Deeply tour of Morocco
14 places to visit in Morocco covering the southwestern part of the country.
The driving allows for huge flexibility everyday – stopping where you want for lunch. If you want a photo or just to get out and walk, it is always easy to do.
Allow a day for Marrakesh
Exotic images probably come to mind when you think of Marrakesh. Colorful, noisy souks, snake charmers in Djemaa el-Fna, fancy riads and a lot of brilliant colors.
Drive through the Atlas Mountains in Morocco
The Atlas Mountains, the highest mountain range in North Africa, stretch for almost 1,000 kilometers from the Atlantic Coast northeast to northern Algeria. They are easily accessible from Marrakesh as a day trip, but if you’re planning to visit the Sahara or many of the places listed below, you’ll see them one way or another.
The Toubkal area of the High Atlas is the most visited area – and is accessible by public transit from Marrakesh. If you’re into hiking or rock climbing then you may want to spend an extended time in this part of Morocco. There are local and international trekking companies that run tours here, some several weeks long.
But even just a drive through the Atlas Mountains will give you a sense of their grandeur. The road is good and if you’re heading to the Sahara Desert, rest assured you’ll get a taste of the Atlas Mountains. The road we drove took us over Tichka Pass at 2260 meters.
Visit the fortified Kasr of Ait Ben-Haddou – a UNESCO site in Morocco
Ait Ben-Haddou, near Ouarzazate, is one of the best preserved kasbahs in Morocco’s Atlas region. You may have seen it unknowingly in theatres or on TV as it has been included in scenes of at least 20 movies including Lawrence of Arabia and more recently in the Game of Thrones.
Ait Ben-Haddou won UNESCO status because it exemplifies “traditional earthen habitat representing the culture of southern Morocco”. The community was on a trading route between Marrakesh and ancient Sudan. As such it had to protect itself which it did by building dwellings onto the side of a hill. At the top is a fortress, the last line of defense.
Ait Ben-Haddou sees throngs of tourists and tourist buses so get here early to beat the rush. You have to get past the souvenir shops to get across the river and the main entrance – near more souvenir shops. You don’t need a guide – even though many men will offer their services.
Admire the Drâa Valley in Morocco
The Drâa Valley, home to Morocco’s longest river, the 1000 kilometer Drâa River, is a gorgeous oasis, home to kasbahs, Berber villages, lush green plains and endless stretches of palm trees.
The valley starts around Ouarzazate and continues into the Sahara Desert. Mostly we just drove through it, stopping to get photos – and for one lovely hour to hike in the shade of some giant date palms on route to Zagora.
Spend a night in the Sahara Desert in Morocco
A true highlight of any trip to Morocco is a night or two in the Sahara Desert. The Sahara will mesmerize you with its otherworldly beauty and the infinite sand patterns in the dunes. It may surprise you with its lushness after a winter rain. And if you lie on a carpet outside your tent, you just might find magic in the night in the form of shooting stars.
Camel trips are optional at most places you stay in. If that sounds exotic to you, then do it. And be sure to catch either a sunrise or a sunset.
Drive across Morocco’s dry Lake Iriki
If you’ve been to the dunes at Erg Chegaga, then you’re very close to dry Lake Iriki. Drive across it on an almost-as-hard-as-tarmac road – stopping to look for fossils in one place, and to admire the Fata Morganas mirage, that is more often than not seen at sea.
The mirage, named after the sorceress Morgan le Fay in the legend of King Arthur, appear when the light is “bent” by contrasting air temperatures. It’s a regular occurrence on Lake Iriki
