Tips for a 9-day itinerary in southern Morocco (page 2 of 3)

I spent a month in Algeria, straddling November and December in 2013, with my trusty VW (Almería-Telhouet ferry). What struck me the most, aside from the landscapes, was the extreme kindness and willingness of Algerians to help (just like in Morocco), but the absolute best part? The scams and constant (commercial) harassment that are so common in Morocco were practically nonexistent. Only once during my entire stay. If you're with Algerians you've just met, at a café, restaurant, or barber, it’s very common that when you leave, you’ll realize they’ve already "super discreetly" paid the bill!!!!!! One example among many: In Tipaza, I met an Algerian who took the same ferry as me. He waved at me, and we chatted for a bit. Then he left. When I finished at the barber and tried to pay for my haircut, I found out he’d already taken care of it.

If you're with Algerians you've just met, whether at a café, restaurant, or barber shop, it's very common that when you leave, you'll realize they've already "super discreetly" paid the bill!!!!!! One example among many: In Tipaza, I met an Algerian who took the same ferry as me. He obviously waved at me, and we chatted for a bit. Then he left. When I finished at the barber and tried to pay for my haircut, he had already taken care of it.

This is true for Algeria but also for many countries where tourism hasn't been well developed. In the Middle East, Syria used to be like that, for example. These days, it might not be a country to recommend :/

Question After the night in Skoura, do you go back down to Fint and then back up toward the Dades Gorges? That doesn’t make much sense. The Fint Oasis is really close to Ouarzazate.

I’ve experienced this several times in Benin. It’s really nice. Once, it was breakfast at the Dantokpa market, another time a full meal at a beachside thatch-roof restaurant in Cotonou. It belonged to Romuald Hazoumé, whom I didn’t know but had chatted with at an accommodation a few days earlier. Recognizing me, he offered me and my daughter a free meal. And once, it was breakfast at a maquis along the Ouémé River. 🙂

Hi there, Same remarks... This is a "throw a stone and see where it lands" kind of plan... ... Skip Skoura and Fint to return to Dadès—it’s not great either...

Since you clearly don’t want to settle down and want to see as much as possible (which is your choice, after all)... I need a month, even rushing, to do your loop—and that’s only if I don’t run into too many friends along the way... 😛

I’ll just suggest an alternative that’s as crazy as yours but much prettier and way less "cutesy" than some of the horrors out there, like visiting the Zazate studios—a total scam for tourists... If you *really* want to see something film-related, check out the cinema museum in the center, across from the Taourirt kasbah... The guy who created it doesn’t manage it anymore and couldn’t care less (though he did study at Sciences Po, and I love the guy ^^). The idea is more "cultural" than the nonsense you’re about to put your kids through... Ouarzazate is my turf—I’ve been hanging out there for over 20 years, for work, but Perju’s right: move along, there’s nothing to see...

Fint, the oasis hyped up by all the YouTubers, Facebookers, and—worse—TikTokers who spend 5 days in Morocco and then write million-page guides telling you everything you *need* to know about the country... Really not a priority for an ultra-short road trip...

So, if I understood correctly, you’ve got 9 days, meaning 8 nights on the ground...

Night 1: MRK...

Night 2: AGOUTI OR TABANT (I figured it’s not great to tackle the Tichka twice), so I’d head to Ait Bouli, then the Ait Bougemez Valley... Anne, a Swiss woman, runs a really nice hostel, *Auberge Flilou* ("poppies" in English), on Google Maps—check it out near Agouti... There are others in Tabant for all budgets... Expect about 6 hours of driving from MRK via Demnate. After Demnate, you’ll get some stunning scenery (a few *Jurassic Park*-style spots and a cute little village with an old granary on your left near Ighir n’Tissen, and a bit later, a small village on a ridge to your right: Iguelouan, pretty spectacular from the road...

Night 3: Bou Tharar... A bit of high-altitude driving to prove those *Guide du Routard* clowns wrong about Morocco’s highest paved passes—there are two here that put the Tichka to shame... After Tabant, a nice climb up the *Tizi Ait Imi* (the "mouth pass") to descend into the M’Goun Valley and then back up the *Tizi Ait Hamed* at 3,050 m... Gorgeous *and* paved... (Hurry up and visit the area before influencers claim they discovered America.) On the way down, some beautiful hairpin turns, then head to Bou Tharar. There are several nice spots if you insist, but don’t always follow the pavement... If you’re not afraid of dirt roads, a small, easy detour will take you through the Amejgag Gorges (you won’t be bothered by tourists there). I can give you the GPS points if you want... There are also some great, remote spots before Bou Tharar—authentic, local, and cheap. FYI, Bou Tharar is kind of the end of the Valley of Roses...

Night 4: Tinghir... From Bou Tharar, there’s an 8 km dirt road (not difficult) that cuts through the massif and connects to the Dadès Valley (near Ait Youl) and its stunning succession of new hostels that have pretty much ruined the valley (though it calms down near Tilmi... for now). From there, you’ll climb the *Tizi Ouanno* pass (everything’s paved or easy on dirt roads—yeah, those days of roughing it on this pass are long gone ^^). On the other side, you’ll pass through Agoudal and descend to Tinghir via the Todgha Gorges... (A few nice spots near Agoudal, but no time.)

Night 5: Zagora... From Tinghir, head back toward Boulmane (sorry about Skoura, but you should’ve come 10–15 years ago—or longer. Now it’s a sick, overhyped palm grove, just like Fint, sold by hordes of *toubabs* who’ve invested in fancy hostels. Of course, the YouTubers and TikTokers who "discovered" Morocco three years ago know how to sell it in their blogs...). From Boulmane, head toward Inkioun and cross the Saghro via easy pavement on the *Tizi Tazazert*—last I heard, it’s been suffering from severe depression since little Logans started crossing it innocently... On the descent (oops, quick stop for orange juice or tea at *Auberge Tirza* and a viewpoint over the Azzefar Canyon), you’ll hit Bab n’Ali... How to put this... Well, it’s a tough climb, but the area’s worth it for some great hikes... Then continue to N’Kob... Still paved... Then turn right toward Zagora via Tanskhite. My heart aches not being able to tell you about the insane dirt roads in the Saghro or the few amazing little surprises on the way to Zagora, but I hope the scenery will blow your mind enough to make you want to come back for another trip—with at least five times more time... or five trips... Zagora: I approve of the hostel Perju recommended. The name’s terrible, but otherwise, I like *Auberge Soleil du Monde*—great with kids and far from the city... Take a relaxed evening or morning walk in the old town of Amzrou; the owner’s really nice...

Night 6: Chegaga. You’ll have time to go to M’Hamid, but stop just before at Bounou, at *Camping Esprit Désert* (also recommended by Perju, and I agree). Run by Phil, who knows his stuff and can organize an amazing night in the desert at Chegaga. Otherwise, try M’Hamid—though *Au Petit Prince* is full of charming scammers who’ll offer you some real duds (if you haven’t been hassled already—these smooth talkers are on top of their game here).

Night 7: Well, do as you like, but enjoy the desert with your kids without rushing—especially since you won’t have your rental car unless it’s a 4x4... Head back at a relaxed pace, and why not sleep at the *Ksabah de Timidarte*? Or even head to Ait Ben Haddou if time’s tight...

Night 8: MRK. On the way back, you’ll have time to stop at Ait Ben Haddou—even though the place has been ruined lately, it’s still fun for the kids, especially since Kurt Russell peed against the palm tree that... (nope, I’m keeping that secret to myself). Obviously, head back via the Ounila Valley, Telouet, and the Tichka...

It’s doable, but it’s a race... Unless your car breaks down, it’s less packed than your first plan...

If I have time—it’s been tough for me lately—but I can also post a bunch of Google Maps links for places you shouldn’t miss for the views, etc., if I remember how to do it...

Hope there's more tarmac than when I passed through some sections of this route—otherwise, they’ll wreck their Logan! Isn’t it a bit too many kilometers? 😉 Otherwise, this seems way more interesting than what was initially planned...

Could this message be moved to a PM for Groschat, please?

or better: you copy it here and paste it in private, then ask for your message to be deleted.

Thanks so much, Murielle. Copy/pasted in a PM to Grochats. But can I delete it from this post?

I don’t think you can delete the message. But you can edit it. You could replace your original text with something like 'message deleted by its author'.

When you send a message, you can edit it only for a certain amount of time—after that, it stays in its original form. By clicking on "options," you’ll see the choices available to you... but as mentioned, this is only possible for a limited time (I don’t remember exactly how long). If "options" is no longer available, it means the time has run out.

That would be great, but it's just "report or reply", no "option". I've always been terrible at the internet. Thanks to you both

yes, time's up

Hi, you can delete it. I’ve already had posts I made removed through this site. They were really cool about it and deleted them. Write to them and explain. It only took a few days. Cheers.

That would be great, but only "report or reply", no "option". I’ve always been terrible with the internet. Thanks to you both

The "report" feature is active with no time limit. Use it (click the link) to report your own post and explain the reason. Moderation is usually pretty quick to respond... It’s faster than sending an email.

Yep, almost the entire route I suggested is paved... And the rest can be done easily in a rental sedan. As for kilometers, I won’t argue with you—slower travel suits me just fine. It’s just a suggestion... If you’re gonna eat up asphalt, might as well see beautiful things. Doing tons of kilometers just to cover half the route twice doesn’t seem great to me...

Otherwise, since COVID, they’ve built quite a few new tracks. Not enough to feel the thrill of vast, solitary spaces, but honestly, it’s better than nothing, and you can really explore areas that were inaccessible before. There’s definitely a way to still enjoy yourself without running into the crowds you find in Marrakech or Agadir... Who knows how long it’ll last. Not sure the folks who explored the country in the 1930s would’ve liked seeing solo adventurers in 4x4s in the Atlas... We live in our time because we don’t have a choice...🙂

My memories are a bit fuzzy... I remember (1975! The year of the Green March) some pretty rough tracks for my R4TL when leaving the Todra Gorge. Around Tamtatoucht? Agoudal? On the way to Imilchil during the moussem. And also in the Ait Bouguemez Valley, etc. All this tarmac makes me want to go back for a more relaxed road trip...

and head back up to Tizi Ait Hamed and its 3,050 m.

Darn, I didn’t know about that one!

It could’ve fit into my last trip.

I’ll keep it in mind.

So glad you were able to delete your message. Drop by and see me when you come to Morocco. I’d love to see you again. Hugs. Juju