Merzouga & Ouzina 8-Day Sahara Expedition — 4WD Adventure

ARRIVAL AT MARRAKECH AIRPORT (RAK)

Welcome to Morocco! Your driver will meet you at the airport and transport you to your riad in Marrakesh.

MARRAKECH GUIDED TOUR WITH A LICENSED LOCAL GUIDE

On this day tour, you will be escorted to some of the most exciting historical locations in Marrakech by the guide. Your first stop will be at Bahia Palace, a magnificent structure reflecting Moroccan architecture from the 19th century. Further, you will be visiting the tombs of Saadian, dating from the late 16th century. Then, you will be moving to Ben Youssef Madrasa, a grand Islamic school established in the 14th century and refurbished in the 16th century. Lastly, you will be heading to El Badi Palace, constructed by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in the late 16th century.

Take a walk in the winding alleys of the Medina up to Jemaa el-Fna Square, the main square of the city that gives access to the busy souks. At the square, you will come across various market stalls where people can purchase handcrafted and traditional goods as well as jewelry pieces. Savor the local flavors in one of the many cafes during lunch and enjoy the delicious local lunch.

The last stop of the day will take place at the Majorelle Garden, a magnificent garden created in the early 20th century by a French artist Jacques Majorelle. This property was later purchased by the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, his companion.

MARRAKECH ⤍ TIZI N'TICHKA ⤍ AÏT BENHADDOU KASBAH ⤍ ROSES VALLEY ⤍ DADES VALLEY

This day’s adventure takes you through some of Morocco’s most amazing landscapes and historic sights. You will start your tour with a picturesque drive through Tizi n'Tichka Pass, which has an altitude of 2,260 m. Have a short rest, have some snacks and, if you wish, visit a cooperative of local women dealing with production of Argan oil.

Our way further will be accompanied by several stops where you will be able to take pictures of picturesque Berber villages along the way. Our next destination will be the Aït Benhaddou Kasbah. Have lunch and some rest and then start the exploration of the site. This medieval fortified city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous not only for its amazing architecture but also for being used as a place for shooting movies like Gladiator, The Mummy, Black Hawk Down and Game of Thrones. Your way will continue to Kalaat M'Gouna, "the City of Roses," famous for holding an annual festival dedicated to roses in May. Here you will get a chance to see the picturesque valley of roses from above.

The next destination on your way will be the picturesque "monkey fingers" rock formations located in Dades Valley. The rocks got their name because of their amazing shapes resembling fingers of a monkey.

The next point of interest will be the Tisseldrine Panorama. From there you will be able to enjoy the amazing view of the Dades Gorge.

Overnight at your riad/hotel in Dades Valley.

DADES VALLEY ⤍ TODRA GORGES ⤍ ERFOUD ⤍ MERZOUGA DESERT

Following breakfast, you will be collected from your riad in Dades Valley and we'll start driving to Merzouga. Our first destination will be the Todra Valley to admire the magnificent panorama views of the oasis on the river.

Next, we'll continue our drive to Todra Gorge, an amazing location on the route to the Sahara Desert which is famous for its incredible limestone cliffs reaching up to 300 meters high. In any case, this place leaves unforgettable impressions throughout the year, including summer period.

Next, we'll drive to Merzouga Desert. On our arrival at this place, you'll have magnificent panorama views of the majestic sand dunes. Then, you'll start a wonderful ride through the desert on camels that will take around 1 – 1.5 hours, including a rest time with beautiful sunset on the dunes.

At the end, you will spend the night in Berber Camp, which will offer traditional folk songs performed by local singers and dinner.

MERZOUGA ⤍ TAOUZ ⤍ DAKAR RACE ROAD ⤍ OUZINA

Firstly, you’ll have the opportunity to climb up the sand dunes and observe the sunrise – what an awesome experience! Then, back to the camp for your traditional Moroccan breakfast.

The first destination of the day will be Khamlia Village, where you can get acquainted with the vibrant music style, Gnaoua, which represents a great cultural wealth of this region. The day’s trip will continue on the route of Paris-Dakar Rally up to Ouzina Desert. There we’ll see how people live here; the traditions of this community include using common oven and gardening in this seemingly impossible conditions.

Then, we’ll find a nomadic family living in the most isolated place, and here you will see their way of living. See by yourself how they live in perfect harmony with nature – you will witness the traditional way of baking bread in common oven and the preparation of the traditional mint tea.

Overnight in your riad/hotel in Ouzina.

OUZINA ⤍ RAMLIA ⤍ FOUM MHARECH ⤍ ALNIF ⤍ N'KOB ⤍ OUARZAZATE

We will pick you up from your riad/hotel at Ouzina and make our way to Ouarzazate. Moroccan trip gives you an exclusive insight into the rough landscape and picturesque desert scenery via the former track of the Paris-Dakar Rally. During the tour, we will visit Ramlia, which is a village famous for its traditional ambiance and picturesque desert landscapes.

Our off-road drive ends when we reach the highway near Alnif. We will take a break at Alnif to have lunch and then move forward to enjoy our drive through the fantastic N’Kob palm grove and among the amazing kasbahs and stunning landscapes of the Draa Valley.

Overnight at your riad/hotel in Ouarzazate.

OUARZAZATE ⤍ TAOUARIRT KASBAH ⤍ ATLAS STUDIOS ⤍ HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS ⤍ MARRAKECH

After breakfast, we will pick you up from your riad in Ouarzazate and head out to visit Taourirt Kasbah, a majestic historical fortress in Ouarzazate that showcases traditional Moroccan architecture through its intricate tilework and ornate wood carvings.

We’ll then explore the renowned Atlas Studios, where many famous films have been shot against the backdrop of the dramatic desert scenery. As we continue our journey, we’ll travel through the scenic landscapes of the High Atlas Mountains before arriving in Marrakech.

Overnight at your riad/hotel in Marrakech.

MARRAKECH ⤍ AIRPORT (RAK)

Today, you have a little spare time before moving to Marrakech Airport for your flight to your new destination.