Mmorocco

Traditional dwellings in morocco..morocco holidays

Marrakesh – Dades Morning departure at 8 o’clock from your hotel or riad in Marrakesh to cross the High Atlas Mountains. After the Tichka pass, you leave the main road and take a side road to the Telouet Kasbah, which belonged to the Lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui family, and which now stands in ruins after the last Pasha fled the country following the departure of the French. From there you continue for lunch at Ait Ben Haddou along the newly asphalted connecting road. This is the most famous Kasbah in Morocco and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which we visit after lunch. The road continues through the Skoura Oasis, where numerous ancient kasbahs, some sadly in ruins, stand amongst the palm trees. From here, the route takes us through Kela’a M’gouna, the Valley of Roses, with a stop to see cosmetic articles locally-made from the valley’s abundant roses. These products are well-known throughout Morocco and are highly valued. An off-road route leads to the Dades Valley, where you will spend the night with a Berber family, or for the more intrepid, with Berber nomads in their caves. This is recommended more for the spring, summer and autumn, as the nights in winter can get very cold.

Dades – Agdez After breakfast, we travel south, across the Tizi-n-Tazzazert pass in the Saghro mountain range to the village of N’Qob for lunch. This road is spectacular and is mostly off–road. From N’Qob, we join the Dra’a Valley and travel as far as Agdez, the head of the Dra’a Valley, to spend the night in a Kasbah there. Here you can visit Kasbah Tamnougalte, built in the 16th century, which is the most famous Kasbah in the Dra’a Valley where you can visit the privately owned area too. It is typically built in mud and straw with interior court-yards.

3rd day: Agdez – M’hamid After breakfast the route continues to M’hamid following the ancient caravan route between the mountains and the river. We stop in a riad in Zagora for lunch before continuing the journey. M’Hamid marks the end of the paved road and the beginning of the Sahara. Here a two-hour camel ride leads to the highest dune to enjoy an unforgettable sunset and to spend the beauty of the night in a nomad tent close to the dunes of Erg Lihoudi.

M’hamid – Cheggaga The return to M´hamid for lunch is on camel back and, in the afternoon, is the departure for the Erg Cheggaga dunes (300m) with 60km of off-road. This route passes different features of the desert; ‘erg’, ‘reg’, ‘hammada’, oases. These dunes are far away from civilization, in the desert proper and the silence and the expanse of the sand are overwhelming. Dinner and a night’s sleep are in a bivouac of nomad tents.

Cheggaga – Oasis Fint After breakfast, the road takes us through another 90km of desert with varying scenery; Lake Iriqui, the mountains and fossils. Lunch will be in Foum Zguid, the first village after the desert, where it is also possible to freshen up with a shower. From here the drive back north is along paved roads via the village of Taznakht, famous for its Berber carpets and rugs. Before we reach Ouarzazate, we turn off the main road and head for the mountains to the hidden oasis of Fint, which was once the head of the caravan route, where the caravans converged before their goods, slaves, gold and salt were distributed across Morocco. Here the night is spent in a traditional auberge.

6th day: Oasis Fint – Marrakesh After breakfast, we drive back to Ouarzazate to Kasbah Taourirt, once owned by the Pashas of Marrakesh, the Galoui family. From here the road goes north again to Marrakesh, stopping for lunch in the mountains and reaching Marrakesh by the early evening.

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Kasbahs, gorges, dunes in morocco .. holidays

Kasbahs, gorges, dunes in morocco .. holidays

Marrakesh – Ouarzazate Morning departure from your hotel/riad in Marrakesh at 8 o'clock and driving across the High Atlas mountains. At panoramic viewpoints, there will be opportunities to stop and take photos. The first scheduled stop is at the Kasbah of Telouet, which served as a palatial residence and the headquarters of the powerful Glaoui tribe. Here you will stop for lunch. Then the route crosses the Oumila Valley and leads along the stunning road to the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, the oldest and most famous Kasbah in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage site. In Ouarzazate you spend the night in a riad.

Ouarzazate – Toudgha gorges Morning departure to the Dades Gorge, passing the Oasis of Skoura, where numerous ancient kasbahs, some sadly in ruins, stand amongst the palm trees. From here, our route takes us through Kela’a M’gouna, the Valley of Roses, where we stop to see the cosmetic articles made locally from the valley’s abundant roses. These products are well-known throughout Morocco and are highly valued. From here, you take an off-road route to have a better impression of the landscape. You stop in the Dades gorge for lunch. The trip continues a short distance to Tinghir and the very different Toudgha gorges, where you spend the night in a hotel or Kasbah.

Toudgha gorges – Merzouga After breakfast, there is time to walk by the river. Lunch will either be here in the gorges or later at the bivouac at the Erg Chebbi dunes. You drive there via the Ziz Valley, the Oasis of Tafilalet, Erfoud and Rissani. In the afternoon you can take a two-hour camel ride in the Sahara. The sunset from the top of the dunes is spectacular (250m) and afterwards there is dinner and the night in a nomad tent at the foot of the dunes.

Merzouga – Agdez If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise, when the colour of the dunes and the play of shadows are an awesome sight. The itinerary continues to the Dra’a Valley via the village of Tazzarine (featured in the film ‘Babel’), and on the N’Qob for lunch. In the afternoon the journey takes us to Tanasikht to drive along the ancient caravan route and discover the real Dra’a Valley with its huge palm trees and ancient villages. At the end of the afternoon, we stop in Agdez for the night in a kasbah.

Agdez – Marrakesh After breakfast there will be a visit to Kasbah Tamnougalte before returning to Ouarzazate, via the mountain pass of Tizi-n-Tinfifte (1660m). Once in Ouarzazate, we visit the Kasbah of Taourirt, originally the residence of the Pasha of Marrakech and a symbol of the feudal period of the lords of Atlas. Afterwards, an unpaved track to the Fint Oasis nestling among the mountains, which once served as the crossroads of caravans, provides a hidden delight. The return to Marrakech will complete the trip by the early evening.

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The Majestic Dunes ..holidays of morocco

Marrakesh – Agdez 8 o'clock departure from your hotel / riad in Marrakesh to Ouarzazate, crossing the High Atlas and the pass of Tizi-n-Tichka (2260m). At panoramic viewpoints, there’ll be opportunities to stop to take pictures. After lunch in Ouarzazate, we visit the Kasbah of Taourirt in the town centre, once the residence of the Pasha of Marrakech and a symbol of the feudal period of the lords of the Atlas. In the afternoon we drive along the Dra’a Valley to reach the village of Agdez for the night in a kasbah.

Agdez – M’hamid After breakfast, a visit to the Kasbah is planned, before driving off-road further down the Dra’a Valley to Zagora for lunch. In the afternoon, the trip takes us to M’hamid which marks the end of the paved road and the beginning of the desert. A two-hour camel ride takes us to the bottom of the highest dune where the view of the sunset is magnificent. The night is spent in a nomadic tent close to the dunes of Erg Lihoudi.

M’hamid – Cheggaga After breakfast return to M’hamid, across the now usually dry Dra’a River, to visit the old village. In the afternoon, the 4x4 takes us to the Erg Cheggaga dunes, travelling some 60km off-road. This route passes different features of the desert: ‘erg’, ‘reg’, ‘hammada’, and the Sacred Oasis to dunes far away from civilization, in the desert proper where the silence and the expanse of sand is overwhelming. Dinner and the night are in a bivouac of nomadic tents.

Cheggaga – Ouarzazate After breakfast, the road takes us through another 90km of desert with varying scenery: Lake Iriqui, mountains and fossils. Lunch will be in Foum Zguid, the first village after the desert, where it is also possible to freshen up with a shower. From here the drive back to Ouarzazate is along paved roads via the village of Taznakht, famous for its Berber carpets and rugs, and we arrive in the course of the afternoon. Here in Ouarzazate you stay in a riad for the night.

Ouarzazate – Marrakesh After breakfast we make a morning departure to the Kasbah of Tifoultoute and the cinema studios, continuing to the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, the backdrop to many Hollywood blockbusters and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch will be there at Ait Ben Haddou, before driving to Kasbah Telouet, the palatial residence of the former Pasha of Marrakesh, Thami Glaoui. From here we cross the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, the highest pass in Morocco, and reach the city at the end of the afternoon.

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