Alternative travel in Morocco: from the Atlas Mountains to the desert
- Adult
- Child
Who is this alternative trip to Morocco for?
If you’re looking to go off the beaten path—whether because you’ve already explored Morocco’s classic highlights or because you want a deeper, more authentic connection with local culture—this alternative trip to Morocco, thoughtfully designed by Trip to Help, could be the perfect choice for you.
Experience the desert in a more adventurous way and immerse yourself in the vibrant, real culture of the Atlas Mountains. This journey is all about unique experiences and meaningful encounters.
Itinerary Highlights
PART 1: Departure from Marrakech
Departure from Marrakech, to visit the Atlas Mountains, a local guide will take us to meet a local market to continue an excursion on foot through the Atlas Mountains. During the excursion we will cross small villages (some have suffered and can still see the effects of the 2022 earthquake).
We will stop for lunch with local families, who will prepare homemade food for us and our guides. This allows these families to have extra money, as they are paid fairly. We will follow the route until we reach the house where we will spend the night, again, with a local family. We will sleep and the next morning, after breakfast, we will continue our route on foot to return to Amizmiz, from where we will continue our journey to the desert of Zagora.
PART 2: From the Atlas to the Desert
After the Atlas, we will reach the desert of M’hamid where we will sleep in a sustainable Oasis that works for permaculture, in an area where access to fresh water is very limited, and they have been working for years so that the crops get used to water with more salt than usual. Why is the water in that area salty? The water they draw from wells is salty, similar to sea water. This makes it impossible for them to grow crops. But don’t worry, we will always have bottled and drinkable water.
We will spend 3 nights in the oasis, where we will be able to see how they grow palm trees and other plants. One of the nights will be spent among the dunes. A unique experience, very different from the tourist experiences in Merzouga. Here we are talking about a desert of dunes without hotels or permanent tents, where you can only sleep if you camp in a tent and then when you leave you dismantle everything without a trace of human presence.
On our expedition to the desert we will go with a local Saharawi guide and a cook. Once we find a place to camp, we will pitch our tents and prepare the typical Moroccan tea. We will watch the sunset, and prepare a bonfire where our cook will prepare a tajine. Night will fall, and the fire will be the meeting point. Tranquility, silence, relaxation… Everything that is difficult to find in the desert of Merzouga, we will find here. In this Moroccan desert, there are no quads, no motorcycles, and we will only come across some intrepid travelers like us who have decided to go further and live a unique, alternative and adventurous trip.
On one of these nights, you’ll witness the unique process of baking bread in the desert sand. This age-old technique, born of necessity, involves burying dough under hot sand heated by a fire. The result? Some of the most delicious bread you’ll ever taste.
How to book this signature trip to Morocco?
Booking this unique journey is easy through our website. Simply select your preferred dates, but keep in mind that confirmation depends on the availability of our local guides.
Due to the irreplaceable role played by the local guides, the trip will not be 100% confirmed until Trip to Help checks that they have availability on the selected dates. Because the local Atlas guide may be on another excursion with other travelers, we must confirm that he will be available. That is why it is important that you book it in advance, since we only work with them in that area.
You can also contact us via WhatsApp for availability inquiries, and we’ll respond as quickly as possible.
It is a signature trip, designed by Trip to Help, and requires that all trip stakeholders are available. There are no substitutes, if they can’t, you can’t make the trip. If this is the case, other available dates will be sought or the trip will be cancelled.
Duration
8 Days
Group Size
Private Group
Language
English
Highlights of the Alternative Trip in Morocco:
•Sleep in local family homes in the Atlas Mountains.
•Immerse yourself in the unique culture of the Atlas region.
•Discover Morocco’s most untouched sand dune desert.
•Spend a night wild camping among the dunes.
•Learn about the culture of the Sahrawis and Berbers.
Itinerary for Alternative Trip to Morocco:
Towards the Atlas
Early in the morning, we will be picked up in Marrakech and head towards the Atlas Mountains. We will arrive at a small Berber village, where we will visit a local market untouched by tourism. Depending on the day of the week, the market will be in one village or another. At the market, we’ll witness the daily life of locals buying and selling goods, from fruits and vegetables to spices, salt, meat, tools, utensils, and even livestock. It’s truly a unique experience that immerses travelers in the life of the locals.
After the market, we’ll begin our trek through the Atlas Mountains. We will walk until we reach a village where we’ll have lunch at the home of an Amazigh (Berber) family. After lunch, we’ll continue our hike, climbing two peaks, with a stop at one for a short break. Don’t worry—the route can be tailored to the physical fitness of the travelers and is suitable for everyone, including children!
Around 4:30 PM, we’ll arrive at the home of a Berber family, where we’ll be welcomed with tea. We’ll have the opportunity to visit the village, explore other homes, and then return to help the family with cooking tasks, if we’d like. We’ll enjoy dinner, sip another tea, and spend the night in their home.
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Discovering the Atlas
Today, we will say goodbye to the local family who hosted us and continue our journey on foot, crossing a pine forest towards Sidi Hssain. We will pass through Tafgarte before reaching Sidi Hssain, where we will have lunch with another local family. After lunch, we will continue the route to Amizmiz. We will arrive around 4 PM and head to the hotel.Today, we will say goodbye to the local family who hosted us and continue our journey on foot, crossing a pine forest towards Sidi Hssain. We will pass through Tafgarte before reaching Sidi Hssain, where we will have lunch with another local family. After lunch, we will continue the route to Amizmiz. We will arrive around 4 PM and head to the hotel.
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
On our way to the desert
On our third day of the alternative trip through Morocco, we will focus on crossing the Atlas through less-traveled areas, where we might encounter unpaved roads. We will pass through villages and regions with little tourism. We will spend the night along the way, heading towards Zagora.
- Breakfast, Dinner
Zagora Desert
Today, we finally arrive at the Zagora Desert. Actually, we will be staying in M’hamid, further south and closer to the untouched dunes we’ll visit the next day. Today, we’ll take the opportunity to explore the eco-sustainable project where we are staying—an oasis working to grow crops using salty water drawn from underground. We will also visit the ancient Ksar village in M’hamid with our local Sahrawi guide.
- Breakfast, Dinner
Exploring Virgin Dunes - with no hotels and barely any tourism
Today is one of the highlights of the alternative trip to Morocco. In the morning, we’ll have free time to rest, read a book, or sunbathe by the new pool they’re building, which uses salty water and then reuses it for the crops through a natural filtration system.
At noon, after lunch, we will head with our Saharawi guide to the dunes. The 2.5-hour journey in the 4x4 will take us to our destination. Once there, the dunes will be all ours. We’ll see very few tourists (if any) and those we do see will likely be far away. It will be a truly authentic experience, far more real than Merzouga. We’ll have the chance to walk through the dunes, take photos, while our guides prepare everything.
We’ll enjoy a breathtaking sunset as the dunes slowly change color until nightfall. When the night arrives, our guide will have the fire ready, and they will begin cooking the Tajine. It will be time for tea, conversation, stargazing, and living an unforgettable experience.
- Breakfast, Dinner
Breakfast alone in the dunes
Today, we will wake up in a very special place, right in the middle of the dunes. If you’re an early riser, you can wake up to watch the sunrise from the dunes—another unique experience. We’ll take advantage of the morning to walk through the desert, then have breakfast and pack everything to load the 4x4 and return to the oasis. We’ll arrive around midday, have lunch, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon to reflect on the experience.
- Breakfast, Dinner
Saying goodbye to this special place
Today is our last day in the desert, and depending on our plans, we will either head straight to Marrakech without any stops or make a stop near Ouarzazate to spend the night in another oasis (included in the price). Staying an extra night will make the return journey more manageable and give us the chance to visit a Kasbah along the way.
- Breakfast