The Road of the Thousand Kasbahs starts from Marrakech and, passing through Ouarzazate, reaches Zagora or the village of M’Hamid, the last oasis before the endless expanse of sand and dunes of the Sahara Desert. It traces the route taken by caravans traveling from Morocco to Sudan and Mali.
But what are Kasbahs? "Kasbah" is a word that comes from the Arabic "qasaba" which literally means to citadel.
They were built in the 1600s, although some of those found along this road are no more than 100 years old. All are constructed using the technique of “pisé” (straw and small pebbles cemented with mud) or adobe and are decorated with Berber motifs.
If you are considering traveling the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs on your own, during your trip to Morocco, you have options: by car or riding a motorcycle (I’m not a motorcyclist, but I can still assure you that doing this part of Morocco riding a motorbike must be a unique and unforgettable experience) or to plan a tour with a driver.
Doing everything on your own, with your vehicle, certainly guarantees more freedom and independence in stops and timing, but it is a challenging journey in terms of distance: from Merzouga to Marrakech is 557 km and 8 and a half hours of travel without stops and deviations.
The Route of the Thousand Kasbahs could be a week-long journey into the heart of this land and its people, as it is filled with incredible stops: the splendid Kasbah of Tinghir and the nearby Todra Gorges, the Dades Valley and its breathtaking gorges, Kelaat M’Gouna in the Valley of Roses, Ouarzazate, Ait-Ben-Haddou, and the Tizi n'Tichka pass.
These are just a few of the wonders we encountered along this iconic road, but since time is always short and never enough, as usual, we had to make compromises and select only a few of these destinations, having to travel the Road of the Thousand Kasbahs almost in a single day.
We decided to break up the journey and spend a night in Ait-Ben-Haddou, leaving the last leg of the trip towards Marrakech for the following morning. If you have more time available, I recommend dedicating at least two full days to the Road of the Thousand Kasbahs, so you can visit more Kasbahs and maybe enjoy a nice trek in either the Todra Gorges or the Dades Gorges.
In this article, I will explain how to make it one of the most beautiful excursions from Marrakech or a highlight of your trip to Morocco.
Let’s see where we are in our road trip itinerary through Morocco!
As you can see on the map below, we are at the sixth day of our journey (⑥) where we left our tented camp in the Merzouga desert to travel through the Valley of the Thousand Kasbahs to Ait Ben Haddou, where we spent the night.
The drive from Merzouga is the longest of this road trip: 8 hours! However, the road is simply breathtaking, with stone Kasbahs and beautiful gorges... it’s truly worth it!
We stayed overnight in Ait Ben Haddou and the next morning we set off for Marrakech.
If you want to know more about how to plan your Morocco travel itinerary then READ ALSO: Perfect Morocco itinerary for a 8-days-car trip
Don't miss all the insights on the various stages of this incredible trip:
part 1 - days ① and ② : Discovering Casablanca, Rabat and Meknes
part 2 - day ② and ③ : Chefchaouen, Morocco's Blue Pearl and Akchour Waterfalls
part 3 - day ③ and ④ : Fes, Morocco's Imperial Pearl
part 4 - day ⑤ : The Dunes of Erg Chebbi, Merzouga Desert
part 6 - days ⑦ and ⑧ : Marrakech in 2 days
If you have already defined your itinerary and you are now thinking about the more organizational and logistical part of your trip READ ALSO: How to plan a road trip in Morocco in a few simple steps
The route of the Thousand Kasbahs
As we saw earlier, the Road of the Thousand Kasbahs is the route that caravans traveled from Morocco to Sudan and Mali, specifically connecting Merzouga with Marrakech.
We traveled it in just over a day, selecting only a few of the endless beauties found along this route.
These are the stops we made along the Road of the Thousand Kasbahs towards Marrakech:
Todra Gorges
Dades Gorges
Kelaat M’Gouna
Ait Ben-Haddou
Tizi n'Tichka Pass
The Todra Gorges
The Todra Gorges are a canyon in the eastern part of the High Atlas, near the city of Tinghir. Over millennia, the Todra and Dades rivers carved a canyon through the rocks, with the last 600 meters becoming the spectacular Todra Gorges. Here, the canyon narrows to just 10 meters, with towering red cliffs reaching heights of 160 meters.
The flow of the small glacier that feeds the Todra River, which once filled the gorge, is now very modest and present only during the rainy season. The Gorges are traversed by a well-maintained asphalt road, elevated above the riverbed, and easily accessible by both car and foot.
I recommend visiting the Todra Gorges in the morning before the hordes of tourists arrive in packed buses. Before entering the Gorges, you will find a large parking area on the left, just before a tavern. However, I suggest driving further in and parking along the roadside, next to the rock wall.
At this point, explore the Gorges on foot, descending to the edge of the small river or going all the way to the end of the canyon, where a via ferrata and many hiking trails begin.
We arrived in the mid-morning, and there were already quite a few people, but we still managed to take a nice, albeit short, walk. We limited ourselves to crossing the 600 meters of the Gorges without embarking on any trekking. If we had more time, we would have loved to explore the nearby trails, especially since the Gorges themselves are quite touristy, though still incredibly impressive!
It’s difficult to take photos that truly capture the beauty of the Todra Gorges, where the local population moves around with their small donkeys or camels and scattered groups of goats. In the stream, you can often see local women washing clothes or vegetables. These are genuine, everyday moments that have nothing to do with tourism, and you will surely be tempted to capture them with a photo. However, it's better to avoid taking photos without permission, as it could cause discomfort.
The Todra Gorges are located shortly after passing the city of Tinghir, which was born and grew by hosting merchants and caravans crossing the area and is now populated by tourists.
The Dades Gorges
The Dades Gorges are located in the Dades Valley and are named after the river that formed them. Reaching them might seem straightforward: arrive at Boulmane Dades and then turn right onto the road leading to Tamellat.
Initially, the landscapes are a mix of lunar or Martian terrain, which then transform into lush and verdant palm groves in the gorges, which are particularly wide at this point.
The landscape alternates between two dominant colors: the red of the rock and the green of the palms.
I think this was one of the most scenic and incredible points of our trip to Morocco. Every five minutes, we would stop the car and get out to admire the view and take photos, which hardly captured the spectacle we witnessed. It's worth the entire journey to reach the Gorges.
Setting the destination on Google Maps won't take you directly to the famous Gorges of the iconic photograph. You have to keep driving for quite a while, and I guarantee that when you get there, you won't be able to miss it.
The Gorges are about 25 km from the turnoff to Tamellat.
The road remains relatively flat until you cross the river on a bridge and find the mountain on your right. From this point, the gorges narrow, and the road begins to ascend with the iconic switchbacks that have made the Dades Gorges famous worldwide.
You continue back and forth until you reach the Café-restaurant Timzzillite Chez Mohamed. Here, we parked the car and entered the café to grab a table on the beautiful panoramic terrace overlooking the gorges and the switchbacks. We took advantage of the stop to snap some stunning photos and refresh ourselves with a delicious treat and a nice glass of orange juice. Given the location, it’s definitely worth spending a few Dirhams on a drink: if you’ve made it this far, you absolutely have to stop. The place is incredible: the silence of the wind and the majesty of the Gorges make the landscape feel like a dream.
In our opinion, the Dades Gorges are a thousand times more beautiful than the Todra Gorges. If your itinerary doesn’t allow you to visit both and you have to choose just one, then without a doubt, we would pick the Dades Gorges.
To go back, you will need to retrace the same road you came on, or alternatively, you can continue along the road and take the detour to the Todra Gorges. However, this road is unpaved and can only be navigated with a 4x4 vehicle.
Kelaat m'Gouna
Kelaat M’Gouna is a small village located on the Road of the Thousand Kasbahs, in the heart of the Valley of Roses, where the M’Gouna river flows, creating oases and gorges along its path. It is known by many names, including El Kelaa des Mgouna, Qala'at Mgouna, or El Kelaa, but it is most famous as the City of Roses. It is mostly inhabited by people of Berber origin and is surrounded by a multitude of Damask rose fields, which originally come from Persia.
In the spring, particularly in May, this area of Berber Morocco turns pink due to the petals of this flower, which can withstand both cold and drought. Traveling these roads at the end of April and early May, you'll find numerous women bent over collecting roses and children ready to chase after you to sell colorful necklaces. Around mid-May (check the date for the current year before you leave), Kelaat M’Gouna hosts the Rose Festival: two days of a vibrant celebration with Berber dances and music, children selling rose necklaces and garlands, and local shops filled with unique products made from the precious roses.
The Damask roses have been cultivated for centuries by the Berbers, initially for the purpose of protecting the boundaries of wheat and vegetable fields with their thorny bushes, until they were noticed by some French perfumers in the 1930s.
Since then, various cooperatives and local factories have been established for the extraction of rose essential oil and the production of perfumes.
The harvest takes place in the first weeks of April, and it is largely carried out by women. The freshly opened buds are carefully picked during this time.
The collected flowers are partly dried to create sachets that will be used to scent rooms and linens, or they are used for culinary purposes (Berber women have learned to use them in cooking to flavor sweets and couscous). The best flowers, however, are destined for essential oil distillation for perfumery, with some of the oil being used to create the famous rose water.
The renowned pure Moroccan rose water is obtained by distilling the rose petals. It takes about 400 fresh roses to make one liter of this floral water. This makes the rose water from Kelaat M'Gouna a highly prized beauty product, widely used in the formulation of many cosmetics.
Once you reach Kelaat M’Gouna, you can witness the entire process of rose processing at the distillery: here, you’ll observe the selection, drying, and working of the petals during this stage, and finally, the distillation of the essences.
Outside of the roses, Kelaat M’Gouna doesn’t offer much for tourists, but they can indulge in purchasing a wide range of products made from these beautiful and delicate flowers. We visited countless small shops in search of rose water-based cosmetics, but most seemed of poor quality and not very well-maintained.
If you’re looking for good quality Rose Water and other products made from Damask roses, I highly recommend the Cooperative Rose Soffi: a large, well-maintained shop with high-quality products where you’ll find a wide variety. You’ll immediately notice the difference in quality, care, and even price, which remains very affordable. Since these are products for skincare, I preferred to go with something reliable. I bought a lot of items and even made many gifts, all of which I was extremely satisfied with!
Ait-Ben-Haddou
Ait-ben-Haddou is a fortified city (Ksar) that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, it is a stunning example of ancient southern Moroccan architecture.
Without a doubt, it is a must-visit destination to include in your itinerary in Morocco.
A Ksar is a traditional pre-Saharan housing concept in Morocco, consisting of a group of buildings made from organic materials such as red clay and straw, enclosed within high walls. Some families still live in these structures today.
Ait-Ben-Haddou is built on a hill that overlooks the valley, along the banks of the Ounila River, at the foot of the Atlas Mountains and is located about 30 kilometers from Ouarzazate.
Usually, tourists tend to stop in Ouarzazate and skip Ait-Ben-Haddou, but we chose to do the opposite because Ouarzazate seemed too modern, large, and touristy.
Ait-Ben-Haddou, thanks to some incredibly well-executed restoration work, is a real gem. With its characteristic corner towers typical of Ksar architecture and narrow alleys that wind through the dwellings, it became one of my favorite stops on this road trip through Morocco.
Compared to other ksar in the region, Ait-Ben-Haddou has preserved a unique architectural authenticity in terms of its configuration and materials, which has often made it a location for the filming of major world-famous movies like The Jewel of the Nile, Gladiator, Prince of Persia, and even Game of Thrones.
By the way, when we visited (May 2023), they were building the arena for the filming of Gladiator 2, so the city was completely closed to the public during the filming.
The fortress is actually small and compact; it took us no more than a couple of hours to explore it thoroughly. We arrived around 6:00 PM, just in time to settle into our accommodation and stroll through the streets before enjoying the sunset from the terrace at the top of the city, which is actually a large fortified granary called an agadir.
The fortified city of Ait-Ben-Haddou is almost completely uninhabited: it fills up in the morning just in time for the arrival of tourists, and its narrow streets become one large souk, with small cafés on delightful terraces. However, there are few inhabitants who actually live within the city. Life has moved outside the fortified city, across the river, where a more modern town has now been built.
Sleeping inside the Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou is therefore an unmissable and quite unique experience: there are only a couple of accommodations to choose from, making it a very exclusive activity, as well as typical and characteristic.
We didn’t let the opportunity slip and took advantage of it to break up the journey from Merzouga to Marrakech along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs. I had booked a stay at La Kasbah El Hajja, one of the very few places to stay inside the old fortified village of Ait-Ben-Haddou. For all the information about the accommodation, costs, and other logistics of this trip, be sure to check out the details and READ ALSO: How to plan a road trip in Morocco in a few simple steps
Enri wasn’t entirely convinced about my choice to sleep inside the fortified city, but once we got there, he had to change his mind. I swear, he even declared it the best accommodation of the whole trip! Honestly, it was a dream come true; for one night, it felt like being in the movie Prince of Persia or Aladdin. An unforgettable experience that I wholeheartedly recommend.
That said, whether you decide to spend the night in Ait-Ben-Haddou inside or outside the fortified city, a couple of hours here are a must.
Park your car in the lot in front of the La Kasbah hotel (for a small tip to the parking attendant, you won’t have any issues) and cross the riverbed or the bridge to reach the Ksar.
I don’t have specific recommendations about what to do here: we simply wandered through the alleys of the small souk, admiring the carpets, the craftsmanship, and the beautiful little paintings typical of the city. These small artworks are made with watercolors using natural pigments: saffron for yellow, indigo for blue, and tea and whisky for browns and ochres... by passing a flame on the back of the paper, the colors are set, transforming and intensifying, giving life to unique little masterpieces. Of course, I couldn’t resist buying some!
Tizi n'Tichka Pass
The Tizi n'Tichka Pass is the final leg of our journey along the Road of the Thousand Kasbahs, which took us from the Merzouga Desert to Marrakech. Tizi n'Tichka literally means "pasture pass," although Tichka also means "difficult," referring to a challenging route due to the many hairpin turns along the way.
This pass connects the southeast of Marrakech to the city of Ouarzazate through the High Atlas mountain range and lies between the vast plains of Marrakech and the gateway to the Sahara Desert.
In winter, it's not uncommon to find the pass covered in snow, as it sits at an elevation of 2,260 meters above sea level.
The pass itself is spectacular due to the variety of landscapes and breathtaking views: it's a route to be traveled by car, as there isn’t much to visit aside from the sign marking the summit and the surrounding scenery—unless, of course, you're planning to do some trekking.
Here we are at the end of this journey along the Road of the Thousand Kasbahs, which began at our tented camp near the Erg Chebbi dunes and ended in Marrakech, the final stop of our road trip through Morocco.
Don't miss all the insights on the various stages of this incredible trip:
part 1 - days ① and ② : Discovering Casablanca, Rabat and Meknes
part 2 - day ② and ③ : Chefchaouen, Morocco's Blue Pearl and Akchour Waterfalls
part 3 - day ③ and ④ : Fes, Morocco's Imperial Pearl
part 4 - day ⑤ : The Dunes of Erg Chebbi, Merzouga Desert
part 6 - days ⑦ and ⑧ : Marrakech in 2 days
Here’s an overview of the entire itinerary: READ ALSO: Perfect Morocco itinerary for a 8-days-car trip
If you have already defined your itinerary and you are now thinking about the more organizational and logistical part of your trip READ ALSO: How to plan a road trip in Morocco in a few simple steps
Did you just book a trip to Morocco but don't know where to start planning your time there? Then, let me present to you my digital map of the country which includes: Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Chefchaouen, Fez, Merzouga, the Street of a Thousand Kasbahs and Marrakech.
Thanks to this map you will be able to build your entire road trip in Morocco.
This is a private map on Google Maps on which you will find:
more than 100 places to visit including the best souks, madrasas and museums
the best photo spots
attractions and activities customized based on my experience
where to stay overnight and where to park the car
where to eat (restaurants, cafes, and much more)
To receive the map for FREE, you can choose one of these two ways:
☞ follow me on Instagram and request the map directly via DM
☞ subscribe to the mailing list and request the map below in the comments (remember to leave me your email) or by sending me an email to: lethergo.it@gmail.com
For any questions or further information do not hesitate to write to me either in the comments or in private.
Have a nice trip!
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