Marrakesh Travel Forum

Hi. At the end of January we will visit Marrakesh for a week. During our stay we would like to make a trip of 3 days to Ouarzazate, valley of the Draa, maybe Zagora… and visit some nice things in between. But is it possible to cross the Atlas Mountains in winter, I heard it can snow there in January. Is 3 days enough to get a small glimpse of the dessert and is it possible to rent a car and drive yourself in Morocco.

Thanks

Yep.. hiring a car will be on my recommendation ; but i would skip Zagora and hit the Erg chebbi passing by the both-Todra*Dades... ect
you may just go for an overnight and retrace your steps to rissani then you'll have the choice to go abck to Ouarzazate using the rout that pass throwth Zagora-Alnif... ou don't ahve to worry about the snow durring Jan althowgh there will be snow trucks allways get it to the sides .
yes hiring a car is possible and very easy; there you'll get hassled and bargain the price is possible all the times.
i would also recommend the locals at the edge of the desert to arrange for your overnight desert; i am keen to deal with local staff so we i earn some extra €...

all d best

Thanks for your reply. I would really like to see the Erg Chebbi dunes, but how long does it take to get from Marrakech to Merzouga and back. It seems to me that you would need at least 4 days to do this trip and than we don't have much time left to visit Marrakech...

i guess you need just 3days !!!

yes its done many times in 3 days - its a bit of a rush but its a common circuit to do by people in a hurry - I would recommmend it. but do stop at Telouet along the way - or stay at Telouet on the way back at the end of the 2nd day - and also the Dades Gorge - you wont have time for both the Dades and the Todra - both are top sights but if you only have time for one then make it the drive up to the Dades Gorge - the whole road is stunning - and then to Rissani and Merzouga.

then stay at an auberge in the desert - have a night out in the desert organised by the auberge or just do a sunrise trip and have breakfast out there - and then after seeing the Gnauoua association at Khamlia and the Rissani souk (try to make it a Tue, Fri or Sun for the big soukdays that bring many people from all around the area - which includes people who live in the Sahara) and then head back via Alnif and Nkob and Agdz - you will see half of the Draa valley road and even stop at Tamnougalte if you want - and back via Ouarzazate to Marrakech. on the way back either stay at Ouarzazate or Telouet.

Ive got a few recommended places to stay and things to see at Telouet that I would recommend.

you would have to be disciplined with your time ie still fit in the recommended must sees along the way or its not worth doing the trip! - but you can have 3 full days away doing this.

Driving in Morocco is a love of mine. Its beautiful.

But may I point out the click on above for 'Travel Guides' will take you to Travel pages that are made by VTers to share their info and experiences with you. Also you can click on each VT member ID name which will take you to their pages and their lists of whats on their pages.

I have quite a few pages on various places around Morocco you might like to look at. and theres a rating system as well which most of us enjoy and appreciate to rate and rank how helpful the tips are.
All the best.

Thank you very much for your replies! They are very useful.

Angiebabe, if I understand you well, you suggest that it is possible to drive from Marrakech to Merzouga in 1 day. Could you give me an indication of how long (in hours) you really need to drive to do this distance? Just to know how tight our schedule really is.

you can do it in about 8-10 hours - it is a long way but pretty good roads - unless its been raining which can bring water and rivers onto the low lying roads. but otherwise there are a lot of good stretches where you can get a good speed up -during the daylight hours of course.

so you should start off nice and early ie as soon as the sun comes up - but you will still have time to stop at places along the way - eg plan your breaks for the places to stop at - eg have morning tea at Telouet, lunch at the Dades Gorges and so on - at my hotel recommendation Kasbah la vallee - and then on to Merzouga. if you do run late then stay at Rissani at Hotel Asmaa or my other hotel tip the Enasra - but you can phone the auberge youd like to stay at and they could always meeet you in Rissani for you to follow them to their auberge in the desert if youve arrived after dark - they wont mind - I would recommmend the Dunes Dor hotel (not to be confused with Sables Dor) for this or the Timbuktu - or Auberge du Sud - and then do a sunrise trip 2-3 hours with camel and have breakfast in the desert.

i awsm to try locals lodge which is an alternative for saving the costs (extra €).
hotels may cost you a lot such as Tombouktou (xaluca). anyway angiebb's reply is very usuful; but concidering the kind of the travel you are doing i may put a note here ; why lunch in Dades gorge?? driving in a narow road will just keep you late to get to your accom in Merzouga that if you planed to make the way in 1day. otherwise have lunch at Ouarzazate or at the Rose valley. if possible it's better if you do this road in Friday as the roads get empty;(pray day for musilman).

I have found it doesnt matter too much what day it is really - its a long road and a long way and many passing opportunities along the long Dades Valley - I recommended a stop at Dades gorges road because I consider it one of the most beautiful and interesting in Morocco - its only half an hour each way but you get to see Berber villages, the people around the roads and walking in the fields and oases below and there are kasbahs and ruins and very interesting rock formations and so on - a lot in just a short distance.

and if you come back from Merzouga via Alnif and Agdz then you will miss it altogether if you havent made an effort to go there. wherever you have lunch is fine but it is worth not missing it! I have a few pics on my Dades page but I need to put more in of the first stretch along the way.
All the best.