In this not-to-miss day trip (Marrakech High Atlas, Telouet, Ait Ben Haddou) we take you from Marrakech through the Atlas Mountains, passing by the road of Tizi n’Tichka, the highest road pass in Africa (at 2260 m above the sea level), towards the UNESCO World Heritage monument of Kasbah Ait ben Haddou.
Along the way from Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou, you will be fascinated by the wonders and the panoramic views of the isolated Berber villages in the mountains.
After the Tizi n’Tichka pass, you leave the main road and take a side track into the Telouat Kasbah, the ancient palace of Pacha El Glaoui. After 40 km of track with breathtaking views over the Valley of Ounila you get to the Kasbah Ait Benhadou.
The beauty of this area is well known, having been used in movies such as Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth and Gladiator.
Have a delicious lunch at the restaurant in Ouarzazate and then take a walk with our English speaking guide/Driver to discover the beauty and the authenticity of Taourirt Kasbah and have a visit to the cinema studios of Ouarzazate Holywood of Africa.
In the ksar Ait Ben Haddou where few families are still living in you will be invited for a lovely cup of tea with the inhabitant. In the afternoon we drive you back to your hotel in Marrakesh via the Tizi n’Tichka Pass.
A Great Experience - We hired Private Desert Tours to take 4 of us around Morocco for 11 days, and we were more than pleased with our experience!
Starting with our communications with... read more Abiden, that were always promptly and professionally answered, to our days with Ismail, as our driver, we were more than happy!
Abiden set our tour up to take us where we asked, and had every detail covered. He had Ismail, our driver , meet us at the airport, and take us to our Riad. From that moment on, Ismail took care of us. He was an excellent, polite and courteous driver through all our long journeys around this amazing country! Every day Ismail got us where ever we were supposed to be. In the evening, he made sure we were settled at our Riad, before leaving us. Ismail would be at our Riad on time each morning to help us get our luggage to the car, and be on our way.
We journeyed from Marrakesh, to Essaouira, to Casablanca, Rabat, then Chefchouan, to Meknès, Merzouga ( the desert), and beyond with Ismail. We switched drivers before heading in through the High Atlas Mountains, as Ismail had to start with a new group. Our new driver, Adeel, was a very careful, confident driver through those rugged mountains, and on to Marrakesh.
In order to see as much of the country as possible, we put on a lot of kilometres. Some days had long stretches of driving, but we saw so many incredible wonders in this diverse and beautiful country!
Many thanks to Abiden, Ismail, and Adele for a trip of a lifetime!
Sue3020 16/11/2019
Totally dependable. We definitely would use them again. - Attentive, reliable, responsive. No surprises! From start to finish, every stops along the trip, local guides, every places to stay except one were tops. Excellent driver. What a wonderful trip!
P8185FYstephenn 15/11/2022
Incredible Memories Made! - My partner and I stayed in Morocco for 12 days in January 2023 and discovered Private Desert Tours only a week before we were due to arrive. The 5 day... read more tour slotted in perfectly with our gap in the middle of our holiday. It was the last thing we booked, and anytime we visit Morocco again, a tour with Private Desert Tours will be the first thing we book. It was honestly brilliant!
Our guide/driver Ismail met us at our Riad in Marrakech and could not have been more helpful. He was welcoming, chatting to us about places we were passing, teaching us phrases and we wouldn't have seen even a fraction of Morocco if it wasn't for Ismail. He really made this trip such a wonderful and relaxed experience.
The highlight for me was camel riding and visiting the desert as it was truly magicial and it's somewhere I will go back again and again.
If you're thinking of doing a tour I cannot recommend Private Desert Tours enough, communication was exceptional, if we had any questions we could ask via whats app and get a quick response. It felt like they really cared about giving us the best experience. (And we really did).
We cannot thank Private Desert Tours and Ismail enough for giving us the best experience and best start to 2023. Thank you for the incredible memories!
michellehH499TN 21/02/2023
My friends and I had a blast touring the Sahara Desert! The trip to and from the desert was full of lots of fun stops, but our experience in the... read more Sahara was truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Abdoul was a wonderful guide and taught us so much about Morocco. Abidene graciously answered many questions from us prior to the trip and was easily able to arrange for vegetarian meals. We truly had an incredible experience - it’s been the highlight of our trip; and I highly recommend Private Desert Tours. I plan on booking another, longer tour with them the next time I visit Morocco!!
khylieesi 09/03/2023
Amazing experience - This year I decided to do my yearly birthday trip in Morocco and I knew I wanted to see more than just Marakesh. I found PDT via Google and after... read more a few emails back and forth Abidene managed to tailor the tour to my desire (from Marakesh to Dades valley, desert, Fes, Chefchaouen, Meknes, Casablanca and back to Marakesh)
The tour itself was lovely, we met very hospitable local people and learned a little bit about the history of Morocco, even managed to forget my fear and rode a camel.
Ismail, our driver, was very nice, friendly and most importantly was an excellent driver which is quite a quality to have here:))
On my birthday (even though I kept it a secret), I was surprised with a birthday cake and a present to remember the trip. Kudos also to the Fes local guide that was amazing and managed to organize for me a lot of tiny surprises on my birthday. He made us regret not spending more time in Fes, maybe next time.
Overall the tour was memorable experience that I definitely recommend. We will definitely book another tour with PDT when we visit Morocco again.
Isabella B 14/06/2023
Our honeymoon in Morocco was unreal thanks to Abidine . The planning was seamless and stress free. We simply highlighted the destinations we wanted to visit and the rest was... read more magic. From the hotels, food and guides there was not one complaint. The culture, people and architecture is outstanding.
One highlight of our trip was the outstanding customer service. We received treatment as if we were staying at the Riad everywhere. Moroccan's are deeply invested in tourism. Our driver, Ismail was extremely professional and knowledgeable. He kept us safe and on schedule as well as provided great company. He tied the whole trip together and we could not have imagined a better trip leader.
I am recommending PRIVATE DESERT TOURS to all of my friends and family. We plan to use their service again in the near future.
stephankarbaja 05/05/2019
My friend recommended this private desert tour once he got back from his trip to Marrakech. He talked highly about Abidine and his team. I was worry about the heat... read more and some other logistics stuff but my confidence got boosted up as Abidine was very responsive and gave us a lot of informations. We were blessed to have Ismael as our driver and travel companion. Abidine and Ismael really took my worries away. Ismael was very on time yet very flexible with our requests. I could not memorize all the places he took us to but all of these places made my Morocco experience completed. Some of the tours that really stays in my heart is the visit to Ait Ben Haddou, the Berber house where Beber womens make rugs, and of course the Sahara adventures. Ismael was not only our driver, he also become a friend for a life time. It’s amazing how trust built in only a day. That’s how sweet and good he is. His driving is very good as well. My husband said he feel save traveling with him. When Ismael performed the Berber music in the camp, it was a perfect icing on the cake. I definitely going to recommend this tour to every single people I know who will go to Morocco! All in all.....SUPER!!!
Pancaliputri80 25/09/2019
Couscous’s Desert Camel - Excellent ride through the desert on the Japanese camel. Truly hilarious, unique and amazing out-of-this-world experience.
Ryan J 09/03/2023
From day one, Abidine was extremely responsive and helpful with our questions and helping us with our decision on picking the right tour for our time frame in Morocco. Always... read more very pleasant and professional, we had no problem booking our tour for two
abroad. Thank you Abidine for all of your help and organization!
When our 3-day tour actually started, we had no idea we were in for the trip of our lives. Our driver and guide, Ismaï, was prompt and on schedule, yet patient and accommodating for us whenever we wanted to stop for pictures. Also, he was great company with lots of insight without being an overbearing tour guide. He knows his way around..he never had to look at the map!
All stops were culturally immersive and fun, especially the Berber guest house in Gorges Dades. Very kind people who took care of us and cooked us the best dinner we had in Morocco! Not to mention the camel trekking and staying in the Berber tent. An unforgettable nights.
This is the real deal for a tour. Private is not an understatement, it was just us two with our private drive and our time. We were so happy we weren't on the bus tours loaded with other tourists. Private Desert Tours has given us memories for all our lives and we will without a doubt recommend this tour to any friends or family who plan to travel to Morocco. Our dream is to return one day and we will be booking with Private Desert Tours again.
Scott_Fairfax_CA 02/06/2019
We went on the 5 day Desert Tour From Marrakech To Chefchaouen. We customised our tour from the tour packages offered to include an additional day in Fes. This was... read more provided at a very reasonable price, given the luxury of the hotel and the amount of travelling we needed to do (Merzouga to Fes was 8-9 hours drive!). The organiser was very quick to respond and was well organised. We had Hassan as our driver and he was very accommodating to our needs/stopping whenever we wanted, and bringing to different locations that suited our wants. Overall a great experience, would recommend!
Excellent Tour in Morocco white amazing scenery fun guide and driver we could not be more happy of choosing this agency his Driver Guide informed about all the places we visited Next time in Morocco we would do our excursion again with this Agency.
-- Andria
From Marrakesh to the desert, 3 days and 2 nights, one of them in the desert with all the expected attractions, a spetacular sun set and a super nice “crew” for dinner and music! The previous nighto we spent in an oasis on a cute and super nice hotel owned by Belgium/French couple in Skoura. Abdul was the nicest driver/guide we ever had, good mood, good with out teenager son and super informed about local culture history and attractions.
-- Alex
I was traveling with my husband and teenage son and Ali made the trip so exciting and informative. My son especially enjoyed his time in the desert sand boarding and rug boarding. We enjoyed ourselves so much at sunset we also added on the sunrise camel trip last minute without any issues to accommodate our request. If you are looking for honest, safe, know ledgable guides…this is your company to go to!