourirt Kasbah, a 17th-century palace totally made of mud. You can chose to take an official guide that explains to you the details of the place, or, just pay the ticket and explore the place on your own, but watch out not to miss the most important rooms with ceiling decoration and the best window views.

After Taourirt we move one to the exciting Atlas Film Studios. Don’t get this place wrong, we’re talking about the fact that these are living studios, so possibly, you will visit this place while some important Holywood production is being shot there. You might even cross Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt?! Who knows…

Throughout the years, the Atlas Studios Ouarzazate has served as a shooting location for Babel, The Living Daylights, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, Alexander the Great, Kingdom of Heaven, Kundun, Body of Lies, The Mummy, and Star Wars for example.

After visiting Ouarzazate you will be taken across the high Atlas Mountains, up to altitudes above 2200 meters, in order to cross the mountain range to be able to get to our final destination of the day: Marrakech.

The mountain crossing takes you through breathtaking views, and if you visit Morocco from late November to late February, you will surely see this region of Morocco full of snow. The contrast of getting from the Sahara Desert to Marrakech, couldn’t be more unbelievable.

Upon arrival to Marrakech, you will be taken to your riad/hotel.