Staying in the High Atlas
The Dades Valley
The Dades Valley is a beautiful area in the High Atlas mountains – a photographer’s paradise! The valley has lush green fields, spectacular gorges, and slot canyons of rose-coloured sandstone.
It is an ideal staging post for many other destinations in the High Atlas and Sahara Desert. Find out more about 4x4 excursions and tours in Southern Morocco and the Dades Valley on our Tours page.
Things to do in the Dades Valley
HOT TIP: Ait Arbi and the ‘Monkey’s Fingers’ are best viewed in the late afternoon light.
While staying in the Dades Valley, there is plenty to do and see. For hiking, hire a local guide, as there are no detailed maps.
- Visit dramatic rock formations at the ‘Monkey’s Fingers’ or the ‘Tortoise’
- Take a 2 or 3 hour hike through the slot canyons at the Monkey’s Fingers
- Explore restored and ruined kasbahs at Ait Arbi
Go for an all-day hike up the canyon of the ‘Vallée Sèche’ (‘The Dry Valley’), stopping for lunch with a nomad family- Stroll through the poppy-filled gardens
- Visit the Gorges or go swimming there
- Visit local craftspeople
- Relax in a traditional or luxury hammam in Boumalne
- Get a local village girl to paint your hands and feet with henna
Day excursions from the Dades Valley
There are many excellent 4x4 excursions from the Dades Valley, passing through traditional Berber villages and beautiful scenery.
- Visit the famous Valley of the Roses – especially lovely in late April and May when the roses are in full bloom – and have a picnic by the river. You can also hike or bike through the valley with 4x4 transport and support.
Drive up through the dramatic Dades Gorges to Msemrir (traditional market ‘souk’ on Saturdays), then on through apple orchards and along the river bed to the dam, set in spectacular rock formations.- Drive off-road to Arg, a remote High Atlas village in a beautiful setting.
- Visit the mountain village of Bouteghrar and picnic in the M’goun Gorge, returning to the Dades Valley via breathtaking scenery in the golden afternoon sunlight.
HOT TIP: Hire an experienced mountain guide if you want to go on more challenging walks. Your driver or hotel can arrange this.
Go walking in the M’goun Valley. Jebel M’goun is the second highest mountain in Morocco. Take advice from your guide – at certain times of year, flash floods can be dangerous.- Drive up through the Todhra Gorge and over the mountains to Amellago, a traditional Berber village, for some spectacular High Atlas scenery.
- Tour the working palm oasis of Skoura and view its ancient kasbahs.
Desert trips from the Dades Valley
The Sahara Desert is just half a day’s drive from the Dades Valley, and it is an experience not to be missed! The vast dunes of Erg Chebbi, near Merzouga, are very beautiful, especially at dawn, at dusk, and by starlight. This is also a heartland of Gnaoua music.
- Stay overnight at the edge of the desert, then take a camel ride into the dunes at dawn to see the sun rise
- Trek by camel into the desert as dusk falls, then camp one or more nights in nomad tents, with dinner and traditional music of drums and flutes
View a performance by the amazing Gnaoua musicians and dancers- Take a half-day 4x4 tour of the desert, which has many different landscapes and features of interest – fossils, industrial archaeology, Berber villages, nomad camps
HOT TIP: The desert is hot by day, and gets very cold at night – don’t forget a fleece or woollen jumper! If you are going to camp out, check if you need to bring a sleeping bag.
Accommodation
Places to stay: There is now a range of hotels and B&Bs, from fairly basic to luxury, in the Dades Valley and Gorges.
HOT TIP: To experience the power of nature up close, visit the desert in April when sandstorms are common – not everybody’s cup of tea, though!
If you hire a 4x4 with a driver, he can arrange accommodation for you.
Getting there
By air
HOT TIP: The Christmas/New Year holiday is a great time to visit Morocco – but snow can close the road south from Marrakech for several days. A snow-free alternative is to fly to Agadir.
The nearest airport to the Dades Valley is at Ouarzazate, 2 hours drive from the Dades Valley. There are no direct flights from Europe.
Getting to the Dades Valley and the South of Morocco is relatively straightforward if you fly direct to Marrakech or Agadir (see below).
By car
It is about 6 hours direct drive from Marrakech by the tarmac road over the dramatic Tizi-n-Tichka Pass (2200m). It is a lovely journey, so allow time to stop off for lunch, and to take photos! Be aware that the pass can be closed for several days at a time during winter.
The route: From Marrakech, follow the main road to Ouarzazate. From Ouarzazate, take the road to Skoura, El Kelaa Mgoun and Boumalne. At the mini-roundabout at Boumalne, turn left for the Dades Valley and Gorges.
HOT TIP: Hiring a car in Morocco is not cheap, and it can be much better value for money to hire a 4x4 with a driver (price includes fuel). It is more comfortable and relaxing, you can go off-road, and your driver will see to all your needs.
Consider breaking the journey with an overnight stop, for example at the World Heritage Site of Ait Ben Haddou, a hilltop village with some of Morocco’s finest kasbahs, just off the main road before reaching Ouarzazate.
HOT TIP: If you do drive yourself, make sure you observe all speed signs rigorously and ALWAYS stop at police control points (even if they wave you through, stop first and then go on). The Moroccan traffic police set up frequent radar traps everywhere, and if you are caught speeding you must pay an on-the-spot fine (400 Dirhams in 2009) in cash – make sure you have it with you just in case, or you may face a very long detour indeed to pay by credit card.
Driving from Agadir will take two days. Visit Taroudant on the way, and stop overnight at the pretty saffron village of Taliouine. Always passable in winter.
By bus & taxi
Guides often recommend only using CTM buses (similar to National Express in the UK or Greyhound in the U.S.) for safety reasons.- Tickets can be reserved in advance, to be collected at least one hour before departure. Call CTM on +212 (0)5 24 44 83 28 or +212 (0)5 28 82 53 41 to book.
- CTM buses run several times daily from Marrakech to Ouarzazate (2 hours from the Dades Valley) and once a day to Boumalne (at the foot of the Dades Valley, about 40 minutes from the Gorges).
- It takes about 5 hours by bus to Ouarzazate, and about 7 hours to Boumalne, crossing the High Atlas via the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass.
- April 2009 prices were Marrakech-Ouarzazate: 80 Dirham, Marrakech-Boumalne: 100 Dirham
HOT TIP: Take some travel sickness tablets with you. Travelling a long way on winding mountain roads can make you feel nauseous, even if you don’t usually get travel sick.
From Ouarzazate or Boumalne, take a taxi or minibus-taxi, or ask your 4x4 driver or hotel to arrange a transfer for you.
You can get a taxi all the way from Marrakech to the Dades Valley for around 100 euros if you are prepared to share with other passengers. Always negotiate taxi prices clearly in advance.
Tour Awa Tour is a small travel business run by a Moroccan Berber family.
