The Magic of the South

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 01

   Day 1

   Marrakech: welcome to Morocco

   Arrival at Marrakech Menara international airport, where our driver / guide is already waiting for you. Welcome and transfer to your riad to check in, then a tour of Marrakech’s must-sees, such as the Majorelle Garden, the Bahia Palace and the famous Jemaa el-Fna square, with a local guide.

2. 02

   Day 2

   Marrakech – Tizi n’Tichka – Ounila valley – Aït Benhaddou – Skoura

   After a restful night, the adventure begins! We leave at 9 am by 4x4 for Ouarzazate across the Moroccan High Atlas and the famous Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260 m). Halfway, we descend to the Berber villages on the southern slopes of the Atlas, nestled in the mountains, where farming and livestock are the main livelihoods.

   We then follow the magnificent Ounila valley to the ksar of Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The tour with a local guide ends with a fine view from the top of the kasbah; this setting has featured in many films, including Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia. We continue to the Skoura palm grove for the night, in a traditional guesthouse (auberge) serving local cuisine.

3. 03

   Day 3

   Skoura: discovering the palm grove

   Today is devoted to the Skoura area, one of the largest palm groves in the South and a former resting place for caravans arriving from the Sahara. Choose between a mountain-bike day or a walk, accompanied by a local guide, to discover the oasis irrigation system, the oasis way of life and traditional dwellings, including a visit to Kasbah Amridil, which dates from the 17th century.

   At midday, lunch with a family in the heart of the palm grove, then a visit to the craftsmen in their workshops, notably the potters and woodworkers. In the evening, return to the guesthouse for a local cooking class with the host family. Dinner and overnight stay at the guesthouse.

4. 04

   Day 4

   Skoura – Kelâat M’Gouna – Boutaghrar – Dadès

   In the morning we leave Skoura for the M’Goun valley: a complete change of scenery, from arid land to the green rose and alfalfa fields. From Kelâat M’Gouna, a small road takes us to the Boutaghrar valley for lunch.

   We continue along a pretty track towards the Dadès, meeting the last nomad families of the region. Arrival in the late afternoon and check-in at a family-run guesthouse.

5. 05

   Day 5

   A day’s walk in the Dadès gorges

   This day on foot brings you into direct contact with the Berber people of the valley and offers a closer look at their way of life. Accompanied by a local guide, you set out on a 5-hour walk, easy level, through the wild Dadès gorges, less visited than the Todgha (Toudra) gorges. The route is decided the evening before with the guide, depending on the water level in the river.

   The narrowest and most impressive section is at Aït Oudinar, and the Sidi Boubkar gorge is also very wild. At Aït Mouted there is a fine Glaoui kasbah to visit, while the Tamlalt cliff is nicknamed ‘the Monkey Fingers’. At the end of the day, return to the guesthouse for the second night.

6. 06

   Day 6

   Dadès – jbel Saghro – N’Kob – Drâa valley – Zagora

   We leave the Dadès valley for the Saghro, a chaos of volcanic rocks in a lunar landscape where several settled nomad families live. Our route passes close to the highest point of jbel Saghro, with a superb view over the plain of N’Kob, the village of 45 kasbahs.

   In the afternoon we reach the Drâa valley, the longest palm valley in the country, where the date harvest each October is a true source of life for the local people. We follow the Drâa to Zagora, the gateway to the desert. Dinner and overnight stay in a traditional guesthouse.

7. 07

   Day 7

   Zagora – Tamegroute – M’Hamid – Erg Chegaga

   We leave Zagora at 9 am for M’Hamid, the last oasis in the Drâa valley, with a short detour to the village of Tamegroute, the capital of pottery, to visit the craftsmen’s cooperative. We then take the Saharan tracks, stopping for a picnic under the acacias, with vast stony plateaus (the reg) stretching to the horizon, before reaching the wild dunes of Erg Chegaga.

   We settle into the nomad desert camp, in comfort tents; you can climb the high dunes to watch the sunset. An evening of entertainment by the young Berbers of the camp, then dinner and overnight stay at the camp. Please note: the camp has shared toilets and showers.

8. 08

   Day 8

   Erg Chegaga – lake Iriki – Taznakht – Taliouine

   An early start to watch the sunrise over the dunes, a magical moment not to be missed, then breakfast before we take the 4x4s to the dry lake Iriki, on the southern side of jbel Bani. We then leave the track for the road to Taznakht, the weaving capital of southern Morocco, where lunch is planned with a local family, a chance to see traditional weaving by Berber women.

   In the afternoon we continue to Taliouine, the saffron valley. Dinner and overnight stay in a guesthouse at the foot of the valley.

9. 09

   Day 9

   Taliouine – Taroudant

   The morning is set aside to discover the saffron valley, possibly with a visit to a cooperative producing this spice worth its weight in gold. If your stay coincides with the harvest season in October, you can join the farmers in the fields.

   In the early afternoon we take the road to Taroudant, nicknamed ‘little Marrakech’, an old town encircled by the ramparts that once protected its medina. A stroll through the souk is a must, before checking in to a charming riad in the heart of the town.

10. 10

    Day 10

    Taroudant – Tizi n’Test – Tinmel – Marrakech

    In the morning, horse-drawn carriages await for a tour of the ramparts surrounding Taroudant’s medina. We then leave for Marrakech across the High Atlas and the Tizi n’Test pass, through breathtaking scenery of argan trees and red earth.

    On the way, we visit the old Tinmel mosque, open to non-Muslims, which dates from 1156, in the time of the Almohad dynasty. In the late afternoon we reach Marrakech, the ochre city. Transfer to your riad, dinner at your leisure and night on a B&B basis in a charming riad.

11. 11

    Day 11

    Marrakech – flight home

    Depending on your return flight times, transfer to the airport after saying goodbye to the team.

Places on this trip

• Marrakech
• Aït Benhaddou
• High Atlas
• Skoura
• Valley of Roses
• Dadès and Todgha gorges
• Drâa valley
• Erg Chegaga
• Taroudant and Taliouine