Welcome to Dadès Valley
Nomad crossings, rose valleys and two-tone kasbahs: even on paper, the Dadès Valley stretches the imagination. From the daunting High Atlas to the north to the rugged Jebel Saghro range south, the valley is dotted with oases and mudbrick palaces that give the region its fairy-tale nickname – Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs. Some of the best views are only glimpsed when travelling on foot, along hidden livestock tracks between the Dadès and Todra Gorges and nomad routes across the Saghro.
Top experiences in Dadès Valley
Travel guides
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Dadès Valley activities
Moroccan Desert 3-Day Tour from Marrakech
Day 1: Marrakech to Dades Valley over the High Atlas Mountains and Ouarzazate (6 hours drive) Pick up at 8 a.m. from Marrakech, and drive south through the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n’ Tichka mountain pass and local Berber villages to Ouarzazate. You will reach and visit the exotic Kasbah of Aït Benhaddou. After lunch your journey will take you to Ouarzazate center, where you can see the Atlas Studios, the largest movie studio in Africa and the Kasbah Tourirt, the residence of the Glaoui Dynasty. You will continue to Rose Valley and through Skoura Oasis and the Kasbah Amerhidil, located in Skoura River. Overnight in the Dades Valley at Dades Kasbah Day 2: Dades Valley to Erg Chebbi desert via Todra Gorges and Erfoud (5 hours drive)Breakfast in the hotel. Your journey continues to Dades Gorges for spectacular views and a walk. You will drive back through Dades Valley to Todra Gorges via Boulman Dades, on the way you will stop for photos along Tinghir palm tree grove valley before you reach Todra Gorge, where you will have your free time to walk on your own along the Todra river. After a mint tea, you will drive to Merzouga desert passing by the Anti Atlas and Tafilalet Oasis to reach Erg Chebbi sand dunes for a camel trek and overnight in the middle of the dunes. Enjoy sunset in the top of the dunes and a local dinner and a drum party in a traditional Nomadic bivouac camp. Day 3: Erg Chebbi to Marrakech (9 hours drive)Early morning wake-up to a spectacular sunrise in the desert, and then enjoy a mint tea before you return back by camel to the Kasbah hotel where you will have breakfast and shower. Then continue to Marrakech over the High Atlas Mountains and the local villages. Arrival at Marrakech early evening.
Moroccan Sahara Desert 3-Day Private Guided Tour from Marrakech
Day 1: Marrakech - Dades Gorge Your driver and guide will meet you at the reception of your accommodation in Marrakech. First, you will cross the spectacular Tizi n' Tichka Pass of the High Atlas Mountains. Your first stop will be to visit two Kasbahs, Ait Ben Haddou (a UNESCO World Heritage site, which has been used as the location for over 20 different movies) and Kasbah Telouet. Driving between these two Kasbahs you will have another quick stop to take a look at the Salt Caves. After these stops you will drive onwards, passing through many Berber villages, being able to observe the Skoura oasis, Kalaat Mâgouna, with groves of spectacular olive trees and barren hillsides that are clustered among Kasbahs and traditional Berber houses. After lunch, you will drive further to the Valley of the Roses, with beautiful views of the Dades Valley (also known as the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs). You will spend your night in a hotel in Dades Valley with dinner included.Day Two: Valley of the Roses - Todra Gorge - Merzouga - Erg Chebbi Your 2nd day will start with breakfast at the hotel, before you travel to Todra Gorge, a massive fault that divides the enormous High Atlas Mountain range. The Gorge will take you to 300m above sea level and through a narrow valley, with palmeries and Berber villages. Your next stop will be the village of Arfoud, a famous area for fossils and you will have a chance to observe the process of cleaning and polishing the fossils and be able to see the finished products. After lunch you will head to the tiny village of Merzouga where, after a short break, you will ride camels into the incredible Erg Chebbi dunes – the highest dunes in Morocco. After the dunes, it is a 1.5-hour sunset camel ride to a traditional Berber meal and the opportunity to sleep under the stars (or in a tent if you prefer) at a Berber desert camp.Day Three: Erg Chebbi - Merzouga - Marrakech As the morning breaks on your 3rd day, you will be treated to a beautiful view of the early morning sunrise as you saddle up for the journey back to Merzouga. You will return to Marrakech through Ouarzazate where you will have lunch (the visit of the Kasbah of the city, and the studio of the cinema depends on time availability) before concluding your journey in Marrakech.
Marrakech to Merzouga 2-Night Small-Group Tour with Camel Trek
Day 1: Marrakech - Ait Ben Haddou - Ouarzazate -Dadés : Your departure from Marrakech is before 8am. On your way over the Atlas Mountains you wil have a stop at the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou for a tour around the complex. After the break you will continue your trip to Ouarzazate (the Gateway to the desert), where lunch can be taken at any café. After lunch our afternoon journey takes you further to the Dades Valley. Here you will stay for the night in a comfortable guesthouse, enjoy a traditional Moroccan evening meal and breakfast.Day 2: Tinghir - Todra Gorge - Arfoud - Merzouga DunesThe next day after breakfast your trip leads you through the Dades Valley and Todra Gorge, allowing to explore the sights of this region. Lunch can be taken at any café on our way. Arrival to Merzouga is the final destination of today, where you will meet your camel to take you to the Dunes of Erg Chebbi to your Berber desert camp. Your stay at the desert camp includes accommodation in traditional Berber tents, evening meal and breakfast the following morning.Day 3: Merzouga - Ouarzazate - MarrakechThe next day camels will take you back to Merzouga. Then you will enjoy our drive back through the Dades Valley to Ouarzazate. You will arrive back to Marrakech in the afternoon (around 3pm).
Small Group Marrakech to Fez Desert Tour 3 days
Marrakech and Fes are the major cities everyone visiting Morocco can’t miss. Combining the Sahara desert with Fes and Marrakech DAY 1: MARRAKECH – DADES ( 7 HOURS DRIVE ) Your Marrakech to Fes Morocco Desert Trip will depart from your hotel or riad at 07h30 AM to Kasbah AiT Ben Hadou through Tizi Ntichka pass and the high Atlas Mountains. Numerous stops will be made along the way. Visit the UNESCO world heritage Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, which was also served as a set for various Hollywood blockbusters. We continue to Ouarzazate and visit Kasbah Taourirte before lunch ( At leisure ). In the afternoon, we drive to Boumalne Dades via the Valley of the Roses before we reach our boutique guest house located in Dades Valley.Dinner and overnight DAY 2: DADES – MERZOUGA ( 4 HOURS DRIVE ) After breakfast, today’s journey will start by driving along the road of 1001 Kasbahs to Tinghir oasis. You will be enjoying the amazing scenery along the way of the remaining of fortified villages that were hosting the caravan roads until early 2Oth century. Upon arrival at Tinghir, which was a military post during the French occupation, we will deviate into a secondary road to the oasis. Feel free to walk next to the stream and watch the locals farming and herding their cattle. You walk will end at one of the magnificent scenes of your tour: Todgha Gorges. After lunch at one of the local cafés, we continue to Rissani, which is one of the holiest towns in Morocco as the actual dynasty ruling Morocco ‘’ The Alaouites ‘’ is originated here, and its founder is buried locally. Rissani is also famous as a starting point of the ancient caravan roads crossing the Sahara desert all the way to Tomboctou.From here, we will cross some rocky terrain all the way to Merzouga, where our camel caravan will be waiting for us. Enjoy a camel ride over Erg Chebbi dunes to watch an amazing sunset, before we return to our Sahara desert camp, nestled in the middle of nowhere.Enjoy dinner under the stars while entertained by our local nomads hosts playing their drums all night. DAY 3: MERZOUGA – FES ( 8 HOURS DRIVE ) After breakfast at your camp, we depart on a long drive to Fes crossing the Ziz Vlley through Errachidia which is the capital of Tafilalt region, and we continue to Midelt where we will have lunch at leisure before we keep driving across the Middle Atlas Mountians with its Cedar Forests and Berber towns of Imouzzar and Ifran. We arrive at Fes late in the afternoon.Your Marrakech to Fes desert tour will end with a drop off at your Fes riad or hotel of your choice.
Marrakech to Fez 3-Day Sahara Desert Private Tour with Guide
Day 1: Fez to Erg Chebbi desert along the Middle Atlas Mountain and Ziz Valley:Pick up from Fez at 8am and travel south Erfoud crossing the Middle Atlas mountain...stop in Ifrane known as the Genova of Morocco for a short walk and coffee. Then continue to Azrou for a walk in the cedar forests famous with the Barbary Apes in their natural environment. After that you will drive through the Middle Atlas Mountains and the berber villages to Midelt for lunch...Your journey will take you south east to Erfoud passing by the only tunnel in Morocco, and via Ziz Valley known by its palm trees grove and high cliffs. In the late afternoon you will reach Erg Chebbi Desert where you will stop for a Mint tea and break before you start your camel safari to the authentic bivouac camp located in the middle of the beautiful sand dunes. You will see sunset in the dunes and at night enjoy a local dinner with a drum party. Day 2: Erg Chebbi desert to Dades Valley via Todra Gorges:Early morning wake-up to watch the spectacular sunrise in the highest sand dunes and a mint tea with breakfast. You will take the camel trek back to the kasbah hotel in the village where you will have have a break and fresh shower before you continue to Rissani to visit the local Market. After that you will drive throught the Anti Atlas and the Kasbahs to Todra Gorges for lunch and a walk along the river of Tinghir.In the afternoon continue to Dades valley known as the valley of birds for an overnight in the beautiful Dades kasbah hotel.Day 3: Dades Valley to Marrakech via Skoura Oasis and Ouarzazate:After having your breakfast you will continue to Ouarzazate passing through Rose valley and Skoura Oasis. In Skoura you will drive off-road in the Oasis where you will have the chance to stop at the beautiful kasbah of Ameridil. You will continue to Ouarzazate to see the most preserve Kasbah of Tourirt. You will have lunch near the Kasbah of Ait ben hadou claisse by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site Benhaddou. Visit the site that is located on a hill along the Oued el Malah River. This beautiful example of southern Moroccan architecture has been used as a backdrop for over 20 films including Lawrence of Arabia, Jewel of the Nile, The Mummy, and Gladiator. Your journey will continue to Marrakech over the Tizi N’ Tichka Pass while enjoying superb views of the High Atlas Mountains and of the local villages.
3-Day Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga Dunes and Fez
Day 1: Marrakech - Ait Ben Haddou - Ouarzazate - Skoura Palm - Valley Of Roses - Dades Gorges. (D) Your departure from Marrakech is at 7:30am. In order to reach the Dades Gorges, you will cross the Atlas Mountains from Marrakech to Ouarzazate. You will enjoy the scenic road, beautiful landscapes with different colors and Berber villages along the way. Your first stop will be ‘Aït Ben Haddou Kasbah’ (classified since 1987 by UNESCO as a human international patrimony). Of all the remaining Kasbahs in Morocco, the walls and interior of this area are the most intact. Aït Ben Haddou Kasbah has been used in many film and television productions like Gladiator, Laurence of Arabia, Kingdom of Heaven and Games of Thrones. Then you will head to Ouarzazate and you will have free time to visit the old Kasbah of Ouarzazate "Taourirt Kasbah". Then, you will hit the road towards the Roses Valley, through the Skoura palm grove to the Dades Valley. You will arrive at Dades Gorges around 5pm where you will have dinner and spend the first night in a typical Moroccan hotel. Day 2: Dades Gorges - Toudra Gorges - Erfoud - Merzouga Dunes. (B, D) After a traditional Moroccan breakfast, you will leave your hotel in Dades Gorges at 8am and reach the road to Toudra Gorges. After arrival, you will have a free time to walk around and enjoy amazing canyons of about 985 ft (300m) high. Your trip will be continued to the Big Dunes of Merzouga where you will experience a 1,5-hour camel ride and you will revel in one of the most stunning views of the world: beautiful sunset in the desert. Then you will have dinner and get settled in a nomad tent in the middle of the desert. Day 3: Merzouga – Midelt – Ifran – Fez Wake up early to enjoy the sunrise over the dunes of Erg Chebbi, the best thing within the desert. Complete your breakfast and set out towards Fez alongside the Ziz Valley Gorge and Azrou. Be amused by the monkeys within green lush cedar forests on your way. Get a drop off at Fez by the evening on Day 3 where you will arrive around 7pm.