5 of the Best Tours in Ouarzazate: Oases + Kasbahs + Desert Gorges
- Malika
- Apr 18, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 27
Looking for the best tours in Ouarzazate? Explore this curated collection of excursions, hikes and mountain biking adventures.
Tucked away in the Souss-Massa-Drâa region of Morocco, the desert city of Ouarzazate serves as the gateway to the Sahara. With its sun-baked sand dunes, looming mountains and palm oases, Ouarzazate provides the perfect backdrop for exploring the untamed beauty that lies beyond Marrakech.
I love descending into Ouarzazate (after navigating the Tizi n'Tichka Pass) and seeing the incredible desert scenery that stretches towards the horizon. Centuries-old kasbahs dot the surrounding landscape while clusters of earthen homes called ksour sprout from the sands.
Ouarzazate is an ideal base for exploring everything this area has to offer, including its filmmaking heritage, and is a fantastic destination for travellers keen to venture beyond the hustle and bustle of Marrakech
In this article, discover 5 of the best tours in Ouarzazate, including half-day, full-day and multi-day trips.During these highly-rated experiences, you can hike through cinematic oases, ride camels across desert dunes and take a step back in time at ancient kasbahs.
For more information about Ouarzazate, including the best things to see and do, incredible kasbah stays and transport logistics, check out my Ultimate Travel Guide to Ouarzazate.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best gorge tour from Ouarzazate
Best oasis tour from Ouarzazate
Best Draa Valley tour from Ouarzazate
Best biking tour from Ouarzazate
Best multi-day desert tour from Ouarzazate
Best gorge tour from Ouarzazate
The Route of 1000 Kasbahs offers an unforgettable adventure, taking in majestic fortresses and captivating desert landscapes seemingly lost in time. Winding through palm groves overflowing with dates, the road takes in flower-filled valleys and monumental canyons carved over millennia. Ancient kasbahs emerge at every turn and the vistas are guaranteed to take your breath away.
This guided tour from Ouarzazate takes in a section of the Route of 1000 Kasbahs, including Dades Gorge, the Valley of the Roses and the oasis town of Skoura. In air-conditioned comfort, you'll stop at highlights like the Mansour El Eddahbi dam, completed in 1971 to help green the desert through irrigation, and the mud-brick Kasbah Amridil, still inhabited by the Naciri family.
I still remember the first time I travelled through this part of Morocco and just how jaw-dropping the scenery was.
While the Route of 1000 Kasbahs can be visited on a day trip from Marrakech, starting and ending in Ouarzazate means you’ll spend less time in a vehicle and more time revelling in the area’s immense beauty.
“Beautiful kasbahs along the road towards the breathtaking Gorges Dades. Bachir, our guide, was highly knowledgeable and made the trip into a superb experience. Highly recommended.” (read more reviews here)
Best tours from Ouarzazate
Best oasis tour from Ouarzazate
Just 12 kilometres outside the city of Ouarzazate is the Fint Oasis, which packs immense natural beauty into its palm-dotted landscape. It comprises four tiny villages clustered with earthen buildings that blend seamlessly into the terrain.
Life moves slowly here, with locals living in harmony with nature as their ancestors have done for centuries.
Meandering dirt paths wind through groves of date palms, which form a leafy green canopy that creates an ideal microclimate where plants and wildlife thrive. From tiny desert finches to lizards scurrying underfoot, the Fint Oasis is a wonderful place to take things slow and really soak up everything around you.
The focal point of Fint is the life-giving wadi that flows through the mountains, bringing water and fertility. Hiking along its banks with the help of a local guide not only rewards you with incredible views but also insights into the local Amazigh culture.
Despite the heat, there are plenty of shady rest spots to enjoy a picnic or a steaming cup of mint tea brewed the traditional way.
“A wonderful family day in the heart of the oasis! A great guide, attentive, with a very good knowledge of the fauna and flora. Very beautiful discoveries and great landscapes!” (read more reviews here)
Best tours from Ouarzazate
Best Draa Valley tour from Ouarzazate
A rugged highway leads southeast from Ouarzazate into the breathtaking Draa Valley, which has formed over millennia by a river flowing from the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains. This narrow ribbon of water has carved out a dramatic landscape of soaring cliffs, deep canyons and jagged rock formations in shades of red, orange and brown.
As the road descends into the valley, it passes lush palm groves and tranquil villages clustered around life-giving oases.
Led by multilingual guides, this full-day excursion into the Draa Valley promises to be an unforgettable experience and can be tailored to your personal interests. Visit the oasis town of Agdz and Tinfou’s expansive dunes before saddling up for an hour-long camel ride through the rippling sands.
After a poolside lunch in Zagora, take a leisurely stroll through a date palm grove before beginning the return journey north through the Draa Valley.
This highly-rated tour from Ouarzazate is all about getting off the beaten tourist track and exploring a part of Morocco where few other tourists venture.
“It's a must-do for anyone seeking a magical adventure in Morocco.” (read more reviews here)
Best tours from Ouarzazate
Best biking tour from Ouarzazate
As the morning sun peeks over the horizon, set off on an adventure into the expansive Palmeraie de Skoura. For centuries, this fertile palm grove acted as a crucial intersection of trade routes linking the Sahara Desert with the imperial cities of the north.
Caravans laden with gold, salt and prized ostrich feathers would arrive in Skoura after weeks of arduous travel and the cameleers would stop to rest and refuel.
Straddling sturdy mountain bikes, this active guided tour of Skoura will see you pedalling along winding dirt trails through the oasis, breathing in the earthy perfume of palm trees and desert plants. Cycle past local farmers busy at work and sip on sweet mint tea during a shady rest stop beside a burbling stream.
Throughout the adventure, your guide will share fascinating details about the local culture and the delicate desert ecosystem that allows the oasis to thrive. There is also the opportunity to visit the workshop of a local ceramicist to see Moroccan pottery being made firsthand.
I absolutely love Skoura and think a leisurely bike ride is the perfect way to explore its oasis and rural life. If you want to stay overnight, there are also some amazing kasbah hotels in Skoura that offer incredible hospitality.
“This was a fantastic time! We learned so much about Skoura, the fascinating mixture of new and old lifestyles, witnessed the wonderful views of the valley, and had great conversation over tea after the bike ride.” (read more reviews here)
Best tours from Ouarzazate
Best multi-day desert tour from Ouarzazate
While this three-day tour doesn’t start or end in Ouarzazate, it does pass through the desert city en route from Marrakech to Merzouga. It comes with more than 8,000 glowing reviews on Viator, with 99% of travellers recommending the experience.
The journey begins with a drive through the Atlas Mountains, stopping to take in the spectacular views from the Tizi n’Tichka Pass. Continuing on, you’ll have time to explore Ouarzazate and visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed ksar of Ait Benhaddou. The first day ends in the Valley of Roses - one of Morocco’s most enchanting destinations.
Begin the following day with an excursion through the dramatic Todra Gorge before visiting the Amazigh villages of Tinejdad and the “Capital of Fossils”, Erfoud. In the late afternoon, you’ll arrive in Merzouga, a gateway to the Moroccan Sahara.
Embark on a camel ride to a traditional Amazigh encampment for a night under the stars - a truly unforgettable North African experience!
After waking to watch the sunrise over the Sahara (and maybe test your skills at sandboarding), it’s time to slowly make your way back to Marrakech. The last day of this Moroccan desert tour include a stop in Kalaat M’Gouna before passing once again through Ouarzazate and the Atlas Mountains.
If you don’t want to return to Marrakech, it’s possible to stop in Ouarzazate to spend a couple of days exploring the area. You'll find my Ouarzazate hotel recommendations here.
“Incredible adventure. You will see so much of the country, outside of the cities. Very well organized and super friendly and hospitable hosts and guides.” (read more reviews here)
