(Above – Leon Belly “Pilgrims going to Mecca. Framed in Riad Laksiba’s Dining area).
Zagora Desert Adventure Tour 2 Days/1 Night Bivouac
Day 1: Marrakech – Ait Benhaddou – Ouarzazate – Draa Valley – Zagora DunesDeparture is planned from Marrakech after breakfast from Riad Laksiba.
Taking the road to cross High Atlas mountains via the Tizi n’Tichka pass towards Ait Benhaddou village, the fortified ksar with it’s beautiful Kasbahs.
Ait Benhaddou has served as a natural decoration for many movies producers since 1960’s. (Gladiator, Prince of Persia, Last Temptation of Christ, Kundun, Alexander, Kingdom of Heaven, Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy franchise etc)
Once you get to Ait Benhaddou village you take a walk to go on the top of the hill to dominate the whole village. Afterwards, you will head to Ouarzazate for lunch next to the famous Kasbah of Taourirt, which presents the historical and cultural interest of Ouarzazate. After lunch you will travel to the south and cross the second pass which is Tizi N’Tnifift at 1710m and Ait Saoun village, the former route of caravans for Sahara traders coming from “Tombouktou”, you will reach the first administrative centre called “Agdez Village” that marks the source of Draa Valley, with it’s 6 successive palm groves stating (Mezguita palmary, Fezouata…) and Kasbahs stating the famous Tamnougalt Kasbah.
18 km further more you will arrive to Tamgroute, a small village where most of locals are pottery handicrafts, Tamgroute is also well know by it’s old Koranic school and library collecting the old books.
The next five kilometres will let you see the first sand dunes of Zagora called Tinfou dunes and give you a taste of Sahara desert dunes. You will take a camel trek , ride the camels at the sunset and get to our camp located in a Oasis and enjoy a dinner and overnight in the tents (Bivouac).
Day 2: Zagora Dunes – Agdez – High Atlas & Tichka – Marrakech
Awake early to see the sunrise over the dunes, followed by a typical brakfast in the bivouac of Zagora in the southern Morocco, then ride back the camels to meet your driver, then drive back to Marrakech, you will pass via Ouarzazate and have free time for lunch in a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, you’ll continue, via the Atlas Mountains, to Marrakech and back to Riad Laksiba with a head full of memories (and shoes full of sand !).
Prices
This is very competitively priced. I would suggest, to reduce the price/person further, an idea may be to flag the adventure to other guests at Riad Laksiba in order to secure higher group size to cost-share.
Group size: Price in Moroccan Dhs: ( Approx £’s ):
2 Guests 1995 dhs per/ person (Approx £150/head)
3 Guests 1595 dhs per/ person (Approx £120/head)
4 Guests 1265 dhs per/ person (Approx £ 95/head)
5 Guests 1245 dhs per/ person (Approx £ 93/head)
6 Guests 1200 dhs per/ person (Approx £ 90/head)
7 Guests 1190 dhs per/ person (Approx £ 88/head)
8 Guests 1045 dhs per/ person (Approx £ 78/head)
9 Guests 1045 dhs per/ person (Approx £ 78/head)
10 Guests 1045 dhs per/ person (Approx £ 78/head)
(Above – Desert Adventure by Coraline Meinster (Guest 2014). Thanks x).