A little majesty on a Zagora desert and dunes tour

It’s an 8.30 am departure in a 4×4 from your Marrakech hotel or traditional riad accommodation, taking you across the High Atlas Mountains and the famous Tizi-n-Tichka (2260m). From these mountains, the views over the valleys and the adobe Berber villages clinging to the mountainsides are quite breath-taking.
South of Ouarzazate located on the far side of the mountains, you cross another smaller pass, Tizi-n-Tinfifite, (1660m) to reach the head of the Dra’a Valley at Agdez. For a short while, we go away from the main road, along some of the ancient caravan route between the mountains and the river. Passing the many villages and gardens, you will gain a clear image of the Berber way of life in the oases.
Once in Zagora, there is the much anticipated camel ride to reach the dunes, from where you can watch the spectacular sunset. You can also drive to the camp in your 4×4, if you prefer. These dunes are small in comparison with the others further south and in the east. However, they are the nearest to Marrakech for a trip to the desert over two days.
You spend the night in a luxury desert camp with private bathroom, king-sized beds, hand-made Moroccan furnishings and lamps tastefully arranged to enhance your enjoyment of the silence and beauty of the dunes.

If you get up early enough to see the incredible sunrise on your Zagora desert trip, you will be rewarded by the wonderful shadows cast by the dunes. After breakfast, you turn south a short distance to visit the Qoranic library in Tamegroute, which has innumerable exquisite manuscripts.
Another stopping off point is the local potteries of Tamgroute, which produce the green pottery you will see all over the south and also in the Marrakech medina.
North of Ouarzazate, you leave the main Marrakech road to reach the visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ait Ben Haddou. This kasbah is the most famous in Morocco and is an essential part of any visit to the south. It has been used for many Hollywood films. More significantly traders brought slaves, gold, ivory and salt from sub-Saharan Africa here and then onto Marrakech and beyond. So the Kasbah forms an important part of Moroccan history.
Along the truly magnificent Ounila Valley road northwards, you gain another insight to the life style of rural Berbers. At the top of this road, you reach Telouet Kasbah, which belonged to the Lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui family. The last Pasha had his property confiscated for having plotted against the King and the buildings are now crumbling ruins with the buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries in particular disrepair.
Unfortunately, the whole Kasbah is now closed due to the damage caused by the earthquake that struck Morocco in September 2023. Nevertheless, it is still worth visiting the exterior with a local guide to discover its rich history.
Back on the main road to Marrakech, you pass many Berber villages along the river bordered by beautiful oleander and poplar trees. The gardens are full of olives, walnuts, pomegranates, apples, pears and quinces.
Your desert adventure concludes when we reach Marrakech at the end of the afternoon.