Majestic Erg Chegaga & Dades Gorges

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» Ouarzazate » Agadir

Majestic Erg Chegaga, Dades gorges 

6 Days / 5 Nights 

Itinerary

1st day: Agadir – Taroudant – Tilouine – Foum Zguid
Departure from Agadir at 8 o’clock by 4WD to Taroudant, known as “the little Marrakesh”. It is spectacular for its massive ramparts and beautiful medina. We continue to Tilouine, the heart of the saffron growing area of Morocco and cross the two passes of Tizi-n-Tighatine and Tizi-n-Ikhsane before reaching Taznakht. This small town is famous for its Berber gelims and carpets and where we stop for lunch. From here we continue south driving to the edge of the Sahara to Foum Zguid for the night.

2nd day: Foum Zguid – Chegaga dunes
After breakfast we drive into the Sahara across the now dried-up Lake Iriqui, which used to be fed by the Dra’a river and be full of fish and water birds. In the middle of this lake we can search for fossils. Lunch will be in Chegaga dunes, far away from villages and ‘civilisation’. Here you can clamber up to the top of the high dunes to watch the sunset. At the foot of the dunes, we have dinner and spend the night in a bivouac of nomad tents.

3rd day: Chegaga – Agdez
After breakfast in the bivouac, the itinerary crosses another 60 km of desert road via the Sacred Oasis to arrive in M’hamid. Here you will be taken to visit Abdelhadi’s ancestral house in the old village on the opposite side of the Dra’a River. Later we continue to drive up the Dra’a Valley, the longest valley in Morocco. We follow the ancient caravan route used by the caravans that crossed the Sahara for days and weeks bringing treasures from Mali or Mauretania. The road passes between the river and the mountains past all the Kasbahs and the local gardens, giving you a clearer impression of life here in this area of Morocco. In Agdez, we stop for the night at a traditional guest house.

4th day: Agdez – Dades
After breakfast, we visit Kasbah Tamnougalte, the oldest and most famous Kasbah in the Dra’a Valley. Part of the Kasbah is still occupied by a few families, living much as they have done for centuries. Other parts, especially the “Mellah”, the Jewish area, are slowly crumbling after the last people left for Israel at the end of the 60’s. We have lunch in a small Berber town, N’qob. Further on we turn north in Alnif and pass the Saghro mountains. The main tribe in these mountains was the Aït Atta, who were the last people to resist the French occupation. We first reach Tinghir from where we visit the Toudgha gorges before spending the night in the Dades Valley.

5th day: Dades – Ouarzazate
After breakfast we continue up the valley as far as the gorges, where it is possible to walk awhile. Before reaching the main road again at Boulmane Dades, we turn right to go off-road past Boutaghrar. All along this side road, there are Berber nomads living in caves and we can stop to partake tea with them. The road continues to the Rose Valley, where there is a Rose Festival each year at the beginning of May. The blossoms are distilled to make wonderful oils, soap and lotions, which are sold throughout the country. The next town on the road is the Skoura Oasis, where numerous ancient kasbahs, some sadly in ruins, stand amongst the palm trees. Here there is time to visit the very interesting Kasbah Amridil, which used to appear on the 50 dirham note. Finally reaching Ouarzazate, we spend the night in a riad or guest house.

6th day: Ouarzazate – Agadir
The first visit of the day is about 30 km away at Ait Benhaddou, the most famous Kasbah in Morocco and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Back on the main road we turn left passing the still intact film set for “the Hills have Eyes” and the new 130 km long reservoir, Tiouine. We reach Taznakht, famous for its Berber gelims and carpets and continue to Agadir, crossing the Tizi-n-Ikhsane and Tizi-n-Tighatine passes. We stop to have lunch in Taliouine, where there is an excellent little museum about the art of growing saffron. The road takes us on to Taroudant again and follows the often dry Souss River and innumerous argane trees on all the slopes of the hill-sides back to Agadir, which we reach by the end of the afternoon. Our tour ends here in Agadir.

Please Note: Prices for all of our tours include accommodation and access to historical sites.  Unless otherwise stated in the details of the specific tour, breakfast and dinner are included, however lunch and alcohol are not