4 days tour from Marrakech to Merzouga Desert

Todgha Gorges:

Todgha Gorges: Located in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, the Todra Gorge is recognized as one of the world’s most magnificent canyons.

The rivers Todra and Dades cut 40 kilometers of gorges in the highlands, resulting in magnificent reliefs. The canyon’s last 600 meters are known as Todgha. In some areas, the canyon is just 10 meters wide, yet in others, the cliffs climb to almost 150 meters. Only your imagination can conjure up the strong natural forces that previously produced this canyon now that the river has dried up.

Despite its distant location in Morocco, the gorge has remained a popular tourist attraction throughout the years. Hiking routes and a groomed dirt road are available in the canyons, although visitors must share the road with mules and other pack animals.

Tinghir Township was founded to facilitate visitors and residents traveling through the region on camelback with their possessions. At the time of the 2004 census, Tinghir had a population of about 90,000 people, with 36,000 permanent inhabitants. The Amazigh (as many Berbers refer to themselves) are indigenous North African people who dwell in places west of the Nile Valley. The city, which is part of the Ouarzazate region, is predominantly inhabited by Amazigh (as many Berbers refer to themselves). These individuals’ names mean “free people” or “free and noble people” in English.

Ait Benhaddou:

Our four days excursion from Marrakech to the Merzouga Sahara desert includes a climb to Ait Benhaddou. Once a caravanserai on the trans-Saharan caravan route, it is today Morocco’s most colorful and genuine sight, comparable to Ouarzazate, which has been featured in Hollywood films several times.

Ait Benhaddou, with its 11th-century red-walled Kasbah fortress nestled against a hill and the emerald date oasis at its foot, makes you feel as if you’re on another planet, in whatever role this humble settlement on the Atlas Mountains has managed to visit – Jerusalem from “Jesus of Nazareth,” a deserted fortress from “Lawrence of Arabia,” and an abandoned jungle-dwelling from “The Jewel of the Nile

There is a lot to see.
The medieval fortress-Xar (“castle”) is Ait Benhaddou’s major and sole attraction. Within the Xar, the hamlet stands on a hillside and is enclosed by massive red castle walls. The UNESCO-listed Ait Benhaddou kasbah has been beautifully conserved owing to filmmakers’ attention: the walls are periodically renovated, providing the sense of journeying back in time — it looks to be the 11th century, and another caravan is preparing to depart the castle gates towards Timbuktu. The fortification may be entered by one of two gates: the new bridge or the dried-up riverbed.

Ait Benhaddou’s walls are built of adobe bricks, which are manufactured from ordinary clay soil.

At the summit of the hill, there is an old granary that is nearly totally wrecked, but it is worth trekking up for the dizzying view over the village and the Atlas mountains to the horizon. A medieval mausoleum shrine dedicated to the hermit Benhaddou, after whom the city is called, may be found on the opposite side of the hill.

Merzouga is a desert in Morocco:

The highlight of our four-day Marrakech to Merzouga desert journey is Merzouga, a little settlement in the Moroccan Sahara. The enormous desert of this nation is largely made up of dry, broken dirt. The regular dunes here, on the other hand, are one, two, and counting. There is just one such site, to be precise. It is located close to Merzouga. Its homes and tents are situated at the foot of Erg-Chebbi, a large (50 by 5 km) dune massif that reaches a height of 350 meters.

Civilization comprises a few stores, cafés, and restaurants; there is no built infrastructure. Rather than relaxing on the plush cushions of hotel rooms, most tourists to Merzouga come to experience the true Berber way of life.

There is a lot to see:

All extreme travelers traveling deep into the Sahara begin their journey at Merzouga. The surrounding region is considered one of the most convenient sites for experiencing the natural grandeur of the vast African desert. Merzouga’s primary attraction is a 350-meter-high crest of dunes. The sandhills are particularly appealing before daybreak, when the shadows cast by their slopes seem to blend in the sun’s first rays, weaving into a single beautiful design.

Merzouga and its surroundings can only be explored on foot due to the tiny community. Because the desert is brutally hot during the day, it is best to stroll in the night or early mornings.

The little lake Dayet Srij, situated west of Merzouga, is another object of attraction. It only fills up with water during heavy rains or throughout the winter, drawing tens of thousands of birds. This location is home to pink flamingos, storks, ducks, and other wildlife.

There’s a lot to do:

The bulk of tourists to Merzouga come to go on a camel safari across the Erg Chebbi dunes, as previously indicated. Before heading to the desert, get a scarf to shield your neck and head from the sun. For one night in the desert, the trips cost 55 EUR. Tents, breakfast, lunch, and supper are all included, as well as water. The majority of parties stay in enormous Berber tent towns on the first night. Dinner is also served here, with live traditional music on occasion. Breakfast is provided quite early in the morning before the temperature rises too much.

Some tour organizations operate their tent towns, complete with all of the required facilities. The expense of such safaris is more, but the comfort is worth it.

Merzouga’s weather:

Winter is fairly chilly (+10 °C), with bright days and icy nights. Spring, which starts in April, is a beautiful season, with highs of +30 °C throughout the day and chilly evenings. Summers are known for being quite hot.

In the winter and spring, it rains sporadically (a few times a month), but downpours are infrequent. The months of February to April are said to be the finest for visiting Merzouga. In the spring, we strongly suggest the 4 days desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga.

Erg Chebbi desert:

Erg Chebbi is located 35 kilometers from Rissani, 50 kilometers from Erfoud, and 130 kilometers from Errachidia, Erg Chebbi is a spectacular group of dunes.

It is a sand “erg” and stone “hamada” climate and desert scenery. On the dry rivers, there are oases where diverse population centers, initially nomads, have been established. Only a few of them are still around today. From north to south, this dune complex (ERG) is 22 kilometers long, 5 kilometers broad, and features dunes that reach a maximum height of 150 meters.

Three towns, surrounded by palm palms, are situated near the dunes. To the east lies Hassi Labied, which is known for its palm grove. Merzouga, located 5 kilometers to the south, has risen in recent years as a consequence of the expansion of tourism and agriculture in this area. The ancient black African population of Khemliya, 6 kilometers south of the previous one, is significant. The Stony Hamada travels east of Erg Chebbi and into Algeria. Flooding along the dunes in 2006 ruined several structures and killed three people, even though rain is short and sporadic.

Ifrane:

Our 4 days tour from Marrakech to Ouarzazate and the Merzouga desert ended at Ifrane. The buildings here have sloping roofs, much as in Switzerland, and the palm trees have given place to plane trees, whose leaves fall on the pavements. The town of Ifrane as we know it was created during French colonialism, even though the location had been inhabited for generations. It was a tiny ski resort that also served as a hiking destination.

“Morocco’s Little Switzerland,” as the place was nicknamed. The building is different not only because of the environment (we are at 1600m altitude) but also because the objective at the time was for no Frenchman to feel lost, which is why we can see characteristic roofs from several French provinces. For example, a half-timbered home with a stork on the top is more Alsatian than Moroccan.