2-Day Dades Gorge and Valley of Roses from Marrakech

Your adventure begins with a pickup directly from your hotel or riad in Marrakech — if your accommodation is inside the medina and vehicles cannot access it, we will arrange a meeting point just a short walk away. Your dedicated local driver and tour companion will take you south on an approximately 3-hour drive over the dramatic High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n'Tichka pass, one of the highest mountain roads in North Africa at 2,260 meters above sea level.

Your companion will stop at the summit so you can soak in the panoramic views, grab a coffee and stretch your legs while sharing stories about the Berber villages nestled in the mountains around you. The descent brings you into the golden pre-Saharan landscape of southern Morocco — a world of ancient kasbahs, palm-lined riverbeds and dramatic rocky escarpments.

Your first stop is Ait Benhaddou — the UNESCO World Heritage kasbah standing since the 11th century and famous worldwide as a filming location for Gladiator, Game of Thrones and The Mummy. Your certified local guide will bring its extraordinary history to life with a walking tour of the ancient village.

From Ait Benhaddou you continue east through the Valley of Roses — the rose-growing heartland of Morocco, famous for its extraordinary annual rose harvest every May and the rosewater and rose oil that have been produced here for centuries. Your companion will share the story of this remarkable valley and its traditions as you drive through landscapes of pink and green.

You arrive in the late afternoon at the Dades Gorge — one of the most dramatic natural landscapes in all of Morocco, where the Dades River has carved a canyon of extraordinary rock formations through the Atlas foothills. You check in to a comfortable guesthouse in the gorge with views straight up the canyon walls. Dinner is included this evening.

After breakfast in the gorge your companion is ready to take you deeper into the canyon — an early morning walk or drive up the Dades Gorge to see the famous monkey fingers rock formations in the best morning light, with the canyon walls glowing orange and red around you.

You then drive east to the Todra Gorge — canyon walls rising 300 meters on both sides of the narrow river below and one of the most breathtaking and dramatic landscapes in all of Morocco. You will have time to walk through the gorge, feel the cool air rising from the river and stand beneath walls of rock that dwarf everything around them.

After lunch your companion begins the return journey to Marrakech, taking you back through the Valley of Roses, past ancient kasbahs and through the Draa Valley with its centuries-old palmeries and fortified villages lining the road. Your companion will share stories of the region and its people throughout the journey.

You arrive back in Marrakech in the evening, your companion dropping you off directly at your hotel or riad. If your accommodation is inside the medina and vehicles cannot access it, we will drop you at the nearest accessible point, just a short walk away.