We pick you up from your hotel or riad in Marrakesh and depart at 8am to travel into and across the High Atlas Mountains. After a spectacular drive on the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, we take a side road to the Telouet Kasbah, a superb example of Moorish architecture, which belonged to the Lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui family, and which now stands in ruins after the last Pasha fled the country following the departure of the French from The Kingdom of Morocco. From there we continue on to lunch at 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. Later we continue to Ouarzazate where we spend the night.

After breakfast we travel to Agdz where we explore the Kasbah Tamnougalte before taking the ancient caravan road between the river and the mountains. On the way we pass many villages, farms, palmeries and gardens. Once we reach the Zagora oasis, we stop for lunch in the town, renown for having the best dates in the country. After lunch we drive to Tamagroute and visit a traditional ceramic workshop, display centre and Quranic library. We then drive to M’hamid, the gateway to the Moroccan Sahara desert. We then have a one to two hour camel ride to the highest dune to enjoy an unforgettable sunset and to spend the beauty of the night in a nomad tent close to the dunes of Erg Lihoudi. Here we have dinner, entertained by local musicians then spend the night.

After breakfast, we return to town to visit the ancient kasbah of M’hamid and then make our way across another 60km through the varying features of the desert; ‘erg’, ‘reg’, ‘hammada’, oasis. We stop for lunch at an oasis and then continue to the Erg Chegaga dunes. These are the greatest dunes in Morocco and are approximately 300m high and 35km long. You will go via camel to the bottom of the dunes for a wonderful view of the setting sun, before returning to the bivouac at the foot of the dunes.

After breakfast at Chegaga, we travel the desert by 4WD, which takes us through a further 90km travelling by Lake Iriqui, the desert mountains and fossil sites. We travel through Foum Zguid, the first village after the desert, to the village of Taznakht, famous for its Berber carpets and rugs. We stop for lunch and visit a local Berber carpet cooperative where local female artists create their artwork and sell direct to the public. We then cross the Tizi-n-Ikhsane and Tizi-n-Tighatine passes and onto Taliouine famous for its production of saffron and one of the main exporters of this spice worldwide. We then travel the rest of the way to Taroudant and spend the night in either a riad or hotel.

After breakfast we visit the town of Taroudant known as “the little Marrakesh”. Taroudant is spectacular for its massive 7.5km ramparts and beautiful medina. Then we travel back into the High Atlas Mountains across the famous Tizi-n-Test pass. Lunch will be in a mountain restaurant with superb views. From here we continue through the mountains to the village of Imlil, located at the end of the Mizane Valley, where we stay the night. Here the quiet and beauty of the views are overwhelming.

After breakfast, we have time to take in the majestic snowcapped Jebel Toubkal Mountain (4167m), the highest peak in North Africa. Back on the road we visit the Toubkal National Park then travel onward to Asni, a small Berber village, which is famous for its permanent as well as for its weekly souks. We then pass the mausoleum of Moulay Brahim, a well-known Moroccan Sufi saint who died in 1661. Here you can have tea with a local Berber family, who will show you the traditional bread ovens. The last Valley of the trip is that of the Lalla Takerkoust reservoir, which supplies Marrakesh and the surrounding area with water from the snow melt of the High Atlas. Here there are stops to take photos of the wonderful scenery over the lake. And then back return to Marrakesh.