A slower, kasbah-focused route based in and around Ouarzazate: the great ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, the Skoura palm grove and Kasbah Amridil, and the rose-red Dadès Valley and its gorge.
Day by day
Your 4-day plan
- 1
Day 1
Aït Ben Haddou & Ouarzazate kasbahs
Spend the morning in the earthen-brick ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the most famous kasbah in Morocco. In the afternoon explore Ouarzazate itself — the 19th-century Taourirt Kasbah of the Glaoui and the old town lanes.
- Aït Ben Haddou ksar
- Taourirt Kasbah
- Ouarzazate old town
- 2
Day 2
Skoura palmeraie & Kasbah Amridil
Drive east to the Skoura oasis, a dense palm grove threaded with old kasbahs. Tour Kasbah Amridil — one of the best-preserved in the south and pictured on the old 50-dirham note — then walk the palmeraie tracks among fig and almond trees.
- Skoura palmeraie
- Kasbah Amridil
- Oasis walking tracks
- 3
Day 3
Valley of the Roses & Dadès Gorge
Continue to the Valley of the Roses around Kelaat M'Gouna, famous for the May rose harvest and rosewater distilleries, then up into the Dadès Valley to the dramatic hairpin switchbacks and red rock of the Dadès Gorge.
- Valley of the Roses
- Dadès Gorge switchbacks
- Monkey Fingers rock formations
- 4
Day 4
Telouet & the old Glaoui pass
Head back toward the Atlas via Telouet, the ruined palace-kasbah of the Glaoui pashas on the old caravan road, then rejoin the Tizi n'Tichka for the descent — finishing in Ouarzazate or continuing to Marrakech.
- Telouet Kasbah
- Old salt-caravan road
- Tizi n'Tichka
Good to know
Practical notes
- This loop keeps distances short and the focus on kasbahs and oases rather than the long desert run east.
- Kasbah Amridil and Telouet both charge a small entry fee paid in cash dirhams on the door.
- Late April to May is the season for the Valley of the Roses; the rose festival is usually held in early May.
Frequently asked
What is the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs?
It is the route running east from Ouarzazate through Skoura, the Dadès and on toward the Sahara, lined with old fortified earthen kasbahs and ksour. Ouarzazate is its western anchor.
Is Aït Ben Haddou worth a full visit?
Yes — it is Morocco's best-known ksar, a UNESCO site, and a film location for dozens of productions. Crossing the river and climbing to the agadir at the top takes a comfortable morning.
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