Day 1: Fez / Merzougua (camel ride and overnight in the desert) We will meet you at your Fez riad or hotel, depart and transport (8 hours) over the Middle Atlas mountains through the cedar forests of Ifrane, Midelt and the Ziz gorges towards Sahara, until the Erg Chebbi dunes appear on the horizon. Our destination is the auberge (small inn) 29km from Merzouga, where you meet your camel guide and ride into the dunes at sunset to the bivouac (camp). Upon arrival you will have a traditional tagine dinner prepared under the evening stars. Climb the dunes and watch the moon rise before retiring to your bed in the nomad wool tent Day 2: Merzougua / Marrakech Return by camel at sunrise to the auberge for breakfast and shower. The remainder of the day is spent driving back to Ouarzazate where we’ll stop for lunch and visit the old Glaoui Kasbah Taouirt. Then we cross the High Atlas once more, down the Tizi nTichka pass. Arrival evening in Marrakech at approximately 6pm. Marrakech hotel this night optional with an extra cost.

Day 1: Fez / Merzougua (camel ride and overnight in the desert) We will meet you at your Fez riad or hotel, depart and transport (8 hours) over the Middle Atlas mountains through the cedar forests of Ifrane, Midelt and the Ziz gorges towards Sahara, until the Erg Chebbi dunes appear on the horizon. Our destination is the auberge (small inn) 29km from Merzouga, where you meet your camel guide and ride into the dunes at sunset to the bivouac (camp). Upon arrival you will have a traditional tagine dinner prepared under the evening stars. Climb the dunes and watch the moon rise before retiring to your bed in the nomad wool tent Day 2: Merzougua / Todra gorges Return by camel at sunrise to the auberge for breakfast and shower before going to Tinehir. Along the way we can visit a fossil workshop for a closer look at Sahara’s wonderful varieties of ancient life. We'll walk through Todra Gorge, where sheer limestone walls rise to 300 m in its narrowest part. After lunch you can wander with a guide through palmeries, villages, gardens, and kasbahs for a close look at traditional Berber ways of life. Evening visit the market in Tinehir and old kasbah quarter. Stay in an old kasbah with evening Moroccan dinner by the pool. Day 3: Todra gorges /Marrakech This morning we'll drive through the Valley of Roses, famous for the Persian rose oil, and the Skoura oasis before stopping for lunch at Ouarzazate. Next we’ll explore the World Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou. This village of clustered Berber Kasbahs has been used as a backdrop for more than 20 films and was one of the most important fortress strongholds on the old Salt Road where caravans brought slaves, gold, ivory and salt from Saharan Africa to Marrakech and beyond. Descending the High Atlas mountains Tizi nTichka pass to Marrakech, we will have time to stop and enjoy impressive landscapes, and coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice breaks. Arrival in Marrakech at approximately 7 p.m. You will need to book a hotel in Marrakech this night or we can book a medina riad including breakfast.

Day 1: Fez / Merzouga We will meet you at your Fez riad or hotel, depart and transport (8 hours) over the Middle Atlas mountains through the cedar forests of Ifrane, Midelt and the Ziz gorges towards Sahara, until the Erg Chebbi dunes appear on the horizon. Our destination is the auberge (small inn) 29km from Merzouga, where you meet your camel guide and ride into the dunes at sunset to the bivouac (camp). Upon arrival you will have a traditional tagine dinner prepared under the evening stars. Climb the dunes and watch the moon rise before retiring to your bed in the nomad wool tent. Day 2 Merzouga / Todra gorges Bivouac trekkers return by camel at sunrise to the auberge for breakfast and shower before going to Tinehir. Along the way you can visit a fossil workshop for a closer look at Sahara’s wonderful varieties of ancient life. We'll walk through Todra Gorge where limestone walls rise to over 300 m in the narrowest gorge and after lunch, visit the women’s market in Tinihir and old kasbah quarter. We stay in traditional old kasbah with evening Moroccan dinner by the pool. Day 3 Todra gorges / Dades gorges After breakfast you can wander with a local guide through palmery villages, gardens, and kasbahs for a close look at traditional Berber ways of life. Our next destination is Dades valley (2 hours) of a thousand Kasbahs. You will pass through many Berber villages, and green riverside oasis and barren red hillsides clustered with kasbahs (fortified dwellings that house many families and their livestock). Stop to visit and walk among the monkey fingers. Stay in Dades valley auberge (small country inn) with Moroccan menu on the terrace, overlooking the valley gorge and gardens. Day 4 Dades gorges / ait ben hadou / Marrakech After breakfast we’ll off-road to Ouarzazate, through the Valley of Roses, famous for the Persian rose oil. Visit the World Heritage Site, Ait Benhaddou. This historic cluster of old kasbahs was the stronghold stop for caravans crossing the High Atlas to pay taxes for protection from thieves after their gold, slaves, salt and ivory. Descending the High Atlas mountains Tizi nTichka pass to Marrakech, we will have time to stop and enjoy the impressive landscapes, and coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice breaks. Arrival in Marrakech approximately 6 p.m. You will need to book a hotel in Marrakech this night or we can book a medina riad including breakfast.

Day 1: Fez / Merzougua camelrid and povernight in the desert We will meet you at your Fez riad or hotel, depart and transport (8 hours) over the Middle Atlas mountains through the cedar forests of Ifrane, Midelt and the Ziz gorges towards Sahara, until the Erg Chebbi dunes appear on the horizon. Our destination is the auberge (small inn) 29km from Merzouga, where you meet your camel guide and ride into the dunes at sunset to the bivouac (camp). Upon arrival you will have a traditional tagine dinner prepared under the evening stars. Climb the dunes and watch the moon rise before retiring to your bed in the nomad wool tent. Day 2: Merzougua Bivouac trekkers return by camel at sunrise to the auberge for breakfast and shower. You can chill out in the dunes or the auberge, or take your car and driver for an off road tour around the Erg Chebbi. We'll stop to visit Nomad families for tea if they are in the region, and you can explore as much as you wish. The village of Hamlia is on your route, and is famous for Gnaoua music. Stay in desert auberge with swimming pool. Includes breakfast and dinner. Day 3: Merzougua / Saghrou montain / Todra gorges We'll drive off road today, traveling through the Saghro mountains. Tinehir. Along the way we pass through folded exposed rock slabs of fossils and we can stop and visit a fossil workshop for a closer look at Sahara’s wonderful varieties of ancient life. Before Tinehir,we'll have a visit to Todra Gorge, where sheer limestone walls rise to 300 m in its narrowest part. After lunch you can wander with a guide through palmeries, villages, gardens, and kasbahs for a close look at traditional Berber ways of life. Visit the market in Tinehir and old kasbah quarter. We will stay in an old kasbah, with evening Moroccan dinner by the pool. Day 4: Todra gorges / Dades gorges Our next destination is Dades valley of a thousand Kasbahs. You will pass through many Berber villages, and see green riverside oasis and barren red hillsides clustered with kasbahs (fortified dwellings that house many families and their livestock). Stay in upper Dades valley auberge, with dinner on the terrace, overlooking the valley gorge and gardens. Day 5: Dades gorgres / Ouarzazat/ ait ben hadou / telouat / Marrakech Our next destination is a drive off road (weather permitting) across the mountains to explore in the Valley of the Rose, famous for Persian roses and the remote village of Boutaghrah for lunch. We’ll explore the environs before continuing on to Ait Benhaddou. We will explore Ait Benhaddou. This village of clustered Berber Kasbahs has been used as a backdrop for more than 20 films and was one of the most important fortress strongholds on the old Salt Road where caravans brought slaves, gold, ivory and salt from Saharan Africa to Marrakech and beyond. Descend the High Atlas mountains Tizi nTichka pass to Marrakech. We will have time to stop and enjoy impressive landscapes, and coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Arrival in Marrakech at approximately at 6 p.m. You will need to book a hotel in Marrakech this night or we can book a medina riad including a full breakfast.