As we Drive from Marrakech to Merzouga( Erg chebbi sand dunes), you will see wonderful diversity in the cities, geographical landscapes, and the villages of the mountainside. High atlas mountains (tizin'tichka pass2260m)-Ait ben haddou (the unisco world heritage)-movie film center-Ouarzazate(kasbah of taourirte)- kella des Mogauna (orchards and roses gardens)-Boumalen dades-Tinerhir (Todra gorges)-Erfoud (fossils naturel places)-Risani-Merzouga (Erg chebbi dunes)-Draa valley (palm tree grove).
At first, the road follows the Atlas mountains,later get to Ouarzazate with the Ait ben haddou and movie film center then Dades Valley to Skoura, the palm trees are replaced by orchards and irrigated gardens. Roses raised to make perfume are the specialty of Kella des Mogauna. After the Boumalen Dades with a series of Kasbahs leads to Tinerhir, a former military outpost built on terraces above a magnificent palm grove. This is the way into the awesome Todra Gorge (300m high). A little farther on, to the left, there is a holy spring said to cure sterility in women. The drive wil continue to Erfoud and Risani, locations sometimes referred to as "doors of the Sahara." Erfoud was founded as a military outpost to bring the Bedouins and nomads in the region under French control in Morocco, and Risani is an ancient town with an old history from the time of Sijilmassa; it is a place where caravans coming from the south, through the vast Sahara desert, passed for many centuries. From Erfoud, we travel directly to the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi through the fossils beds, the only place where millions of years-old natural fossils such as ammonites, trilobites, and orthomerus’ can easily be observed then head to the largest and highest sand dunes of Erg Chebbi, the best place to experience the hospitality, traditions, and lifestyle of the Berber people and where camels are used to get around the immense dunes by following a series of corridors (300-350m high) and the huge plain to the east that really is a flat black desert where Nomad families live in their unique tents. Here in Merzouga you will find yourrselves in a desert of extraordinary beauty and variety. All of the standard desert landscape types are present in this location from high sand dunes, oasis palm trees, and Berber villages, as well as a variety of rock landscapes and seasonal lakes ;Serji and Yasmina lacs (a favorite spot for migrating birds and where flamingos can sometimes be seen).
*Marrakech-Merzouga and Erg chebbi sand dunes.
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Marrakech-Erg chebbi sand dunes in:
4days/3nights:
day1 : Departure from Marrakech at 7:30 a.m. to the Todra Gorge via Tizin'tichka pass, Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, the movie film center, Kella Mgauna, Boumalen Dades, as well as night at the Todra Gorge.
day2 : Departure from Dades Gorges to Merzouga via Tinerhir, the Todra Gorge, the palm trees oasis of Tinejdad, Er-Rachidia, Ziz Valley, Erfoud, and overnight in Merzouga Kasbah hotel..
day3 : Aday/night camel ride :It begin in the morning and during this camel trek you will cross all sand dunes to get to the berbers/bedouins families living in black desert (lahmada) and you will have an idea about berbers/bedouins traditions and have a look how they live and will have a luch with them and take a rest before being ready for the rest of the tour, 2 hours before the sunset you have to ride your camels to get to the camp exisiting in the midle of the sand dunes and be ready to sleep the night in a berber tent and under the stars with a delecious dinner and a sweet breakfast after the sunrise after cimb up the dunes close by your tents back to the hotel.
day4 : Departure from Merzouga to Marrakech via Risani, the palm trees oasis of Tinejdad and Touroug, Taourirte Kasbah, and back to Marrakech.
3days/2nights:
day1 : Departure from Marrakech at 7:30 a.m. to the Todra Gorge via Tizin'tichka pass, Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, the movie film center, Kella Mgauna, Boumalen Dades, as well as night at the Todra Gorge.
day2 : Departure from Dades Gorges to Merzouga via Tinerhir, the Todra Gorge, the palm trees oasis of Tinejdad, Er-Rachidia, Ziz Valley, Erfoud, and night at the Merzouga Sand Dunes.
day3 : Departure from Merzouga to Marrakech via Risani, the palm trees oasis of Tinejdad and Touroug, Taourirte Kasbah, and back to Marrakech.
2days/1nights:
day1 : Departure from Marrakech to Merzouga via Tizin'tichka Pass, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Kella des Mogauna, Boumalen Dades, the Todra Gorge, Erfoud, and spend the night at Merzouga.
day2 : Departure from Merzouga, Ziz Valley, Tinerhir, Ouarzazate, Tourirte Kasbah, the movie film center, and back to Marrakech.
Expeditions to Zagora ( Tinfou dunes and Chegaga dunes) :
This trip originates in Marrakech and proceeds to Zagora and then south to the Chegaga Sand Dunes via Tizin'tichka Pass (2260m) which is in the heart of the Atlas Mountains. Keep your eyes open for the Berber villages tucked away in the mountainside and you will also see Ait Ben Haddou, one of the world’s most magnificent Kasbahs. These authentic Berber villages have considerable world heritage where many movies has been filmed such as Lawrence of Arabia, Hidalgo, The Black Stallion Returns, Babel, Cleopatra, etc. The trip continues to Ouarzazate, a fortified town created by the French in 1928 as a military outpost; there we will visit an outdoor movie studio, the Kasbah of Taourirte, the old Galoui Palace, the river through the Draa Valley with many Kasbahs, the long palm tree oasis which produces famous dates, the village of Agdz, and then Tamegroute which is home to a famous Koranic library that contains many rare books and documents. In the library, you will see documents written on gazelle skin that date back to the 13th Century. Also to be seen are pottery artisans. Small villages can be seen near the mountains with their wall of earth at intervals along the route. Zagora and M'Hamid are also known as "the doors of the desert” because they are the last towns before the Draa River,The palm oases and the road all dissolve into nothing but sand and rocks as we drive through the sand dunes.South of Zagora is the small village of M’Hamid; here you can get a more intimate view of some sand dunes rising to heights of over 30m. You may also be surrounded here by gazelles, rabbits, squirrels and lizards. Then the magnificent and extensive Chegaga Sand Dunes where you will have the opportunity to camel trek and spend the night under the stars in quiet romantic silence that will leave you enchanted by the spirit of the Sahara. Below you will discover some more information on our trips around this region:
*Marrakech-Zagora and chegaga sand dunes.
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Marrakech-Chegaga sand dunes in :
3days/2nights
day1 : Marrakech to Zagora
Departure from Marrakech at 7:30 a.m. traveling towards Zagora via Tizin’tichka, Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, the movie studio, Ouarzazate, the Draa valley and spend the night at Zagora.
day2 : Zagora-Chegaga sand dunes
Start from Zagora to Tamegrout, M’Hamid, Tinfou Sand Dunes, and spend the evening at Chegaga Sand Dunes enjoying the sunset and spending the night.
day3 : Chegaga dunes-Marrakech
After a wonderful sunrise and a Berber breakfast, back to Marrakech via Ouarzazate and Taourirte Kasbah.
2days/1night
day1 : Marrakech-Zagora
Departure from Marrakech at 7:00 a.m. traveling towards Zagora via Tizin’tichka Pass, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Agdz, the Draa Valley, Tamegrout, Zagora, and spend the evening at Sand Dunes of zagora.
day2 : Zagora-Marrakech
After sunrise and breakfast, start back to Marrakech via Taourirte Kasbah and the movie studio center.
Please contact us for more information or about other programs.
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