Marrakech · Vallée des Roses · Erg Chigaga · Morocco
Vallée des Roses & Sahara
From rose gardens to the great southern dunes.
The valley that blooms. The desert that endures.
Begin one night in Marrakech, before heading south through Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate into the Dades Valley. The Vallée des Roses, centred on Kelaat M'Gouna, is one of Morocco's most intimate landscapes: terraced rose gardens, Berber villages, and a river that winds between red limestone cliffs.
Three nights here allow time to slow down. Walk the gardens with local guides, visit rose oil cooperatives, bathe in natural springs, and climb into the high plateaux above the valley. The rhythm is unhurried, grounded in craft and land.
From the valley, the route descends south toward M'hamid and the piste into Erg Chigaga. Three nights in one of the Sahara's most remote dune systems. Sunrise movement on the dunes, desert silence, astrophotography under a sky emptied of light pollution.
Send an enquiryWhat awaits
The programme
Arrival
Private transfer from Marrakech airport. Private riad in the medina, hammam, and welcome dinner. First meeting with your guide and the group. Rest before the journey south.
Marrakech to Vallée des Roses
Depart Marrakech via Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate. Stop at the UNESCO kasbah, lunch in Ouarzazate, then continue along the Dades Valley to Kelaat M'Gouna. Arrive by late afternoon, settle in among the rose gardens.
Gardens, Cooperatives & Village Life
Morning walk through the rose terraces with a local Berber guide. Visit a rose oil distillery and a women's cooperative producing rose water and soaps. Afternoon at leisure, optional cold river plunge. Evening meal with a village family.
Dades Gorge & High Plateau
A full day in the landscape: hike the Dades Gorge, climb to the high plateau for views over the Atlas foothills. Return for a traditional hammam using local rose and argan products. Final evening in the valley.
South to Erg Chigaga
Depart the valley and descend south through Draa Valley date palms toward M'hamid. A 60 km piste track leads into the open desert. Arrive at the private camp at Erg Chigaga in the late afternoon, in time for the first sunset over the great dunes.
Desert Movement & Silence
Rise before dawn for movement practice on the dunes. Breakfast as the Sahara warms. The day belongs to the desert: rest, walk the dune crests, breathwork in the open air. No schedule, no noise. Evening fire and stargazing.
Full Desert Day & Astrophotography
A second full day in Erg Chigaga. Optional guided walk to a nomadic encampment. Afternoon workshops: photography, breathwork, bodywork. After dark, a long astrophotography session under one of the clearest skies in Africa.
Departure to Marrakech
Final sunrise over the dunes. Breakfast in the desert, then the long and beautiful drive north: piste to M'hamid, up through the Draa Valley and back to Marrakech. Arrive by late afternoon. Transfer to airport or medina hotel.
The retreat
The roses and the silence.
From the valley that blooms once a year to the dunes that endure for millennia. 8 days, 8 to 14 guests, entirely private.