Atlas to Desert Journey — Seven Days Between Stone and Sand
Duration: 7 days / 6 nights
Arc: Marrakech → Ouirgane → Aït Benhaddou → Dades Valley → Merzouga → Ouarzazate → Marrakech
A week-long descent from cool mountain air to the quiet heat of the Sahara. Paths, passes, and palm valleys trace Morocco’s great vertical journey.
Day 1 – Marrakech to Ouirgane
Leave Marrakech and climb gently into the Ouirgane Valley, where olive groves follow the river. Lunch beside the water; evening in a stone lodge with mountain silence for company.
Day 2 – Ouirgane to Aït Benhaddou
Cross the High Atlas, pausing for views above cedar valleys. Descend toward Aït Benhaddou, the earthen citadel glowing in the last light. Overnight in a kasbah facing the ksar.
Day 3 – Aït Benhaddou to Dades Valley
Drive east through Skoura’s palm oasis and the Valley of Roses, where clay kasbahs rise among gardens. Evening in Dades Valley, where rock folds like paper under the sunset.
Day 4 – Dades to Merzouga
Follow the Todgha Gorge before the land flattens and turns to sand. Arrive in Merzouga by evening. Camel ride across the dunes to camp; night under a field of stars.
Day 5 – Merzouga
Wake to silence. Visit a nomad family for tea, explore fossil plains or an oasis for lunch, then rest as the dunes change colour at dusk. Second night in camp or desert lodge.
Day 6 – Merzouga to Ouarzazate
Cross the Anti-Atlas and the long ribbon of the Drâa Valley, palms shimmering in desert light. Evening arrival in Ouarzazate, the quiet gateway between mountain and sand.
Day 7 – Ouarzazate to Marrakech
Morning visit to Kasbah Taourirt or a film studio, then return through the High Atlas to Marrakech. The dunes now distant, their quiet carried in memory.
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