7D/6N The Desert Pearl Tour Tours From Marrakech

Meet in Marrakech the driver and the guide who will lead you to the main sights of Marrakech. Today will be dedicated to explore Marrakech. Historical visit of Marrakech will include Menara garden, a magnificent pool surrounded by flowers and other impressive sights such as the koutoubia Mosque (the twin tower of Giralda in Seville, Spain). The Saadian tombs demonstrate the Moorish architecture with its perfection, The Bahia palace and Madrassa Ibn Youssef. The guide take you to the restaurant for lunch.

Evening drums will draw you to the Djemaa El Fna (main city square). It’s a festival atmosphere, with snake charmers, Berber and Gnoua musicians, and storytellers illuminated by lamplight and wreathed in smoke. Food stalls on the square sell fresh salads, soups, fried fish and chips, chicken and beef kebabs and even boiled snails or sheep’s head. Finish it off with a glass of sweet cinnamon tea.

After breakfast in the Riad, you will leave Marrakech heading to Boumalne de Dades crossing the high Atlas Mountains with beautiful views via the Tichka pass (7 217,85 ft altitude). You will have stops to take panoramic pictures. Stop in Ait Benhaddou village to have lunch, and to visit the village’s Kasbah (citadel) which is declared a world heritage by the UNESCO. Many films have been shoot to mention a few the Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia…continuing the rest of the way crossing Ouarzazate town, famous for its cinematographic studio and called the Hollywood of Africa, then driving the rest of the itinerary crossing the valley of roses, and arriving to Boumalne Dades. Dinner and breakfast in the hotel.

After breakfast, you, the guide and the driver will depart to the Desert of Erg Chebbi. Alongside the way, you will visit the Todgha Gorges where you will stop for a 15 min walk, then continue to Erfoud known for the preparation of fossils ( sculpture), then driving to Rissani, the cradle of the Alaouite dynasty which is ruling Morocco nowadays, and famous for the palm trees. We will stop for a while in the Medieval Market of Rissani, and stroll for some minutes before leaving to Merzouga where you will change the car for the camels that will take you to spend the night in the heart of the desert, under nomad tents with the camelman who can set up a fire and invite you to play on drums with him. Dinner and night under nomad tent.

Wake up in the middle of nowhere, ride back your camels to the hotel where you will take a shower and have your breakfast.
We will leave Merzouga, and have a short visit for the village of the black people, originally descended from sub-Saharan countries. We will enjoy some of their music (gnawa music) and head to Touaz, a small town in the West of Merzouga where we will see some engraving stones dating back to the preislamic period, with drawings showing some of the prevailing activities at that time. Here you will be more familiar with the desert and its infinite silence, riding for miles and not seeing a soul. We will have our lunch in open air (Picnic), then driving the rest of the way to arrive to Ramlia. Dinner and breakfast in a Berber guest house.

This itinerary contains 90 km off-road, and about 60 on road. You will see some forgotten oases and Berber villages, dried rivers, nomads. You will change the warm weather of the desert with quite cold weather of the Atlas Mountains. Arrival to tinghir. Dinner and breakfast in the hotel.

After breakfast, you will drive through the Atlas Mountains, discovering the real life of nomads who live away from the beaten roads. They have a rough way of living, but always keeping a smile on their faces. We will join the main way in the centre of Kelaa Mgouna town. After a while you will visit Amridil Kasbah, an eighteen sight which represents the beginning of collective life after nomadism on the in the region of the south east, before arriving to Ouarzazate. Dinner and breakfast at the hotel.

At the appropriate time, we will depart to Marrakech, taking another way to visit the Kasbah of Telouet, before joining the main way. Visit of a local women cooperative for the production of Argan oil. After this pause, we will drive the rest of the way back to Marrakech.