Morning departure by 4×4 from Agadir to Ouarzazate, passing by Taroudant, known as “the little Marrakesh”, via Taliouine and then Taznakht. From here the road continues to the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, the most famous Kasbah in Morocco and one of Morocco’s eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. After lunch in the village, there is time to visit the Kasbah, climbing to the top to admire the view. In the afternoon, a visit to the Atlas Film Studios is scheduled. Here numerous Hollywood blockbusters were shot and the sets are still mostly intact (Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Asterix and Obelix, Game of Thrones.) There remain only a few kilometres to the small town of Ouarzazate, where you spend the night in a riad.

The morning departure takes us from Ouarzazate to the Toudgha gorges via Skoura, travelling off-road to see the Kasbahs, some sadly in a state of disrepair but idyllically placed amongst the large number of palm trees in this magnificent oasis. The most famous of these Kasbahs is Amridil, which is well-worth stopping at for photos and a quick visit. The main road passes through the Valley of Roses, where the roses are distilled to produce oils, lotions and creams found on sale throughout the country. From there the next place to visit is the Dades Valley with its green gardens along the river and amazing rock formations. We stop for lunch in the Tougha gorges. In the afternoon, our trip continues to the dunes of Merzouga for a two-hour camel ride to reach the dunes of Erg Chebbi (250m). From the top of the dunes the sunset is spectacular. Here, at Erg Chebbi, we will have dinner and spend the night in a bivouac of nomad tents.

If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise, when the colour of the dunes and the play of shadows are an awesome sight. After breakfast, the itinerary continues to the Dra’a Valley, the longest valley in Morocco. The road passes through the villages of Rissani, Alnif, Tazzarine and N’Qob, where we stop for lunch. In the afternoon, the journey takes us to Tansikht across the Dra’a River, sometimes in full spate but often little more than a trickle. Here we turn north to drive off-road along the ancient caravan route, which follows the valley with its huge palm trees and ancient villages. At the end of the afternoon, we stop in Agdz for dinner and a night’s rest.