We depart from Agadir at 8am by 4WD to Taroudannt, known for its massive ramparts and beautiful medina. We continue to Tilouine, famous for its production of saffron and are one of the main exporters of this spice worldwide. We stop to experience an exotic saffron tea. We then cross the two mountain passes of Tizi-n-Tighatine and Tizi-n-Ikhsane before reaching Taznakht. We stop for lunch in this small town famous for its Berber gelims and carpets. After lunch we continue driving south towards the Sahara desert and stop for the night in the scenic village of Foum Zguid.

After breakfast we drive into the Sahara across the now dried-up Lake Iriqui, which used to be fed by the Dra’a river. Here we can take a short break and search for fossils. We continue off-road across the lake past the various features of the desert; the stony desert, reg - flat hard plain and the hammada - rocky cliffs and plateaus. We then reach a desert oasis and stop for lunch. We continue onto the vast Saharan desert sand dunes of Erg Chegaga, far away from the sounds of technology and modern life. Here you can climb up to the top of the high dunes to watch the sunset. At the foot of the dunes, we will have dinner and accompanied by nomadic drums and song, we then spend the night in a bivouac of nomad tents.

After breakfast in the bivouac, we cross another 60 km of desert road via the Sacred Oasis to arrive in M’hamid. Here you will be taken to visit our riad on the opposite side of the Dra’a River and enjoy the Moroccan cultural tea ceremony. Later you continue to drive up the longest valley in Morocco, the Dra’a Valley. We travel through Zagora, locally famous for its dates and the largest oasis in the Dra’a Valley. The road passes between the river and the mountains past Kasbahs and the local gardens and farms. In Agdz, we stop for the night at a traditional riad.

This morning we visit Kasbah Tamnougalt, 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. We travel to the bridge crossing the Dra’a at Tansikht. We have lunch in a small Berber town, N’Kob. After lunch we travel to the spectacular and scenic Todra gorges, where you have the opportunity to explore the area on foot. Afterwards we travel to your hotel in the Dades Valley.

After breakfast we continue up the valley to the Dades gorges, where it is possible to again explore on foot. Continuing our journey we go off-road through Boutaghrar. Along this track, there are Berber nomads living in caves where we can stop to have a traditional welcoming tea with them. We then rejoin the main road to the Rose Valley. Here the rose blossoms are distilled to make wonderful oils, soap and lotions, which are sold throughout the country and internationally. We then reach the kasbahs of Skoura, the most well-known of which is Kasbah Amredil which you will stop to visit. Finally reaching Ouarzazate, you spend the night in a riad or hotel.

After breakfast, we visit Kasbah Taourirt which was the residence of the Pasha of Marrakesh and the cinema studios of Ouarzazate. The day continues with a visit to Ait ben Haddou. This is the most famous Kasbah in Morocco and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Many films have been shot in Ait Ben Haddou including Gladiator, Prince of Persia and parts of the series Game of Thrones.

We continue to Agadir, crossing the Tizi-n-Ikhsane and Tizi-n-Tighatine passes and stop to have lunch in Taliouine, where there is an excellent little museum about the art of growing saffron. The road takes us on past the numerous argan trees on the slopes of the hill-sides back to Agadir, which we reach by the end of the day.Item description