Marrakech 7-day tour, southern Morocco and desert
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Visit Marrakech: 7 to 8-day tour from Marrakech
Marrakech is an essential touristic point in Morocco because this city is notably one of the best served airports in Morocco with an annual influx of 4 million tourists in 2024, a figure that is constantly increasing. Tourist traffic in this city is also experiencing rapid growth.
You plan to arrive in Marrakech but you want to see an authentic and unusual Morocco? Do you want to visit Marrakech over a few days and complete your stay with a tour in the south of Morocco? Are you looking for wide-open natural spaces? Want to explore small authentic villages of the south in the heart of Moroccan life?
We offer you the ideal itinerary for a 7 to 8-day tour with the following major stages and their points of interest:
Ait Ben Haddou
Ouarzazate
Zagora
Foum Zguid
Désert d'Iriki
Oasis de Fint
Marrakech, starting point for tours to the south
Depending on the time you have available for your stay, you can spend one or two days visiting Marrakech to capture the colorful and dynamic atmosphere of this city. Here you will find 10 places to visit in Marrakech that we recommend visiting
Ait Ben Haddou: a historic site, an architectural gem
From Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou by car:
Travel time: 3h15
For this route, you will have to pass the Tizi N'Tichka pass which rises to 2205m in the Atlas range. The road has been completely redone, paved, widened and secured. It is a mountain road so many switchbacks but exceptional views. Once past the pass, you will take the N9 road towards Ait Ben Haddou.
From Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou's by Bus:
Travel time: 4 hours + 40 minutes
Cost: about 200 dh
To take the bus between Marrakech and Ait Ben Haddou, you will need to make the journey in 2 parts. You can leave from the bus station of Marrakech (at the train station) with the company Supratours to go to Ouarzazate. Arrived in Ouarzazate, it will then be necessary to take a taxi to reach Ait Ben Haddou.
Visit Ait Ben Haddou
Two main entrances are made to Ait Ben Haddou:
An entrance at the main door of the ksar held by the families who reside there.
You will be asked to pay a somewhat variable fee and we will offer you a guided tour with one of the members of these families. It can be interesting to see the hidden places of the ksar, but know how to say no if you don’t want extra visits for commercial purposes. Nevertheless, they will offer you authentic and high-quality craft items. The key is to know how to set a price that seems fair to you.
The second entrance is free of access and is made by the large bridge.
You will arrive directly on foot in the small streets dotted with shops. Souvenir sales, local crafts and artists' workshops, take the time to stroll through these streets with their relaxing atmosphere. Observe the architectural details. Built on a hill, the ksar has many steps. So you must not have difficulties that are too great to walk.
The +: climb to the top of the hill at sunset for a magnificent view of the valley and an incredible 360°panorama. It is easy to imagine how strategically important this place was for monitoring this commercial gateway with the south.
Sleeping at Ait Ben Haddou:
As the site is a major tourist destination, there are many hotels and inns along the main road that allow direct access on foot to the Ksar. Most offer quality services in both accommodation and dining. We recommend:
Restaurant at Ait Ben Haddou:
So you can easily have dinner in the evening at your hotel, which all offer this service. And it is also nice to be able to rest there quietly in the evening after a long day of walking.
For lunch, we share our favorite: the restaurant Tawesna
Located just at the end of the bridge, on the Ksar side, this restaurant is a social development project for the benefit of women in the village. They created this project to gain autonomy and significant social fulfillment. There is a feminine and modern touch, both in the menu and the decoration. You can have lunch there excellent and original dishes but also go for tea during the day.
From Ait Ben Haddou to Ouarzazate
Getting from Marrakech to Ouarzazate by car
Travel time: 3 hours 30 minutes.
You will need to follow the same route as for Ait Ben Haddou, but instead of veering towards the ksar at the end of the journey, continue straight ahead until Ouarzazate via the N9. The road is very good and paved, like all main roads in Morocco.
Getting from Ouarzazate to Ait Ben Haddou
Travel time: 15 minutes
To reach Ait Ben Haddou from Ouarzazate, you will need to take a large taxi for about 60 dirhams that you can easily find in the city.
Visit Ouarzazate
Ouarzazate, located south of Marrakech is a city historically known for the departure of nomadic caravans to the desert until Timbuktu. In Ouarzazate, tradition and modernity mingle. You can visit the old city but also the famous film studios that have made the current fame of the region.
Discover everything you need to see in Ouarzazate in our article dedicated to it: Visit Ouarzazate to the desert
From Ouarzazate to Zagora
Zagora, a gateway to the Moroccan desert
Located in the region of Drâa-Tafilalet, in the southeast of Morocco, the city of Zagora is an iconic destination for lovers of desert and Saharan culture. It is nestled in a fertile valley bordered by the Anti-Atlas mountains and the Sahara desert.
History of Zagora
Zagora has long been a strategic point on the old trans-Saharan trade routes. It served as a stopover for caravans transporting goods such as gold, salt and spices between sub-Saharan Africa and northern Morocco. The city is also known for its inscription on the famous sign "52 days of desert", recalling the theoretical duration of a caravan to reach Timbuktu from Zagora.
Que visiter à Zagora ?
- La palmeraie de Zagora : un vaste oasis où vous pouvez découvrir la vie traditionnelle berbère et profiter de balades à dos de dromadaire ou tout simplement déambuler à pied pour profiter de cette fraicheur.
- Les ksour (villages fortifiés) : notamment le Ksar de Tamegroute, célèbre pour sa bibliothèque ancienne et ses poteries artisanales.
- Les marchés locaux : pour découvrir l’artisanat, les épices et la gastronomie locale ainsi que son centre ville et ses magnifiques bâtiments à l'architecture imposante telle que la grande mosquée.
How to get to Zagora from Marrakech by car?
From Marrakech, you can reach Zagora by car or bus. The car journey takes about 6 to 7 hours, taking the national road N9 which crosses the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass, then continue towards Ouarzazate and finally Zagora.
How to get to Zagora from Marrakech by bus?
Regular buses leave from Marrakech to Zagora, offering a budget option. It takes about 7.5 hours. With the company Supratours, it takes 200dh to make the outbound journey.
How to access Zagora from Ouarzazate?
The journey between Ouarzazate and Zagora is shorter, about 3 to 4 hours by car or bus. The road follows the Drâa valley, offering magnificent views of the palm groves and surrounding mountains. Shared taxis and buses provide the connection between these two cities. Like all the previous destinations, you will find the company Supratours with trips at 80dh.
From Zagora to Foum Zguid
Foum Zguid, the door to the Moroccan desert and the Iriki National Park
Foum Zguid is a small town located in the region of Drâa-Tafilalet, in southern Morocco. It is located near the Sahara Desert, in an area where arid landscapes meet green palm groves, offering an authentic and typical of southern Morocco.
History of Foum Zguid
Historically, Foum Zguid has served as a transit and supply point for travelers and caravans crossing the desert region. Although less touristy than cities like Zagora or Ouarzazate, Foum Zguid is an important place for local Berber and nomadic communities, who perpetuate ancestral traditions. The city is also known for its role in the local economy, notably thanks to oasis agriculture and trade.
How to get from Zagora to Foum Zguid?
To reach Foum Zguid from Zagora, it is possible to take the national road N9 heading south. The car journey takes about 1h30 hours to cover a distance of about 130 kilometers. The road crosses desert landscapes, vast plains where you can see some nomadic camps still living in a traditional way and cultures that serve to feed the local population.
Shared taxis or minibuses can also provide the connection between Zagora and Foum Zguid, although frequencies are less regular than on major roads. It is advisable to inquire locally for schedules.
Foum Zguid and the Iriki National Park, what to visit
Foum Zguid is therefore the ideal destination for travelers who want an authentic and calm experience, to be immersed in the population and soak up the local culture. We have devoted several detailed articles to this:
From Foum Zguid to the Iriki desert
Of course, visiting the desert from Marrakech is the highlight of your week-long stay in southern Morocco, a must see for its beauty and to experience a complete change of scenery.
Iriki National Park, between Foum Zguid and M'hamid El Ghizlane
Starting from Foum Zguid, this is where the Iriki National Park begins, classified as such since the 1990s in order to preserve this exceptional and fragile nature.
It extends to M'Hamid El Ghizlane. Between these two gateways to the desert, you will find very varied landscapes, between rock formations and sand dunes:
the dunes of the vast Sahara and its various ergs: Erg El Mhazil, Erg El Ghoule, Erg Chegaga. The first ergs such as El Mhazil located on the side of Foum Zguid are the least touristy and wildest.
the Madouar El Kbir and its unusual-shaped mountains, nicknamed the Moroccan Colorado
the oases: the Laajirmia oasis at the foot of Madouar El Kebir, the El Grisim oasis and its tamarisks, the sacred oasis on the side of Chegaga
the old dry lake of Iriki, of which only large crackled areas remain and its salt deposits, easy ground for crossing the national park by 4x4 or motorcycle
the sites of fossiliferous rocks to observe the marine fossils marking the presence of the ocean in the Palaeolithic eras
the savannah plains dotted with acacia trees, including those surrounding the village of Zaouiat Sidi Abdenabi, the only nomadic village in the region
Iriki National Park is therefore the ideal place to observe nature, go on hikes and treks in the desert and discover the nomadic culture in contact with these Saharawis who perpetuate their traditions by sharing them with travelers.
If you can, We advise you to spend 2 nights: 1 night in the sand dunes and 1 night in the nomad village to our guesthouse for a beautiful balance between nature and culture.
For more information about the Iriki National Park, you will find a list of articles dedicated to it:
To travel these vast expanses, you will need to be equipped with a good 4x4 or an all-terrain motorcycle. The desert is a special environment that can quickly become hostile, it is more than advisable to leave with a nomadic guide.
For this, we offer you our varied services, both for comfortable and accessible stays for all ages: Bivouac stays, and for nature stays in immersion trek: Hiking/ Trekking
From the Iriki desert to the Fint oasis
After the arid scenery of the desert, we recommend a fresh and green break at the oasis Fint which will allow you to make a stop between the desert and Marrakech, even if it is possible to connect the desert to Marrakech in one day (count a total of 8 hours of travel).
The oasis of Fint, the hidden paradise
The oasis of Fint is located 15km south of Ouarzazate, it is a small hidden natural setting, its name comes from the Amazigh and means "hidden". There, traditional life has been preserved. The oasis formed around the river is home to a flourishing nature and various cultures such as pomegranates, date palms, oleander.
Where to sleep in Fint
Several accommodation options are available in Fint, ranging from traditional guesthouses to modern inns:
Auberge de la Roche Noire : a family guest house with a warm atmosphere and carefully decorated, guided tour in the oasis and many discovery activities : https://www.larochenoire-oasis-fint.com/
Maison de l’Oasis de Fint : Cette maison d’hôtes offre une immersion dans la culture berbère, avec des chambres confortables, des ateliers de cuisine traditionnelle, des séances de yoga et des excursions dans la palmeraie .maisondeloasisfint.com
Auberge Tissili : Située à proximité, cette auberge propose des chambres et des tentes berbères, un petit-déjeuner traditionnel et des activités comme des balades à dos d’âne : https://www.oasisfint.com/?lang=3
From Foum Zguid to Fint
You can connect Foum Zguid to the oasis of Fint by car or large taxi in 2h30 drive. Just before Tazenakht, the P1507 road that joins Fint will take you through valleys and through charming little villages far from everything.
From Fint to Marrakech
From Fint you can go back north and quickly reach Ouarzazate and thus return to the main road towards Marrakech which will take you there in less than 4 hours.
In summary, what itinerary for a week in the south of Morocco from Marrakech?
After all this information, we recommend the following tour:
Day 1: Marrakech, night in a riad and visit of the city
Day 2: Marrakech - Ait Ben Haddou, visit and overnight near the ksar
Day 3: Ait Ben Haddou - Ouarzazate - Zagora: visit of Ouarzazate and movie studios, night in Zagora
Day 4: Zagora - Foum Zguid: visit of the palm grove and city center of Foum Zguid, night in a riad
Day 5: Foum Zguid - Nomad village: crossing the Iriki National Park and overnight at La Petite Maison du Lac Iriki among the nomads
Day 6: Nomads' village - dunes of the Sahara: camel ride, overnight camp in the dunes
Day 7: Dunes of the Sahara - Oasis de Fint
Day 8: Oasis de Fint - Marrakech
Would you like to entrust our agency with the organization of this tour in order to fully enjoy your trip, with peace of mind? Do not hesitate to contact us.
