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Experience the real Morocco with expert guides
Top-Rated On Tripadvisor Trips for All Budgets Experience the real Morocco with expert guides
Desert Majesty has designed a wonderful two-day trip into and over the High Atlas Mountains south and east of Marrakech.
On this trip, you will witness ancient and traditional Berber life-styles. This is in the form of agriculture, and the architecture of palatial buildings and humble homes of clay and straw, designed to beat the winter cold and the summer heat.
You will visit four very different Glaoui kasbahs; signs of the powerful reach of the Lords of the Atlas. You can enjoy panoramic views over the scenic valleys and productive, self-sufficient fields in-between.
Outside Ouarzazate, you will be taken to an oasis tucked away out of sight, among towering rocks surrounding it, where life is much the same as it has been for centuries. The village name, Fint, in Amazigh (Berber) means “hidden” and it most certainly is that.
Experience the majesty and wonder of our unique range of Marrakech Desert tours. The tour itinerary is below. Your journey starts here!
| No Days | Meals |
|---|---|
| All-inclusive | |
| Total price | |
| 2 Persons |
|---|
| 235 € * |
| 470 € * |
| 3 Persons |
|---|
| 195 € * |
| 585 € * |
| 4 Persons |
|---|
| 175 € * |
| 700 € * |
| 5 Persons |
|---|
| 160 € * |
| 800 € * |
| 6 Persons |
|---|
| 160 € * |
| 960 € * |
The morning departure is at 8.30 from the reception your hotel or riad in Marrakech. About an hour or so later, we ascend the chain of the High Atlas Mountains and its famous Tizi-n-Tichka pass. This pass is famous due to its being the highest in the whole of Africa. The route is lined by Berber villages set on the side of the mountains away from the fertile river side. The valleys are bordered by oleander, silver birch, poplars, olives, walnuts, pomegranates, apples, pears and quinces. On the steep slopes of the hills, you may catch a glimpse of Berber women and children tending goats and sheep.
As you reach the far side of the mountains, you will soon notice the landscape change dramatically, becoming semi-arid and desert-like. Here the Kasbah architecture with turrets on all the buildings, adorned with grilled windows and soft peach coloured walls is instantly noticeable. These traditional houses are made of adobe, highly suitable for the climatic conditions of the south.
After the Tichka pass, you leave the main road to head for Telouet Kasbah, which belonged to the Lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui family. Each addition to the building now stands in ruins after local people plundered it. The last Pasha’s property was confiscated from the last ruling member of the family, Thami Glaoui. He had plotted with the French against the King to have him exiled. Nevertheless part of the newest areas still have intact traditional interior decoration, witness to the Pasha’s wealth.
Sadly, the entire Kasbah is presently closed due to the destruction caused by the earthquake that hit Morocco in September 2023. Nonetheless, you can still enjoy the exterior with a local guide to uncover its fascinating history.
Heading further south, you drive along one of the most interesting and beautiful valleys in Morocco, the Ounila Valley. It never ceases to amaze due to the variance of colours and types of rock and soil. It is a show-case of Berber villages and gardens, as well as smaller Kasbahs following the river far down below. At the far end of the road, you reach Aït Ben Haddou, where you stop for a tasty lunch.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is built on the side of a steep hill from the top of which there is a clear view of the surrounding villages. It was one of the most important fortress strongholds on the old Salt Road caravan routes, where traders brought slaves, gold, ivory and salt from sub-Saharan Africa to Marrakech and beyond. It has frequently been used as a backdrop for innumerable Hollywood blockbusters. If you wish, you can have a camel ride here.
From there you continue to Ouarzazate where you will spend the night in a riad. There is an option to spend the night in a traditional Berber village or at the edge of Berber fields full of bird song and people tending their crops.
After breakfast, you will visit the town’s symbol, Kasbah Taourirt. It has recently been lovingly restored and amazes with its labyrinth of rooms leading one into another, with views of the old still inhabited houses below.
Our next stop lies about 12 km outside Ouarzazate. Suddenly and almost unexpectedly, the road drops down into a hidden oasis surrounded by high mountains and nestling alongside a river. Fint Oasis is a very traditional Berber village and once served as the head of the caravan route from the Sahara. It is a secluded spot to wander around, to walk along the river, to watch the frogs, and have a glass of tea.
Later the trip takes you past a fourth Kasbah, also recently restored but nevertheless partly in ruins, Kasbah Tifoultoute. It is now in private hands and run as a guest house and restaurant. At the Atlas Studios, if you are interested, you can visit the somewhat faded but genuine sets of some major Hollywood blockbusters, such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Kundun (1997), the Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Hanna (2011), and Salmon Fishing in Yemen (2011). All of them were filmed locally as was part of the TV series Game of Thrones.
The road north back to Marrakech passes through the Amethyst Valley. Slowly the road ascends back to the Tichka pass again and so Marrakech.
