2 Days to Dades and Todra Gorge from Marrakech

Booking direct with us supports local Agafay families. Read our social mission →

We pick you up in Marrakech and head straight over the Atlas for the gorges. This 2 days to Dades Todra Gorge tour is private, with your own driver and an air-conditioned 4×4 or minivan, so you stop when you want. Two days is a short, honest run: Ait Ben Haddou and the kasbah road on the way down, a night under the red cliffs of Dades, and the Todra gorge before we turn back. It suits people who want the mountains and the canyons without committing to the long haul out to the Sahara.

Trip highlights

• Private trip with your own driver and an air-conditioned 4×4 or minivan
• Explore the UNESCO kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, the mud-brick ksar from the films
• Walk into the Todra gorge, where the cliffs rise close to 300 metres
• Drive the twisting Dades valley past its old kasbahs
• Visit the film studios and kasbahs of Ouarzazate

Day 1: Marrakech to the Dades gorge

After pick-up we climb the Tizi n’Tichka, the high pass that takes the old road over the Atlas, with a few stops for the view on the way up. We break at Ait Ben Haddou, the earthen kasbah stacked above the river that you may know from films, and there’s time to walk up to the top before lunch. From Ouarzazate we look at the Taourirt kasbah, then follow the road past the Skoura palm oasis and the Valley of Roses, where they distill rosewater in spring. We reach the Dades gorge in the late afternoon, as the cliffs turn red, and settle in for the night.

Route: Marrakech, Tizi n’Tichka pass, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Skoura, El Kelaa M’Gouna, Dades gorge. Night in a Dades kasbah hotel.

Day 2: Todra gorge and back to Marrakech

We start with breakfast on the terrace, then drive up into the Dades gorge for the tight switchbacks and the folded rock walls locals call the monkey fingers. From there we cross to the Todra gorge near Tinghir, where the cliffs rise close to 300 metres over a narrow path beside the river, and there’s time to walk in along the water. After lunch we take the road back through Ouarzazate and over the Tichka into Marrakech by evening, and drop you at your hotel.

Route: Dades gorge, Todra gorge, Tinghir, Ouarzazate, Tizi n’Tichka pass, Marrakech.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned 4×4 or minivan with an experienced driver
• Pick-up and drop-off at your Marrakech accommodation
• One night in a kasbah hotel in the Dades valley
• Breakfast and dinner as per the itinerary
• Time at Ait Ben Haddou and both the Dades and Todra gorges

The hotels, the standing and the route are the same ones we run on our operated tour. We’ll confirm the exact places and the full list of what’s included when you book.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a private tour?

Yes. You travel with just your own group, your own driver and vehicle. Nobody else joins, so the stops and the pace are yours to set.

Where do we sleep along the way?

You stay in kasbah hotels, riads or guesthouses along the route. The standing matches our operated tour, and we confirm the exact places when you book.

When is the best time to go?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable. Summer days get very hot and winter nights in the desert are cold, so bring layers whatever the season.

Can we change the itinerary or the pick-up point?

Yes. Because it is private, we can add nights, swap stops, or start from a different city or airport. Tell us what you have in mind and we will adjust the plan.

Book the trip

Price on request. Send us a message on WhatsApp with your dates and we’ll come back with a quote, and you can hold your spot online with a deposit.