Marrakech trip to Zagora desert across the High Atlas Mountains and Draa valley

Zagora ( 2 days / 1 night ) 

Day 1 : Marrakech –Ait benhadou Kasbah -Zagora

After breakfast, we leave Marrakech through the magnificent Atlas Mountains and Tichka pass 2260 m to Ouarzazate. We then stop in Qasbah of Ait Benhadou for a while. After lunch, we cross the mountains of the Anti Alas by the pass of Agdez village. We continue along Draa valley’s beautiful Qasbahs, gardens and palm trees until Zagora. Later on, we go on camels until the Bivouacs where wpe spend the night.

Day 2 : Zagora –Ouarzazate –Marrakech

Early in the morning, we wake up to see the unusual desert sunrise. After breakfast, we depart toward Amezrou where we visit the Jews Qasbah and explore the Jewels craft. After that, we return to Ouarzazate again via the sublime Daraa valley where we stop every now and then, and possibly visit Tamnougalte Qasbah. After lunch in Ouarzazate, we continue driving to Marrakech through the High Atals Mountains.

Note ;

The Draa valley ; is Morocco's longest river, at 1,100 kilometres (680 mi). It is formed by the confluence of the Dadès River and Imini River. It flows from the High Atlas mountains, initially south-eastward to Tagounite, and from Tagounite mostly westwards to its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean somewhat north of Tan-Tan. Most of the year the part of the Draa after Tagounite falls dry.

The water from the Draa is used to irrigate palm groves and small horticulture along the river. The inhabitants of the Draa are called in Arabic Drawa, in Shilha Idrawiyn, the most famous Drawi (singular of Drawa) undoubtedly being Sultan Mohammed ash-Sheikh (1490–1557). Outside of the Draa region this name is mostly used to refer to the dark skinned people of Draa, which make up the largest portion of its inhabitants.

In the first half of the 20th century, the lowest course of the Draa marked the boundary between the French protectorate of Morocco and the area under Spanish rule.

About 225,000 people live in the valley of the Draa, which measures 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 sq mi). The valley corresponds with the province of Zagora, created in 1997, in the Souss-Massa-Drâa region. In the province there are 23 villages and two towns: Zagora and Agdz. The village of Tamegroute, near Zagora, is well known for its Zawiya.