Mountain Trekking · Dades & Rose Valley

8-Day Rose Valley Trek in Morocco (Trekking Vallée des Roses)

8 days / 7 nights
Moderate
Private or small group, family-friendly (up to 16)
Marrakech (airport pick-up)

At a glance

Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
Difficulty: Moderate
Group: Private or small group, family-friendly (up to 16)
Start: Marrakech (airport pick-up)
End: Marrakech (airport drop-off)
Max altitude: 2,260 m (Tizi n'Tichka pass)
Price: On request (depends on dates & group size)

Overview

The Rose Valley, on the southern side of the High Atlas near Kelaat M’Gouna, is a ribbon of green running through an arid landscape: terraced gardens, walnut and fig trees, rose hedges, oleander gorges and villages of earthen kasbahs. This 8-day trip from Marrakech includes a four-day valley trek with muleteers, designed for friends, families and first-time trekkers who want real contact with Berber life without hard mountain stages.

After an arrival night in Marrakech, you cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260 m), visit the kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, stop in Ouarzazate and reach the Dades Valley. The walking begins the next day, leading through terraced land into the M’Goun valley to Tamgallouna, where you sleep with a local family. You then cross a juniper-covered pass to Almdoune, at about 1,700 m, and follow the oleander gorges down to Boutaghrar. On the way back to Marrakech, Kelaat M’Gouna is the place to discover rose water and other products of the Damask rose, and a free day in the city closes the trip before your departure.

Daily walks last around 5 to 5.5 hours on well-defined paths, with a few river crossings. Nights on the trek are in simple gîtes or with families, and all trek meals, mules, a cook and a certified mountain guide are included, together with transfers and hotel or riad nights in Marrakech. The tour runs year-round; the price is on request.

Highlights

Varied scenery of gorges, terraced gardens, villages and rose fields
Nights in gîtes and with local Berber families
Walking through pink oleander gorges to Boutaghrar
Kelaat M'Gouna, home of the rose festival and rose products
Kasbahs of the Dades Valley and a visit to Ait Ben Haddou
Crossing the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m)
Home-cooked meals prepared by the team's cook
Free day to explore Marrakech

Day-by-day itinerary

1
Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech
On arrival at Marrakech airport you are met and transferred to your riad or hotel. Depending on your flight time, the rest of the day is free to wander the medina, enjoy a mint tea on a rooftop terrace or simply rest before the journey south. In the evening, pack your large bag for the mules and keep a small daypack for the walking days ahead. Overnight: riad or hotel in Marrakech.
2
Day 2: Marrakech – Tichka Pass – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley (326 km)
Departure around 8:00 am for the long scenic drive across the High Atlas. The road climbs through Berber villages to the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m, then drops into the semi-desert landscapes of the south, with a visit to the kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou. After lunch in Ouarzazate, you continue east to Kelaat M'Gouna and the Dades Valley. Driving time: about 7 hours. Overnight: gîte in the Dades Valley.
3
Day 3: Dades Valley – Rose Valley (Tamgallouna)
The trek begins. With the mules carrying the bags, you walk through terraced cultivation and stretches of arid land into the M'Goun valley, the heart of the Rose Valley. Lunch is taken at Ighrem Akdim before the path continues to Tamgallouna, crossing the river several times, so keep a pair of tennis shoes handy. Walking time: 5 h 30, ascent 500 m, descent 400 m. Overnight: with a local family in Tamgallouna.
4
Day 4: Tamgallouna – Almdoune Valley (1,700 m)
Climb about 300 m through a juniper forest to a pass with views over the surrounding valleys, then descend into the Ameskar valley. Lunch is in the Temtda valley, among rammed-earth kasbahs and small orchards. The afternoon walk leads to the village of Almdoune, at around 1,700 m, where you spend the night. Walking time: 5 hours, ascent 400 m, descent 300 m. Overnight: gîte in Almdoune.
5
Day 5: Almdoune – El Quati Valley – Oleander Gorges – Boutaghrar
A gentle downhill day through the El Quati valley and into gorges lined with pink oleander. The trail crosses the stream often, so sandals or water shoes are the best footwear today. Lunch is taken by the river near Aznag, before the last stretch of walking along the valley to the village of Boutaghrar. Walking time: 5 hours, descent 500 m. Overnight: gîte in Boutaghrar.
6
Day 6: Boutaghrar – Kelaat M'Gouna – Ouarzazate – Tichka Pass – Marrakech
Say thank you and goodbye to the muleteers, then return by car via Kelaat M'Gouna, famous for its spring rose festival and its rose water, oils and creams, a good place to buy a natural souvenir. The drive continues through Ouarzazate and back over the Tichka pass, with photo stops along the way, before reaching Marrakech in the evening. Overnight: riad or hotel in Marrakech.
7
Day 7: Free Day in Marrakech
A full day to enjoy Marrakech at your own pace: the storytellers and food stalls of Djemaa el-Fna, the maze of souks, the palaces and the gardens. You can explore independently, shop for spices and crafts in the medina, or simply relax in the quiet patio of your riad after four days of walking in the mountains. Overnight: riad or hotel in Marrakech.
8
Day 8: Departure from Marrakech
Free time according to your flight schedule, then transfer from your hotel or riad to Marrakech airport for your journey home. If you would like to stay longer in Morocco, extra nights in Marrakech can be arranged on request before you travel. Take home a bottle of rose water from Kelaat M'Gouna and the memory of the warm hospitality of the Berber families who welcomed you in the valley.

What’s included

Airport transfers and road transfers between Marrakech and the trek
Hotel or riad accommodation in Marrakech
4 nights in gîtes or with local families during the trek
All meals during the trek
Muleteers and mules
Cook
Certified mountain guide
All activities in the itinerary

Return flights
Meals in Marrakech
Drinks and personal items
Repatriation insurance
Tips for the guide and muleteers
Optional activities not in the itinerary

What to bring

Large bag for the mules and a day backpack
Hiking shoes plus tennis shoes
Water shoes or sandals for river crossings
Warm fleece
Personal medication
1–2 L water bottle and purification tablets
Sunscreen, sunglasses and a cap or hat
Camera and headlamp with spare batteries

Good to know

Airport pick-up on arrival; departure for the south around 8:00 am on day 2.
Easy-to-moderate walking of about 5–5.5 hours a day on well-defined paths, suitable for families with children who are used to walking.
Several river crossings on days 3 and 5: bring tennis shoes and sandals or water shoes.
Runs year-round; spring is the rose season, celebrated with the rose festival in Kelaat M'Gouna.
Trek nights are in simple gîtes and homestays; dietary needs can be catered for with advance notice.

Questions about this tour

It is easy to moderate, with about 5 to 5.5 hours of walking a day on gentle, well-defined paths. Anyone in reasonable health who enjoys walking can do it.

Yes. The trek is designed to be family-friendly and works well for children who are used to walking.

The roses bloom in spring, when Kelaat M'Gouna celebrates its rose festival. The trek itself runs year-round.

In a hotel or riad in Marrakech, and in simple gîtes or with local families during the four nights of the trek.

Your cook prepares salads, tagines, couscous and other home-style dishes. Vegetarian and other dietary needs can be met with advance notice.

It combines rose fields, oleander gorges and kasbah villages in a region far less touristy than the classic routes, with genuine contact with Berber families.

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