ITINERARY TO VISIT MERZOUGA MOROCCO [FLEX OFFERS]
When visiting Morocco, a desert tour is almost mandatory. Merzouga & Zagora are the two best deserts to visit while in Morocco, also called Erg Chebbi & Erg Chegaga. We think that Merzouga is exactly like what you imagine when thinking of the Sahara desert. With beautiful reddish yellow undulating dunes, it’s easier to access, has bigger dunes and more accommodation options.
Morocco is internationally known for its desert, but it’s only a small portion of the country. There is a vast distance between the desert and the major cities of Morocco. That’s why we recommend you spend a night in a hotel halfway through the trip.
We rented a car, and started our journey from Marrakech, driving over the Atlas mountains to Ouarzazate. This road is called ‘’ The 1000 Kasbah roads’’ (Kasbah= Moroccan old palace), you will travel back in time… and there are so many beautiful stops in this mystic road: mountains, valleys, palm groves, villages,…
You will have to drive through the infamous Tizi-N-Tichka Road; a zigzag road built in the 1920s, 2,260 meters above sea level. It used to be very difficult to drive, but they recently made renovations and improvements, so now it’s smoother and easier to navigate than before.
Along the road, you will enjoy panoramic views of the High Atlas Mountains and quasi desert landscapes, as well as sights of fertile valleys, blue and red colored villages, and other striking mineral environments.
Our first stop was Kasbah Ait Benhaddou. An ancient town in red clay where 4 families still live, and where there are several shops for Moroccan souvenirs. Aït Benhaddou was once a significant stop for traders carrying gold, salt, and slaves along the famous Southern Caravan route moving through the Sahara.
If you are a Game of Thrones fan, this Moroccan world heritage site was used to portray the slaving city of Yunkai that Daenerys Targaryen laid siege to. We stopped there for a couple hours, walked around the labyrinth, took some amazing pictures and bought desert scarfs from a little shop there (don’t forget to bargain).
After visiting Ait Benhaddou, we continued the road another 30 minutes to Ouarzazate. So many people stop here for the night during their desert trip, that this city is called “ The door of the desert”.
Ouarzazate also has another nickname “Hollywood of Africa “, and that’s due to its movie studios where several cinematic works were produced! The most famous studio is “Atlas Studio” where films like The Jewel of the Nile, Asterix, and Cleopatra, The Ten Commandments, The Hills Have Eyes, and Gladiator were filmed. Not what you’d plan your whole trip to Morocco for, but if you’re stopping for the night and have a few hours to spend it’s not a bad option. It’s open daily from 8 am to 5 pm, cost 110dh to visit all the site and it’s free for children under 5 years.
Taourirt Kasbah is a fortified palace built in the 19th century on the outskirts of Ouarzazate. The kasbah today is partly ruined, but it’s still inhabited on its rear side by a small group of villagers who are always willing to show you around for 20dh. The section of the Kasbah that you can visit is the part that was restored with the assistance of UNESCO. Rambling off in all directions from the main courtyard, visitors can see the former reception rooms, hareem rooms, and the palace kitchens. Some of the upstairs areas offer stunning views of the remainder of the kasbah as well as the River of Ouarzazate in one direction and the High Atlas in the other.
The square is especially lively at sunset. There are some good restaurants in that area, so you can enjoy a warm tagine or a sweet cup of mint tea as you experience this charming little Moroccan town. As for accommodations we stayed in EcoLodge La Palmeraie Ouarzazate. It’s not located in the city center, but it’s not far at all if you have a car, as everything is close together. The property has individual bungalows scattered throughout a farm and offers a bit of nature and relaxation. They have nice pomegranate trees and gardens, goats, cats, and donkeys. The property is surrounded by palm trees, so you really feel like you are in middle of the nature. They have a nice swimming pool area where you can chill and meditate. Also the price was very reasonable at 400dh/night.
The next day, we woke up very early to reach our main destination, the Merzouga desert! It’s exactly 5h driving, but the road is so nice, we made several little stops along the way. The route took us through Kelaa Megouna- The Valley of Rose, where we stopped to buy some cosmetic products made locally by cooperatives, from the valley’s abundant roses. Rosewater, rose oil, rose soap, argan oil, …are all beauty products that are very well known in Morocco and highly valued.
We made a quick stop in Dades Gorge, just a few km after the town of Boulmane Dades to admire the view and then back on the road. If you’re approaching lunch hour, the options can be a bit limited toward the end of the journey. We had a lunch break about 3 hours from Merzouga in the small city of Tinghir, you’ll not find fast food, but quick tajine and back on the road.
Though Merzouga has several hotel options, spending the night in a Bedouin tent, eating dinner around the campfire, and listening to Tuareg music from locals was a truly magical experience.
We booked a night with Desert Camp Merzouga, they met us once we arrived, we left our cars in private parking for free, and we took only the necessary stuff to spend the night in a luxurious bouviac/tent. We hopped on a one-hour camel ride through dunes as far as you can see, and we made it right in time to watch the sunset! You’ll get that feeling like this is a moment you’ll never forget, don’t forget to grab your camera before they take your bags so you can snap some memories!
We were greeted by mint tea and settled in our tents. It was a luxury camp, with private bathrooms, a hot shower, king-sized beds, Berber rugs and furnishings, and beautiful glowing lamps that enhanced the magic of the place. When we were inside the tent, it was hard for us to believe that we were in the middle of nowhere in the desert.
After getting some rest, they served us a very delicious dinner, with salads, tajines, and dessert. Right after the dinner, we went to the campfire to enjoy the music played on drums by Tuareg (aka local people… aka the camp staff) under the clearest starry sky you can ever imagine. We ran out into the dunes in the dark and you truly feel so tiny in this vast sandy landscape.
The next day, we woke early to watch the spectacle of sunrise, there are countless opportunities to photograph the endless rolling desert, but sunrise is the best. After having breakfast, we took advantage of the snowboard to do some dune surfing… so much fun but be ready to eat sand. Rather than take the camels back we arranged to go by quad bikes. Such an adrenaline rush going up and down the massive dunes, we highly recommend it! We picked our stuff from the private parking lot and we headed to Kenz Errimal Hotel.
Kenz Errimal hotel felt like an oasis for us after our sandy immersion in the tents the night before. There was an incredible pool with a postcard-like view to relax in. Surprisingly the water was cool and extremely refreshing on a hot day. The rooms were tidy and clean and the restaurant offered a nice choice if you don’t want to leave the property.
Two nights in the desert of Merzouga were enough to experience the beauty of the desert, do some adventurous activities, and take mesmerizing pictures. We personally feel you would run out of things to do if you were there for more than a weekend.
The next day, after breakfast, was time to leave. From here you could backtrack to Marrakech or head north in the direction of Fez and Meknes. We decided to take the road north to Azrou, a small city Tucked into the hills of the Middle Atlas Mountains, 90 km from Fes. It was a 6h drive in total. We were so tired that once arrived, we headed directly to our hotel. This small unknown city is surrounded by old cedar forests, that hundreds of endangered Barbary Macaques call home. So, the next day we went to the forest to meet these guys in person!
The only species of macaques outside of Asia are the Barbary macaques that roam the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas. The city of Azrou is one of several places where you can see these mountain monkeys in their natural habitat. We gave them some food (cherry tomatoes and peanuts) and had so much fun playing around with them. But careful, never touch their little ones, because they can get very aggressive. And they also can steal your man, proof in the picture!
Azrou was our last stop in our itinerary before heading to Rabat, and one night is not enough to explore the area, as there are beautiful hiking trails around. If you are a nature lover, consider staying for an extra night. We completed our road trip with a 3 hour drive to Rabat. You probably think now, that it’s a long journey to get to the desert, but we had a blast! This adventure was so rich, we saw breathtaking landscapes, incredible night skies, and made memories to share for a lifetime.
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