Attractions in Sahara & Southeast (Merzouga, Ouarzazate)
Sleep under a million stars in the golden dunes ✨🐪
Showing 29 attractions · Sorted by importance
Atlas Film Studios
📍 Ouarzazate
🎢 Theme ParkOne of the world's largest film studios where families can explore massive movie sets from famous historical and fantasy films.
Dadès Gorges
📍 Boumalne Dades
🏔 Scenic ViewA scenic valley known for its winding 'serpentine' roads and bizarre red rock formations locally called the Monkey Fingers.
Drâa Valley Scenic Route (N9 South)
📍 Ouarzazate
🚗 Road Trip160km paved road (3-4 hours). Follows the Drâa River through Morocco's largest palm oasis, lined with hundreds of ancient fortified kasbahs and ksours, leading from Ouarzazate to the desert town of Zagora.
Erg Chebbi Dunes
📍 Merzouga
🏔 Scenic ViewThese iconic Saharan sand dunes reach heights of 150 meters and offer a quintessential desert experience with camel treks and stunning sunset views.
Ksar of Aït Benhaddou
📍 Ouarzazate
🏰 CastleA UNESCO World Heritage site featuring a spectacular earthen village that has served as a backdrop for numerous Hollywood films.
M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark
📍 Ouarzazate
🌲 NatureThis UNESCO Global Geopark in the central High Atlas Mountains covers 573,000 hectares and is renowned for its prehistoric dinosaur tracks, dramatic volcanic landscapes, and diverse geological heritage including the Ouzoud Waterfalls and the Mastfrane Cathedral cliff formation.
Taourirt Kasbah
📍 Ouarzazate
🏘 Town / VillageA sprawling 19th-century palace complex and historic residence of the Glaoui dynasty, showcasing intricate Berber architecture and decorative arts.
The Road of a Thousand Kasbahs (N10)
📍 Ouarzazate
🚗 Road TripApprox. 370km paved national highway (2-3 days). This iconic route connects the Hollywood of Morocco to the Sahara dunes, passing through the Skoura palm grove, the Valley of Roses, and the Dades and Todra Gorges.
Tizi n'Tichka Pass (N9)
📍 Marrakech
🚗 Road Trip200km paved mountain pass (4 hours). Reaches an elevation of 2,212 meters, featuring steep switchbacks and panoramic views of the High Atlas Mountains as it connects Marrakech to the desert gateway of Ouarzazate.
Todra Gorges
📍 Tinghir
🏔 Scenic ViewDramatic 300-meter-high limestone canyons with a shallow river running through the base, popular for easy walks and rock climbing.
Jebel Saghro Traverse
📍 Tagdilt
🥾 Hiking & Cycling90km challenging multi-day trek, typical duration 5-7 days, 3,350m cumulative elevation gain. This route crosses a volcanic massif featuring jagged basalt peaks, massive rock towers like Bab N'Ali, and ancient transhumance trails used by Ait Atta nomads.
Monkey Fingers (Les Doigts de Singe) Hike
📍 Boumalne Dades
🥾 Hiking & Cycling8km moderate loop, typical duration 3-4 hours, 200m elevation gain. This trek navigates the unique conglomerate rock formations of the Dades Valley, including narrow canyons and riverbed paths. Local guide service: Dades Trekking Tours (dades-trekking-tours.com)
Todra Gorge Nomad Loop
📍 Tinghir
🥾 Hiking & Cycling11km moderate loop, typical duration 3.5-4.5 hours, 570m elevation gain. The trail climbs from the 300m-high limestone cliffs of the gorge to a high mountain plateau offering views of nomadic Berber settlements and the High Atlas range.
Draa Valley
📍 Agdz
🏔 Scenic ViewOne of Morocco's longest river valleys, featuring a dense 'palmeraie' of millions of date palms stretching across the desert landscape.
Iriqui National Park
📍 Zagora
🌲 NatureA vast protected Saharan landscape featuring the seasonal Lake Iriqui and a variety of desert flora and fauna for adventurous wildlife viewing.
Kasbah Amridil
📍 Skoura
🏰 CastleA 17th-century fortified living museum and one of Morocco's most iconic kasbahs, famously depicted on the 50-dirham note.
Ksar Tamnougalt
📍 Agdz
🏘 Town / VillageOne of the oldest fortified villages in the Draa Valley, featuring a labyrinth of covered alleys and historic earthen defensive structures.
Tafilalet Oasis
📍 Erfoud
🌲 NatureThe world's largest oasis and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, this lush landscape features millions of date palms and historic earthen architecture.
Aventures Verticales (Todra Gorge Climbing Center)
📍 Tinghir
🧗 AdventureA specialized outdoor activity center in the Todra Gorge offering rock climbing and Africa's first via ferrata for adventurers of all skill levels.
Brahim Tahiri Museum of Fossils and Minerals
📍 Erfoud
🔬 ScienceA world-renowned natural history museum featuring an extensive collection of prehistoric desert fossils, including rare dinosaur skeletons and trilobites.
Dades Gorge Scenic Drive (R704)
📍 Boumalne Dades
🚗 Road Trip63km paved mountain road (3 hours round trip). Famous for the 'Tisdrine' switchbacks, a series of dramatic hairpin turns overlooking deep red limestone canyons and the 'Monkey Fingers' rock formations.
Draa Valley Cycle Route
📍 Agdz
🥾 Hiking & Cycling160km moderate cycling route (Ouarzazate to Zagora), typically 2-4 days, 400m elevation gain. A scenic route following Morocco's longest river through palm groves, historic kasbahs, and oasis villages. Bike rental: Atlas Ride Ouarzazate (atlasrideouarzazate.com)
Hamma Moulay Ali Cherif
📍 Rissani
♨ Hot SpringNatural sulfurous thermal springs reaching approximately 38°C, housed in a traditional public bathhouse. Renowned locally for therapeutic properties aiding skin conditions and rheumatism, the facility offers separate sections for men and women and is located on the edge of the Tafilalt oasis.
Musée des Oasis
📍 Tinejdad
🖼 Art GalleryLocated in a restored ksar, this museum features high-quality exhibits on traditional Saharan art, crafts, and architectural history.
Rissani Livestock Market
📍 Rissani
🏘 Town / VillageA vibrant traditional marketplace active on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, featuring a unique donkey parking area and sections for trading sheep and goats.
Todra Gorge Drive (R703)
📍 Tinghir
🚗 Road Trip15km paved road (1 hour round trip). A dramatic drive through a massive limestone canyon where the walls rise vertically up to 300 meters, with the road squeezed between the cliff face and a crystal-clear river.
Khamlia Village
📍 Merzouga
🏘 Town / VillageA unique cultural village near the Erg Chebbi dunes where visitors can experience traditional Gnawa music and desert hospitality.
