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Kasbahs and date palms Atlas Mountains tour This Atlas Mountains tour will take you to a region of lush palm valleys, rugged mountains, bizarre rock formations and some of the most scenic spots in Morocco. You’ll stay in ancient palaces and cosy mountain hotels. From high mountain passes with spectacular vistas, you’ll travel to one of Morocco’s most authentic kasbahs where you can lose yourself in the labyrinth of small streets. Through fertile green palm oases and sleepy rural villages you’ll finally reach the Dades Valley with its awe inspiring natural sights, which are a definite highlight of this Atlas Mountains tour. You’ll take a short mountain trek and visit the magnificent Todra Gorge. |
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3 days / 2 nights departs daily from Marrakech |
Accommodation |
Stylish kasbah hotel and basic mountain hotel. Comfort levels 2 and 4 (see accommodation). |
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Price |
£76 per person - based on 2 people sharing |
Includes |
2 nights' accommodation with breakfast, guided hike in Dades Valley |
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Transport |
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Excludes |
Car hire, other meals |
Day 1: Marrakech - Aït BenhaddouTravel time: 5 hoursAfter breakfast, your hire car will be delivered for the beginning of your Atlas Mountains tour. Driving in a busy city like Marrakech takes a little getting used to, but basically it’s no different (if a little more chaotic) than at home. Click on our driving in Morocco page for some useful tips. As soon as you leave Marrakech, you’ll follow a well-maintained road to the High Atlas Mountains. After about an hour, the road starts to wind its way up as you drive along one of the most scenic routes in Morocco across a landscape of terraced wheat fields, cacti, waving palm trees and endless views. You’ll pass through tiny villages, see old men on donkeys slowly lumbering uphill and watch excited school children waving as you drive by. In the distance, you'll be able to make out the snow-capped peaks of the Atlas Mountains. As the road begins to descend, the scenery changes drastically and suddenly you find yourself entering a desert-like area. Shortly after the exit for Aït Benhaddou, you’ll drive across a barren lunar landscape. Soon, the imposing kasbah Aït Benhaddou will loom up like a mirage, fringed by lush palm trees and a shallow river. |
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A kasbah is a kind of citadel, made up of high-walled buildings of clay mixed with straw. Historically, the kasbahs gave shelter to entire village communities, though these days many of them are no longer inhabited. Deserted or not, the kasbahs are a fascinating sight and films including Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth and most recently Gladiator, were shot on location here. You'll check into your stylish kasbah-style palace hotel in Aït Benhaddou, the first stop on your Atlas Mountains tour. This small oasis has a couple of tastefully decorated rooms, a lovely pool surrounded by shaded bedouin tents and a terrace overlooking the kasbah where they serve wonderful food in the evenings. In the afternoon, you'll make your way across the river to explore. At the gate to the kasbah you’ll pay a small entrance fee (approx £1) and enter a medieval world with a warren of narrow lanes leading into the kasbah. At the top of the kasbah, there’s a fantastic view across the citadel and the surrounding countryside. You can also book a camel ride or rent mountain bikes here. |
Day 2: Aït Benhaddou - Ouarzazate - Dades ValleyTravel time: 3 hoursAfter breakfast, you'll set off on your Atlas Mountains tour again and drive through the fertile valley to Ouarzazate (1 hour away), a picturesque town in kasbah-style. You can stop off here to buy some snacks, use the cash machine or pay a visit to the world famous film studios, just a few kilometers out of town.As you leave the city, you’ll continue across the barren countryside to the palm oasis Skoura (1 hour). Just before you reach the town you’ll see a sign on the right for ‘Kasbah Ben Moro’, and it's worth stopping here to take a look. You can park your car here and walk through the palm tree garden to the kasbah (just 10 mins). If you want to visit the older kasbah, you can ask for a guide at the hotel. |
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From Skoura, your Atlas Mountains tour continues to the village of El-Kelaa M’Gouma where you’ll take the turn off for the Dades Valley. If you thought the road from Marrakech was beautiful, then wait till you see this. Bizarre rock formations, bright green palm valleys and rugged mountain peaks in all shapes and colours alternated by small traditional villages and breathtaking views. After an hour you’ll pass a restaurant (‘Panoramic’), with an outdoor terrace overlooking the valley and the colourful cliffs. It’s a nice place to stop off for a cup of coffee or mint tea or even better, the fantastic chicken and prune tajine. From here, it’s another 40 minutes drive past yet more weird but wonderful colourful rock formations. When the cliffs begin to get narrower and you enter a kind of gorge, you’ll know you’ve nearly reached your small mountain hotel. Moments later you’re greeted by the friendly owner and the guide who will take you on a spectacular Atlas Mountains tour on foot later that afternoon. |
Day 3: Dades Valley - End of Atlas Mountains tourThis trip ends after breakfast this morning. From the Dades Valley, it would be a shame to simply turn around and head back to Marrakech when you’re already halfway to one of Morocco’s most scenic spots - the Erg Chebbi desert at Merzouga. With our Morocco camel trek tour, you’ll plod into the sand dunes on your trusty camel and sleep under an incredible canopy of stars.During the tour, you’ll spend one night in the magical desert town of Rissani and one night camping out in the Sahara. Perched on your camel, you’ll softly plod into the sea of golden sand dunes as the camel drivers lead the way. In your small tented camp in the middle of the desert you can enjoy a delicious dinner before crawling into your bed for the night, under the starry skies. Sitting on the top of a sand dune sipping a cup of hot Moroccan tea, savour the overwhelming peace and quiet as the sun slowly colours the sky purple, red and orange. |
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Atlas Mountains tour: Aït Benhaddou
